Nick Franglen
Encyclopedia
Nick Franglen is a British
musician
, composer
and record producer
. He is best known as a founding member of the electronica duo Lemon Jelly
.
A classically trained musician and multi-instrumentalist, during the 1990s Franglen worked as a session keyboard player and drum programmer on studio recordings with Bjork
, Primal Scream
, Hole
, Pulp
and Blur
, amongst others.
He produced the first self-released recordings by Lemon Jelly in 1997, and went on to produce all three Lemon Jelly albums released on XL Recordings
. He also has produced records for other musicians, including John Cale
, Badly Drawn Boy
and Colin MacIntyre
. He has remixed tracks for Coldcut
and Mark Mothersbaugh
of Devo
.
Franglen developed a lasting connection with John Cale following his production of Cale's album Hobo Sapiens, and has performed live with him several times. In 2003 he accompanied Cale on Later... with Jools Holland, playing a hand pumped harmonium
. In 2005 he played keyboards and electronics with Cale and Flea
of Red Hot Chili Peppers
at the Royal Festival Hall
at Patti Smith
's Meltdown Festival. Since 2008 Franglen has been the Musical Director of Nico - A Life Along The Borderline, the John Cale curated tribute shows to the singer Nico
, featuring performances by a variety of artists including Mark Lanegan
, Mark Linkous
, Mercury Rev
, Lisa Gerrard
, Peter Murphy
, Guillemots, Laetitia Sadier and Joan As Policewoman in shows in London, Ferrara, Wroclaw and Rome.
Franglen has composed extensively for film and television, including the music for the BBC series Restoration, and the BAFTA nominated animated film Soho Square. In 2007 he collaborated with his Lemon Jelly partner Fred Deakin to compose the music for Inventions Of The Abstract, an hour-long film of abstract dynamic graphics. Franglen and Deakin performed this music live at the London Imax cinema in London as part of the 2007 Optronica Festival.
In 2007 Franglen collaborated with Charles Casey of Akasha
to form the guitar electronica
duo Blacksand
, releasing the album Barn in March 2008. Blacksand are notable for the unusual locations in which they perform, which include inside a submarine and inside an abandoned military testing facility.
Inspired by Blacksand's site-specific performances, Nick Franglen has written about his love of Urban Exploration
: "Each time I’ve broken into an abandoned building I’m struck by both how serene they are inside, and how childishly exhilarating it is climbing over a barbed wire fence at 4am."
On 2 September 2010 Franglen played a theremin
under London Bridge for 24 hours, a musical collaboration with the thousands of commuters who cross the bridge each day.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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....
, 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...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He is best known as a founding member of the electronica duo Lemon Jelly
Lemon Jelly
Lemon Jelly is a British electronic music duo from London, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. Lemon Jelly has been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and BRIT Awards....
.
A classically trained musician and multi-instrumentalist, during the 1990s Franglen worked as a session keyboard player and drum programmer on studio recordings with Bjork
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, 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...
, Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
, Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
and Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, amongst others.
He produced the first self-released recordings by Lemon Jelly in 1997, and went on to produce all three Lemon Jelly albums released on XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
. He also has produced records for other musicians, including John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
and Colin MacIntyre
Colin MacIntyre
Colin MacIntyre is a Scottish singer, song-writer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. MacIntyre, with the group Mull Historical Society, has released and toured worldwide three albums: Loss , Us and This Is Hope , and has achieved four UK Top 40 Chart hits and two UK Top 20 Chart albums...
. He has remixed tracks for Coldcut
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
and Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
of Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
.
Franglen developed a lasting connection with John Cale following his production of Cale's album Hobo Sapiens, and has performed live with him several times. In 2003 he accompanied Cale on Later... with Jools Holland, playing a hand pumped harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
. In 2005 he played keyboards and electronics with Cale and Flea
Flea (musician)
Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
at Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
's Meltdown Festival. Since 2008 Franglen has been the Musical Director of Nico - A Life Along The Borderline, the John Cale curated tribute shows to the singer Nico
Nico
Nico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
, featuring performances by a variety of artists including Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
, Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous was an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as leader of Sparklehorse. He was also known for his collaborations with such notable artists as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Nina Persson, Sean Terrington Wright, David...
, Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev is an American alternative rock group, that formed in the late 1980s in Buffalo, New York. Original personnel were David Baker , Jonathan Donahue , Sean Mackowiak, a.k.a...
, Lisa Gerrard
Lisa Gerrard
Lisa Gerrard is an Australian musician, singer, and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with former music partner Brendan Perry....
, Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (musician)
Peter John Murphy is an English rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus, and later went on to release a number of solo albums, such as Deep and Love Hysteria...
, Guillemots, Laetitia Sadier and Joan As Policewoman in shows in London, Ferrara, Wroclaw and Rome.
Franglen has composed extensively for film and television, including the music for the BBC series Restoration, and the BAFTA nominated animated film Soho Square. In 2007 he collaborated with his Lemon Jelly partner Fred Deakin to compose the music for Inventions Of The Abstract, an hour-long film of abstract dynamic graphics. Franglen and Deakin performed this music live at the London Imax cinema in London as part of the 2007 Optronica Festival.
In 2007 Franglen collaborated with Charles Casey of Akasha
Akasha (band)
Akasha are a UK-based electronic music duo, composed of C. J. Casey and D. J. Hand. They were originally signed to the Wall of Sound record label, but now appear on Ra Recordings...
to form the guitar electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
duo Blacksand
Blacksand
Blacksand is a British guitar-based electronica duo consisting of Nick Franglen of Lemon Jelly and C.J. Casey of Akasha.They are noted for the unusual places in which they play their improvised music, which include down a mine, on a submarine and in an abandoned industrial testing facility. They...
, releasing the album Barn in March 2008. Blacksand are notable for the unusual locations in which they perform, which include inside a submarine and inside an abandoned military testing facility.
Inspired by Blacksand's site-specific performances, Nick Franglen has written about his love of Urban Exploration
Urban exploration
Urban exploration is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as infiltration, although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or...
: "Each time I’ve broken into an abandoned building I’m struck by both how serene they are inside, and how childishly exhilarating it is climbing over a barbed wire fence at 4am."
On 2 September 2010 Franglen played a theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
under London Bridge for 24 hours, a musical collaboration with the thousands of commuters who cross the bridge each day.