DANA SCHECHTER - SOLO
EPK 2026
Genre: Dark Ambient, Experimental Noise-Metal, Avant-Garde Drone, Theatrical & Film Score
Refs: Brian Eno, Swans, Earth, Bohren & der Club of Gore
Based In: Berlin, Germany
EPK 2026
Genre: Dark Ambient, Experimental Noise-Metal, Avant-Garde Drone, Theatrical & Film Score
Refs: Brian Eno, Swans, Earth, Bohren & der Club of Gore
Based In: Berlin, Germany
Artist Overview
Dana Schechter is an American born, Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and visual animator. Known for her work in Swans and as the founder of Insect Ark, her solo work is built at her studio, a WWII bunker in Berlin. With a focus on deliberate pacing, negative space, and sinister melody, Schechter balances these hypnotic, quiet places with massive envelopes of sound.
Her musical discipline runs parallel to an extensive career in film animation and theatrical scoring, notably composing and performing live ensemble works at the Volkstheater Wien.
Listen/Watch
Solo Music
After years performing in band, duo, and ensemble formats, Schechter developed this solo work in deliberate isolation. At the center is a drive to evolve and explore: challenging process and boundaries in writing, concept, and what can be sonically achieved by one person in live performance.
The first concert of the new material was 08 September 2026 at Ponyhof (Frankfurt, DE), co-billed with Kristof Hahn (Swans).
Instruments:
Lap steel (Joe Morrell Pro Custom), electric bass (1970s Fender), synths (Roland JP-08, Korg Monotron, Korg Volca Bass), analog/digital pedals (pitch shifting, feedback, delays/reverbs)
Form & Dynamic:
Studio: Composition is an act of distillation built from long-form improvisations — layering treated lap steel, synthesizer drones, and bass through analog delays and pedal chains running into 3 vintage tube amps and a PA. Through editing, experimentation and further deconstructing, the music is refined to reveal its sparsest structural core.
Live: Performed with real-time hardware live looping — no computers or backing tracks — driven through a multi-amp stage rig and house PA. The set balances improvisation with prepared compositions: slow-burn pacing, low-frequency pressure, and dynamic signal processing, anchored by the raw resonance of the lap steel.
After years performing in band, duo, and ensemble formats, Schechter developed this solo work in deliberate isolation. At the center is a drive to evolve and explore: challenging process and boundaries in writing, concept, and what can be sonically achieved by one person in live performance.
The first concert of the new material was 08 September 2026 at Ponyhof (Frankfurt, DE), co-billed with Kristof Hahn (Swans).
Instruments:
Lap steel (Joe Morrell Pro Custom), electric bass (1970s Fender), synths (Roland JP-08, Korg Monotron, Korg Volca Bass), analog/digital pedals (pitch shifting, feedback, delays/reverbs)
Form & Dynamic:
Studio: Composition is an act of distillation built from long-form improvisations — layering treated lap steel, synthesizer drones, and bass through analog delays and pedal chains running into 3 vintage tube amps and a PA. Through editing, experimentation and further deconstructing, the music is refined to reveal its sparsest structural core.
Live: Performed with real-time hardware live looping — no computers or backing tracks — driven through a multi-amp stage rig and house PA. The set balances improvisation with prepared compositions: slow-burn pacing, low-frequency pressure, and dynamic signal processing, anchored by the raw resonance of the lap steel.
Selected Other Projects/Collaborations
Swans (2019–2025) Bass, lap steel, keyboards, vocals (Albums: Newly Sentient Being, Birthing, Live Rope, The Beggar, Leaving Meaning)
Insect Ark (2011–Present) Founder, Composer, Bass, Lap Steel, Synths, Vocals / 10 Releases
Schechter & Wallfisch (2021–Present) Co-composer, live theatrical score for Die Politiker at Volkstheater Wien (LP: The Heart of a Whale, Trost Records)
Anja Huwe/Xmal Deutschland (2026) Bass for live dates supporting 2025's Codes
EMS Stockholm (2018) Artist-in-Residence (Elektronmusikstudion)
Angels of Light (2001–2004) Bass, Piano, Vocals - Touring & studio recordings with Michael Gira's interim acoustic ensemble
Film & Animation Animator, Art Dept - Feature, Documentary & broadcast films, Motion Graphics / New media
Live Guest & Session Credits Zeal & Ardor, Oranssi Pazuzu, Årabrot, JG Thirlwell (Foetus), Wrekmeister Harmonies, American Music Club, Locrian
Swans (2019–2025) Bass, lap steel, keyboards, vocals (Albums: Newly Sentient Being, Birthing, Live Rope, The Beggar, Leaving Meaning)
Insect Ark (2011–Present) Founder, Composer, Bass, Lap Steel, Synths, Vocals / 10 Releases
Schechter & Wallfisch (2021–Present) Co-composer, live theatrical score for Die Politiker at Volkstheater Wien (LP: The Heart of a Whale, Trost Records)
Anja Huwe/Xmal Deutschland (2026) Bass for live dates supporting 2025's Codes
EMS Stockholm (2018) Artist-in-Residence (Elektronmusikstudion)
Angels of Light (2001–2004) Bass, Piano, Vocals - Touring & studio recordings with Michael Gira's interim acoustic ensemble
Film & Animation Animator, Art Dept - Feature, Documentary & broadcast films, Motion Graphics / New media
Live Guest & Session Credits Zeal & Ardor, Oranssi Pazuzu, Årabrot, JG Thirlwell (Foetus), Wrekmeister Harmonies, American Music Club, Locrian
Press on Schechter's Work
“A masterclass in tension and release — subterranean bass weight and searing lap steel forge an uncompromising bridge between modern theatrical drama and experimental noise.”
— The Quietus
“A fearless foray into a dark forest, where sounds spontaneously erupt and vanish without a shred of advance warning...”
— New Noise Magazine
“A masterclass in tension and release — subterranean bass weight and searing lap steel forge an uncompromising bridge between modern theatrical drama and experimental noise.”
— The Quietus
“A fearless foray into a dark forest, where sounds spontaneously erupt and vanish without a shred of advance warning...”
— New Noise Magazine
Info & Inquiries
Direct Booking & Press: danaschechter.com/contact.html
Official Website: danaschechter.com
Instagram: @dana_schechter