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Comment: The draft is well written and sourced, well done -- my suggestion you should add multiple in depth, independent sources focusing primarily on Will Chatham to meet subject level notability per WP:MUSICBIO and WP:GNG CONFUSED SPIRIT(Thilio).Talk 16:49, 21 January 2026 (UTC)
Will Chatham (born 1973) is an American musician, drummer, and record producer based in Asheville, North Carolina. He is best known as the drummer for influential Louisville post-hardcore bands Cerebellum and Crain during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He currently releases music under the moniker Shadow Person.
Early life and career
[edit]Chatham began his musical career in Louisville, Kentucky in the late 1980s, where he was a key figure in the city's burgeoning post-hardcore scene alongside contemporaries Slint and Rodan.[1] His earliest documented band was Substance (1987), which also included future Crain bassist Jon Cook and Endpoint guitarist Duncan Barlow.[2] Substance appeared on the Slamdek Records Christmas compilation in 1987 with the tracks "Undertow" and "Image."[2]
Musical career
[edit]Cerebellum (1988–1989)
[edit]Chatham was the drummer for Cerebellum, an art-punk band formed in 1988 that featured vocalist Drew Daniel, who would later gain prominence as half of the experimental electronic duo Matmos.[3] The band released a self-titled cassette EP on Slamdek Records in 1989.[4][5]
Cerebellum was noted for its experimental approach, incorporating unconventional instruments including refrigerator coils, steel jugs, and traffic light covers.[5] The band recorded their EP at Juniper Hill studio on March 2, 1989, with Todd Smith engineering on 8-track tape.[4] The cassette featured distinctive packaging with clear acetate labels printed with gold foil embossing.[4] Cerebellum broke up in June 1989, three months before the cassette was released in September.[4]
The band reunited in 2010 for a benefit concert honoring Louisville musician Jason Noble, releasing a reissue of their EP with newly recorded tracks on Noise Pollution records.[3]
Crain (1989–1996)
[edit]Following Cerebellum's dissolution, Chatham formed Crain with bassist Jon Cook, guitarist Tim Furnish, and vocalist Drew Daniel. After Daniel's departure, vocalist/guitarist Joey Mudd joined the band.[6] The band's first release was a split 7-inch with Deathwatch on Slamdek Records in September 1990, featuring the songs "The Fuse" and "Proposed Production."[6] The record was limited to 300 copies and given away free at a show at the Zodiac Club.[6]
Crain's debut album Speed (1992) was recorded by Steve Albini on an eight-track in his basement studio in Chicago and released on Jon Cook's Automatic Wreckords label.[7][8] The album was reissued by Temporary Residence Limited in 2005, receiving critical acclaim for its influence on the post-rock and math rock genres.[7]
Music critics have noted Crain's influence on later artists, with the 2005 reissue liner notes stating that "Crain's influence is wide-reaching and evident on countless records by everyone from James Murphy's now-defunct pre-DFA projects (Pony, Speedking) to widely popular and hugely influential acts like Shellac and Helmet."[7] Bandcamp Daily described Speed as "as essential a post-hardcore record as will ever come out of Louisville," comparing it favorably to Slint's influential Spiderland.[1]
The band released a second album Heater before disbanding in 1996 while recording their third studio album.
Other Louisville projects
[edit]During his time in Louisville, Chatham also performed with several other projects. He played drums for King G and the J Krew (credited as "Will 'Cheeto' Chatham"), performing on their cover medley of Midnight Star and Slint songs for the 1991 Slamdek Christmas compilation Merry Christmas.[9] He also briefly joined Undermine as their drummer in 1991.[9] Additionally, Chatham was a member of 7 More Seconds, a 7 Seconds tribute band that released a live cassette on Slamdek in 1991.[10]
Later work (1992–present)
[edit]After relocating to Asheville, North Carolina in 1992, Chatham performed with various regional bands including The Merle, The Modlins, Second String Bluegrass Band, Black Eyed Dog, and You Dirty Rats. He also played drums for the nine-piece ska band Ska City from its formation until November 2023, producing and engineering their 2023 self-titled album at his home studio, Hawk's Nest.[11]
Solo work and Shadow Person (2012–present)
[edit]Chatham released three solo albums under his own name: Geekamongus (2012), Will Chatham's Musical Variety Show (2021), and Instances of Me (2022), performing all instruments and handling production duties.[10]
In 2024, Chatham adopted the Shadow Person moniker, exploring themes drawn from Jungian psychology and the concept of the shadow self.[12] As Shadow Person, he has released four albums: person of interest (January 2024), Octopus (October 2024), integration (December 2024), and Chronic Disappointment (October 2025).[10]
Chronic Disappointment received positive reviews from online music publications. Music Arena Gh described the album as exploring "the hairline fractures that form on our own reflections when the world outside stops making sense," praising its critique of digital culture and modern identity.[13] The Big Takeover noted the album's "constant genre-shifting, sense of adventure and creativity," stating it was "hard to say where it fits into the musical landscape" due to its exploratory nature.[14]
