James Gardner (musician)
Encyclopedia
James Gardner is a British-born musician and composer (born Liverpool
, 1962), now resident in New Zealand
.
Schoolfriend of Noko and Howard Gray
, with whom he later formed the band Apollo 440
, Gardner spent much of the 1980s in London playing and programming keyboards and synthesizers for a variety of artists. During this time he also formed the short-lived band The Umbrella (which included Noko), where the John Barry
fixation can be seen. Later, Gardner was involved with Luxuria, the band formed by Noko and Howard Devoto
. In 1990, he co-founded Apollo 440
, a band and remixing team.
In 1993, Gardner left Apollo 440 in order to concentrate on composition, which had been a parallel interest, and he moved to New Zealand in 1994 with his (now) wife Glenda Keam, becoming a citizen of the country in 2001. In 1996, he set up the contemporary music ensemble 175 East, of which he was until recently director and occasional conductor, and his compositions have been played and broadcast throughout the world.
Gardner is also a broadcaster on music on the New Zealand radio station Radio New Zealand Concert. He teaches music at Unitec
and the University of Auckland
, and writes and presents shows covering contemporary music with shows on characters as diverse as John Cage
, Frank Zappa
and the James Bond
soundtracks of John Barry.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, 1962), now resident in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Schoolfriend of Noko and Howard Gray
Howard Gray
Howard Gray is a musician, sound engineer, programmer, composer, re-mixer and producer who has worked with, and on the work of Public Image Ltd, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Kirsty MacColl, The Armoury Show, The Pale Fountains, Japan, The Stranglers, Simple Minds, The Pretenders, XTC, UB40,...
, with whom he later formed the band Apollo 440
Apollo 440
Apollo 440 are an English band formed in Liverpool in 1990. Apollo 440 have written, recorded and produced four albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as Apollo 440 and as ambient cinematic alter-ego Stealth Sonic Orchestra, and created music for film, television,...
, Gardner spent much of the 1980s in London playing and programming keyboards and synthesizers for a variety of artists. During this time he also formed the short-lived band The Umbrella (which included Noko), where the John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
fixation can be seen. Later, Gardner was involved with Luxuria, the band formed by Noko and Howard Devoto
Howard Devoto
Howard Devoto is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter, who began his career as the frontman for the punk band Buzzcocks, but then left to form Magazine, one of the first post-punk bands...
. In 1990, he co-founded Apollo 440
Apollo 440
Apollo 440 are an English band formed in Liverpool in 1990. Apollo 440 have written, recorded and produced four albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as Apollo 440 and as ambient cinematic alter-ego Stealth Sonic Orchestra, and created music for film, television,...
, a band and remixing team.
In 1993, Gardner left Apollo 440 in order to concentrate on composition, which had been a parallel interest, and he moved to New Zealand in 1994 with his (now) wife Glenda Keam, becoming a citizen of the country in 2001. In 1996, he set up the contemporary music ensemble 175 East, of which he was until recently director and occasional conductor, and his compositions have been played and broadcast throughout the world.
Gardner is also a broadcaster on music on the New Zealand radio station Radio New Zealand Concert. He teaches music at Unitec
Unitec
Unitec may refer to:*Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand*Universidad Tecnológica de México, Mexico City, Mexico*Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, Honduras...
and the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
, and writes and presents shows covering contemporary music with shows on characters as diverse as John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
, Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
soundtracks of John Barry.