Statler & Waldorf are an Australian electronic music group and production duo formed in Brisbane in 2001. The founders were Dennis Gascoigne on synthesisers and vocals (a.k.a. Agent 86, Statler) and Cameron Hales as turntablist (a.k.a. Camschwa; ex-Subito).
Gascoigne had grown up in Warialda and started playing guitar at age 14. While attending university in Brisbane he was in a group, Bob, which "was quickly superseded by Seethe, a Skate punk band which over its three or so year life enjoyed some success playing with bands like Grinspoon, Lagwagon, Nitocris..." He was briefly in a high school group, Wraith Flakes, which "enjoyed success and notoriety at the 3 gigs they played at high school dances."
The Scene Magazines Alex Roche noticed that the EP, "is a delicious collection of collaborations with some of this country's finest singers... [and] is a superb disc for warming up on Friday night or chilling out early Saturday morning, for clearing out the cobwebs of the working week. Check it out."
The group played festivals including Big Day Out, alongside the Chemical Brothers. They remixed material by Sarah Blasko and had their own music remixed by Segue Samplist. Hede described the group after the EP, "Our sound... was fairly influenced by Camschwa... We're a lot harder and heavier now, with a lot straighter beats, a lot more of a club sound." Joann Curtis of In the Mix posits their sonation is, "hypnotically minimal, obliquely rhythmic and uniquely aesthetic... I have seen Statler and Waldorf perform to different crowds – from teenagers, to fans, to unsuspecting punters – and each time, the response is enthusiastic. Such is the testimony to their live performance. And the brilliance of their production talents captures much of the essence from their live performance on their new album – as intended."Cyclic Frosts Matthew Levison opined, "This is lowest common denominator music, all boxes ticked... Painful, preset, mundane and monotonous. If this is the only resistance to our system, then it's no wonder Australia is so conservative right now."
In mid-2005, Gascoigne and Hede collaborated with Cole and her then-domestic partner, Daniel Belle (also from Australian Idol), as a four-piece trip hop group, Spook. McCabe & Downie of The Daily Telegraph detailed how the couple were initially asked "to sing on some tracks" and that "the foursome discovered some major songwriting chemistry." During the collaboration, "Gascoigne... took care of composition and production. Cole delivered lyrics and vocal melodies and Belle discovered a talent for recording intricate harmonies and string arrangements." Mediasearchs Gabrielle Phillips elaborated on their style, "a mixture of triphop style beats that can be dark, uplifting, simple and yet emotionally sophisticated all at the same time... Most songs have been contributed and added to by each of the artists, to create a mixture of sounds that is both unexpected and extremely enjoyable."
After Statler & Waldorf disbanded in 2006, Dennis Gascoigne focussed on his professional career gaining a PhD in Molecular Biology and publishing several papers including in the Oxford Journal of BionInformatics, and heading his software development business Civil Pro where he is currently managing director. In 2025 he paired up with David Ryan to form Trovaire with their debut album The Stonefruit Sessions released in April to commercial success. To Leave the Sea and Oh How Lovely from the album both charted in Europe. Leo Hede has worked as a DJ and record producer.
Discography
Studio albums
- AndroNovaVirus (4 October 2005) – Ghost Records/MRA Entertainment <small>(GM002)</small>
- The Dusk Sessions (2005) as Spook – Ghost Records/MRA Entertainment <small>(GM001)</small>
Extended plays
- Collusions (October 2004) – Freefall Records/MRA Entertainment