Material Members, Gear & Sound

group and producer team led by Bill Laswell

Genre

Jazz Experimental rock Acid jazz Funk Post-disco No wave Punk

Members

Select a Material band member to check out the music gear they use live and in the studio.

Buckethead

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist Drummer Music Producer

Groups:

Guns N' Roses Praxis Cornbugs Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains Moonraker Giant Robot Pieces Deli Creeps Axiom Funk Divination Thanatopsis World-Wide-Funkdrive Buckethead And His Bucket-Bots Science Faxtion Shin.e Arcana Frankenstein Brothers Gorgone Cobra Strike Company 91 El Stew

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Nile Rodgers

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Composer

Groups:

Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes The Honeydrippers CHIC We Are Family Collective NHS Voices Outloud The Chic Strings Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers

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Bootsy Collins

Roles:

Singer Bassist

Groups:

Funkadelic Parliament Praxis Deee-Lite Fred Wesley and The J.B.'s Bootsy, Phelps & The Complete Strangers The J.B.’s Bootsy Phelps And Gary World-Wide-Funkdrive Houseguests George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars The House Guests Flo George Clinton and Family The P-Funk Mob Bonzo Goes to Washington Bootsy Collins And The Funk Unity Band Malcolm McLaren and the Bootzilla Orchestra The GrooveGrass Boyz Bootsy's New Rubber Band Science Faxtion Deadline Bootsy's Rubber Band Parliament-Funkadelic Claude VonStroke & Bootsy Collins George Clinton & Bootsy Collins Bootsy Collins & Bootsy's New Rubber Band

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Michael Hampton

Roles:

Guitarist

Groups:

Funkadelic Parliament Toe-Knee & The 7th House Of Funk The Golden Palominos Parliament-Funkadelic George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars Kiddo The P-Funk Mob No Self Control Spaceship Earth Eddie and The Ant Hill Mob Slave Master

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Bill Laswell

Roles:

Bassist Music Producer

Groups:

Praxis Possession Painkiller Tabla Beat Science New York Gong Activities of Dust Flying Mijinko Band Cymatic Scan Charged Astral Night Rollers Blind Light Phantom City The Big Guns Transmutation Timezone Divination Autonomous Zone The Ginger Baker Band Third Rail Method of Defiance Equations of Eternity Mandingo Griot Society Two Against One Blixt Axiom Funk Curlew The Blood of Heroes Toy Killers Radioaxiom The Phillip Wilson Project Surds Psychonavigation Bladerunner Automaton Soup Arcana The Golden Palominos Massacre Shango Dubadelic Cobra Strike Shin.e Mandingo Buck Jam Tonic IZA Sypher Tokyo Rotation K2 Henry Threadgill & Make a Move Deadline Sacred System Somma Purple Trap Last Exit Bill Laswell India Project Outland Niels and the New York Street Percussionists Second Nature Blue Buddha Kai Bass Invaders

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Robbie Shakespeare

Roles:

Bassist

Groups:

The Upsetters Black Uhuru The Taxi Gang The Revolutionaries T.O.K. Sly & Robbie Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus Word, Sound and Power Kookoo Baya Padlock The Seven Seas Players Sly & the Revolutionaries Sly and Robbie Compass Point All Stars Baba Zula The Aggrovators

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Bernie Worrell

Roles:

Keyboardist Composer

Groups:

Talking Heads Funkadelic Parliament Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains Praxis O.G. Funk Activities of Dust The Woo Warriors The Golden Palominos Jack Bruce And The Cuicoland Express Baby Elephant Khu.éex' Method of Defiance Bahia Black SociaLybrium Fool Proof Bernie Worrell Orchestra Third Rail Niels and the New York Street Percussionists Worrell's Open Operatives WesNWorrell Parliament-Funkadelic George Clinton and Family Flo George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars World-Wide-Funkdrive Black Jack Johnson Jerry Harrison: Casual Gods Sacred System Shin.e Fred Schneider & The Shake Society Paul Shaffer & the World's Most Dangerous Band

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Nicky Skopelitis

Roles:

Guitarist Keyboardist

Groups:

Public Image Ltd O.G. Funk The Golden Palominos Shin.e Deadline Sacred System Niels and the New York Street Percussionists Peter Brötzmann Tentet Divination Flying Mijinko Band Blind Light Axiom Funk Curlew Toy Killers

