This article presents the complete oeuvre of American bassist, composer and music producer Bill Laswell, including his work as a band member and collaborating artist. Laswell has an expansive and eclectic discography and has been involved in hundreds of recordings with many artists from across the world. Laswell's music is influenced by a plethora of musical genres, such as funk, world music, jazz, drum and bass, dub and ambient music. Starting in 1978, Laswell has built a reputation as an accomplished bass player and composer. He has also had a prolific career as a music producer and sound engineer, overseeing the recording process of diverse musical acts such as Sly and Robbie, Afrika Bambaataa, Bernie Worrell, Blind Idiot God, Motörhead, Ramones, Henry Threadgill and Buckethead.
As a solo artist Studio albums ReleasedTitleYearMonth 1983 Jun Baselines 1988 Mar Hear No Evil 1994 Dec Outer Dark 1995 Sep Silent Recoil: Dub System One 1996 Sep Oscillations 1997 Jul City of Light 1998 Jun Oscillations 2 1999 Mar Invisible Design Sep Imaginary Cuba Nov Permutation 2000 Apr Dub Chamber 3 Oct Lo. Def Pressure 2001 Sep Filmtracks 2000 Oct Points of Order 2004 SepVersion 2 Version: A Dub Transmission 2009 Mar Invisible Design II 2012 Oct Means of Deliverance Nov Túwaqachi (The Fourth World)
Under a pseudonym Released Name Title Year Month 1993 Oct Divination Ambient Dub Volume I Nov Ambient Dub Volume II: Dead Slow 1994 Jul Chaos Face Doom Ride Aug Automaton Dub Terror Exhaust Oct Jihad (Points of Order) 1995 Mar Divination Akasha 1996 Jan Possession+ African Dub Off World One Feb Divination Distill May Sacred System Chapter One: Book of Entrance 1997 Sep Chapter Two 1998 Aug Nagual Site Oct Divination Sacrifice 1999 May Hashisheen The End of Law Jul Rasa Serene Timeless Joy 2000 May Operazone The Redesign 2002 Oct Sacred System Book of Exit: Dub Chamber 4
Collaborative albums ReleasedTitleNotesYearMonth1987 MayLow LifeWith Peter Brötzmann1993Asian GamesWith Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yōsuke Yamashita 1994 FebOutlandWith Pete Namlook AprPsychonavigationWith Pete Namlook JulCymatic ScanWith Tetsu Inoue AugVisitationWith Jonah Sharp 1995 JanWebWith Terre Thaemlitz MarSomnific FluxWith Mick HarrisSubsonic 2: Bass TerrorWith Nicholas Bullen MayPsychonavigation 2With Pete Namlook 1996 FebInterpieces OrganizationWith Haruomi Hosono AprOutland 2With Pete Namlook 1997 FebPsychonavigation 3With Pete Namlook AugDub MeltdownWith Style Scott1998 AprOutland 3With Pete Namlook 1999Psychonavigation 4With Pete Namlook JunChargedWith Eraldo Bernocchi and Toshinori Kondo2000 FebOutland IVWith Pete Namlook 2001 AprLife Space DeathWith Toshinori Kondo SepRadioaxiom: A Dub TransmissionWith Jah Wobble2002 AprPsychonavigation 5With Pete Namlook 2003 NovBuck Jam TonicWith Tatsuya Nakamura and John Zorn Dec AFTERMATHematicsWith Grand Mixer DXTSoupWith Yasuhiro Yoshigaki and Otomo Yoshihide 2004 MayA Navel City/No One Is ThereWith Hoppy Kamiyama JunBrutal CallingWith Submerged SepSoup LiveWith Yasuhiro Yoshigaki and Otomo Yoshihide 2006 AprEpisomeWith Tatsuya Yoshida and Otomo Yoshihide 2007 MarOutland 5With Pete Namlook SepLive at the Bowery Poetry ProjectWith Lance Carter and Robert Musso 2008 MarLodgeWith Fanu AugNo MatterWith Kudsi Erguner, Mark Nauseef and Markus Stockhausen 2011 MarBass & DrumsWith Tatsuya Nakamura and Hideo YamakiKontonWith Manabu Murata, Yoshi Otani and Munenori Senju AugNear NadirWith Ikue Mori, Mark Nauseef and Evan Parker OctBLIXTWith Morgan Ågren and Raoul Björkenheim2014 SepThe Dream MembraneWith David Chaim Smith and John Zorn NovThe ProcessWith Jonathan Batiste and Chad Smith 2016 OctDuboperaWith Masahiro Shimba2021 MaySacred CeremoniesWith Wadada Leo Smith and Milford Graves2022 JanThe CleansingWith John Zorn MayNammuWith Ulf Ivarsson2023 MayMemoriaWith John Zorn AugBreath Versus BeatsWith Simon Berz and Toshinori Kondo
Remix albums Year Artist Album 1991Toshinori Kondo & IMA In the '90s 1995Boris Feoktistov Russian Chants «Parastas» 1997Bob Marley Dreams of Freedom: Ambient Translations in DubBill Laswell Oscillations Remixes 1998Miles Davis Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–19742000Various Artists Emerald Aether: Shape Shifting 2001Carlos Santana Divine Light: Music from Illuminations & Love Devotion Surrender 2002Sussan Deyhim Shy Angels 2003Gigi Illuminated Audio 2004Lili Boniche Boniche Dub II 2005 Bill Laswell Trojan Dub Massive: Chapter One Trojan Dub Massive: Chapter Two 2006Matisyahu Youth Dub 2011David Gould Dub of the Passover