YouTube DMCA controversy
[edit]In 2006, Chatham uploaded a video of himself performing the Star Wars theme on banjo to YouTube, which quickly became viral, accumulating over 275,000 views and garnering significant media attention.[15] Following the video's popularity, Chatham was invited to perform at the Star Wars Celebration event planned for May 2007 to commemorate the film's 30th anniversary.[15]
In 2008 or 2009, the video was removed from YouTube following a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice filed by Warner Music Group.[16] The takedown occurred during a period when Warner Music Group had broken off licensing negotiations with YouTube, resulting in widespread automated takedowns of content containing Warner-owned music.[16]
Chatham's case was cited by the Electronic Frontier Foundation as an example of overly broad DMCA enforcement. EFF attorney Corynne McSherry stated, "Larry Lessig is not alone. Unfortunately, this is one of many, many, many examples where obvious fair uses get taken down."[16] Initially, Chatham consulted with the EFF about challenging the takedown but was hesitant to file a counter-notice due to the risk of facing a lawsuit from Warner Music Group.[16] He ultimately decided to file a DMCA counter-notice claiming fair use, and the video was subsequently restored to YouTube, making his case an early example of a successful fair use defense during YouTube's formative years.
The incident was part of a broader controversy over YouTube's content identification systems and DMCA enforcement during the platform's early years, which also affected law professor Lawrence Lessig's educational presentations about copyright and fair use.[17]
Production and engineering
[edit]Chatham operates Hawk's Nest Studio in Asheville, where he has produced and engineered recordings for multiple artists including Ska City and In Dog Years, in addition to his own releases.[11][10]
Discography
[edit]With Substance
[edit]- Slamdek Christmas Compilation (1987, Slamdek Records) – "Image" and "Undertow"
With Cerebellum
[edit]- Cerebellum (1989, Slamdek Records; reissued 2010, Noise Pollution)
- Slamdek Christmas 1989 Compilation (1989, Slamdek Records) – "Guard" and "Hurt"
With Crain
[edit]- Crain & Deathwatch split 7" (1990, Slamdek Records)
- Rocks (aka Monkeywrench) 7" EP (1991, Automatic Wreckords)
- Speed (1992, Automatic Wreckords; reissued 2005, Temporary Residence Limited)
- Heater (1994)
With 7 More Seconds
[edit]- 7 More Seconds Live (1991, Slamdek Records)
With King G. and the J. Crew
[edit]- Slamdek "Merry Christmas" Compilation (1991, Slamdek Records)
- Indestructible Songs of the Humpback Whale (1992, Automatic Wreckords)
Solo albums (as Will Chatham)
[edit]- Geekamongus (2012)
- Will Chatham's Musical Variety Show (2021)
- Instances of Me (2022)
As Shadow Person
[edit]- person of interest (2024)
- Octopus (2024)
- integration (2024)
- Chronic Disappointment (2025)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Sacher, Andrew (20 November 2019). "A Guide to Louisville Post-Hardcore". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b Ritcher, Scott (1996). "Christmas". Slamdek A to Z: The Illustrated History of Louisville's Slamdek Record Company 1986-1995. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Cerebellum". Bandcamp. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d Ritcher, Scott (1996). "Cerebellum". Slamdek A to Z: The Illustrated History of Louisville's Slamdek Record Company 1986-1995. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Cerebellum". The Slamdek Record Company. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b c Ritcher, Scott (1996). "Crain & Deathwatch". Slamdek A to Z: The Illustrated History of Louisville's Slamdek Record Company 1986-1995. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b c "Speed". Bandcamp. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Crain - Speed - Review". Penny Black Music. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b Ritcher, Scott (1996). "Merry Christmas". Slamdek A to Z: The Illustrated History of Louisville's Slamdek Record Company 1986-1995. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Will Chatham's Music Discography". Will Chatham. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b "In Case You Were Wondering About Will Chatham". Will Chatham. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Shadow Person". Shadow Person Music. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ Christian (7 November 2025). "Shadow Person Peels Back the Facade on "Chronic Disappointment"". Music Arena Gh. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Shadow Person - Chronic Disappointment". The Big Takeover. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Buzzworm news briefs". Mountain Xpress. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d "More YouTube/Warner Fallout". Will Chatham. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "YouTube's Content ID (C)ensorship Problem Illustrated". Electronic Frontier Foundation. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American rock drummers Category:American record producers Category:Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky Category:Musicians from Asheville, North Carolina Category:Post-hardcore musicians Category:Math rock musicians Category:Digital Millennium Copyright Act Category:YouTube controversies