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Toner Low - Biography


This band's profile is 'invisible', meaning that it's much less prominent on the site - either because it's incomplete, or maybe doesn't entirely fit MS format.


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2005-

Biography

Toner Low are a band from Leiden (Holland), having been around for twelve years now. Starting off as a more or less traditional, yet quite directionless stoner/space/guitarrock-band they gradually evolve into doomy psychedelic droners that emphasize on repetitive riffing and minimalism with an overwhelming massive and heavy sound. This sound is first heard to its fullest on Toner Low's debut cd, released in 2006 by Freebird Records.

1998
March 18 Toner Low have their first rehearsal. At that time the band consist of Deef (guitar, vocals), Daan (guitar), Miranda (bass) and Jack (drums). In April Willem joins on guitar as well. June 30 this five-piece line-up records the demo 'Aqui'. In August Toner Low do their first gigs, opening the Vlietpop Festival in Leidschendam on August 22 and opening the Drydock Festival in Amsterdam on August 27. After a third gig in September the band concentrates on writing new songs, which are recorded December 5 and 6 and mixed around X-mas.

1999
January the 'X-mas Downer Sessions' demo gets released. Throughout the year Toner Low do some local gigs and work on new songs. The final gig as a five-piece is done September 24. In December bassplayer Miranda leaves the band to join 7Zuma7. December 20 Toner Low rehearses for the first time in a four-piece line-up. Guitarplayer and vocalist Deef moves to bass and vocals.

2000
January 22 the first gig is done with the new line-up. February 5 Toner Low record a gig and release it in March on the 'Low Live' live demo-cd. For the most part of the year the band writes new songs. Up from October for the first time Toner Low begin a period of regular gigs, starting with their abroad-debut on October 7 in Leuven, Belgium. December 7 the band supports Karma To Burn (USA).

2001
Toner Low continue their row of gigs until mid July, taking the band to different parts of the Netherlands. April 21, 22 and 23 a lot of new songs are recorded. Not too satisfied with the recordings, little is done with them for a long time and plans to release a cd from it are abandoned. In the meantime Guy (Orange Sunshine, Motorwolf Records) asks Toner Low for a song on his Motorwolf Volume 1-sampler cd. September 28 the stonerrockin' song 'Fuel' is recorded. Right after this the change to a more defined, less ordinary stoner-sound sets in. After July only two gigs are done in November/December.

2002
Early 2002 finally three songs of the 2001-recordings are chosen for release on a promo cd. February 2 those songs are finished with the recording of some guitarleads. June the untitled promo cd gets released. Around this time Toner Low rehearse without guitarist Willem (due to circumstances) and do their first gig as a three-piece line-up on June 27. The last gig as a four-piece is done May 4. With a sound getting looser and rougher, August 13 the decision is made to continue with only three bandmembers. On September 11 recordings are done for a promo cd and for a split 7-inch with the band Fal-Tor-Voh. November 16 the 7-inch is released, followed by the Motorrock Volume 1-samplercd in December. During those months a few gigs with Fal-Tor-Voh are done.

2003
In January the promo cd recorded in September 2002 gets released. March and April Toner Low play some more around the Netherlands with Fal-Tor-Voh. July 19 the band has their first gig in Germany, playing at a small open air-festival in Göppingen. After some more gigs in the Netherlands Toner Low start working on new material and refining already written songs to prepare for their first cd-recordings.

2004
Throughout the year gigs are done all over the Netherlands, including a two-dates tour in May in Friesland, in the north of the country. May 29, 30 and 31 Toner Low record the drum-tracks for the first cd. Over the course of the following months, while playing gigs continues, the other instruments are recorded. In September the band have a first weekend-tour abroad, in Luxemburg and Germany. Late November Toner Low do their two final gigs for some time, to focus on the completion of the debut cd. At the last of those they play the track-list from the forthcoming cd live for the first time, albeit with a different song-order.

2005
During the first part of the year the cd-recordings are finished by Deef and Jack, adding extra guitars, samples, vocals et cetera, and mixing intensively. June 6 the cd gets released on Roadkill Rekordz, the DIY-label of the three bandmembers. The cd receives great reviews in magazines and on the internet. In the following months Toner Low play some gigs across the Netherlands. Meanwhile Freebird Records show interest to release the cd worldwide. From November the band start a series of gigs throughout the Netherlands.