Cover albums YearTitle1998 Jazzonia
Compilation albums YearTitle1993 Deconstruction: The Celluloid Recordings1994 Light in Extension 1996 Ambient Compendium Altered Beats - Assassin Knowledges of the Remanipulated 2003 Final Oscillations ROIR Dub Sessions2011 Aspiration
Soundtracks YearTitleNotes1999 Broken Vessels Official soundtrack to the film, Broken Vessels
Singles Year Title Album 1984 "Work Song" Baselines 1998 "Moody's Mood for Love" Non-album singles 2003 "Photo Op Before a Long Hard Fuck" 2005 Todd Bridges on Lockdown/Summary Execution
Axiom series Title Album details Axiom Ambient: Lost in the Translation Released: November 8, 1994 (US) Label: Axiom Formats: CD Axiom Funk: Funkcronomicon Released: July 18, 1995 (US) Label: Axiom Formats: CD Axiom Dub: Mysteries of Creation Released: October 22, 1996 (US) Label: Axiom Formats: CD
As a band member
Studio albums Year Month Band Release 1979 — New York Gong About Time — Material Temporary Music 1 (EP) 1980 — Temporary Music 2 (EP) 1981 — Curlew Curlew June Material American Songs (EP) — Memory Serves Sep Massacre Killing Time 1982 May Material One Down 1983 May The Golden Palominos The Golden Palominos 1984 Aug Praxis 1984 (EP) 1985 May Deadline Down by Law — The Golden Palominos Visions of Excess 1986 Feb Blast of Silence 1988 — Last Exit Iron Path 1989 Jan The Golden Palominos A Dead Horse — Material Seven Souls 1990 — Mooko Mooko 1991 — Autonomous Zone The Map Is Not the Territory — Deadline Dissident Sep Painkiller Guts of a Virgin (EP) The Golden Palominos Drunk with Passion — Material The Third Power 1992 Sep Praxis Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis) — A Taste of Mutation Nov Painkiller Buried Secrets (EP) — RAF Ode to a Tractor 1993 Sep The Golden Palominos This Is How It Feels Dec Material Hallucination Engine — Praxis Sacrifist 1994 Aug Praxis Metatron Oct The Golden Palominos Pure Nov Painkiller Execution Ground — Blind Light The Absence of Time 1995 — Flying Mijinko Band Central Asian Tour — Second Nature Second Nature — Third Rail South Delta Space Age"Third Rail – South Delta Space Age", Polystar – PSCW-5338 — Somma Somma I: Hooked Light Rays 1996 Jul Arcana The Last Wave Oct The Golden Palominos Dead Inside — Equations of Eternity Equations of Eternity 1997 Oct Arcana Arc of the Testimony 1998 Aug Praxis Mold Oct Massacre Funny Valentine Nov Equations of Eternity Vevè Dec Ekstasis Wake Up and Dream 1999 Mar Purple Trap Decided... Aug Cobra Strike The 13th Scroll Sep Material Intonarumori — Shin Terai Unison 2000 Sep Tabla Beat Science Tala Matrix Oct Cobra Strike Cobra Strike II: Y, Y+B, X+Y <hold> ? 2002 Jun U.M.A. Ja-ck 2004 Feb Shine Heaven & Hell 2006 Feb Method of Defiance The Only Way To Go Is Down 2007 Jun Shine Lightyears Sep Method of Defiance Inamorata 2008 Jan Praxis Profanation Nov Activities of Dust A New Mind 2010 Feb Somma 23 Wheels of Dharma Apr The Blood of Heroes The Blood of Heroes Oct Method of Defiance Jahbulon Nov Incunabula 2011 Oct Dub Arcanum Arcandrum 2013 Apr Massacre Love Me Tender Method of Defiance Nahariama
Live albums Year Month Band Release 1986 — Last Exit Last Exit — The Noise of Trouble 1987 Mar Cassette Recordings '87 — SXL SXL Live in Japan 1988 — Into the Outlands 1990 — Last Exit Köln 1991 — Material Improvised Music New York 1981 1992 — Mooko Japan Concerts 1993 — Painkiller Rituals — Last Exit Headfirst into the Flames — Material Live in Japan 1994 — Live from Soundscape 1997 — Praxis Live in Poland Oct Transmutation Live 1999 Feb Warszawa 2001 Nov Massacre Meltdown 2002 Jul Tabla Beat Science Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove Nov Painkiller Talisman 2005 Sep 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 12 2007 May Massacre Lonely Heart Jun Praxis Tennessee 2004 Jul Somma Live for the Dalai Lama 2009 Jul Method of Defiance Nihon 2010 Nov Material Mesgana Ethiopia 2013 Nov Painkiller The Prophecy
Compilation albums Year Month Band Release 1981 — Material Temporary Music 1985 — Red Tracks 1986 — Secret Life 1990 — Last Exit Best of Live 1991 Jan The Golden Palominos Thundering Herd 1992 Jul A History (1982-1985) A History (1986-1989) 1997 Jul The Best of The Golden Palominos — The Best of The Golden Palominos 1983-1989 — Painkiller Painkiller: The Collected Works 1998 Jul Praxis Collection — Material The Best of Material — Painkiller Buried Secrets/Guts of a Virgin 2000 Jan The Golden Palominos Surrealistic Surfer 2002 Jun Run Pony Run: An Essential Collection 2005 — The Golden Palominos 2006 Mar The Celluloid Collection
Bass guitar credits