Stateless (band)
Encyclopedia
Stateless are an English
electronic
alternative rock
band, founded in 2002 and based in Leeds
. The group comprises Chris James (vocals, keyboards, guitars), kidkanevil (turntables, sampling, programming), Justin Percival (bass guitar, vocals) and David Levin (drums).
Stateless earned a recording contract
with Sony Music
and released their first single
"Down Here" in 2004. The four-track EP The Bloodstream EP was released on Regal Recordings
in 2005. In 2006 Stateless changed in line-up and signed with label !K7 Records
. Single "Exit" was released in 2007, followed by their self-titled debut album
Stateless
. The album spawned 2 other singles "Prism #1" and "Bloodstream". They toured throughout the UK and Europe in 2007 and 2008, playing both live concerts and acoustic showcases, promoting the album and debuting new material for an upcoming second album. In 2008 the single "Window 23/The Great White Whale" in collaboration with Gavin Castleton
was released on First Word Excursions. In 2010, the band signed with independent label Ninja Tune
on which their eleven-track second album Matilda
was released on 21 February 2011, taking on a less organic and more electronic feel and direction. The album was accompanied and preceded by single "Ariel" already released on 22 November 2010 and "Assassinations" released on 14 February 2011.
Their brand of electronic alternative rock is habitually compared to the sound of bands such as Radiohead
, Portishead and their first album with early Coldplay
as well. Furthermore Stateless state to have drawn influence from various styles of music from classical music
to psychedelic rock
, dancehall reggae
to electronic music
and hip hop
and artists as DJ Shadow
, Autechre
and Björk
.
and hip hop
. For a while they ruled out the use of guitars when writing, trying to take their sound into a new direction. The interest in hip hop brought in DJ kidkanevil who they heard at a hip hop club night in Leeds. James met Rod Buchanan-Dunlop, a Scot
, at Leeds Metropolitan University
on the first day of their Creative Music and Sound Technology course in the Leeds Met School of Technology. Buchanan-Dunlop then came into the band as the programmer and Stateless became a five piece.
In February 2003 they released their first demo including demo versions of the songs "Exit" and "Prism #1", which they recorded at Leeds Met School of Technology studio. They sent in the demo to BBC Radio 1
's show OneMusic early in 2003. Two months after the demo went online, "Exit" was played on Colin Murray
’s evening show, as part of "Famous For Fifteen Seconds". Receiving high online vote ratings for their songs, OneMusic users voted them in the top ten on Steve Lamacq
's demo section. "Prism #1" eventually made it to One Music's July "Unsigned list" as 1 of 6 bands selected nationwide and was voted to Radio 1 Playlist's C-List for a further two weeks. This earned the band interest from several management companies, independent and major labels including Virgin subsidiary Radiate and Sony Music
.
, Manic Street Preachers
) and in 2004 they signed with Sony Music for a five-album record deal
. They recorded for six weeks with producer
Jim Abbiss
(Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys
) at the renowned Rockfield Studios
in Monmouth
.
Their debut single "Down Here" was released on 3 April 2004 as a limited edition CD single
and 7" vinyl
, with 1000 of each format made available. The single was backed with a live studio session recording of "Horizon" as B-side
and a promotional music video
was published coinciding the release. A new version of "Prism #1" was made available as a free download from the bands' website. Further in 2004 they played among others at Homelands festival
, the New Bands stage at V Festival
and supported Kosheen
on their UK tour. The demo version of the song "Exit" was included in the soundtrack for the videogame Driv3r
(2004) and its standalone album release. When Sony merged with BMG, their contract with the Sony Music label terminated. Stateless lost their record deal but James stated in 2007 it "wasn’t much of a blow to us, it was a bit of a relief."
A compilation called The Studio Sessions with live and unmixed studio versions of the songs "Down Here", "Horizon" and "Running Out", recorded between November 2003 and March 2004, was made available as a free download on the bands' official website, alongside a video directed by kidkanevil.
In April 2005 Stateless raised £1280 for Amnesty International
by organising a live music event, held on 30 April at Leeds Metropolitan Students' Union
, a night jointly organised by Stateless and the Events Department at Leeds Metropolitan University. Leeds Met provided the venue and promotional material free of charge so that the full £5 ticket price could be donated to Amnesty.
