"The California-based Cinema Strange Project made headlines around the world when they completed a 1/20th scale model of Big Ben using toothpicks, fly legs, and fingernail clippings. The unpredictable ensemble commented, "We've played music in Europe a bunch of times, we've made films about zombies and dancing military men, and we made our last album like a story book. The Big Ben model was a logical next step."
The band is infamous in the North
American gothic scene for their unique and theatrical stage shows, sometimes involving up to a dozen or more actors and performance artists. Their music, while originating humbly in 1994 as a high-tempo post-punk expression, has evolved into a bizarre and exciting species of musical storytelling,
breaking new ground and taking over where bands like the Virgin Prunes left off.
After two self-released records and two albums with the German label, Trisol, they have left an unidentifiable but very real mark on the world gothic scene, and it's
anyone's guess what they'll do, or where they'll be, or who they'll claim to be next."
- Retch Dempsey, February, 2003 (Press bio from the strange CS site)
Current Members include; Lucas Lanthier, aka "Zampano": Founding C.S. member. Lucas sings and composes music and words for the Project.
Michael Ribiat, aka "
Lafitte": Mik plays guitar and other instruments and composes music for the Project.
Daniel Ribiat, aka "Yellow": Founding C.S. member. Daniel plays bass and other instruments and composes music for the Project.
Danny Walker, aka "Ted": Mister Walker plays drums for the Project.
Past mambers; Colin O'Donnell: Founding member, original guitarist. Colin wrote many of the early C.S. songs, including "Sadist Sagittarius" and "
Golden Hand".
Alejandro
Restrepo: Founding member, original drummer. Alex co-wrote much of the early material. He is presently known in the San Francisco Bay Area as
Cubra Libre
Records; 1994 Self-titled 5-song demo tape
1996 Six-song cassette Acrobat
Amaranth Automaton
1999 Falling...
Caterwauling MP3.com Exclusive CD
2000 Cinema Strange Trisol, Germany
2002 The Astonished Eyes of Evening Trisol, Germany
2004 A Cinema Strange 10th Anniversary Novelty Product Trisol, Germany