Of a Mesh formed in the fall of 1983 in New York City, taking their name from Maya Deren's 1943 avant-garde silent film Meshes of the Afternoon.

They honed their spectral proto-gothic craft on two legendary demo sessions during 1984-85 (highlighted by fan favorites "C.I.T" and "Twist"), and numerous gigs at venues like Danceteria, CBGB, Subway, and Pyramid, opening for the likes of Sonic Youth and Butthole Surfers.

The band's lineup solidified around vocalist (and native of Dallas, TX) Alan Dollgener, violinist Samara Lubelski, guitarist Ellen Watkins, bassist Gregory Kostroff, and drummer Osamu, and in June 1986, that quintet released the classic 12-inch EP "Of a Mesh" (recorded by Martin Bisi) on their own Black Afternoon Records.

Entering the studio with Bisi again in winter '86-'87, the recorded the followup four-song EP "Broken" (partially without Osamu; a drum machine filled in on "Guillotine" before his replacement Michael was added), released on 109 Records.

In fact, they were the only band in Gotham's '80s post-punk scene (comprising their friends Fahrenheit 451, Scarecrow, The Naked and the Dead, Brain Eaters, The Children’s Zoo, Chop Shop, and The Ochrana) to release more than one piece of vinyl.

One more track saw the light of day (the mysterious "Thorn," released on the 1987 "Sorority Sampler" compilation LP) before Of a Mesh called it quits at the close of 1988.

In 1995, Dollgener released a solo album "Fish Dreams" (MMG) under the name Reverb Sleep, but he died that October 22, battling AIDS.

Original drummer Osamu reportedly moved back to his native Japan.

Soon after the dissolution of Of a Mesh, Ellen Watkins joined avant-garde composer and no-wave legend Glenn Branca's famous guitar ensemble, and has since played guitar with Branca both in live performance and on albums such as "Symphony No. 6 (Devil Choirs at the Gates of Heaven)" (1988) and "Symphonies No. 8/10 (The Mysteries)" (1994). She is the webmaster of the official Glenn Branca site. Watkins also played with Wharton Tiers Ensemble on their "Twilight of the Computer Age" (1999), and on discs by Blastula and fellow Branca veterans Phil Kline and Virgil Moorefield.

Samara Lubelski later played with the ethereal act The New Creatures, followed by a succession of indie/ post-rock bands in the '90s (Pacer, The Salmon Skin, The Sonora Pine, Hall of Fame, Tower Recordings, Metabolismus, etc.).

Lubelski continues to perform, and has released three highly-regarded solo albums (ranging from experimental music to psychedelic folk) in recent years: 1997's "In the Valley," 2004's "The Fleeting Skies," and 2005's "Spectacular of Passages." She has also engineered records for the likes of Ted Leo and Oneida, and played guest violin on 2004's acclaimed indie-rock album "Blueberry Boat" by The Fiery Furnaces.

Bauhaus, The Velvet Underground, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Pink Floyd, Sex Gang Children, Echo and the Bunnymen, Killing Joke

BAND MEMBERS:
Alan Dollgener - vocals (1983-88)
Samara Lubelski - violin (1983-88)
Ellen Watkins - guitar (circa 1983-88)
Gregory Kostroff - bass (circa 1983-88)
Osamu - drums (circa 1983-86)
Michael - drums (circa 1987-88)

PARTIAL GIGOGRAPHY:
early 1984 The Dive, New York, NY
06-10-1984 CBGB, New York, NY
07-24-1984 Danceteria, New York, NY
06-13-1985 CBGB, New York, NY
06-29-1985 Danceteria, New York, NY
09-21-1985 Subway, Rego Park, NY
09-24-1985 CBGB, New York, NY
03-06-1986 Danceteria, New York, NY
03-07-1986 Irving Plaza, New York, NY
09-25-1986 CBGB, New York, NY
11-27-1986 CBGB, New York, NY
04-12-1987 New York, NY
01-23-1988 Skibo Ballroom, Pittsburgh, PA
02-18-1988 Tramps, New York, NY
12-12-1988 The Cat Club, New York, NY

DISCOGRAPHY:
"Of a Mesh" (12-inch EP) 1986 (Black Afternoon Records)
"Broken" (12-inch EP) 1987 (109 Records)
"Thorn" (track) "Sorority Sampler" 1987 (Sorority Records)