Duster is an American indie rock trio formed in San Jose, California in 1996 that quietly cut two of slowcore's foundational records — Stratosphere (1998) and Contemporary Movement (2000) — before a long hiatus. A cult internet rediscovery brought them back in 2018, and the Numero Group reissues make catching up easy. Dig into Duster vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Duster formed in San Jose, California in 1996. The trio of Clay Parton, Canaan Dove Amber, and Jason Albertini released two foundational albums on Up Records - Stratosphere (1998) and Contemporary Movement (2000) - before going on extended hiatus. The band's catalog gained cult attention across the 2010s, particularly through TikTok and broader internet music communities discovering the recordings two decades after their original release. The trio reunited in 2018 and released the self-titled Duster (2019) and Together (2022) through the Numero Group reissue label.
Duster's sound combines slowcore, indie rock, post-rock, and lo-fi indie with extremely slow tempos, sparse arrangements, lo-fi recording aesthetics, and contemplative atmospheric textures. Their work is widely cited as foundational to slowcore as a recognized subgenre and has gained influence on contemporary lo-fi indie and slowcore acts.
Original Up Records pressings of Stratosphere and Contemporary Movement are highly sought after. Numero Group's comprehensive Capsule Losing Contact box set and reissue program have made the catalog more accessible. Multiple anniversary and color variant editions have been issued.
Listeners new to Duster typically start with Stratosphere (1998) or the Capsule Losing Contact compilation.
