Experimental Dental School

by Stephen CramerWith Shoko Horikawa on organ and sampler, Ryan Chittick on drums, and Jesse Hall on guitar and vocals, the distorted Oakland, California trio Experimental Dental School began to carve a solid niche in the Bay Area's thriving art rock scene in early 2002. Horikawa and Hall were previously members of the quirky project Meyow. When ex-Tim in Action drummer Chittick joined the group, the band's unpredictable sonic approach led to their sharing stages with wildly creative bands like Deerhoof, Numbers, Hella, Mates of State, the Need, Dub Narcotic Sound System, the Make-Up, and Trans Am. The band began to tour regularly in the United States and Europe, in addition to numerous West Coast swings. The full-length Hideous Dance Attack!!! was released by the band in 2003, with the Japanese label Memory Lab Records releasing the disc overseas, in addition to an LP version of the record being released by a German label. The band's lively music, with Hall's zealous vocals and bizarre guitar approach, Chittick's choppy drumming, and Horikawa's capricious organ quickly earned the group much praise and adoration. April 2004 saw two of the band's tracks on a split-CD EP with Kyoto, Japan-based band Limited Express. Released in Japan on Memory Lab Recordings, Sweden's Deleted Art Records released the album on record soon after. 2½ Creatures, which featured drumming by Deerhoof's Greg Saunier, followed in 2005 (and was reissued with bonus tracks the following year). Saunier also helped mix the band's 2008 album, Jane Doe Loves Me.