Beat Detectives is the ongoing collaborative studio practices of Chris Hontos (HONTOS, Dreamweapon, Food Pyramid, Night Court) and Aaron Anderson. ;-)
Vocals (at times) are provided by Oakley Tapola. Nuke Watch is a different band, entirely but the brainchild of CH & AA.
Their primary mode of investigation is constantly probing one singular question: “What is music? ;-)
“Available for bookings” - beatdetectives666 @ gmail.com
Affiliated Labels: Weeding, The Trilogy Tapes, Commend There/RVNGIntl, Goaty Tapes, Harsh Riddims Blood Sucking Cassette Co., Altered States Tapes, Beat Concern, Zero Balance, Where To Now?, Not Not Fun, 1080p, Night-People, 100% Silk, Soothing Almonds Collective, and Moon Glyph.
Image by Nathan Corbin
released March 4, 2022
TTT - Nuke Watch Nuke Watch Cassette
credits
Aaron Anderson & Chris Hontos
with Leonard King, William Statler, Chris Farstad and Eric Timothy Carlson.
Mastered by Jack Callahan.
Released April 21, 2022
Two sets on a Sunday afternoon.
Recorded live on September 19, 2021.
credits
Music by Aaron Anderson, Chris Hontos, Leonard King and William Statler
Mixed by Chris Hontos
Players: Anderson, Hontos, King, Statler
released March 25, 2021
Moon Glyph 113 - Nuke Watch The Manhattan Project (Live in NY)
Nuke Watch began as a quartet, jamming on and around the themes of acid, nuclear annihilation, the city and the sounds of the 21st century. On “The Manhattan Project”, a reduced trio of Chris Hontos, Aaron Anderson and Eric Timothy Carlson recorded live in one take at their Brooklyn studio amidst the anxious and surreally calm NYC landscape during the summer of COVID 2020.
Inspired by the sounds of misunderstood jazz fusion greats and GD bootlegs, Nuke Watch’s improvisational results are fiercely contemporary and singularly their own. Sonically the band’s complex rhythms, unusual timbres and barrage of ever-changing samples and one-shots craft an alien headspace, uncomfortably nestled between the mind and its own eye.
Moon Glyph has a long history with the musicians and artists of Nuke Watch. We released the debut from Hontos’ group Food Pyramid 11 years ago, the Hontos/Anderson/Tapola debut as Beat Detectives 8 years ago and the final Radical Cemetery tape back in 2011.
credits
Music by Chris Hontos, Aaron Anderson and Eric Timothy Carlson
Mastered by Jack Callahan
released January 7, 2021
NYPD09 - Beat Detectives New York City Department of Records and Tracks
credits
Music by Chris Hontos and Aaron Anderson.
Mastered by Jack Callahan
released February 3, 2021
NYPD08 - Weird Shit U.S.A. 2 - This Is A Painting Practice Cassette
A friend once described these recordings as “sounding like someone’s weird fucked uncle who is trying to get an album out on Windham Hill.”
This cassette is a collection of "guitar songs" recorded on a four track cassette tape recorder from 2018-2020.
An example that there is no end to the various worlds we can create with sound. Thematically, it looks to capture and meditate upon the lesser appreciated emotional zones/states “off-gassed” during the ongoing creative pursuit of heartfelt communication through obfuscation and enlightenment.
credits
All songs written and recorded by Aaron Anderson
Mastered by Chris Hontos
released January 20, 2021
NYPD07 - 100% Extra Hot Bootleg
credits
Music and “blunder phonics” by Chris Hontos and Aaron Anderson.
Bells Composition by Brian Close, Aaron Anderson and Chris Hontos
Commend There 003 - Nuke Watch - Aftermath
credits
Nuke Watch focuses improvisational energies and collaborative musical pursuits toward an interest in circular, percussion based sound pieces - intuitive in their progressions.
Genre bending cinematic arrangements, a combination of energies.
Collaborators include: Leonard King, Eric Timothy Carlson, Cameron Stallones, Sameer Kapoor, Jason Edmonds, Chris Farstad, Bryce Hackford, Zack Stafford, JT BATES. This is really an ongoing project. will try to keep the list updated. ;-)
FNYPD06 - Nuke Watch - Aftermath
Fall 2020
released April 6, 2020
NYPD05-Disco Edits For Kyle
Disco edits. RIP LSD
credits
Music by Chris Hontos and Aaron Anderson.
Samples obvs. Online Only.
credits
Music by Chris Hontos and Aaron Anderson.
Samples obvs. Online Only.
released April 20, 2019
NYPD Records Volume 3: Nefertiti Abstract Movie
A collection of tracks for you to watch.
credits
Music by Chris Hontos and Aaron Anderson.
Vocals by Oakley Tapola.
Flier: Eric Timothy Carlson
In A Bog is a series of electro-ambient vignettes strung together like faded raver beads. Wobbling synths, plastic hand drums, and garbled signals slide in an out of focus. Cockeyed rhythms swirl into mellow atmospherics. Doofy samples bubble up from the bottom of the Internet. Beat Detectives hijack body music, cut it up, slow it down, and put it back together like Frankenstein with arms for legs. - Zully Adler
Odd n Ends 2018. Love 2 U.