2006
January Freebird Records release the debut cd. Until Summer Toner Low continue to play live regularly, a.o. on the Roadburn Festival in April. May the band have their first long tour abroad, doing some gigs in Sweden and Denmark. September Toner Low play the Dutch ZXZW Festival and October a short tour in Belgium and France is done. Late November Freebird Records, Roadkill Rekordz, Motorwolf Records and Deadlock Records release the first cd on a vinyl double album. At the same time a split 7-inch with Abe Diddy & The Krautboys gets released through Roadkill Rekordz and U-Lit Records. In December Toner Low do a ten-dates tour playing in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.

2007
Throughout the year new songs are written and rewritten. February the band have a weekend-tour in Belgium. Around the same time a samplercd is released by Belgium underground 'zine Times Of Grace with a song from the 2006-cd. In May and June Toner Low do a series of gigs again in the Netherlands, halfway returning to Germany late May (a.o. Swamproom Happening). In August a gig at the Sauzipf Rocks Festival in Austria is done, followed in September by some more across the Netherlands. October Toner Low play two dates in the United Kingdom. A few weeks later bassplayer and vocalist Deef announces he leaves the band by late November. He has his last gig November 30. December 17 Toner Low is back to a three-piece when they have their first rehearsal with Miranda on bass. She already played in the band from March 1998 until December 1999.

2008
With their new line-up Toner Low concentrate on writing and refining songs for the second cd/album and other future releases. In April a compilation-cd entitled 'One Stoned Decade' gets released on Roadkill Rekordz to mark Toner Low's ten years-anniversary. The first gig with the new line-up takes place April 26 in Belgium. Recordings for the second 2lp/cd are done in Summer/Autumn. From May until September Toner Low do some gigs in the Netherlands and in July they play at the Stoned From The Underground Festival in Germany. November 28 the album 'II' gets released on Freebird Records (double vinyl) and the band's DIY-label Roadkill Rekordz (cd). In December Toner Low do a ten-dates tour in Germany, Austria and Croatia.

2009
Throughout the year Toner Low are playing gigs in the Netherlands and doing some short tours, taking the band to Belgium, France, Germany (a.o. Doom Over Bielefeld), Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Meanwhile their second album gets many great reviews in the international doom and stoner-community Late October the band do their final gigs for the year supporting Rose Kemp on some gigs in the Netherlands. From November 2009 until March 2010 the bandmembers take a break.

2010
After the Winter-break Toner Low decide to do a string of gigs in April and May. First some gigs in the Netherlands are done (a.o. Gods Of Groove 2 Festival with Astrosoniq and Gomer Pyle). In May the band tours for ten dates in Germany, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands. During this tour Toner Low play at the Stoned Hand Of Doom Festival in Rome, Italy, supporting UK-doomgods Electric Wizard.

2011
In March Toner Low do a few local gigs and start working on songs for their third album. This continues throughout Spring and Summer, with some more gigs done in the Netherlands and in Germany in May and June (a.o. Doom Over Berlin and Protzen Open Air). Autumn and Winter Toner Low do only a few gigs and focus on writing songs for their next album.

2012
As Toner Low reduce the number of gigs further, writing, deleting and rewriting of riffs and songs continues. March a free download entitled 'Low @ Dynamo' gets released, consisting of the entire gig the band did at Slugfest in Eindhoven (the Netherlands) in November 2011. In April some gigs with Conan (UK) are done in Germany, and in June Toner Low support US-stonerdoomlegends Acid King at their gig in the Netherlands. Late July the first gig in the Czech Republic takes place, after which the band concentrates again on composing songs for the third 2lp/cd and do no gigs for about nine months. In November Berlin-based label White Dwarf reissues Toner Low's orange 2005 debut on double vinyl.

2013
In January and February the recordings and mixing for Toner Low's third full-length album are done, with mastering taking place early March. The new album, entiteld 'III' gets released on cd and double vinyl by Bilocation Records (sub-label of Kozmik Artifactz Records, Germany) and Roadkill Rekordz in late April. Around its release Toner Low play amongst others at DesertFest London (UK) and Heavy Days in Doom Town (DK). The new album is received very well in the world-wide doom and stoner community, dubbing it 'a landmark release'. Throughout the Summer short tours are done that include Germany, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Belgium, while in the final months of the year the focus lies on festival appearances in the Netherlands and Germany.

2014
During the first months of the year Toner Low do some more gigs in the Netherlands, amongst others with Pombagira (UK). In April the second album 'II' gets its vinyl re-release on Roadkill Rekordz. May and June tours are done to the south of Europe, with gigs in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Greece and Italy, where Toner Low amongst others play at the Duna Jam beach on the isle of Sardinia.

Source: http://www.roadkillrekordz.nl/tonerlow/history.html