Tim Durfee, Mark Gee, Lance Glover, Clancy Pearson, Eriks Vitolins and Paul Vitolins (Health and Beauty)
Four Pieces for Courtyard and Elevator
2011
Mixed Media

A Los Angeles-based multimedia ensemble that explores the realm between chance and strategy, interweaving analog, digital and acoustic sources into dense, elastic sound constructions. All aspects of each live performance are created specifically for the conditions of its particular site and context.

Health and Beauty began organically, as many bands do, with informal after-hours jam sessions. Gradually two became three, then four, as we added more members over time, until at present we are six players. Our ensemble has coalesced much the way families do, growing over time, accommodating each new individual and perspective along the way. At one point we became actual family, when Paul's brother Eriks joined the group, and Broodwork: It's About Time gave us the opportunity to add another generation, with Glover's daughter Amanda joining us, for a while bringing the band to seven members. Her participation compelled us to also investigate new forms, prompting an additional layer of discourse to our sonic dialog, much the way every generation imposes on the previous generation to open up to new possibilities.