On 25 July 2005 Stateless released The Bloodstream EP as a 10" EP
and CD on Regal
, a subsidiary of Parlophone
(EMI
). The EP contains 4 songs, including a reworked version of "Exit". While recording with Stateless, Abbiss was also working with American DJ Shadow
on an UNKLE
album. He passed several Stateless tracks on to Shadow who became an instant fan, stating their EP was "As close to perfection as I've heard in a long time". Several months later, Shadow invited vocalist James in June 2005 to co-write and sing songs for his new album. Shadow met James in London, gave him three demos and a week to write as much as he could, lyrically, and met him at the end of that week in the studio. The collaboration resulted in the songs "The Eraser" and "You Made It" that were featured on DJ Shadow's 2006 album The Outsider. James joined him as guest vocalist on his 2006 world tour to perform the songs live, playing 90 live shows in 17 countries. In November 2006 Stateless played 14 shows as Shadow's support act
on his UK tour, after they were joined by David Levin (drums) and Justin Percival (bass guitar, backing vocals) in early 2006 when James Sturdy (drums, piano, string arrangements) and Jon Taylor (bass guitar, keyboards, guitar) parted with the band. James had already been mates with Levin and Percival for years, since they were about 13 years old and played together in various rock, metal, funk and soul bands when they were at high school
.
Stateless signed a new record deal with Berlin
-based electronica label !K7 Records
in November 2006. Single "Exit" was released as a 7" single 14 May 2007, backed with b-side "Hurricane". Their self-titled debut album Stateless
was released worldwide on CD on 16 July 2007. Two thirds of the album was recorded and co-produced with Jim Abiss and includes all tracks previously released on The Bloodstream EP and debut-single "Down Here". They recorded and produced the final third of the album themselves; half of the record eventually being recorded at Rockfield Studios and half at their home studio in Leeds. Further in July they released the single "Prism #1" as a CD single with b-side "Lose Myself", a track exclusive to this release, and as a 12" with remixes from Prince Language and a rework from kidkanevil as "Prism #2". The "Prism #1" music video was nominated on mtvU
's "The Freshmen". Third and final single taken from the album "Bloodstream" was released 29 October 2007 again as a 12" with remixes, this time from Henrik Schwarz and Pilooski, and as CD single holding the same remixes. To coincide with the single's release, a promotional music video was released as well.
The album has been receiving airplay on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music
with the former's Zane Lowe
playing singles "Bloodstream", "Prism #1" and album track "This Language". The latter featuring a contribution from American hip hop artist Lateef the Truthspeaker
. The Artwork for both the album and its accompanying singles was created by London
-based design team Non-Format
. Single "Bloodstream" was featured in the 2008 film "Colpo d'occhio" by Italian actor and director Sergio Rubini
and the 2009 American crime drama
CSI: Miami
episode "Flight Risk". A remixed and digitally remastered version with new piano parts of "Bloodstream" was also featured in the season 1 finale of the American hit television series The Vampire Diaries
.
In 2006 a collaboration with American singer–songwriter
and musician Gavin Castleton
on lead vocals
, resulted in the single "Window 23/The Great White Whale". They hooked up with Gavin through the internet and initially planned to do a split EP
. They would do 2 tracks with Castleton remixing 2 of his own tracks and James writing vocals over them and 2 tracks with Stateless remixing 2 of their tracks and Castleton writing vocals over them. Eventually only the latter two were finished so they decided on the single format with vocals from Castleton on both tracks with "Window 23" being a remix of Stateless' song "Exit". The single was ready for release in 2006–2007 but release was postponed due to promotional restrictions at that time, set by their newly signed record company !K7, whose main priority was the promotion of their debut album and singles. The single was eventually released as a 7" and a digital package
including a new acoustic song "Wade In" on 20 July 2008 on First Word Excursions, the sister label to Leeds
-based independent label
First Word Records. The latter being also home to kidkanevil as a solo artist, on which he released three albums to date.
While releasing their debut on !K7, they already started writing new material for a second album. In the autumn of 2007 and 2008 Stateless played venues
including festivals
and several acoustic sets, throughout the UK
and across Europe
in countries as Germany
, the Netherlands
, Belgium
, France
, Italy
, Spain
and Austria
among others. Newly written songs as "Junior" and "Whiter Than Snow" for an upcoming album already received their live debut during the tour. In March 2008 they were to play their first gig
across the Atlantic
at the SXSW
music festival in Austin
, Texas, but had to cancel eventually.
page. A demo of the new album's intro was posted to their MySpace for a free listen as well. In April 2009, it was stated that 13 songs were written and recorded for their then still untitled second studio album. In the following months, they were mixed with a release eventually expected in early 2010. Although the full album was leaked online as early as October of 2009. While taking a short break from mixing the upcoming album, Stateless embarked on a small acoustic tour in the Netherlands
in June 2009, playing 4 locations, which they repeated in late October 2009 with another 4 Dutch acoustic showcases.
