Dark experimental instrumental post-rock band
Pivot were formed in 1999 by brothers
Laurenz Pike (drums, percussion) and
Richard Pike (guitar, production), but soon ballooned to a five-piece band with the additions of
Adrian Klumpes (keyboard),
Neal Sutherland (bass), and
Dave Bowman (turntables). It may be
de rigueur to compare instrumental music to film soundtracks, but partly inspired by
Vangelis, that was exactly the sound
Pivot were aiming for. They shut themselves away for two years of regular three-hour rehearsal sessions, and the improvised demos they recorded during this time were packaged as EPs, which managed to capture airtime on the radio. Their first album took roughly three years from the start of recording to its release, partly due to the band's perfectionism but presumably also because of the number of side projects they were participating in. Both
Pike brothers played with
Flanger and
Laurenz Pike must have been particularly busy, at times being a member of
Triosk along with
Adrian Klumpes, as well as being involved with two of
Scott Herren's projects,
Prefuse 73 and
Savath & Savalas, and also forming
Roam the Hello Clouds with laptop musician
Dave Miller. In 2005
Miller was invited to join the band, which then became a three-piece consisting of just
Miller and the
Pike brothers. The album
Make Me Love You was finally released that year. Their second (and less delayed) album, O Soundtrack My Heart, was recorded in Chicago and mixed by
John McEntire of
Tortoise; the band signed to Warp in 2008 to earn it an international release. ~ Jody Macgregor, All Music Guide