Biography.guide
Home › People › Guitarist › Arto Lindsay
Portrait of Arto Lindsay

Arto Lindsay

b. 1953

American musician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Arto Lindsay

Born 1953. Arto Lindsay is an American guitarist, singer, composer, record producer, singer-songwriter and conceptual artist.

Arthur Morgan "Arto" Lindsay (born May 28, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer, record producer and experimental composer. He was a member of the pioneering 1970s no wave group DNA, which featured on the 1978 compilation No New York. In the 1980s, he formed the group Ambitious Lovers. He also performed with the Golden Palominos and the Lounge Lizards.

He has a distinctive soft voice and an often noisy, self-taught guitar style consisting almost entirely of unconventional extended techniques, described by Brian Olewnick as "studiedly naïve ... sounding like the bastard child of Derek Bailey".

Early life and career Although Lindsay was born in the United States, he grew up in Brazil. His parents were Christian missionaries in the state of Pernambuco, and he speaks fluent Brazilian Portuguese. He returned to the United States in the mid-1970s to attend college.

In the late 1970s, he helped form the no wave band DNA with Ikue Mori and Robin Crutchfield, although Tim Wright of Pere Ubu soon replaced Crutchfield.

In the early 1980s, Lindsay performed on early albums by The Lounge Lizards and The Golden Palominos. "He's never lost his interest in weirdness," journalist Robert Christgau wrote, "even ran the Kitchen for a year, and in the eighties his unschooled guitar was in demand all over downtown as he radiated out from the overlapping John Lurie, Anton Fier, John Zorn, and Kip Hanrahan circles to enterprising jazz and funk guys as well as Cuban drummers..." Bassist Melvin Gibbs met Lindsay in 1979, and they worked together musically for the first time in 1984 and many times in the decades since.

After the Lounge Lizards, Lindsay and keyboardist Peter Scherer formed the Ambitious Lovers, influenced by pop, samba, and bossa nova. In an interview with Bomb magazine, Linsday said, "the whole idea was Al Green and samba. That against this; this against that; not a blend, a juxtaposition, loud/soft. There's no particular point in putting these things together. The point is what comes out in the end." The band's albums included Envy, Greed, and Lust.

Producer Lindsay began his experience as producer in 1981 working with Italian No wave band Hi-Fi Bros. He has produced recordings by Brazilian musicians Caetano Veloso, Tom Zé, Vinicius Cantuária, Gal Costa, Carlinhos Brown, Marisa Monte, Adriana Calcanhotto, Orquestra Contemporânea de Olinda and Lucas Santtana. He also co-produced the first album of Anarchist Republic of Bzzz, and CHASM by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Collaborations Lindsay lent his talents to the 1993 opera Agamemnon and to Jun Miyake's Stolen From Strangers album (2008), providing vocals and guitar on the album's opener "Alviveride" as well as on "O Fim", "Turn Back" and "Outros Escuros". For Performa 09, the third edition of the Performa Biennial, Lindsay created Somewhere I Read collaborating with the choreographer Lily Baldwin. In 2013, Lindsay sang on "I Guess We're Floating" by Stephon Alexander and Rioux. The song was released on the album Here Comes Now in August 2014 by Connect Records.

Exhibition netmage 2006 performs Ipanema Théories with Dominique Gonzalez Foerster and alone Garden of self regard

Discography More or less comprehensive, this discography integrates all recordings as a leader, band projects and contributions to albums by other musicians. Lindsay's own work can simply be singled out by sorting "Leading artist". Minor contributions may only be mentioned in the notes of an earlier album of the respective artist. The No New York compilation is added due to its significance. Later compilations of older material are listed with the recording year followed by the release date in brackets. Within a year the albums are sorted alphabetically by artist not by specified dates. (Leading artist sorts by first name.)

