David Holmes (musician)
Encyclopedia
David Holmes is a Northern Irish
DJ
, musician
and composer
.
was the song "DeNiro", with Ashley Beedle
, in 1992. In the early to mid 1990s he ran two club nights in the Belfast Art College known as Sugar Sweet and Shake Yer Brain. Orbital
wrote the track "Belfast", released on their debut album Orbital, after playing at Sugar Sweet.
Holmes released This Film's Crap Let's Slash the Seats
, in July 1995. At the time he described the album as being inspired by movies and movie soundtracks, a recurring theme throughout Holmes' work (see Discography). The opening track, "No Man's Land", featured on the soundtrack
to the film
, Pi
. In the same year, he also provided the ambient links between the songs on the album Infernal Love
by Therapy?
. In 1997, Holmes released Let's Get Killed. Many of the tracks featured Brazilians dancing in the streets of New York
, recorded by Holmes using a minidisc
. The album's first single, "My Mate Paul," was Holmes' first commercial success.
His 1997 Essential Mix, a mixture of northern soul, psychedelic funk and hip hop was voted mix of the year by Muzik
magazine
In 1998, Danny DeVito
commissioned him to do the score for Steven Soderbergh's
film Out of Sight
. He scored a second film for Soderbergh in 2001, including some songs from Let's Get Killed and Bow Down to the Exit Sign on the Ocean's Eleven
remake.
After releasing a remix
album, Come Get It I Got It, in 2002, Holmes released David Holmes Presents The Free Association in 2003. This was a departure for the artist as all his previous work had been solo. The Free Association featured four other bandmates who toured with Holmes after the album was launched.
As a remixer he has reworked tracks by artists such as U2
, Doves, Manic Street Preachers
, Primal Scream
, Page and Plant
, Saint Etienne
and Ice Cube
.
Before beginning his musical career, Holmes worked as a hairdresser and chef. He also briefly owned and ran a café called Mogwai near the Queen's University of Belfast
and, since 2009, has run an intimate club in South Belfast called The Menagerie.
In 2008, he composed the music for the "New iPhone" ad campaign. An album, The Holy Pictures, was released on 8 September 2008, from which the track "Holy Pictures" was selected for the soundtrack of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
.
In April 2009, he topped the Irish Times' "50 Best Irish Acts Right Now".
His latest release was a best of
compilation
, The Dogs Are Parading, released on 26 April 2010.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Career
Holmes began djing in Belfast from the age of 15. His first hitHit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
was the song "DeNiro", with Ashley Beedle
Ashley Beedle
Ashley Beedle is a British music DJ, producer and remixer. People often confuse him for being of Asian origin, but his ethnicity is partly Barbadian....
, in 1992. In the early to mid 1990s he ran two club nights in the Belfast Art College known as Sugar Sweet and Shake Yer Brain. Orbital
Orbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo from Sevenoaks, England consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2009 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows...
wrote the track "Belfast", released on their debut album Orbital, after playing at Sugar Sweet.
Holmes released This Film's Crap Let's Slash the Seats
This Film's Crap Let's Slash the Seats
This Film's Crap Let's Slash the Seats is the debut album by David Holmes, originally released in 1995. It was reissued in the US with a bonus CD of remixes and B-sides in 1998.- Track listing :#"No Man's Land"#"Slash the Seats"#"Shake Ya Brain"...
, in July 1995. At the time he described the album as being inspired by movies and movie soundtracks, a recurring theme throughout Holmes' work (see Discography). The opening track, "No Man's Land", featured on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Pi
Pi (film)
Pi, also titled ,WorldCat gives the title as [Pi] and provides a note which states, "Title is the mathematical symbol for Pi." . Amazon gives the title as Pi with no notation concerning the math symbol . is a 1998 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky...
. In the same year, he also provided the ambient links between the songs on the album Infernal Love
Infernal Love
Infernal Love was the third major label album by the band Therapy?. It was released on June 12, 1995 on A&M Records. The album was recorded at Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire from January to March 1995....
by Therapy?
Therapy?
Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar...
