Origin Shreveport, Louisiana Genres Avant-garde, experimental, multimedia art, avant-pop, noise rock Years active 1973 - present The Residents are an American multimedia, art and music group, officially active since 1972. Originally hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana, The Residents have produced a vast catalog of albums, videos, live shows, books and multimedia projects in the five decades since their inception, and are noted for their surrealistic lyrics, concepts, and sound, their disregard for conventional music composition, their enthusiastic embrace of new technology and media, and the over-the-top theatrical spectacle of their live shows. The Residents ostensibly operate under a veil of anonymity, preferring that attention be focused on their artistic output rather than their individual personalities. Having long refused to grant media interviews, The Residents have been represented by The Cryptic Corporation, a management and public relations company founded by four of the group's associates, since 1976.