Chuck Johnson is a California-based composer, producer, and musician. He approaches his work with an ear towards finding faults and instabilities that might reveal latent beauty, with a focus on pedal steel guitar, experimental electronics, alternate tuning systems, and composing for film and television. Recordings of his work have been published by Western Vinyl, VDSQ, Thrill Jockey, Temporary Residence, Kompakt, Ghostly, and Three Lobed, among others.
Between 2011 and 2015 Johnson released a triptych of solo guitar LP’s – A Struggle Not A Thought, Crows in the Basilica, and Blood Moon Boulder – that have become touchstones of 21st Century acoustic guitar. Balsams, his first album to platform pedal steel guitar, was described by Pitchfork as “singular,” and “a mournful hymn built out of layers of sliding strings, cascading with a zenlike stateliness…” In 2019 he collaborated with Marielle V. Jakobsons to release their debut LP as Saariselka for Temporary Residence Ltd. The follow-up to Johnson’s acclaimed Balsams LP, The Cinder Grove delves further into the compositional possibilities of the pedal steel guitar in the context of chamber ensemble arrangements for strings, organ, and piano.
On his latest album Sun Glories, Johnson explores themes of time, memory, and illusion through his unique blend of pedal steel, synths, organs, strings, and drums. Pitchfork wrote about the album “A lot of ambient artists are embracing the pedal steel right now, but none are quite as willing to jettison the instrument’s readymade associations as Johnson.” And All Music Guide wrote “Sun Glories is a magnificent record displaying Johnson’s mastery of multiple instruments and techniques.”
Johnson’s credits as a film composer include scores for the HBO series Burden of Proof and the popular PBS shows Somewhere South and A Chef’s Life. In 2009 he received an MFA in Electronic Music and Intermedia Art from Mills College, where he studied composition and electronic music with Pauline Oliveros, Maggi Payne, Chris Brown, John Bischoff, Laetita Sonami, and James Fei.
His work as a mixing and mastering engineer includes releases by Room40 records, No Quarter, Three Lobed Recordings, Temporary Residence, Bill Orcutt, Allison Russell, Nathan Salsburg, claire rousay, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Daniel Bachman, Body/Head, and more.
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Chuck Johnson
“For Twelve Guitars” – On Transmissions Oo2 (Transmissions) 2000
“Closing Credits” On And To The Disciples That Remain compilation CD (Amish) 2006
“A Struggle, Not A Thought” On Beyond Berkeley Guitar compilation CD (Tompkins Square) 2010
A Struggle Not A Thought LP/CD (Strange Attractors Audio House) 2011
Crows In The Basilica LP (Three Lobed Recordings) 2013
“On a Slow Passing in a Ghost Town” on Imaginational Anthem Vol 7 (Tompkins Square) 2015
Blood Moon Boulder LP (Scissor Tail Editions) 2015
CJ-1 cassette/digital (Drawing Room Records) 2015
Velvet Arc LP (Trouble in Mind) 2016
“Mastic” on The Hired Hands: A Tribute to Bruce Langhorne (Scissor Tail Editions) 2017
Balsams LP (VDSQ) 2017
“Brahmi” on Pop Ambient 2018 LP/CD/Digital (Kompakt) 2017
The Cinder Grove LP (VDSQ/Tak:til) 2021
Precession CS/Digital (VDSQ/Cirrus Oxide) 2021
“Prompter of Conscience” on Reflections: Gnome Life Artists & Friends Cover Each Other CS/Digital (Gnome Life) 2021
Tangled mirror yarn with JWPATON digital (Longform Editions) 2022
Music from Burden of Proof LP (All Saints) 2023
Shadows on the Green EP (All Saints)2023
Cypress Suite (Longform Editions) 2024
Sun Glories LP (Western Vinyl) 2024
Golden Retriever and Chuck Johnson
Rain Shadow LP (Thrill Jockey) 2020
Saariselka
“Ceres” digital (Longform Editions) 2018
“Shepherd Canyon” on Thousands of Eyes in the Dark LP/CD/Digital (Ghostly International) 2019
The Ground Our Sky LP/CD/Digital (Temporary Residence) 2019
“The Splintered Sun” on For Ukraine (Volume 3) (Headphone Commute )(2022)
Charles Johnson And Zachary James Watkins
Meet Me By The Pleroma / Suite For String Quartet Split CD (60Hurts) 2009
Idyll Swords
Idyll Swords CD (Communion) 1999
Idyll Swords II CD (Communion) 2000
Purposeful Availment CD/Ep 2002 (Threelobed Recordings) – Available From Midheaven
Shark Quest
“Lala” On Survive And Advance Volume 2 compilation CD (Merge) 2003
Gods And Devils CD (Merge) 2004
“Open Season” On Bandwidth compilation (WXYC) 2004
“Dancing Tooth” On Oh Merge compilation CD (Merge) 2004
“Sin The Moon” On Heard Together: Songs From North Carolina compilation CD (Unc – Available Through Merge) 2004
“Tibicen Malachisi” On Compulation Volume 2 CD (Pox) 2005
Pykrete
Over Hylaster CD-R (Cirrus Oxide) 2004
“Prelude In E Minor, Opus 28 No. 4” On Homemade Covers CD-R Comp 2006
Southern Man + Pykrete No More Love To Give CD (Phaserprone) 2006
Liber Novus 2x LP (Frequenc) 2010
Spatula
“Break” And “Your Heart’s Cold” From Split 7-Inch With Evil Weiner (Stay Free) 1993
“Dinghy” On A Day In The Park compilation Lp/CD (Now Sound) 1994
“Pachinko” From Split 7-Inch With Tinsel (Over The Counter/ Load) 1994
“Radio Helmet” 7-Inch (Now Sound) 1994
Even The Thorny Acacia CD (Jesus Christ) 1994
“Distance Of The Moon” On Follow The Bouncing Ball compilation CD (Badabing) 1995
“Slipjoint” On Cognitive Mapping Vol. 2 compilation CD (Friction Media) 1995
Medium Planers And Matchers CD (Jesus Christ) 1995
Under The Veil Of Health Lp/CD (Squealer Music) 1996
“Three-Legged Dog” On CD Accompanying Chunklet Magazine 1997
Despina By Land CD (Squealer Music) 1998
Guest Appearances
Superchunk – Clambakes Vol. 2 – A Page Of Madness (Available From Merge) 2003
Music for Film and Television
Tobacco Money Feeds My Family 2003
(with Shark Quest) – Monster Road 2003
Guestworker (PBS) 2005
With These Hands 2008
(with Shark Quest) – Rocaterrania 2008
Everything Is as It Should Be 2009
Who’s Next 2010
Behind These Walls 2011
(with Stefan Smith) – Standing on Sacred Ground (PBS) 2014
Private Violence (HBO) 2014
A Craftsman’s Legacy (APT/PBS) 2016-2017
Road to Race Day (Complex Networks) 2017
Food Town (PBS) 2018
A Chef’s Life (PBS) 2013-2019
Somewhere South (PBS) 2020
Burden of Proof (HBO) 2023