Tamborello first began creating music in 1989, when he was in junior high school in Santa Barbara. His father bought him a drum machine, a sequencer, a keyboard and an eight track recorder, primarily for the possibility to create music on his own. Tamborello recorded an album under the name Antihouse in 1993, which was released the following year, then beginning work on the first Dntel EP. During these years, Tamborello attended
Loyola Marymount University where he was a
DJ and music director at
KXLU. He engineered on several albums recorded at the station including "
KXLU LIVE: Volume 1," for which he also designed the album artwork. Tamborello was also the bass player for a band known as
Strictly Ballroom. The band was often described as "Enocore," as
Brian Eno soundscapes were an important influence in their music.
Strictly Ballroom recorded one album,
Hide Here Forever, which was released in 1997 on the
Waxploitation Records label. They released a single in 1995 titled "Dear XXX" on the Chou Chou records label. A collection of the demos during the period of 1995 to 1997 was released as
Early Works for Me If It Works for You, in 1998, and work from the first Dntel EP was released as
Something Always Goes Wrong, in 2000, both on the Phthalo label. As a pioneer of contemporary
glitch and
electronica, Dntel gained a cult following. After writing a track for the
Voices in My Lunchbox collaboration for the
Plug Research label, he was asked to work with them. Tamborello released a 12-inch LP,
Anywhere Anyone, in 2000. Tamborello released the debut Dntel full-length album,
Life Is Full of Possibilities, in 2001. The album featured several guest artists on vocals and instruments, including
Ben Gibbard of
Death Cab for Cutie,
Mia Doi Todd, fellow Figurine member
Meredith Figurine, Chris Gunst of
Beachwood Sparks,
Brian McMahan of
Slint,
The For Carnation, and
Rachel Haden of
that dog. The track "
(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan" from the album was very well-received, which led to the song being released in 2002 as the only
single from
Life Is Full of Possibilities. A remix of the song by
Superpitcher was voted the 17th best dance track of the decade by a
Resident Advisor poll in 2010. On April 24, 2007, Tamborello released his third album
Dumb Luck on Subpop Records to generally positive critical reception. This, coinciding with Death Cab For Cutie's release,
Narrow Stairs moved any future plans of The Postal Service recording past the end of the decade. Tamborello released a surprise new album called
Hate In My Heart on August 2, 2018, through Leaving Records. == Figurine ==