. In 1997, Holmes released Let's Get Killed. Many of the tracks featured Brazilians dancing in the streets of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, recorded by Holmes using a minidisc
MiniDisc
The disc is permanently housed in a cartridge with a sliding door, similar to the casing of a 3.5" floppy disk. This shutter is opened automatically by a mechanism upon insertion. The audio discs can either be recordable or premastered. Recordable MiniDiscs use a magneto-optical system to record...
. The album's first single, "My Mate Paul," was Holmes' first commercial success.
His 1997 Essential Mix, a mixture of northern soul, psychedelic funk and hip hop was voted mix of the year by Muzik
Muzik
Muzik was a UK dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003.Muzik was created by two former Melody Maker journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of Muzik from its launch until he left the magazine in 1998, at which point Turner took over as editor...
magazine
In 1998, Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
commissioned him to do the score for Steven Soderbergh's
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
film Out of Sight
Out of Sight
Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
. He scored a second film for Soderbergh in 2001, including some songs from Let's Get Killed and Bow Down to the Exit Sign on the Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
remake.
After releasing a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
album, Come Get It I Got It, in 2002, Holmes released David Holmes Presents The Free Association in 2003. This was a departure for the artist as all his previous work had been solo. The Free Association featured four other bandmates who toured with Holmes after the album was launched.
As a remixer he has reworked tracks by artists such as U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Doves, Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
, Page and Plant
Page and Plant
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, both formerly of English hard rock band Led Zeppelin, recorded and toured in the mid-1990s under the title Page and Plant. The pair re-united in 1994 and, after recording a highly successful first album, they embarked on a world tour. They then recorded a second album,...
, Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne (band)
Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
and Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
.
Before beginning his musical career, Holmes worked as a hairdresser and chef. He also briefly owned and ran a café called Mogwai near the Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
and, since 2009, has run an intimate club in South Belfast called The Menagerie.
In 2008, he composed the music for the "New iPhone" ad campaign. An album, The Holy Pictures, was released on 8 September 2008, from which the track "Holy Pictures" was selected for the soundtrack of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is the ninth football video game in the Pro Evolution Soccer series...
.
In April 2009, he topped the Irish Times' "50 Best Irish Acts Right Now".
His latest release was a best of
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, The Dogs Are Parading, released on 26 April 2010.
Albums
- This Film's Crap Let's Slash the SeatsThis Film's Crap Let's Slash the SeatsThis Film's Crap Let's Slash the Seats is the debut album by David Holmes, originally released in 1995. It was reissued in the US with a bonus CD of remixes and B-sides in 1998.- Track listing :#"No Man's Land"#"Slash the Seats"#"Shake Ya Brain"...
(1995) - featured Sarah CracknellSarah CracknellSarah Cracknell is an English pop singer who fronts the band Saint Etienne and is known for her light, smooth singing voice. She is the daughter of Stanley Kubrick's first assistant director Derek Cracknell.-Career:...
, Steve HillageSteve HillageSteve Hillage is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s...
and Jah WobbleJah WobbleJah Wobble is an English bass guitarist, singer, poet and composer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but left the band after two albums...
- UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#51 - Let's Get KilledLet's Get KilledLets Get Killed is the second studio album by Belfast electronica DJ and producer David Holmes. It was released in the UK on 8 September 1997 through Go! Beat Records and contained two UK Top 40 singles: "Don't Die Just Yet" and "My Mate Paul"...
(1997) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#34 - Essential MixEssential MixThe Essential Mix is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 03:00 and 05:00 Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, The Essential Mix features contemporary DJs and music producers of electronic dance music....
(1998) - previously broadcast on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock... - Stop Arresting Artists (1998)
- Bow Down to the Exit SignBow Down to the Exit SignBow Down to the Exit Sign is an album by David Holmes, featuring contributions from Bobby Gillespie, Sean Gullette, Jon Spencer, Martina Topley-Bird and Carl Hancock Rux.- Track listing :# "Live From The Peppermint Store"# "Compared To What"...
(2000) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#22 - Holmes on the Decks (2000) - remix album; a limited edition un-mixed vinyl version was also released
- Come Get It I Got It (2002) - remix album
- David Holmes Presents The Free Association (2003) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#78 - The Holy PicturesThe Holy PicturesThe Holy Pictures is a Choice Music Prize-nominated studio album by David Holmes.The track "Love Reign Over Me" is featured on Series 3 episode 5 "Freddie" of the U.K. version of Skins. The track "Holy Pictures" is featured in football video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2010...
(2008) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#65 - The Dogs Are Parading (2010)
Film soundtracks
- Resurrection Man (1998)
- Out of SightOut of SightOut of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
(1998) - Buffalo SoldiersBuffalo Soldiers (2001 film)Buffalo Soldiers is a 2001 film, based on the 1993 novel by Robert O'Connor, which follows the rogue activities of a group of US soldiers based in West Germany during 1989 when the fall of the Berlin Wall is imminent...
(2001) - Ocean's ElevenOcean's Eleven (2001 film)Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
(2001) - Analyze ThatAnalyze ThatAnalyze That is a 2002 mafia comedy film, and a sequel to the 1999 film Analyze This. The film was directed and co-written by Harold Ramis and stars Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal who respectively reprise their roles as mobster Paul Vitti and psychiatrist Ben Sobel.-Plot:Near the completion of...
(2003) - Code 46Code 46Code 46 is a 2003 British film directed by Michael Winterbottom, with screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce. It was produced by BBC Films and Revolution Films. It is a disquieting science fiction love story with themes that explore the moral impacts of advances in biotechnology. The soundtrack was...
(2003) - StanderStander (film)Stander is a 2003 biographical film about Captain André Stander, a South African police officer who turned into a bank robber, starring Thomas Jane.-Reception:...
(2003) - Ocean's TwelveOcean's TwelveOcean's Twelve is a 2004 American crime comedy film, the sequel to 2001's Ocean's Eleven. Like its predecessor, which was a remake of the 1960 film Ocean's 11, the film used a celebrity ensemble cast. It was released in the United States on December 10, 2004. A third film, Ocean's Thirteen, was...
(2004) - The Good GermanThe Good GermanThe Good German is a 2006 feature film adaptation of the novel by Joseph Kanon. It was directed by Steven Soderbergh, and stars George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, and Tobey Maguire...
(2006) (Score rejected by director Steven SoderberghSteven SoderberghSteven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
; Holmes replaced by Thomas NewmanThomas NewmanThomas Montgomery Newman is an American composer and conductor, best known for his many film scores. He is one of the more respected and recognized composers for modern film and has scored over fifty feature films in a career which spans nearly three decades.Newman has received a total of ten...
) - Ocean's ThirteenOcean's ThirteenOcean's Thirteen is a 2007 crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. It is the third and final film in the Soderbergh series following the 2004 sequel Ocean's Twelve and the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, which itself was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film Ocean's 11...
(2007) - HungerHunger (2008 film)Hunger is a 2008 film about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. It was written by Enda Walsh and Steve R. McQueen, who also directed. It was made by Blast! Films and commissioned by Channel 4 and Film4. It premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, winning the prestigious Caméra d'Or award for...
(2008) - The Girlfriend ExperienceThe Girlfriend ExperienceThe Girlfriend Experience is a 2009 experimental drama film shot in New York City. It is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars then-active porn star Sasha Grey. A rough cut was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009. The film has also been made available on Amazon Video on Demand...
(2009) - Perrier's BountyPerrier's BountyPerrier's Bounty is an Irish crime thriller comedy set in modern-day Dublin. Describing it as an "urban western", sophomore director Ian Fitzgibbon directs the film, which stars Brendan Gleeson, who plays the villainous title character, as well as Cillian Murphy and Jim Broadbent as son and...
(2009) - The EdgeThe Edge (2010 film)The Edge is a 2010 Russian drama film directed by Alexei Uchitel. The film was nominated for the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was selected as the Russian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards but it didn't make the final...
(2010)
External links
- David Holmes - official website
- Gritty Shaker - fan site (at the Wayback Machine)
- David Holmes at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
- Profile on BBC website
- David Holmes MySpace page
- Album Review of 'The Holy Pictures (2008)