Sounds of Swami
Encyclopedia
Sounds of Swami are a progressive
/ post-hardcore
influenced punk rock
band currently active in the UK
underground punk scene. They formed in late 2005 in Keighley
, West Yorkshire
, England
. The band is well known for their eclectic mix of punk
, DC
post-hardcore
, and progressive rock
as well as their aggressive stage presence. The bands songs deal with a variety of subjects, notably promotion of anti-racism
, anti-commercialism, left-wing politics and D.I.Y
sensibilities. Lyrics often detail first-hand experiences.
The band's debut EP Vent
(2008) was very well received on the underground punk
circuit, with many publications commending its alternative
and progressive
approach to punk
. Reoccurring band comparisons include Fugazi, At The Drive-In
, Hot Snakes
and Propaghandi. The band's second EP
Halcyon Days
was released in conjunction with Manchester
record label TNSrecords
and generated even more positive reviews. Many commented highly on the EP's raw, retro
production and songcraft. Their songs have been included on several international
punk
compilations.
In October 2010, drummer and founding member Matthew Wade left the band to move to Brighton. He played his last show with the band at the 1in12 Club, Bradford. He was replaced by Joe Dimuantes formally of skacore outfit Random Hand
and who plays alongside Luke in The Human Project.
The band started writing new songs in July 2011 and is currently working towards recording their debut album with producer James Bragg.
(dbr001). They chose not to pursue a recording contract elsewhere in order to keep complete control over their early releases until they solidified their overall sound. Their second EP Halcyon Days
was also released on the label (dbr002) in conjunction with Manchester record label TNSrecords
. Their debut single Jack
was released as dbr003.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
/ post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
influenced punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band currently active in the UK
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...
underground punk scene. They formed in late 2005 in Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The band is well known for their eclectic mix of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, DC
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
, and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
as well as their aggressive stage presence. The bands songs deal with a variety of subjects, notably promotion of anti-racism
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
, anti-commercialism, left-wing politics and D.I.Y
DIY ethic
The DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
sensibilities. Lyrics often detail first-hand experiences.
Biography
Sounds of Swami formed in September 2005 and had their first band practice above their local music bar. Within five weeks, the band had eight original songs and played their first gig in December. The band spent the first two years writing and demoing material using their own portable recording equipment.The band's debut EP Vent
Vent EP
The Vent EP was the first official release by English punk–rock band Sounds of Swami. After several years of recording demos, the band finally entered the studio with Tim Gray in Manchester. Recorded in two sessions, "Identity Crisis" and "BANK!" were recorded in a single day in late 2007 after a...
(2008) was very well received on the underground punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
circuit, with many publications commending its alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
approach to punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
. Reoccurring band comparisons include Fugazi, At The Drive-In
At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In was an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, considered part of the post-hardcore genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene...
, Hot Snakes
Hot Snakes
Hot Snakes were an American post-hardcore band led by Rick Froberg and John Reis, formed in 1999 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 2005. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu, after which Reis had found international success with Rocket from the...
and Propaghandi. The band's second EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Halcyon Days
Halcyon Days EP
The Halcyon Days EP is the second official release by English punk–rock band Sounds of Swami. After the success of their Vent EP, the band began work on their debut album. After a positive EP review in an issue of TNS Zine, the Manchester zine expanded to record label TNSrecords and offered the...
was released in conjunction with Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
record label TNSrecords
TNSrecords
TNSrecords ' ' is a DIY Record Label based in Manchester, United Kingdom, founded in 2008 by Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man bassist/vocalist Andy Psychotronic, along with a personal friend of his, Tim Bevington. They specialise in Punk rock, and Ska, though have also included some Heavy metal acts...
and generated even more positive reviews. Many commented highly on the EP's raw, retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
production and songcraft. Their songs have been included on several international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
compilations.
In October 2010, drummer and founding member Matthew Wade left the band to move to Brighton. He played his last show with the band at the 1in12 Club, Bradford. He was replaced by Joe Dimuantes formally of skacore outfit Random Hand
Random Hand
Random Hand is a British ska band, formed in Keighley in 2002. Their sound fuses influences from many genres, including ska, reggae, punk rock, metal, hip hop and dub. The band is typically associated with the punk subculture, due to its ethics and lyrical content...
and who plays alongside Luke in The Human Project.
The band started writing new songs in July 2011 and is currently working towards recording their debut album with producer James Bragg.
Members
- Robert Gilbert – Vocals, Bass
- Luke Yates – Vocals, Guitar
- Kurt Wood – Vocals, Guitar
- Joe Dimuantes – Drums
Drawing Board Records
In 2008, the band launched their own record label Drawing Board Records to release their debut Vent EPVent EP
The Vent EP was the first official release by English punk–rock band Sounds of Swami. After several years of recording demos, the band finally entered the studio with Tim Gray in Manchester. Recorded in two sessions, "Identity Crisis" and "BANK!" were recorded in a single day in late 2007 after a...
(dbr001). They chose not to pursue a recording contract elsewhere in order to keep complete control over their early releases until they solidified their overall sound. Their second EP Halcyon Days
Halcyon Days EP
The Halcyon Days EP is the second official release by English punk–rock band Sounds of Swami. After the success of their Vent EP, the band began work on their debut album. After a positive EP review in an issue of TNS Zine, the Manchester zine expanded to record label TNSrecords and offered the...
was also released on the label (dbr002) in conjunction with Manchester record label TNSrecords
TNSrecords
TNSrecords ' ' is a DIY Record Label based in Manchester, United Kingdom, founded in 2008 by Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man bassist/vocalist Andy Psychotronic, along with a personal friend of his, Tim Bevington. They specialise in Punk rock, and Ska, though have also included some Heavy metal acts...
. Their debut single Jack
Jack
The name Jack is a pet name for John, commonly so in the Northeastern United States. Jack may also refer to:-Computers:* Jack , a 3-D ergonomics and human factors CAD package* Jack , an audio CD ripper...
was released as dbr003.