Baths (musician)

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Baths

| image = Baths Portland ME concert.jpg

| caption = Baths in concert 27 April 2014

| image_size =

| birth_name = William Boris Wiesenfeld

| alias = {{flatlist|

Geotic
[Post-Foetus]}}

| birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|April 16, 1989}}{{cite web|title=Q&A with Will Wiesenfeld of BATHS|date=5 February 2011 |url=http://www.theblueindian.com/2011/02/05/qa-with-will-wiesenfeld-of-baths/|publisher=The Blue Indian|accessdate=27 February 2011}}

| birth_place = Tarzana, Los Angeles, California, United States

| origin = Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States

| instrument =

| genre = {{flatlist|

Electronic{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/baths-romaplasm-2510877645.html|title=Baths: Romaplasm|work=PopMatters|first=Christopher|last=Laird|date=November 20, 2017|accessdate=November 24, 2017}}
electronica{{cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/127360-baths-cerulean/ |title=Baths: Cerulean |work=PopMatters |first=Joe |last=Copplestone |date=July 1, 2010 |accessdate=February 22, 2019}}
electropop{{cite magazine |url=https://spectrumculture.com/2013/06/10/baths-obsidian/ |title=Baths: Obsidian |last=Clinkenbeard |first=Joe |date=June 10, 2013 |magazine=Spectrum Culture |accessdate=20 February 2018}}
glitch-pop{{cite magazine |url=https://www.spin.com/2017/11/baths-extrasolar/ |title=Baths – "Extrasolar" |last=Cantrell |first=Liz |date=November 7, 2017 |magazine=Spin |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}

}}

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Singer
producer}}

| years_active = 2007–present

| label = {{hlist|Anticon|Basement's Basement|Ghostly}}

| associated_acts =

| website = {{URL|https://bathsmusic.net/}}

}}

William Boris Wiesenfeld (born April 16, 1989), better known by his stage name Baths, is an American electronic musician.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/dec/20/new-band-baths |title=New band of the day - No 934: Baths |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Paul|last=Lester |date=20 December 2010|accessdate=5 January 2011}} He was born in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles and was raised in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He currently resides in Culver City, Los Angeles, California. Southern California Public Radio described him as "LA's big new electronica musician" in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/05/19/15240/will-wiesenfeld-baths-ls-big-new-electronica-music/|title=Will Wiesenfeld is Baths - LA's big new electronica musician|publisher=KPCC|first=Alex|last=Cohen|date=19 May 2010}} Previously signed with Anticon,{{cite web|url=http://www.cmj.com/reviews/baths-obsidian/|title=Review: Baths - Obsidian (Anticon)|publisher=CMJ|first=Brooke|last=Segarra|date=29 May 2013}} he now releases music through his own label Basement's Basement.

History

Will Wiesenfeld is a classically trained musician, and began learning the piano at the age of four "to compete with his brother".{{cite web| url= http://www.post-foetus.com/| title= [post foetus]| accessdate= 5 January 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110129010410/http://www.post-foetus.com/| archivedate= 2011-01-29| url-status= dead}} By twelve he had "completely abandoned it," but continual musical experimenting led him to record his first piece of music at age fourteen. He released a few projects, including an album entitled The Fabric, as his previous moniker, [Post-foetus]. He also ventured into a more ambient style with side-project Geotic, which Irish magazine State.ie called "gorgeous".{{cite web |url=http://www.state.ie/album-reviews/22794-baths-cerulean |title=Baths - Cerulean - Review |work=State.ie |first=Adam |last=Lacey |date=21 September 2010 |accessdate=5 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104095405/http://www.state.ie/album-reviews/22794-baths-cerulean |archivedate=4 January 2011 }}

