Asha Vida

Almost immediately after their formation in 1993, avant-space trio Asha Vida became the epitome of the American underground band. Despite the fact they have never had a proper tour, have played only a handful of high-profile shows, and have relatively little recorded output, Asha Vida have managed to mass a small international cult following, as well as critical acclaim. In the early '90s, as the underground music press scurried to find an alternative to grunge, attention was briefly diverted by the discovery of a small, but flourishing Michigan-based space-rock scene. Ethereal-minded bands from the Detroit area flooded the market with singles and 45s, all attempting to get a piece of the psychedelic rock pie. Asha Vida formed when friends Craig Badynee (vocal, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards), Eric Pieti (guitar, keyboards), and Jesse Rafferty (drums) recorded a demo and passed it on to fellow dreamstersWindy & Carl. This led to Asha Vida's first release, the Eskimo Summer Ep which received widespread approval from the indie press. Shortly after, Asha Vida became known for their unique live shows, and landed gigs with Swervedriver, Blonde Redhead, and the Pale Saints. Another single, Pinion, was released, again to critical raves. 1997's CD release, As One of One saw the band break free from the repetitive limitations of space-rock; free-form exploration and gloomy prog-rock now dominated their sound. In 1998, Asha Vida played a few scattered shows including a CMJ showcase at New York's Knitting Factory. On their 1998 Burnt Hair records release, Nature's Clumsy Hand the trio totally abandons traditional song structure, instead creating a sonic feast of live improvs and art-noise bliss.