Date Leading artist or band Album Label Notes 1978 DNA No New York Antilles compilation by Brian Eno. A single produced by Robert Quine was released the same year: "You & You" (Medical, 1978) 1978 Arto/Neto and Pill Factory N.Y No Wave - The Ultimate East Village 80's Soundtrack ZE compilation with single „Pini Pini“/„Malú“ with S. Neto (=Seth Tillet) and a track by Pill Factory for the film Grutzi Elvis by Diego Cortez 1979 The Lounge Lizards Live 79-81 ROIR only on MC, LP/CD reissue in 1990. Liner notes by Jim Jarmusch 1980 Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra Extended Niceties Infidelity plays guitar on two of four tracks (besides David Byrne), 12" single 1980−83 Toy Killers The Unlistenable Years ugExplode project by Mark E. Miller and Charles K. Noyes recorded at The Kitchen, the OAO Studio and elsewhere 1981 DNA A Taste of DNA American Clave 1981 The Lounge Lizards The Lounge Lizards Editions EG 1981 Kip Hanrahan Coup de tête American Clave 1982 DNA Last Live at CBGB's Avant recorded June 25, 1982, at CBGB's 1983 The Golden Palominos The Golden Palominos Celluloid Lindsay is also guest on "I.D. (Like a Version)", B-side of single "Omaha", and Visions of Excess both Celluloid, 1985 1983 Kip Hanrahan Desire Develops an Edge American Clave 1983 John Zorn Locus Solus Rift reissued on Eva (Jp) in 1991 and on Tzadik in 1997 1984 Ambitious Lovers Envy Editions EG credited as "Arto Lindsay Ambitious Lovers", co-produced by M. E. Miller and Peter Scherer 1984 David Moss Full House Moers Music 1984 Arto Lindsay, John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz and M. E. Miller That's the Way I Feel Now - A Tribute to Thelonious Monk A&M compilation with "Shuffle Boil" 1985 Kip Hanrahan Vertical's Currency American Clave 1985 John Lurie Music from the Original Scores: Stranger Than Paradise and the Resurrection of Albert Ayler Crammed Discs, Made to Measure only on "The Resurrection of Albert Ayler" 1985 David Moss Dense Band Moers Music 1985 Ryuichi Sakamoto Esperanto MIDI Inc. Lindsay plays guitar, also on "Parolibre" of following Futurista (MIDI Inc., 1986) 1986 Arto Lindsay Godard, ça vous chante? Nato (F) compilation with two quartet pieces featuring Lucy Hamilton, Clint Ruin and Roli Mosimann (also includes Zorn's "Godard" w/o Lindsay) 1986 John Zorn The Big Gundown Nonesuch subtitle John Zorn Plays the Music of Ennio Morricone 1986 John Zorn Filmworks 1986–1990 Eva (Jp) Lindsay on first four tracks for White and Lazy. Also on two tracks from 1990 released on Filmworks III: 1990–1995 1987 John Lurie Down by Law Crammed Discs, Made to Measure Soundtrack to the Jim Jarmush film, featuring Lurie beside Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni as lead actors 1987 John Zorn Cobra Hat Hut only studio recording 1988 Ambitious Lovers Greed Virgin 1988 Heiner Goebbels/Heiner Müller Der Mann im Fahrstuhl/The Man in the Elevator ECM 1989 Laurie Anderson Strange Angels Warner Bros. produced in part by Lindsay and Scherer. Lindsay also sings on the title track of her following album Bright Red (1994) 1989 Bill Frisell Before We Were Born Elektra/Musician 1989 Allen Ginsberg The Lion for Real Antilles/Island Hal Wilner project 1989 Seigen Ono Comme des Garçons, Volume One Venture Lindsay also is guest musician and producer on The Green Chinese Table (1988) and Comme des Garçons, Volume Two (1989) 1989 Ryuichi Sakamoto Beauty Virgin Lindsay also sings on "Psychedelic Afternoon" of his following album Sweet Revenge (1994) and plays guitar on "Bibounoaozora" of the next, Smoochy (Güt/For Life, 1996) 1989 Caetano Veloso Estrangeiro Elektra/Musician produced by Lindsay and Peter Scherer 1989 John Zorn Cynical Hysterie Hour CBS/Sony (Jp) on "Bubblin' Singin'"; rereleased on Tzadik in 1997 as Filmworks VII: Cynical Hysterie Hour 1990 Ambitious Lovers as Peter Scherer & Arto Lindsay Pretty Ugly Crammed Discs, Made to Measure music for a ballett choreographed by Amanda Miller 1990 Marisa Monte Mais EMI produced album 1990 Marc Ribot Rootless Cosmopolitans Island 1990 They Might Be Giants Flood Elektra Lindsay on one track 1991 Ambitious Lovers Lust Elektra 1991 Marisa Monte Mais EMI/World Pacific produced by Lindsay, debut