Will Wiesenfeld derives his current alias from his childhood memory of taking in art and music by dwelling on it in his bathtub, which he claims he was very fond of. Baths released the debut album Cerulean under Anticon in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15559/reviews/4140612 |title=Baths - Cerulean |work=Drowned in Sound |first=Kyle|last=Ellison |date=30 July 2010|accessdate=5 January 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101123103738/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15559/reviews/4140612| archivedate= 23 November 2010 | url-status= live}} He recorded the entire album in two months from his bedroom. It was listed by The A.V. Club as the 21st best album of 2010.{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-best-music-of-2010-1798225029 |title=The best music of 2010 |work=The A.V. Club |date=8 December 2010|access-date=20 December 2010}} It also made Pitchfork{{'}}s "Album of the Year: Honorable Mention" list.{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7894-albums-of-the-year-2010-honorable-mention/ |title=Albums of the Year 2010: Honorable Mention |work=Pitchfork |first=Nick|last=Neyland |date=15 December 2010|accessdate=4 February 2025}}

His second album, Obsidian, was released in May 2013.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/baths-obsidian|title=Baths: Obsidian - Music Review|magazine=Slant Magazine|first=Kevin|last=Liedel|date=27 May 2013}}

On March 6, 2014, during a concert in Hong Kong, Wiesenfeld unveiled one of his latest tracks from his EP "Ocean Death", released on May 6, 2014.

On November 16, 2017, Baths released his third album, Romaplasm.

On May 29, 2020, Baths released his fourth album Pop Music/ False B-Sides II on his own label, Basement's Basement. The album was supported by the singles "Wistful (Fata Morgana)" and "Mikaela Corridor".

On December 11th, 2024, Baths released a new single, "Sea of Men", and announced a 2025 release date for his forthcoming full-length album Gut.{{Cite web |title=Baths Premieres "Sea of Men" Music Video Off "Guts" Album - PAPER Magazine |url=https://www.papermag.com/baths-sea-of-men#rebelltitem6 |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=www.papermag.com |language=en}}

Style

The BBC's Mike Diver claims Baths' nearest musical soundalike is chillwave musician Toro y Moi.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/6mcg|publisher=BBC|title=Reviews: Baths - Cerulean |date=3 August 2010|accessdate=5 January 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110213065628/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/6mcg| archivedate= 13 February 2011 | url-status= live}} Drowned in Sound noted Baths' use of "unorthodox" sounds layered in and around the electronics, in particular "clicking pens, vocal samples, rustling blankets and scissor snaps". British newspaper The Guardian{{'}}s Paul Lester commented he was reminded of "J Dilla playing around with the Pavement and Prince catalogues" while listening to Cerulean.{{cite web |url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/baths-cerulean |title=Baths - Cerulean |publisher=Tiny Mix Tapes |first=B|last=McGhee |year=2010 |accessdate=5 January 2011}}

In a 2017 interview with Ethan Gach from Kotaku, Baths said that he drew some inspiration from anime and video games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Dragon Age: Inquisition.{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/the-electronic-musician-inspired-by-anime-and-dragon-ag-1820683451|title=The Electronic Musician Inspired By Anime And Dragon Age|website=Kotaku|first=Ethan|last=Liedel|date=November 22, 2017}}

Discography

= As Baths =

==Studio albums==

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col" style="width:8em;"\| Title ! scope="col" style="width:19em;"\| Details
scope="row"\| Cerulean \| Released: July 6, 2010 Label: Anticon
scope="row"\| Obsidian \| Released: May 28, 2013 Label: Anticon
scope="row"\| Romaplasm \| Released: November 17, 2017 Label: Anticon
scope="row"\| Gut \| Released: February 21, 2025 Label: Basement's Basement

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col" style="width:8em;"| Title

! scope="col" style="width:19em;"| Details

scope="row"| Cerulean

Released: July 6, 2010
Label: Anticon

scope="row"| Obsidian

Released: May 28, 2013
Label: Anticon

scope="row"| Romaplasm

Released: November 17, 2017
Label: Anticon

scope="row"| Gut

Released: February 21, 2025
Label: Basement's Basement

==Compilations==

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col" style="width:8em;"\| Title ! scope="col" style="width:19em;"\| Details
scope="row"\| Pop Music/False B-Sides \| Released: May 31, 2011 Label: Anticon
scope="row"\| Pop Music/False B-Sides II \| Released: May 29, 2020 Label: Basement's Basement

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col" style="width:8em;"| Title

! scope="col" style="width:19em;"| Details

scope="row"| Pop Music/False B-Sides