Mako Sica's "Essence"

Mako Sica, a great band from Chicago, have used one of my paintings as the cover of their new record, Essence.

Click here to listen.

Their label, La Société Expéditionnaire, says:

Mako Sica (meaning "bad lands") is a three-piece band from Chicago formed in 2007. With two members (Przemyslaw Drazek and Michael Kendrick) formerly of the band Rope on the Family Vinyard imprint and a new singer (Brent Fuscaldo), the group combines dissonant, classical-influenced arrangements with wordless, mantra-like singing and a bluesy rhythm section. In the spirit of Chicago's explorative artists such as the legendary Sun Ra, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, and even US Maple (whose guitarist Todd Rittmann recorded Mako Sica's debut), they create a sound that is all their own. Mako Sica uses guitars, drums, trumpet, and at times extra percussion and electric thumb piano to produce songs in the vein of Amon Duul, Hex-era Earth and the out-there reaches of the Impulse Records catalog. The band uses a group-mind aesthetic and an uncanny dose of negative space that charms the listener to be a part of the music.

T. Renner, "Untitled," 2011, acrylic on paper, 6" x 4".