Duster (band)

Duster is an American rock band consisting of multi-instrumentalists Clay Parton, Canaan Dove Amber, and Jason Albertini from San Jose, California. Albertini played drums on three tracks for their debut album, 1998's Stratosphere, and with 1999's 1975 EP, became much more involved in the group process, playing many more instruments and sharing recording/producing credits with Parton and Amber. By 2000's Contemporary Movement he was fully involved in the creative process as a permanent member of the group. Members of the band previously performed together in the group Mohinder, as well as releasing two albums under the name Valium Aggelein.[1][2]

Parton also tinkers with his side project Eiafuawn and plays drums and tours with punk band El Buzzard. Albertini has his own band Helvetia that has put out multiple records on Parton's record label The Static Cult Label and plays keyboards/drums with Mike Johnson.[3] Parton and Amber also run the Low Earth Orbit recording studio.

On April 13, 2018, Duster posted via their Instagram page that they are “recording a little bit”.[4] Later it was announced that the band's discography would be reissued as the box set Capsule Losing Contact through The Numero Group,[5] which was released on March 22, 2019. On July 4, 2019, the band released their first standalone single in almost 20 years, "Interstellar Tunnel", and subsequently announced their third self-titled studio album, which was released on December 13 that year.[6]

Of their hiatus and subsequent reunion, Parton said, "When we took a break almost two decades ago, we didn't think it was going to all completely stop. We thought we could keep it drifting at least, maybe at a slower pace and with a different process. But everything just went dark. We were always in touch and sometimes we'd talk about doing Duster things, but days just piled up... In recent years we've talked more seriously about at least doing another record. Now everything is sort of working out, and we are making new things together, but we're taking it slow and still doing most things wrong, so it does feel like right where we left off."[7]

Generally seen as indie rock, the group has been also associated with the space rock and slowcore movements by critics due to their unique sound.[8][3] To produce this, the band typically recorded on cheap and older recording equipment, such as cassette decks, in their Low Earth Orbit studio, giving their music a lo-fi quality.[3]