Classifying our music would be difficult. Our style changes from piece to piece. Basically we would fit into some sort of progressive/experimental classification, but the homemade aspect and quality throws in another oblique twist. We are not mind blowing musicians by any means. This would seem to knock us out of the progressive category right away, but we feel that we make up for it with just plain creativity. Yes, we are an acquired taste, but we all know an acquired taste is the best taste. Some have said we lack direction. The lack of direction is our direction.
In one form or another Bat Lenny has been together since 1976. The first incarnation was a group called Limpid Green which experimented with tape and sound effects. From this period they accumulated several hundreds of minutes of sounds. Nothing significant came from it, but learn they did! Circa 1979, Limpid Green lost its positive qualities and shuffled off this mortal coil.
Between 1979 and 1982 the members floundered.
In 1982 Bat Lenny began to take shape and in the summer of 1983 Bat Lenny was formalized. Their first recording session was held in a member's kitchen. This environment left something to be desired so they relocated to another member's basement, where most of the first tape was recorded.
While phoning in a membership pledge to KFAI, a local public radio station, they became acquainted with Jerry Modjeski, the co-founder of a late night eclectic music show called "Frothing at the Beaker". They gave him two prereleased tapes:
Pastoral Pleasantries and Fun for Me Fun for You.
After hearing their music, Jerry asked them to write and record a soundtrack for "Dick Future and His Fabulous Dancing Stool", a radio play he had written. Shortly thereafter Bat Lenny moved to a proper studio and produced a soundtrack for "Hot Rods from Outer Space" and the theme song for Jerry's radio show, "The Mechanical Spider Clinic".
A proper studio brought thoughts of full length cassettes. They decided to release an album on tape and yclepted it Quasi Quo. There was much reaction. "October 31st" was included on Passed Normal the Cassette which accompanied Passed Normal the album which was included in the Ralph Records catalog.
For the next tape they conjured the name
March of the Small Ones from one of their old unreleased songs. "Surf" made it all the way to number two on the "Univeral Top 12", as compiled by the Bob 2000 Computer on the syndicated radio show "The Little City in Space". "Delphi" was included on the Audio Alchemy CD, a compilation of DiY'ers released by What Next? Records.
What next you ask? They came up with
Stream of Unconsciousness, a tape of strangely spoken word pieces woven with even stranger music.
Coming soon (?),
Songs from the Belfry