Naomi Yang | |
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Background information | |
Born | September 15, 1964 |
Genres | |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, bass, keyboards, harmonium |
Website | www www |
Naomi Yang (born September 15, 1964) is an American musician, graphic designer, photographer and film-maker. She was a member of the dreampop band Galaxie 500, psychedelic rock band Magic Hour and as half of the psychedelic folk duo Damon and Naomi. She has also made videos for a wide number of artists including Future Bible Heroes, Waxahatchee and Julia Holter.
Music
editYang was bassist and occasional vocalist with noted dreampop band Galaxie 500 on all their recordings from 1987 until their split in 1991. She then recorded three albums and toured with the psychedelic rock band Magic Hour. Since Galaxie 500's split she has worked as duo with her partner Damon Krukowski as Damon and Naomi who have collaborated with notable musicians such as the guitarist Michio Kurihara and members of the Japanese rock band Ghost.
Publishing
editIn 1989 Yang set up the independent book publisher Exact Change who specialise in publishing 19th and 20th century avant-garde literature.
Graphic design
editYang has been responsible for designing the covers of all of Exact Changes publications as well as the sleeves of all of Galaxie 500 and Damon & Naomi's releases.[1] She has also done design work for a wide number of clients including The John Cage Trust.[2]
Photography and film
editYang's photographs have been reproduced in a variety of publications including Giant Robot
In 2011 Yang moved into film-making, directing and editing videos for a wide variety of musical artists.
Selected videos
edit- Meg Baird - “The Finder” (2011, Drag City) [3]
- Julia Holter - “Our Sorrows” (2012, RVNG Intl.) [4]
- Future Bible Heroes - “Living, Loving, Partygoing” (2013, Merge Records) [5]
- Tanya Donelly - “Mass Ave” (2013, American Laundromat)
- Marissa Nadler - “Drive” (2014, Sacred Bones)[6]
- Waxahatchee - “La Loose” (2015, Merge Records)[7]
- Heather Trost - “Agistri” (2016, LM Duplication)
- Lee Ranaldo - “New Thing” (2017, Mute Records)[8]
Fortune
editIn 2013 she directed and edited the short film Fortune which has screened around the world usually accompanied by live accompaniment by Damon & Naomi.
Selected screenings
edit- Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University (2014)
- Pop Montreal (2014)
- Istanbul Film Festival[9]
- Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle (2017)
Exhibitions
editIn 2011 The Aviary Gallery in Jamaica Plain, MA presented a solo show of Yang's photography and video.[10] She has also exhibited as part of the gallery's Sound on Sight group exhibition in 2016.[11]
Personal life
editYang graduated from Harvard with a BA with honors from the Visual & Environmental Studies Department in 1986 and then from 1986 to 1989 she studied architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design.[12]
Yang's father was noted landscape photographer John Yang.[13]
References
edit- ^ PRINT: The portable Naomi Yang, PRINT Magazine, 2011
- ^ Happy 100th Birthday, John Cage!, The John Cage Trust, 2012
- ^ Watch a Meg Baird video directed by Naomi Yang, The Wire
- ^ Video: Julia Holter: "Our Sorrows", Pitchfork, 2012
- ^ Future Bible Heroes – “Living, Loving, Partygoing” Video (Stereogum Premiere), Stereogum, 2013
- ^ Marissa Nadler Shares "Drive" Video, Directed by Naomi Yang of Galaxie 500, Pitchfork, 2014
- ^ Waxahatchee Shares "La Loose" Video, Pitchfork, 2015
- ^ Lee Ranaldo – “New Thing” (Feat. Sharon Van Etten) Video, Stereogum, 2017
- ^ Damon & Naomi play ‘Fortune’, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (ISKV), 2015
- ^ Afterimage - Naomi Yang, The Aviary Gallery, 2011
- ^ Sound on Sight, The Aviary Gallery, 2016
- ^ Exact Changes: The many pursuits of musicians Damon & Naomi Harvard Magazine, 2016
- ^ Naomi Yang discusses five photographers who represent different aspects of her work, Boston Globe, 2011
External links
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