Hugo Largo

New York's Hugo Largo made free-floating, ethereal art rock which prefigured styles like dream pop and slowcore. The group stood out due to its unique lineup, which featured two bass guitars and a violin rather than guitar or drums, as well as the uniquely soaring voice of frontwoman Mimi Goese. The band attracted attention from R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe (who produced and guested on 1987's Drum) and Brian Eno (whose Opal Records re-released Drum and issued 1989's Mettle). A different lineup of Hugo Largo performed gigs in the early '90s and wrote material for a third album, which was never recorded, and they disbanded in 1991. In 2024, both of the band's albums and a disc of rare and previously unreleased live and studo material were collected as Huge, Large, and Electric: Hugo Largo 1984-1991. Hugo Largo was founded in 1984 by singer/performance artist Mimi Goese and bassist Tim Sommer, a journalist (Trouser Press, The Village Voice), former host of legendary WNYU hardcore program Noise the Show, and collaborator with Glenn Branca, Swans, and Thurston Moore (in Even Worse). Bassist Greg Letson initially joined the duo, then was replaced by Adam Peacock in early 1985. Both co-wrote material which was included on the band's 1985 demo tape. Hahn Rowe, the band's live engineer and a staple of the downtown New York scene who had worked with artists like Herbie Hancock and Gil Scott-Heron, joined on violin, establishing the group's signature sound. Michael Stipe co-produced, played on, and sang backing vocals on Drum, the band's debut release, which initially appeared as a seven-song EP on Relativity in 1987. Brian Eno became enamored with the record, and a remixed edition, including two additional songs, was issued by Opal Records in 1988. The same label released the 1989 follow-up, Mettle, as well as the "Turtle Song" single, which included a song co-produced by 4AD signee Michael Brook. The group briefly disbanded, but in 1990, a different lineup reformed, this time without Sommer, who was replaced by bassist Bill Stair (formerly of post-punk band Art Objects). The band composed songs for a third album and performed a sold-out show at famed downtown venue the Knitting Factory. However, their new material never made it past the demo stage, and after a few more performances, they called it quits in 1991. Sommer, who had already hosted an alternative music program on MTV and worked as part of MTV News, also ran VH1's news department before he left the channel and was hired by Atlantic Records for their A&R team. His most successful signing was Hootie & the Blowfish, whose debut studio full-length sold over 20 million copies and was the best-selling album of 1995 in the United States. Sommer remained active as a producer and musician. Mimi Goese earned renewed attention when she sang on two of the highlights of Moby's acclaimed 1995 full-length Everything Is Wrong, while Rowe played violin on some of the quieter tracks on 1996's Animal Rights. Both Goese and Rowe remained connected to the New York electronic underground -- Goese worked with members of illbient group We™ on her Luaka Bop-issued 1998 album Soak, while Rowe produced drum'n'bass under the name Somatic. All Saints Records, another label associated with Eno, reissued both Hugo Largo albums during the 2000s. Goese released Songs for Persephone with avant-garde trumpeter Ben Neill in 2011. In 2024, Missing Piece Records issued Huge, Large, and Electric: Hugo Largo 1984-1991, compiling both of the band's albums as well as rare and previously unreleased material.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo