Darkroom (electronic music project)
Encyclopedia
Darkroom is a British electronic music project created by Andrew "Os" Ostler
(synthesizers and loops) and Michael Bearpark
(guitars and loops).
Other contributors to the project have been Tim Bowness
(voice and voiceloops) and Peter Chilvers
(space bass).
The project performs live in the UK and has released several albums, mainly available via the independent record label Burning Shed
.
, guitarist Michael Bearpark
and vocalist Tim Bowness
(the latter better known as the singer for No-Man
, an art-pop band who had by then released six albums on One Little Indian Records
, 3rd Stone Ltd. and Voiceprint). The project was formed in order to provide a live soundtrack at the Nevers
Film Festival in France, working via extensive looping of synthesizers, electric guitar and abstract vocals. While still working under the name Collective the project self-released the limited-edition Soundtracks album in 1997, following which there was a name change to Darkroom and an ill-fated performance slot at the Wise Crone Cafe tent at the 1997 Glastonbury festival.
In 1998 Darkroom released the Carpetworld EP on the Halloween Society imprint of 3rd Stone Ltd. The EP was followed in the same year by the Darkroom debut album Daylight, which featured most of the tracks from Soundtracks. in 1999, Darkroom released their second album Seethrough on the peoplesound.com label (it was later reissued in 2003). In contrast to the more free-form approach of Daylight, Seethrough featured a number of pieces with semi-sung, semi-spoken lyrics. During this period Darkroom played two gigs in Cambridge and also performed at Richard Sanderson's London improv music night The Clubroom. In 2000, Bearpark and Bowness played without Os at the Scala, London, providing accompaniment for the Roswell alien autopsy film.
Shifting their base of operation to Bowness' own Burning Shed
label, Darkroom released three albums in the "Fallout" series between 2001 and 2002. These albums drew predominantly on live recordings and returned to the free-form looping material of Daylight. Fallout 1 was based around trio performance recordings from London and Cambridge in 1999 and 2000, while Fallout 2 featured live duo recordings from Os and Bearpark, and Fallout 3 subjected further live trio recordings to studio post-production. A further recording from the period, Freefall, was released in 2002 as a free download. Bowness only featured on Fallout 1 and Fallout 3, and future Darkroom activity would be centered around the duo of Os and Bearpark.
Darkroom continued to play live, with their main physical performance base now being Cambridge
and East Anglia
. Having played the Digital/Analogue Cambridge Festival of 2001, Darkroom collated the live material which they'd recorded and invited various other electronic musicians to remix it - the results were eventually released in 2004 on The DAC Mixes - remix contributors included centrozoon
, DJ Dictaphone, Theo Travis
, Nemeton and Steven Wilson
's ambient project Bass Communion
. In October 2002, Darkroom played at the debut "ACEMS Presents..." concert evening by the Anglia Contemporary & Experimental Music Society. In 2003, they played two further concerts in Cambridge - the February "Self Assembly" event in the Kettle's Yard New Music Mornings and the First (International) Cambridge Festival of Looping.. In 2004, they played the Second (International) Cambridge Festival of Looping, and in August 2005 the First International Loopfestival in Zürich
..
In 2006, Bearpark (plus a briefly returning Bowness) played as part of a live internet-streamed performance as part of the Y2K6 International Live Looping Festival. From 2007 onwards, Darkroom became frequent performers at Improvizone, a London-based improvisation night which they had helped to set up with drummer Andrew Booker
. More recent international performances as part of the Live looping
movement have been at the 2009 Antwerp Loopfest and the 2nd International Köln
Loopfest in 2011.
Darkroom's most recent album release is 2008's Some of These Numbers Mean Something, which features a greater use of acoustic guitar as sound source and a musical style which incorporates "'70s space rock
, '80s Sheffield
electronica, '60s guitar instrumentals and '90s post rock."
Andrew Ostler
Andrew Ostler is an English synthesizer player, programmer and loop musician.He is best known for being half of Darkroom and has also remixed tracks by No-Man and Bass Communion.-Selected discography:As Darkroom: see...
(synthesizers and loops) and Michael Bearpark
Michael Bearpark
Michael Bearpark is an English scientist and musician.-Work as scientist:Bearpark is a Principal Research Fellow in the Chemistry Department at Imperial College, London...
(guitars and loops).
Other contributors to the project have been Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness is a singer/songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.-Music career:...
(voice and voiceloops) and Peter Chilvers
Peter Chilvers (musician)
Peter Chilvers is a Cambridgeshire-based British musician and composer best known as a collaborator with Brian Eno and Tim Bowness.Chilvers is one of the three co-founders of the Burning Shed online record label, with Tim Bowness and Pete Morgan....
(space bass).
The project performs live in the UK and has released several albums, mainly available via the independent record label Burning Shed
Burning Shed
Burning Shed is an independent record label established in April 2001 by musicians Tim Bowness and Peter Chilvers, in association with duplication company manager and former Noisebox Records boss, Pete Morgan....
.
History
Darkroom originally formed in 1996 under the name Collective and featured three musicians who had been working together since earlier in the decade: synthesizer player Andrew "Os" OstlerAndrew Ostler
Andrew Ostler is an English synthesizer player, programmer and loop musician.He is best known for being half of Darkroom and has also remixed tracks by No-Man and Bass Communion.-Selected discography:As Darkroom: see...
, guitarist Michael Bearpark
Michael Bearpark
Michael Bearpark is an English scientist and musician.-Work as scientist:Bearpark is a Principal Research Fellow in the Chemistry Department at Imperial College, London...
and vocalist Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness
Tim Bowness is a singer/songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.-Music career:...
(the latter better known as the singer for No-Man
No-Man
No-Man are a British art-pop duo formed in 1987 as No Man Is An Island by singer Tim Bowness and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson . The band has so far produced six studio albums and a number of singles/outtakes collections...
, an art-pop band who had by then released six albums on One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarchist punk bands, and managed by ex-Flux of Pink Indians Derek Birkett. The first success came with A.R. Kane and...
, 3rd Stone Ltd. and Voiceprint). The project was formed in order to provide a live soundtrack at the Nevers
Nevers
Nevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
Film Festival in France, working via extensive looping of synthesizers, electric guitar and abstract vocals. While still working under the name Collective the project self-released the limited-edition Soundtracks album in 1997, following which there was a name change to Darkroom and an ill-fated performance slot at the Wise Crone Cafe tent at the 1997 Glastonbury festival.
In 1998 Darkroom released the Carpetworld EP on the Halloween Society imprint of 3rd Stone Ltd. The EP was followed in the same year by the Darkroom debut album Daylight, which featured most of the tracks from Soundtracks. in 1999, Darkroom released their second album Seethrough on the peoplesound.com label (it was later reissued in 2003). In contrast to the more free-form approach of Daylight, Seethrough featured a number of pieces with semi-sung, semi-spoken lyrics. During this period Darkroom played two gigs in Cambridge and also performed at Richard Sanderson's London improv music night The Clubroom. In 2000, Bearpark and Bowness played without Os at the Scala, London, providing accompaniment for the Roswell alien autopsy film.
Shifting their base of operation to Bowness' own Burning Shed
Burning Shed
Burning Shed is an independent record label established in April 2001 by musicians Tim Bowness and Peter Chilvers, in association with duplication company manager and former Noisebox Records boss, Pete Morgan....
label, Darkroom released three albums in the "Fallout" series between 2001 and 2002. These albums drew predominantly on live recordings and returned to the free-form looping material of Daylight. Fallout 1 was based around trio performance recordings from London and Cambridge in 1999 and 2000, while Fallout 2 featured live duo recordings from Os and Bearpark, and Fallout 3 subjected further live trio recordings to studio post-production. A further recording from the period, Freefall, was released in 2002 as a free download. Bowness only featured on Fallout 1 and Fallout 3, and future Darkroom activity would be centered around the duo of Os and Bearpark.
Darkroom continued to play live, with their main physical performance base now being Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. Having played the Digital/Analogue Cambridge Festival of 2001, Darkroom collated the live material which they'd recorded and invited various other electronic musicians to remix it - the results were eventually released in 2004 on The DAC Mixes - remix contributors included centrozoon
Centrozoon
centrozoon is a German electronic improvisational music group. The core members are Markus Reuter and Bernhard Wöstheinrich...
, DJ Dictaphone, Theo Travis
Theo Travis
Theo Travis is a British saxophonist and flautist.Travis received his degree in flute and saxophone from the University of Manchester and has worked among others with Robert Fripp, Gong, Porcupine Tree, The Tangent, Bill Nelson, Bass Communion, No-Man, Steven Wilson, David Sylvian, Harold Budd,...
, Nemeton and Steven Wilson
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson is an English musician, best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree...
's ambient project Bass Communion
Bass Communion
Bass Communion is a side project of Steven Wilson, best known for his lead role in the rock band Porcupine Tree. Records released under the name "Bass Communion" are in an ambient or electronic vein - lengthy drone-heavy compositions...
. In October 2002, Darkroom played at the debut "ACEMS Presents..." concert evening by the Anglia Contemporary & Experimental Music Society. In 2003, they played two further concerts in Cambridge - the February "Self Assembly" event in the Kettle's Yard New Music Mornings and the First (International) Cambridge Festival of Looping.. In 2004, they played the Second (International) Cambridge Festival of Looping, and in August 2005 the First International Loopfestival in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
..
In 2006, Bearpark (plus a briefly returning Bowness) played as part of a live internet-streamed performance as part of the Y2K6 International Live Looping Festival. From 2007 onwards, Darkroom became frequent performers at Improvizone, a London-based improvisation night which they had helped to set up with drummer Andrew Booker
Andrew Booker
Andrew Booker is a British drummer and vocalist best known for his work with Tim Bowness and with ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks ....
. More recent international performances as part of the Live looping
Live looping
Live looping is the recording and playback of looped audio samples in real-time, using either hardware or software. It is a process with numerous sonic directions, open to instrument textures, improvisation and composition techniques. Famous musicians who use this technique include Australian...
movement have been at the 2009 Antwerp Loopfest and the 2nd International Köln
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
Loopfest in 2011.
Darkroom's most recent album release is 2008's Some of These Numbers Mean Something, which features a greater use of acoustic guitar as sound source and a musical style which incorporates "'70s space rock
Space rock
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
, '80s Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
electronica, '60s guitar instrumentals and '90s post rock."
Discography
- Carpetworld EP - (3rd Stone Ltd. (HAL 8001CD), 1998)
- Daylight - (3rd Stone Ltd. (HAL 8002CD), 1998)
- Seethrough - (peoplesound.com, 1999 - re-issued on Burning Shed, 2003) CD-RCD-RA CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
- Fallout 1 - (Burning Shed, 2001) CD-RCD-RA CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
- Fallout 2 - (Burning Shed, 2001) CD-RCD-RA CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
- Fallout 3 - (Burning Shed, 2002) CD-RCD-RA CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
- Freefall - (2002) free internet release.
- The DAC Mixes - (Burning Shed, 2004) CD-RCD-RA CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
- The DAC Mixes (Slight Return) - (Burning Shed, 2004) free download.
- Some of These Numbers Mean Something - (Burning Shed (bshed 0408), 2008)
External links
- Darkroom website
- http://www.myspace.com/darkroomthebandDarkroom MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
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