Saetia

Saetia (pronounced SAY-shuh) was a New York City-based screamo band. Their name originates from a misspelling of the Miles Davis track "Saeta", from his album Sketches of Spain. While relatively unknown during their existence, the band is now seen as one of the most critically lauded bands of the late-1990s screamo scene. Their music has been called an "essential document" for fans of the genre.[2]

Not to be confused with Cayo Saetía.
For the United States Navy ship, see USS Saetia (ID-2317).
Saetia
OriginNew York City, New York, United States
GenresScreamo[1]
Years active1997–1999
LabelsSecret Voice, Level Plane, Witching Hour, The Mountain Collective for Independent Artists
Associated actsHot Cross
Off Minor
Past membersBilly Werner
Greg Drudy
Jamie Behar
Steve Roche
Matt Smith
Adam Marino
Alex Madara
Colin Bartoldus

Overview

Saetia initially formed in February 1997 when each of its members were attending New York University.[3] The band had numerous members throughout its existence, with frequent changes in membership. The band's first bass player, Alex Madara, was affected by a severe allergic reaction which placed him into a coma for eight days, finally resulting in his death on December 14, 1998.[4][5]

Their drummer, Greg Drudy, was the original drummer of the band Interpol prior to their current popularity. He operated the record label Level Plane, which was initially started so Saetia could release a 7-inch single to sell at shows.[6] Other members of the band continued their musical careers in numerous outfits, some of them joining screamo bands such as Off Minor, Hot Cross and The Fiction, as well as the bands Errortype: Eleven and Instruction.[3][7]

The group would eventually break up in October 1999. Saetia's final, posthumous single, "Eronel" (also a title of a Thelonious Monk composition) was released under the Witching Hour label in 2000. The single contains three songs recorded by Steve Roche and mixed by Pat Kenneally. In 2001, Level Plane issued A Retrospective, a discography album that compiles every recording the band has made, including recordings taken from one of the last shows the band played at ABC No Rio.

In 2016, Secret Voice, the label of Touché Amoré vocalist Jeremy Bolm, released Collected, a two-disc, 180 gram vinyl set that includes every studio recording by the group.[8][4] The tracks from the ABC No Rio also saw their own release in the form of a cassette titled Live At ABC No Rio Spring 1999, which was also released in 2016 through Secret Voice.[9]

Band members
  • Billy Werner – vocals on all
  • Greg Drudy – drums on all
  • Jamie Behar – guitar on all
  • Adam Marino – guitar on Demo, Saetia 7", Saetia LP/CD
  • Alex Madara – bass on Demo, Saetia 7"
  • Colin Bartoldus – bass on Saetia LP/CD, guitar on Eronel 7"
  • Steve Roche – bass on Eronel 7"
  • Matt Smith – bass at final live performance

Discography

Studio albums
Year Album Details Notes
1998 Saetia
  • Released: 1998
  • Label: The Mountain Collective of Independent Artists
  • Format: LP, CD
 1,000 CD copies pressed, 1,000 LP copies pressed. 800 LPs were packaged in "standard" sleeves, 100 were packaged in the same sleeve but with the colors inverted, and 100 were tour editions that came in sleeves similar to the CD edition.

Singles and EPs
Year Album Details Notes
1997 Demo
  • Released: 1997
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CS
 Includes two tracks (Venus and Bacchus, One Dying Wish) that would later re-appear on the band's 1997 self-titled 7".
1997 Saetia 1,000 copies pressed, multiple different sleeve variations exist
1999 Eronel
  • Released: 1999
  • Label: Witching Hour
  • Format: 7"
 1,000 copies packaged in standard sleeves, 100 handnumbered copies packaged in a "paperback" manilla envelope, 10 handnumbered copies packaged in a manilla envelope with a picture of the band stuck on it, and 25 copies packaged in special "gravestone" sleeves that were sold as part of the Witching Hour Subscription Series.
2016 Live At ABC No Rio Spring 1999
  • Released: January 12, 2016
  • Label: Secret Voice
  • Format: CS
 Features tracks previously released on A Retrospective. Unknown number of copies pressed, all copies purple.

Compilation albums
Year Album Details Notes
2001 A Retrospective
  • Released: October 2001
  • Label: Level Plane
  • Format: CD
 Features entire recorded discography and live tracks recorded at a show at ABC No Rio in the spring of 1999
2016 Collected
  • Released: July 15, 2016
  • Label: Secret Voice
  • Format: 2xLP
 Pressed on 180 gram black vinyl. Includes the band's entire studio discography

References
  1. Ryan Buege (June 15, 2008). "Circle Takes the Square is in the Studio". Metal Injection. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
  2. Mason, Stewart. "Saetia - A Retrospective". allmusic.com. Allmusic. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  3. n/a. "No Such Thing As A Stupid Question #2: Billy Werner (Saetia, Hot Cross)". formundleere.blogspot.com. Blogspot. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  4. Heisel (2016-01-12), Scott. "Saetia discography to be reissued by Touché Amoré frontman's label". substreammagazine.com. Sub Stream. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  5. Marsh (2002-04-02), Jeff. "Saetia - A Retrospective". adeqyacy.net. Delusions of Adequacy. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  6. Davenport (2017-05-30), Joe. "Interview with Greg Drudy". adequacy.net. Delusions of Adequacy. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  7. n/a. "Interview with Steve Roche". zegemabeachrecords.com. Zegema Beach Records. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  8. Anthony (2016-06-15), David. "Take an exclusive look at Saetia's double LP retrospective, Collected". avclub.com. The AV Club. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
  9. Ozzi (2016-01-12), Dan. "Listen to a Live Cassette from Screamo Legends, Saetia". noisy.vice.com. Vice. Retrieved 2017-06-20.
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