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Jeff Bova

Roles:

Keyboardist Music Producer

Groups:

Change Billy Joel Band The Rockit Band The Distance Flying Island Herbie Hancock (band) The Neverland Express Cypher 7 Mandingo Divination

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Michael Beinhorn

Roles:

Keyboardist Music Producer

Groups:

Red Hot Chili Peppers New York Gong Shango Deadline Toy Killers

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J.T. Lewis

Roles:

Drummer

Groups:

Living Colour The Rockit Band The Sunday Night Band Herbie Hancock (band) SociaLybrium Henry Threadgill & Make a Move Don Pullen & The African-Brazilian Connection David Murray Quartet Harriet Tubman

Needs more gear

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Sly Dunbar

Roles:

Drummer

Groups:

The Upsetters The Taxi Gang The Revolutionaries Sly & Robbie Sly and Robbie Sly & the Revolutionaries The Seven Seas Players Padlock Kookoo Baya Skin, Flesh & Bones Word, Sound and Power

No gear added

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Gary "Mudbone" Cooper

Roles:

Singer Drummer

Groups:

Parliament The Put Yo' Body Where Yo' Mouf Iz Choir Bootsy's Rubber Band Bootsy's New Rubber Band Bootsy, Phelps & The Complete Strangers Bootsy Phelps And Gary The P-Funk Mob

No gear added

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Jerome Brailey

Roles:

Drummer

Groups:

Funkadelic Parliament O.G. Funk Mutiny Jerome Brailey & Mutiny George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars Third Rail

No gear added

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Foday Musa Suso

Roles:

Drummer

Groups:

The Rockit Band Possession Mandingo Tokyo Rotation K2 The Ripple Effect The Ginger Baker Band Autonomous Zone Flying Mijinko Band Mandingo Griot Society

No gear added

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Aïyb Dieng

Roles:

Drummer Music Producer

Groups:

Possession F.O.E Flying Mijinko Band Blind Light Charged

No gear added

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Bill Bacon

Roles:

Drummer

Groups:

New York Gong Flying Island Curlew Artificial Intelligence

No gear added

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Henry Threadgill

Roles:

Drummer

Groups:

Bahia Black Henry Threadgill Very Very Circus Henry Threadgill & Make a Move Henry Threadgill Sextett Flute Force 4 Henry Threadgill's Zooid Henry Threadgill’s 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg

No gear added

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Mark E. Miller

Roles:

Singer Drummer DJ

Groups:

Ambitious Lovers Toy Killers Surds

No gear added

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Charles K. Noyes

Roles:

Drummer Music Producer

Groups:

Toy Killers

No gear added

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About

Material is a pioneering musical group known for their fusion of jazz, funk, punk, and experimental rock. Formed in 1979 in the vibrant underground scene of New York City, the group was initially a trio featuring Bill Laswell (bass), Michael Beinhorn (multi-instrumentalist), and Fred Maher (drums). Over the years, Material expanded to include a rotating cast of influential musicians, such as Sonny Sharrock and Henry Threadgill, contributing to their dynamic and evolving sound. The band's innovative approach bridged genres, incorporating elements of acid jazz, post-disco, and no wave, and laid the groundwork for future explorations in hip-hop and world music.

How to Sound Like Material

Material's sound is characterized by its eclectic blend of gritty funk grooves and avant-garde jazz textures, often underpinned by Laswell's deep, resonant bass lines. The group creates a rich tapestry of sound that is both aggressive and atmospheric, utilizing a diverse range of instruments and effects. For those looking to emulate this intricate soundscape, incorporating a Mad Professor Snow White AutoWah can capture the funky, rhythmic wah tones frequently heard in their music. Additionally, the use of Boss OS-2 OverDrive/Distortion can add the necessary edge and texture to guitar parts, reflecting the band's experimental rock influences. The fusion of these elements results in a sound that is simultaneously raw and sophisticated, pushing the boundaries of conventional music genres.

Discography

Temporary Music

1981

Memory Serves

1981

The Third Power

1991

Hallucination Engine

1994

The Road To The Western Lands

1998

Intonarumori

1999

Apocalypse Live

2017

Get the Material Sound

Want to sound like Material? This gear comes straight from the setups of the band's members, based on proven sources. Dive into each artist's page for more detail and inspiration.