Circle Takes the Square
Circle Takes the Square is an American screamo band from Savannah, Georgia. It is composed of founding members Drew Speziale and Kathleen Stubelek, as well as Caleb Collins. Their debut release was a 6-track self-titled EP released in 2001, followed by a 7" split with Pg. 99 in 2002. In 2004, they released their debut studio album As the Roots Undo on Robotic Empire, which released the CD, and HyperRealist Records, which released the gatefold LP. The album gained them considerable acclaim. The band's sophomore album, Decompositions: Volume Number One, was released after an 8-year silence on December 21, 2012 as a digital download; physical editions of the album were released in April 2013.
Circle Takes the Square | |
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Kathleen Stubelek (front) and Caleb Collins (back) performing in Leipzig, Germany in 2012 | |
Background information | |
Origin | Savannah, Georgia, United States |
Genres | Screamo, grindcore, post-hardcore, experimental rock[1] |
Years active | 2000–present |
Labels | Gatepost Recordings, Robotic Empire, HyperRealist, Perpetual Motion Machine |
Website | www |
Members | Drew Speziale Kathleen Stubelek Caleb Collins |
Past members | David Rabitor Jay Wynne Bobby Scandiffio Josh Ortega Collin Kelly Robbie Rose |
Musical style
Ben Sailer of Noisey wrote that As the Roots Undo, which Drew Speziale "describes as 'just a punk rock record from 2004', has long garnered praise from both the press and fans alike for its forward-thinking blend of 90s screamo, fractured grindcore, and experimental post-rock".[2] According to Metal Injection, Circle Takes the Square have "made a legendary name for themselves ... with their blend of progressive experimentation and DIY hardcore, metal, and noise ... characterized by a natural fusion of the off-the-wall structures of grindcore and the sweeping guitar dynamics of post-punk".[3] They have described themselves as "...a punk rock band with reverence for the Mystery."[4] Writing for NPR music, Lars Gotrich credited Circle Takes the Square alongside Pg. 99, Orchid and Majority Rule as pioneers of emotional post-hardcore.[5]
Members
- Current
- Drew Speziale – guitars, strings, piano, keyboard, vocals (2000–present)[6]
- Kathleen Coppola Stubelek – bass, vocals (2000–present)[6]
- Caleb Collins – drums, percussion, samples, programming, synthesizers (2007–present)[6]
- Former
- Robbie Rose – vocals (2000)
- Collin Kelly – guitar (2000–2002)
- Jay Wynne – drums, percussion (2000–2005)
- Bobby Scandiffio – guitar (2004–2006)
- Josh Ortega – drums, percussion (2005–2007)
- David Rabitor – guitars, backing vocals (2007–2013)
- Timeline
Discography
- Studio albums
- As the Roots Undo (2004, Robotic Empire/HyperRealist)
- Decompositions: Volume Number One (2012, Gatepost Recordings)
- EPs
- Circle Takes the Square (2001, self-released/HyperRealist)
- Document #13: Pyramids in Cloth (split w/Pg. 99, August 2002, Perpetual Motion Machine)
- Decompositions: Volume Number One, Chapter I: Rites of Initiation (2011, Gatepost Recordings)
- Collaborations
- "In the Nervous Light of Sunday" (Alternate version) 10" vinyl only(2004, Monocore Records)
- "Crowquill" — Building Records Presents 60 Songs (November 2003, Building)
- "Non-Objective Portrait of Karma" — Robotic Empire Sampler No. 2 (2004, Robotic Empire)
- "The Conspiracy of Seeds" — 65daysofstatic - The Destruction of Small Ideas (April 2007, Monotreme)
References
- "Circle Takes The Square premier new song Way of Ever-Branching Path". Espy Rock. August 22, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
- Sailer, Ben (April 7, 2014). ""It's Just a Punk Record from 2004": Circle Takes The Square Discuss the Ten-Year Anniversary of 'As The Roots Undo'". Noisey. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- "Circle Takes the Square is in the studio". Metal Injection. June 15, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
- Taylor, Darren (April 4, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE - IN THE STUDIO". Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- Gotich, Lars (August 17, 2011). "pg. 99: A Document Revisited". NPR. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
[...]there's a renewed interest in the emotional post-hardcore that bands like pg. 99, Orchid, Circle Takes the Square and Majority Rule pioneered, mostly by an audience that was far too young to hear it the first time around.
- Taylor, Darren (April 4, 2011). "Exclusive: Circle Takes the Square – In the Studio". Rock Sound. Retrieved April 4, 2011.