Andrew Broder

Minneapolis artist Andrew Broder has bridged lo-fi indie rock, turntablism, improvisation, experimental electronics, and more during his multi-decade career. He first became internationally known for Fog, an inventive project that unpredictably switched between abstract hip-hop, whimsical indie pop, and ambient drone experiments on albums like 2003′s Ether Teeth. He remained active with Fog as well as numerous additional pursuits, including the post-rock group Lateduster and collaborations with several members of the Anticon family, such as Yoni Wolf and Doseone. He released several experimental albums under his own name, including 2014′s Visinvisible, before reactivating the more song-oriented Fog with 2016′s For Good. His subsequent work, including 2017′s Cousin Mask EP and the 2020 Denzel Curry collaboration “Bloodrush,” has combined trap-influenced hip-hop with dark experimental techno.
Broder began playing several instruments as a teenager, including guitar, bass, and turntables. He cut his teeth playing in punk rock and hip-hop groups, but he had a much grander musical ambition that couldn’t be confined to any single genre. He dropped out of college after falling ill with pneumonia, and began concentrating on making music. His self-titled debut as the Fog appeared on Minneapolis label Dinkytown Records in 2000, featuring a spoken introduction by MF Doom. Broder also played turntables and guitar in the instrumental post-rock group Cropduster, who changed their name to Lateduster after their second EP. Ninja Tune signed Broder, simply as Fog, and the debut album was reissued with an updated track list in 2002. Under his own name, Broder released Modern Hits, an EP of bootleg remixes of various hip-hop tracks, with More Modern Hits following in 2003. Fog’s heavily acclaimed second album, Ether Teeth, was released the same year. Broder collaborated with Yoni Wolf (Why?, cLOUDDEAD) on an indie hip-hop project called Hymie's Basement, and their self-titled debut album appeared on Lex Records in 2003. Fog’s Hummer EP was released in 2004, and Merck issued Easy Pieces, which collected material from Lateduster’s releases on Minneapolis label Firetrunk Records.
Broder and George Cartwright (Curlew) released a self-titled LP of improvisations on experimental label Roaratorio in 2004. Fog’s first album as a full band, 10th Avenue Freakout, was issued by Lex in 2005. Broder contributed to albums by Anticon associates like Odd Nosdam, Jel, and Dosh (also a member of Fog), as well as Ninja Tune bosses Coldcut’s 2006 album Sound Mirrors and Dntel’s 2007 release Dumb Luck. Ditherer, Fog’s folk-rock-leaning fourth album, appeared in 2007, with high-profile guests including Phil Elverum (the Microphones, Mount Eerie), Andrew Bird, and Low’s Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker. Broder and bandmate Tim Glenn formed the noise/drone project HeatdeatH, and Fog became inactive. Broder appeared on several releases by Why?, including 2008′s Alopecia. In 2009, Broder digitally released ten experimental solo albums, including Rap Ballads and I Must Fix All the Problems. He released a collaborative 7” single with Justin Broadrick as part of Hidden Hive’s Kissing Kin split series in 2010. As Crook & Flail, Broder and Adam Drucker (Doseone) composed music for an audiobook recording of Alan Moore’s essay Unearthing, with additional musicians such as Mike Patton, Zach Hill, and Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite contributing. Broder formed the alternative rock group the Cloak Ox with former Fog bandmates Jeremy Ylvisaker, Mark Erickson, and Martin Dosh in 2010. Their debut EP, Prisen, was released by Totally Gross National Product in 2011, with full-length Shoot the Dog arriving in 2013.
Broder returned to Lex with Brandished, an EP of abstract electronic beats, released under the name Wertheimer in 2014. He also issued Visinvisible, a cassette of turntable-driven soundscapes, on Baro Records. The same label released Broder’s 2015 EP with Crescent Moon, the project of rapper Alexei Moon Casselle. Picture of the Hostage Holding Today’s Newspaper, a limited box set containing five 20-minute beat tapes, appeared on Brian Records. Broder released Cornered Animal, an album of live improvisations, in 2016. Having reignited Fog as a solo project, For Good was released by Totally Gross, and an EP under his own name titled Wertheimer, featuring guest vocalist GABI, appeared on Lex. Two subsequent EPs, Cousin Mask (2017) and Arena of Dust (2019), explored broken post-industrial techno. Broder also collaborated with Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Ryan Olson, and Psymun on a 2018 track titled “Star Mouth.” Vernon was credited as a co-writer on “Bloodrush,” Broder’s 2020 collaboration with Denzel Curry, Dua Saleh, and Haleek Maul, which was written for Alan Moore’s film The Show. ~ Paul Simpson