David Brägger is an enigmatic figure in contemporary traditional American music, known for his work as a fiddler, banjoist, documentarian, educator, and producer, as well as his explorations into experimental electronic and drone-based music. Described by Rolling Stone as the “curator of the American music preservationist initiative the Old-Time Tiki Parlour,” he went on to found the indie folk label Tiki Parlour Recordings. A devoted 78rpm record collector, festival director, and filmmaker, Brägger has produced more than 40 album and video releases, helping foster a global community centered on the depth, nuance, and authenticity of early American sound. His music and label releases have received praise from John Paul Jones, Ry Cooder, Tenacious D, Sarah Jarosz, Fiddler Magazine, Julian Lage, No Depression, Dusted Magazine, and countless others.

His artistic path began in avant-garde film, drawing inspiration from countercultural visionaries such as Harry Smith, Les Blank, Maya Deren, Devo, Richard Kern, and The Residents. He directed short films including El Mal de Ojo and The Blindman, the latter featuring cult horror icon Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, The Devil’s Rejects). He soon began directing music videos for the pioneering political punk band Bad Religion before traveling to India, where he studied the sleight-of-hand magic and music of traditional street magicians. This immersion in oral tradition and cultural transmission profoundly shaped his artistic philosophy. Upon returning to the United States, Brägger devoted himself to old-time fiddle and banjo, studying directly with master musicians and developing a powerful, rhythmically driven style. His debut album Big Fancy established him as a major voice in the genre, praised for its intensity, ornamentation, and deep musical insight.

In 2017, Brägger expanded the boundaries of traditional music with King’s Lament – Old-Time Fiddle Duets, a collaboration with fiddler Susan Platz widely regarded as the first American old-time fiddle duet album. The recording was met with critical acclaim for its hypnotic interplay, droning textures, and intricate contrapuntal phrasing. Critics noted its exploration of microtonality, modal improvisation, and rhythmic subtlety. Both a historical milestone and a bold artistic statement, the album reimagines how traditional repertoire can be experienced in a modern setting. Brägger has always maintained that “older musical sounds form the true bedrock for musical inspiration and creativity.” In 2018, Brägger’s banjo prowess was showcased on his collaboration Holy Smoke! with Italian old-time fiddle master Rafe Stefanini. The great American novelist and veteran music writer Tom Piazza proclaimed it’s “one of the best banjo-fiddle duet records I’ve heard.”

Beyond his work in traditional forms, Bragger has recorded and toured extensively with Bad Religion’s Greg Graffin as his musical “Swiss Army knife” on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and guitar. His genre-defying output resonates with audiences ranging from folk purists to experimental music enthusiasts and underground subcultures. Brägger has recently emerged as an experimental artist exploring electro-acoustic drone, ambient composition, and modular synthesis. In 2025, he released the ambient LP Séance of Sleep (Part I) – The Saraswati Dreamcraft, a cinematic and immersive work that further demonstrates his ability to merge ancient musical sensibilities with contemporary sonic exploration.

Brägger has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Greg Graffin, Fred Armisen, Social Distortion, Bruce Molsky, Mike Watt, Paula Poundstone, Spencer & Rains, Tim Kerr, Bosko Takaki, and Art Rosenbaum. He also contributed the featured banjo and fiddle solos to the Lionsgate film Gone Are the Days. Through his recordings, writing, and archival work—including compilations for JSP Records and articles for Strings Magazine—he continues to shape American roots music with a rare blend of reverence, innovation, and artistic vision while navigating his new musical voyage into electronic synthesis. Across disciplines and traditions, Brägger’s body of work reflects a singular artistic vision—one that resists easy categorization while continually toying with the possibilities of both traditional and eldritch experimental sound-making.

His upcoming vinyl release Séance of Sleep II – La lévitation de Shéhérazade will be on June 5, 2026.

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“This is art. This is very important art.”-No Depression

It is MANDATORY to listen to David Brågger’s SWEET, SWEET cover of “The Metal” today! Jack Black and Kyle Gass have granted you the highest honors humanity has to offer…supreme honors to rock any D song on your gourd banjo. —Tenacious D

“There’s twin fiddling, and then there’s David Bragger and Susan Platz. Their music really reaches into that space where two instruments become one and draws you right in with it. King’s Lament is one of the most sonorous and rhythmically locked-in sets of tunes you’ll hear, and spans across familiar and unfamiliar old-time terrain. Another really great recording from David’s unique Tiki Parlour collection.” —Bruce Molsky

One of the best banjo-fiddle duet records I’ve heard.—Tom Piazza, American novelist and music writer

Holy Smoke! is one of the most important recordings of 2019, or any other year for that matter.— The Banjo Newsletter

“David Bragger, an LA native, has emerged over the last decade as a driving force in Southern California’s old-time music scene and beyond…he has his own voice, as all great musicians do. His fiddle sound is rich and strong, and the music selection in this all-instrumental project is excellent…This is a CD by a new force in contemporary old-time music, jam-packed with great tunes and with great playing all around. Highly recommended!”–The Old-Time Herald

“…BRAVO!  Great music, great recording.  Excellent!…” –Dan Gellert

“…Every cut has something captivating about it….The best Washington March I’ve ever heard!”  –Dave Bing

“A both-feet leap into the lands of analog synth-dom, but I keep thinking I hear strings! There’s something in the attack, the placement, just the tones that are conjured — it’s a fully realized and imposing, often galloping, sound world that is conjured here, with a musical mind that shines through.” —Mike Gangloff (Pelt, Black Twig Pickers)

An immersive and stunningly beautiful cosmic bath of sound, DW Bragger’s Séance of Sleep – The Saraswati Dreamcraft is high-water mark in ambient and healing music, taking on a rigorous creative pursuit that pushes the boundaries of the listener’s comfort zone in ways rarely associated with those idioms.

—Soundohm

Cinematic, epic, hearts of space Dreamtime! Bravo to folding in so much sonically delightful ingredients! –Todd Barton

“A fantastic journey, jam-packed with compositions only a lifelong multi-instrumentalist could produce.” —  Modular World