With a new website still under construction, the band's official Myspace was used as the single instrument for communication whilst the new album was being recorded and mixed. In late November 2009 it was announced on their Myspace-page that mixing of the new album was almost complete and was due for release in the first half of 2010. Buchanan-Dunlop (programming, live FX, keyboards) opted out of the band in December 2009 to pursue a new career, leaving only James and kidkanevil left from the original line-up and thus leaving Stateless a four piece.
In early February 2010, the band announced again through their Myspace blog, that mixing of the album was finished and that Stateless was to be back on the scene from autumn 2010 with the release of new material in sight as well as a brand new electronic live show. In addition it was announced James would be playing three stripped down solo acoustic shows in London with two in March and one in April and May 2010.
After signing with independent label Ninja Tune
in 2010, Stateless released their first new single "Ariel" on 22 November 2010 followed by "Assassinations" on 14 February 2011. Their eleven track second album Matilda
was eventually released on 21 February 2011 on both 2CD which includes a instrumental version of the album and 2LP. The digital release that accompanied the physical media included a bonus track called "Matilda" as well.
Stateless tracked and engineered the record themselves and teamed up with Damian Taylor (Björk
, The Prodigy
) to help produce and mix the album. Taylor provided electronic elements to the album as well. Furthermore, the album features contributions from The Balanescu String Quartet
, DJ Shadow and vocals by Shara Worden
(My Brightest Diamond
) on the track "I'm on Fire". Stateless played the HMV Next Big Thing festival in February 2011, followed by a small European tour, playing venues in The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, France and the UK among others.
and DJ Shadow
, as well as reminiscent to that of bands as Portishead, Coldplay
, UNKLE
and Massive Attack
. When growing up they state to have drawn influence from the Britpop
movement and many other more guitar-oriented bands. Coming from this more traditional rock
background, Stateless got heavily influenced by electronic music
, dance music, hip hop
and trip hop
. It was planned from the start not to be a guitar oriented band. They left guitars behind and started playing with turntables
and samplers
, using them as an instrument as in a regular band and incorporating them next to more conventional instruments as keyboards
, bass guitar
and drum
s for creating their sound.
Their blend of several musical styles and many diverse influences makes it challenging to classify them into one particular music genre
or scene. They say they try not to restrict themselves to one type of music or try to fit into any scene. This creative approach in making music is according to Levin directly reflected in their name: "Musically we’re stateless, we don’t belong to any particular scene." James states their name reflects where they belong creatively: "It mainly means; Freedom. We want to be free from barriers, borders and any restrictions really." and that it is "reflecting our feelings about the way we make music. No boundaries, no pigeon-holes, no rules."
They state to have drawn their musical style from various styles of music ranging from classical music
to psychedelic rock
, dancehall reggae
to hip hop and electronic music from Warp Records
and similar labels. The fact that their tastes in music are very diverse is, according to the band, their main influence. In particular they state to be heavily influenced by Radiohead, DJ Shadow and his highly acclaimed album Endtroducing.....
, Massive Attack, Autechre
, Björk
and Aphex Twin
.
James' vocal style and in particular his falsetto
, has often been compared to that of singers as Thom Yorke
(Radiohead), Jeff Buckley
and sometimes even mistaken for Chris Martin
(Coldplay). When asked about this he disregards the direct comparison: "I've been singing all of my life. I never want to base my sound around any other vocalist and I certainly don't ever want to sound exactly like someone else."
James himself states to have drawn other notable influences from Nina Simone
, Jeff Buckley, Otis Redding
, and rap music
vocals.
and lyricist, all of the band members participate in writing music. Percival also contributed lyrics
for second album Matilda. The band has said that songwriting usually begins with James at piano
or one member programming a beat
. They state to be very beat-oriented and take a lot of time figuring out the rhythmic foundations when writing music.
The band aimed to demonstrate variety in the lyrics on their self-titled debut album, a fact expanded upon by James: "Some songs are inspired by dreams, fantasizing, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. This Language is an anti-war song, Exit is just an explosion and Bluetrace is trippy, with the second half like a primal scream. We just wanted to make a lot of noise!" In regards to their second album, the band aimed for an increased sense of maturity and self-awareness, and wanted to focus less on "break-ups and such things" and more on "longing, searching, loving, life, death, magic, lust and forgiveness," according to James. "We've also developed our relationships off the stage as well. This album was so much fun because it was like five best mates playing around in a studio."
