Lanterna is the long-term primary outlet of
Henry Frayne, a musician who specializes in atmospheric and expressive instrumentals that evoke solitary drives and strolls through virtually all forms of roadways and landscapes. An underground music veteran,
Frayne began recording as
Lanterna in the early '90s as a diversion from his band activity. The self-released cassette
Lanterna (1992), a debut given wider distribution in multiple forms through the end of the decade, led to increased
Lanterna activity throughout the 2000s with four additional distinctive albums ranging from
Elm Street (2001) to
Desert Ocean (2006). Since then,
Frayne has added to his discography with
Backyards (2015) and
Hidden Drives (2021). All
Lanterna albums from the second LP onward have been issued through Badman Recording Co.
Frayne's past dates back to the early '80s with membership in a number of Champagne, Illinois-based bands inspired by new wave and post-punk. These included Lodestone Destiny, the Syndicate, ¡Ack-Ack!, and the longer-running Area.
Frayne and Area mate
Lynn Canfield had just established the dream pop band
the Moon Seven Times when, in 1991,
Frayne started recording the material that became
Lanterna's self-titled debut. Although it was essentially a solo side project,
Frayne -- a guitarist, keyboardist, composer, and producer -- was assisted by a small cast that included
Canfield as a co-writer and
Brendan Gamble, also of
the Moon Seven Times, on drums.
Lanterna was self-released in 1992 as a limited-edition cassette with 23 tracks. A selection of that material was issued in Greece that year as the vinyl-only Of Shapes That Haunt Thought's Wilderness. Three years later, the Parasol label put together a 17-track CD edition with art and design by Independent Project Records'
Bruce Licher. Finally, after the arrival of the last
Moon Seven Times LP and the Live Recordings split EP shared by
Lanterna and the
Licher-led
Scenic, Rykodisc reissued the 17-track version in 1998.
Frayne throughout the latter half of the '90s also branched out with session work both local and abroad, heard on albums by Laurie McColley,
Angie Heaton, and
Leslie Nuss, as well as projects produced by
Hector Zazou for
the Passions'
Barbara Gogan and Tibetan singer/songwriter
Yungchen Lhamo.
Around the turn of the decade, engineer/producer and Badman Recording Co. label head
Dylan Magierek fell under the spell of
Lanterna and instigated a lasting affiliation with
Frayne. This resulted in a particularly fertile period that yielded
Elm Street in 2001 and
Sands in 2002, followed by
Highways and
Desert Ocean, released, respectively, in 2004 and 2006.
Frayne was helped most prominently by Mike Brosco on production, electronics, and effects, and by
Eric Gebow on drums. During this period and extending into 2010,
Frayne strengthened his connection to Greece with eight visits to the country for
Lanterna gigs, and he also started working on the sixth album,
Backyards, which landed in 2015. Six years passed before
Hidden Drives, yet that album drew from a pool of ideas and sketches
Frayne started building around the time of
Lanterna's inception. ~ Andy Kellman