Australian drummer
Laurence Pike has worked with numerous artists throughout the worlds of jazz, indie rock, and experimental electronic music, and his solo work blurs the lines between the genres. After participating in groups such as
Triosk,
Pivot/
PVT, and
Szun Waves, he began releasing improvisatory solo albums such as 2018's Distant Early Warning.
Pike studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he was taught by jazz pianist
Mike Nock. He first became known as a member of electronic jazz improv trio
Triosk, who released a collaboration with
Jan Jelinek titled 1+3+1 on
Pole's ~scape label in 2003, followed by two albums on Leaf, before disbanding in 2007.
Pike also joined post-rock group
Pivot, who made their debut with Make Me Love You in 2005 before signing to Warp and releasing O Soundtrack My Heart three years later.
Pike also appeared on records by
Flanger,
Bertie Blackman,
Savath & Savalas, and others. In 2006,
Pike released Drums for Fun and Fitness (Monika Enterprise), a solo EP containing a nine-minute drum solo as well as remixes by
Gudrun Gut and
Masha Qrella. He also participated in the group Roam the Hello Clouds, who released Near Misses on ~scape in 2007.
In 2010,
Pivot changed their name to
PVT and released
Church with No Magic on Warp. Two additional albums followed on the Felte label.
Pike performed on albums by
Sarah Blasko and
Jane Tyrrell. He also formed
Szun Waves with
Luke Abbott and
Jack Wyllie; the group debuted with At Sacred Walls (Buffalo Temple) in 2016, followed by the Leaf-issued
New Hymn to Freedom in 2018. Also that year, Leaf issued
Pike's debut solo album, Distant Early Warning, which he recorded live on drums and sampler. He repeated the process with 2019's Holy Spring. The following year, he released Prophecy, which was written in response to the wild fires which ravaged Australia during 2019 and 2020. ~ Paul Simpson