The Avalanches

The Avalanches

The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group from Melbourne. The line-up includes Manabu Etoh, Gordon McQuilten, Dexter, Darren Seltmann, Robbie Chater, Antony Di Blasi and James De La Cruz. The group is active from 1997 to the present and is associated with EMI Music Australia.

Style and approach

The Avalanches work across dance, electronic, electronica, experimental, experimental hip hop and funky breaks. They are known for sampling, and their debut album, Since I Left You (2000), is built entirely from more than 3,500 samples drawn from obscure records, films and television programmes. Their use of sampling is also associated with the single "Frontier Psychiatrist".

Albums and earlier work

Before Since I Left You, the group works as a hip-hop act and releases the album Rock City and the EP El Producto. After a long gap, it releases its second album, Wildflower (2016), followed by We Will Always Love You (2020).

Name and related act

The group takes its name from an earlier instrumental surf rock studio group called The Avalanches. The earlier act is active in the 1960s and records the LP Ski Surfin', which is later re-released in 2007. Its line-up includes Billy Strange, Tommy Tedesco, David Gates and Hal Blaine.