History
Decahedron
Decahedron emerged in 2002 from the dissolution of the band Frodus, with founding members Shelby Cinca and Jason Hamacher seeking to continue their musical collaboration. Initially, they enlisted Joe Lally, bassist for Fugazi, to join them. Unsure of the project's long-term potential, the band's direction began to solidify when Hamacher departed for a three-month excursion to Eastern Europe and Turkey in February 2002, after recording initial drum tracks. During his travels, Cinca and Lally developed songs based on these recordings, realizing the project held significant creative promise beyond a casual endeavor. Hamacher, from the Syrian plains, proposed the band name "The Black Sea."
The Black Sea Era and Name Change
In July of that year, under the moniker The Black Sea, the trio recorded three songs, which were later released as an EP on Lovitt Records. Following an extended break, the band reconvened in America and recorded a substantial amount of material. They had largely completed their debut full-length album, DISCONNECTION_IMMINENT, when they received legal notifications stating that the band name "The Black Sea" was protected under ASCAP, threatening legal action if they did not change it.
Formation of Decahedron and Early Tours
Shortly after this development, Joe Lally relocated, and the band adopted the name Decahedron. According to Cinca, the name was inspired by the geometric term "Decahedron - a ten-sided solid geometric shape... a monolithic force appearing in the minute details of nature and primordial universal mass." Johnathan Ford of Unwed Sailor, who had previously collaborated with Frodus, stepped in on bass. Decahedron embarked on a three-week tour in January and February 2004, sharing the stage with Engine Down, Statistics, and Moments in Grace. In March, they were invited by the mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan to perform at their South by Southwest showcase in Austin, Texas. The release of DISCONNECTION_IMMINENT on Lovitt Records followed in April.
Plea for Peace Tour and Subsequent Releases
Decahedron then commenced their first full U.S. tour as part of the Plea for Peace Tour, organized by Mike Park of Asian Man Records. The lineup also included Darkest Hour and Cursive, with Denali having disbanded during the booking process. Following this tour, Johnathan Ford departed the band. Cinca and Hamacher began working on new material, recruiting Jake Brown from Moments in Grace to play bass for the recording sessions. Their next album, titled 2005, was recorded in a swift three-day period at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia—the same studio where Minor Threat recorded their seminal debut album. The album, featuring six songs, was also released on Lovitt Records.
Unconventional Bassist Approach and Hiatus
Facing the absence of a permanent bassist, Decahedron adopted an unconventional approach starting in 2005. The founding members decided to continue the band without a fixed bass player, drawing inspiration from jazz traditions by utilizing session musicians for both recordings and live performances, allowing for creative exploration.
In June of an unspecified year, Decahedron announced they were "[...]temporarily and indefinitely suspending all operations...".
Post-Decahedron Activities
Shelby Cinca has since been active with bands such as Frantic Mantis and The Cassettes, and also produces IDM/8-Bit electronic music under his own name. Jason Hamacher has pursued a career as a world traveler and photographer, frequently visiting Syria, and is also a licensed massage therapist. Jake Brown formed a new band called The Eastern Wave and manages Computer Club Records.
In 2009, Cinca, Hamacher, and Brown reunited to perform Frodus reunion shows.