01. Sly Robbie Jam Jungle Mix (00:00-04:43)
02. Armegeddon Horn Outro (04:44-05:52)
03. Slowed Down Bangers 2 (05:53-10:16)
04. FWD Rhythm (10:17-13:12)
05. Dub Mirage 13 (13:13-16:11)
06. New Jungle Beat (16:12-19:10)
07. Just Don't Get It Chopper (19:11-19:34)
08. Club Simple (19:35-22:55)
09. Push Experiment 1 (22:56-25:24)
10. Sex Tape Sentimental Jam EDIT (25:25-27:04)
11. DJ Music (27.05-30:25)
12. 12 Inch Track REUP (27.05-37:52)
13. LSD New 1 (37:52-41:09)
14. Breaks Pt. 2 (41:10-42:56)
15. Something Slow DNB Edit (42:57-45:20)
16. 4th Island Dream (45:21-49:34)
17. High As Fuck (49:35-51:10)
18. Dub Mirage Pt 3 (51:11-55:23)
19. Kale Piano Jam Mirage (55:24-61:28)
credits
Music by Chris Hontos & Aaron Anderson
released November 11, 2018
AST092 - BEAT DETECTIVES - RHYTHMS & EDITS VOLUME 1 C68
Strangely enough, despite being separated by a large body of water, NY’s Beat Detectives have appeared on many of the same labels I’ve worked with over the years: namely Beat Concern, Not Not Fun, Where To Now and Night People. So I guess it wasn’t surprising that once I eventually dug into their jams, I was heavily into what I heard. Their sounds are largely sample-based, taking in mangled plunderphonic excursions and demented beat music on a trip entirely their own. I feel like this release might be a jab by the D’s at my desire for them to do a release that was more on the “rhythmic side”. Rhythms & Edits is, as the name implies, a varied collection of beats stitched together into a long-form mix. Regardless of their intentions, this tape is a phenomenal home listening experience, as well as a perfect low-key party soundtrack. R&E Vol.1 appears to be able to warp linear progression, it’s seemingly extended 68 minute length possessing the ability to satisfyingly erode time like nothing else.
credits
Music by Chris Hontos & Aaron Anderson
released April 25, 2018
released June 9, 2018
A majority of the tracks were created using a Mirage DSK sampling keyboard and an appreciated junky Polysix synthesizer.
What is music? Is it some warped set or a never before heard radio station,
or two televisions being broadcast and received simultaneously?
Beat Detectives ‘Heavy Traffic’ album is a composition that deals with ideas of cut and paste, duration, loose comedy, sharing, like shuffling through cards or flipping through folders. The original seed of the composition was a selection of recordings more or less randomly tracked to tape in a series, along with many warped and fragmented rhythms from the 56 bog beat lab. Always an investigation, scattered to find a pattern or hook or groove or better a beat. What does a frustrated version of the world feel like? This is cartoon music. Is it? This is a rhythm.
One headphone seems to be louder than the other but it might be the mix, the odd acoustics of the train platform or the reality of the situation is that your hearing is probably busted? Now the panning in the track is totally different anyway. U know? Thats the vibe.
Burn it down. Don't argue with the wrong people. acab. love poetry, end hate. earth is for all people.
the tracks should speak for themselves.
Nefertiti
Heavy
Abstract
Traffic
Movie
re: Nerfertiti Abstract Movie connection. This album is half of a pair.
As far as promotionally - Nefertiti will drop a few months down the line - no need to rush - no time to waste.
beat detectives / beat concern / 2017
credits
Music by Chris Hontos & Aaron Anderson
released November 20, 2017
About an hour of fresh studio thoughts ~ cooked up from the lab @ Bog 65 for 2018 and beyond ~ Year 0f The Dog
Love 2 all the true heads ~ shout out to all the soulseekers
be cool
All tracks <3 BD
shout out Eric Timothy Carlson for the O0O
credits
Music by Chris Hontos & Aaron Anderson
released April 2, 2018
What is music?
NYPD Records Volume One presents the sound of new york city in 2017.
ACAB. 1312. Burn it down. Love 2 u all.
credits
Music by Chris Hontos & Aaron Anderson
released August 18, 2017
Originally Released: October 2017
maybe, this one gets us up to date?
the city: still alive
with contemporary pirate radio vibes that never made it to Hot 97.
This is the one 2 listen 2 (anachronistically speaking)
Remember those plastic boomboxes and those Times Square vampires.
Because this one is all banger, and it might help let you forget
that these algorithms are all new and improved for you.
just put your ear to the street and listen. call it what you want.
Peace / Love / Stay Up / Burn It Down
love you, miss you.
Hope we see you soon.
<3 BD
Limited Edition Cassette Release (DJHQ6)
Zero Balance, 2016
credits
released December 16, 2016
Aaron Anderson
Oakley Tapola
Chris Hontos