Captain Ahab (band)

Captain Ahab
OriginLos Angeles, California, United States
GenresElectropop, jumpstyle
Years active1998–2012
LabelsDeathbomb Arc
Irritant Records
Cock Rock Disco
Past members
  • Jonathan Snipes
  • Jim Merson

Captain Ahab was an American electronic music duo based in Los Angeles, California. They referred to their DIY take on jumpstyle and electropop music as "ravesploitation". The band was made up of producer/vocalist Jonathan Snipes and hype man Jim Merson.

They were known for their provocative lyrics and high-energy shows where a sweaty, half-dressed Merson would descend into the crowd to dance and grind on audience members.[1]

In June 2006, Captain Ahab won a contest to have their song "Snakes on the Brain" included on the enhanced CD portion of the soundtrack to the film Snakes on a Plane.[1]

On September 28, 2006, their song "Girls Gone Wild" was played briefly in "The Convention", the second episode of the third season of The Office.

Their single "Was Love" was written for and played in the first-season episode "Gravedancing" on the Syfy series Caprica, as well as the remix of Maxfemm's "Weak Condition"[2][3]

They played their final show at The Smell, in Los Angeles, California on Friday, November 2, 2012, to a sold-out crowd. Also performing that evening were Toxic Lipstick, Foot Village, and Books on Tape. The final show was announced via a music video on Vimeo on September 16, 2012.[4]

Snipes is now a member of the experimental and industrial hip hop trio clipping., alongside fellow producer William Hutson and rapper Daveed Diggs.

  1. ^ a b Ben Munson (April 8, 2011). "A.V. Club Madison". A.V. Club Madison. Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  2. ^ "Was Love | Captain Ahab". Captainahab.bandcamp.com. February 19, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  3. ^ "Bear McCreary – Official site". Bearmccreary.com. February 19, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  4. ^ "Time to Say Goodbye on Vimeo". September 16, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2013 – via Vimeo.