album by Monte, features Ribot, Zorn a.o. 1991 Caetano Veloso Circuladô Elektra/Nonesuch produced by Lindsay 1992 Davis Moss Dense Band Moers Music 1992 Tom Zé The Hips of Tradition - The Return of Tom Zé Luaka Bop/Warner Bros. co-produced; translated his songs for 1990 Luaka Bop compilation Brazil Classics 4: Tom Zé 1993 Arnaldo Antunes Nome RCA 1993 Gal Costa O Sorriso do Gato de Alice RCA produced by Lindsay 1994 David Byrne David Byrne Luaka Bop/Warner Bros. 1994 Marisa Monte Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor de Rosa e Carvão EMI produced album 1995 Arto Lindsay Trio Aggregates 1–26 Knitting Factory trio with Melvin Gibbs and Dougie Bowne 1995 Arto Lindsay O Corpo Sutil (The Subtle Body) Güt/For Life (Jp), Bar/None first solo album after the Ambitious Lovers, features prominently Bill Frisell 1996 Carlinhos Brown Alfagamabetizado EMI/Delabel produced in part by Lindsay (other half by Wally Badarou) 1996 Vinicius Cantuaria Sol na Cara Gramavision produced by Lindsay 1996 Arto Lindsay Mundo Civilizado Güt/For Life (Jp), Bar/None co-produced by Andres Levin, Camus Celli. Illbient remixes on Hyper Civilizado (Gütbounce/Gramavision) 1994 Marisa Monte Barulhinho Bom EMI co-produced with Carlinhos Brown and Monte 1997 Taeko Onuki LUCY USM Japan produced and co-arranged the song Mon doux Soleil with Ryuichi Sakamoto 1997 Arto Lindsay Noon Chill Güt/For Life (Jp), Bar/None co-produced by Andres Levin, Melvin Gibbs, Pat Dillett and 7 Cycle. Rykodisc issued a limited edition in 1998 adding the EP Reentry, first released in Japan on Güt 1998 Vinicius Cantuaria Tucumã Verve Lindsay co-wrote "Maravilhar" and "Sanfona", and plays guitar on "Vivo Isolado do Mundo" 1998 Seigen Ono Comme des Garçons + Remix Arto Lindsay Epic/Sony re-release with added remixes 1999 Arto Lindsay Prize Righteous Babe co-produced by Andres Levin and Melvin Gibbs 1999 Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel Cirano Sugar producer 2000 Arto Lindsay Ecomixes Avex Trax compilation of remixes and four live tracks 2000 Marisa Monte Memórias, Crônicas, e Declarações de Amor EMI/Phonomotor co-produced with Monte 2002 Arto Lindsay Invoke Righteous Babe co-produced by Andres Levin and Melvin Gibbs, two tracks by Kassin and Berna Ceppas 2002 Jun Miyake Innocent Bossa in the Mirror Nektar/Tropical Music co-produced and sings 2004 Arto Lindsay Salt Righteous Babe co-produced by Melvin Gibbs, Kassin and Berna Ceppas 2008 Adriana Calcanhotto Mare Sony/BMG co-producer, plays drums and guitar on two tracks 2008 Jun Miyake Stolen from Strangers Videoarts Music 2009 Anarchist Republic of Bzzz Anarchist Republic of Bzzz Sub Rosa co-producer with head Seb El Zin, and plays guitar 2013 Arto Lindsay, Paal Nilssen-Love Scarcity PNL 12"/CD 2014 Arto Lindsay Encyclopedia of Arto Northern Spy compilation with a second CD comprising solo live recordings 2016 Anarchist Republic of Bzzz United Diktaturs of Europe Bzzz plays guitar 2017 Arto Lindsay Cuidado Madame Northern Spy/P-Vine (Jp) again with Melvin Gibbs, features drummer Kassa Overall 2019 Arto Lindsay, Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee, Phil Sudderberg Largest Afternoon Corbett vs. Dempsey 2022 Arto Lindsay Charivari Corbett vs. Dempsey solo recording

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

People in Arto Lindsay's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Arto Lindsay's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Arto Lindsay?

American musician

When was Arto Lindsay born?

Arto Lindsay was born on 28 May 1953 in Richmond.

What is Arto Lindsay's occupation?

Arto Lindsay is a guitarist, singer, composer, record producer, singer-songwriter and conceptual artist.

What nationality is Arto Lindsay?

Arto Lindsay is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Arto Lindsay

· Wikidata: Q591445

· DBpedia: Arto Lindsay

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Arto Lindsay. https://biography.guide/arto-lindsay/

MLA: "Arto Lindsay." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/arto-lindsay/.

Chicago: "Arto Lindsay." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/arto-lindsay/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:33 UTC