Damon Locks is an American musician, visual artist, and educator, best known for being the lead vocalist of the post-hardcore band Trenchmouth, a member of Exploding Star Orchestra, and cofounding Black Monument Ensemble.[3][4]
Early life
Born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, Locks enrolled at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York at eighteen, and moved to Chicago to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) two years later.[2][5]
Career
In 1988, Locks and his SVA and SAIC classmates Wayne Montana and Fred Armisen formed Trenchmouth, a Chicago-based punk band, in which he was the lead vocalist and percussionist, Montana was the bassist, and Armisen was the drummer.[3] The band released five albums during its active years: Construction of New Action (1991), Inside the Future (1993), Trenchmouth Vs. the Light of the Sun (1994), Volumes, Amplifiers, Equalizers (1994), and The Broadcasting System (1996). It disbanded in 1996.[2] Locks and Montana founded another band, the Eternals, in 1999, releasing four albums: The Eternals (2000), Rawar Style (2004), Heavy International (2007), and Approaching the Energy Field (2011).[2]
In 2008, Locks joined Exploding Star Orchestra, a musical ensemble founded by Rob Mazurek, and worked on his first album with the ensemble, Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra, a collaboration with composer Bill Dixon. It was Dixon's final collaborative album before his death in 2010.[2] Locks founded the jazz group Black Monument Ensemble in 2015, and recorded the group's debut album the same year. Consisting of fifteen members, Black Monument Ensemble performed the album, titled Where Future Unfolds, live at the Garfield Park Conservatory in 2018. The album was officially released in 2019 through International Anthem, with Locks and the group credited as the primary artists.[3]
In 2020 and 2021, Locks released the albums Dimensional Stardust (as part of Exploding Star Orchestra) and Now (with Black Monument Ensemble). In 2023, he released Lightning Dreamers (as part of Exploding Star Orchestra) and New Future City Radio (with Mazurek). In 2025, he released his fourth album, List of Demands.[2]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Where Future Unfolds (with Black Monument Ensemble) |
|
| Now (with Black Monument Ensemble) |
|
| New Future City Radio (with Rob Mazurek) |
|
| List of Demands |
|
References
- ^ Arnold, Jacob (April 14, 2021). "Damon Locks and Black Monument Ensemble Make Music for the Moment". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Jurek, Thom. "Damon Locks Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c Moore, Marcus (April 6, 2021). "Damon Locks and the Black Monument Ensemble's Spiritual, Funky Escape". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ Lambert, Alix (December 1, 2014). "Damon Locks on New Projects Involving Animation, Prison Art and the Music of Sun Ra". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ Kalia, Ammar (November 16, 2021). "Damon Locks – Black Monument Ensemble review – an eruption of groove-driven free jazz". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Where Future Unfolds - Black Monument Ensemble..." AllMusic. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Now - Black Monument Ensemble, Damon Locks". AllMusic. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "New Future City Radio - Damon Locks, Rob Mazur..." AllMusic. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "List of Demands - Damon Locks". AllMusic. Retrieved March 3, 2025.