Jon Fine- Guitar
Simon Kobayashi- Bass
Orestes Morfin- Drums

New York, Tucson, London.

We Contain Multitudes is a new band featuring Jon Fine (Ex- Bitch Magnet, Vineland, Don Caballero), Orestes Morfin (Ex-Bitch Magnet, Bored Spies, God Rifle, Walt Mink) and Simon Kobayashi (Smallgang, Hurtling, Splintered Man).

Their debut album- "Minako" was released spring/summer 2025

We Contain Multitudes - comprised of Jon Fine (guitar, keyboards), Simon Kobayashi (bass), and Orestes Morfín (drums) - come from established stock. Jon and Orestes (named by Spin as one of the top 50 greatest drummers in alternative music) first played together in the late 1980s, when they were in the signal US post-hardcore trio Bitch Magnet. With that band, the two toured the US and Europe extensively, and recorded and released three albums before breaking up in late 1990. Bitch Magnet’s discography was reissued in 2011 by Temporary Residence, after which the band reunited for tours of the US, Asia, and Europe—including an appearance at the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival.

Say Nothing continues We Contain Multitudes’ established musical themes of intricately layered and interlocking guitar riffs that ride atop very melodic bass lines and an athletic rhythm section, albeit one more concerned with groove and driving the song forward than performing acrobatics for their own sake. At times, the new album delves deeply into outright heaviness (“A Camaro”), mantra-like repetition (the title track “Say Nothing” and “Good Question”), and extended structures (“The Science of Self-Control.”)

“Say Nothing” is the title of a spectacular book by Patrick Radden Keefe. It is also a good credo/statement of purpose for an instrumental band. (We see you, instrumental bands, and we salute you.) Which is why it’s also the name of our album. That, and also that choosing album titles is really hard."

We Contain Multitudes is an instrumental trio that formed in 2017, which means it’s taken a very long time for them to, you know, actually release a record. But Jon lives in New York, Orestes lives in Tucson, and Simon lives in London. Also there was this whole Covid thing, which made getting together in the same room to play music rather complex for a while.

Anyway. Their debut record, Minako, which was recorded by Abe Seiferth and produced by Seiferth and the band, was released in early summer 2025 by Expert Work Records.

Jon and Orestes first played in a band so long ago that we’d really rather not discuss it. OK, fine, you win, it was 1987, back when Orestes joined Bitch Magnet. Bitch Magnet became a signal American underground band of its era, put out three records, and toured the US and Europe. Its records were reissued in 2011 by Temporary Residence, and the band reunited for tours of the US, Europe, and Asia—including an appearance at the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival— in 2011 and 2012.

Jon and Orestes met Simon when Simon’s band smallgang opened for Bitch Magnet in London during said reunion tour. When Jon and Orestes decided to start a new band, they immediately thought of Simon for bass, largely because, based on that one show, they immediately understood that he is a substantially better guitarist than Jon.

Simon also plays in the UK-based Hurtling. Jon was in Vineland, and was a touring guitarist for Don Caballero for a bit. Orestes was in Walt Mink, Godrifle, and Bored Spies. Also, Spin once named Orestes as the 51st-greatest drummer in alternative music, which—really—was far too low.

Jon is also the author of the punk rock memoir Your Band Sucks (Penguin), which won critical acclaim in outlets ranging from The New York Times to Men’s Journal to the Boston Globe to The Atlantic to the Philippine Star. Your Band Sucks concludes with Jon deciding to retire from music at the conclusion of Bitch Magnet’s reunion tours, and to not pursue a project he’d been discussing with Orestes.

(Jon changed his mind.)

We Contain Multitudes is heavy and intricate. At times, their music goes much deeper into psychedelic, repetitive, and minimal/maximalist realms than anything these guys’ prior bands have done. Recommended if you like: Pelican, Russian Circles, This Will Destroy You, Explosions in the Sky, Isis, Neurosis, Sumac, King Crimson, Mouth of the Architect, Amenra, Red Sparowes, Cult of Luna, The Fucking Champs, Steely Dan, Caspar Brotzmann Massaker, and Gone and instrumental Black Flag.