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
alternative rock
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...
band, founded in 2002 and based in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. The group comprises Chris James (vocals, keyboards, guitars), kidkanevil (turntables, sampling, programming), Justin Percival (bass guitar, vocals) and David Levin (drums).
Stateless earned a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
and released their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Down Here" in 2004. The four-track EP The Bloodstream EP was released on Regal Recordings
Regal Recordings
Regal Recordings is a British record label functioning as an imprint of Parlophone.-Background:Regal Records was a British record label founded in 1914 as a subsidiary of the UK branch of Columbia Records known as Columbia Graphophone Company...
in 2005. In 2006 Stateless changed in line-up and signed with label !K7 Records
Studio !K7
Studio !K7 is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany that focuses mostly on electronic music. The name is an abbreviation of the company's original Berlin address, Kaiserdamm 7 . !K7 has since opened branch offices in New York City, Hamburg, London, and Tokyo.It has four independent...
. Single "Exit" was released in 2007, followed by their self-titled debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Stateless
Stateless (Stateless album)
- Release history :...
. The album spawned 2 other singles "Prism #1" and "Bloodstream". They toured throughout the UK and Europe in 2007 and 2008, playing both live concerts and acoustic showcases, promoting the album and debuting new material for an upcoming second album. In 2008 the single "Window 23/The Great White Whale" in collaboration with Gavin Castleton
Gavin Castleton
Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known for his work with Gruvis Malt as keyboardist and singer, Castleton has also released seven full length albums and 5 EPs Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known...
was released on First Word Excursions. In 2010, the band signed with independent label Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music...
on which their eleven-track second album Matilda
Matilda (album)
Matilda is the second studio album released by Stateless on Ninja Tune. The album was released on both 2CD which includes a instrumental version of the entire album and 2LP. The digital release that accompanied the physical media included a bonus track called "Matilda" as well.-Track listing:...
was released on 21 February 2011, taking on a less organic and more electronic feel and direction. The album was accompanied and preceded by single "Ariel" already released on 22 November 2010 and "Assassinations" released on 14 February 2011.
Their brand of electronic alternative rock is habitually compared to the sound of bands such as Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Portishead and their first album with early Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
as well. Furthermore Stateless state to have drawn influence from various styles of music from classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
to psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, dancehall reggae
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
to electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and artists as DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
and Björk
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...
.
Formation and early years (2002–2004)
Stateless met in Leeds in 2002. Chris James, James Sturdy and Jon Taylor had played in rock bands together for several years. When realising this more traditional style did not offer them the musical challenge they were looking for, they began to expand their musical tastes and influences to more sample based electronicaElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. For a while they ruled out the use of guitars when writing, trying to take their sound into a new direction. The interest in hip hop brought in DJ kidkanevil who they heard at a hip hop club night in Leeds. James met Rod Buchanan-Dunlop, a Scot
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
, at Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
on the first day of their Creative Music and Sound Technology course in the Leeds Met School of Technology. Buchanan-Dunlop then came into the band as the programmer and Stateless became a five piece.
In February 2003 they released their first demo including demo versions of the songs "Exit" and "Prism #1", which they recorded at Leeds Met School of Technology studio. They sent in the demo to BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC 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...
's show OneMusic early in 2003. Two months after the demo went online, "Exit" was played on Colin Murray
Colin Murray
Colin Murray is a Northern Irish sports and music radio and television presenter. He is the current host of the BBC Television show Match of the Day 2 on BBC Two, and the BBC Radio 5 Live shows 5 Live Sport and Fighting Talk, as well as a show on BBC Radio Ulster. He has previously hosted regular...
’s evening show, as part of "Famous For Fifteen Seconds". Receiving high online vote ratings for their songs, OneMusic users voted them in the top ten on Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
's demo section. "Prism #1" eventually made it to One Music's July "Unsigned list" as 1 of 6 bands selected nationwide and was voted to Radio 1 Playlist's C-List for a further two weeks. This earned the band interest from several management companies, independent and major labels including Virgin subsidiary Radiate and Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
.
Record deal and The Bloodstream EP (2004–2006)
They teamed up with manager Martin Hall of Sanctuary Artist Management (Groove ArmadaGroove Armada
Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...
, 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...
) and in 2004 they signed with Sony Music for a five-album record deal
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
. They recorded for six weeks with 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...
Jim Abbiss
Jim Abbiss
Jim Abbiss is a British music producer, best known for his work on records including Arctic Monkeys' Mercury Music Prize winning debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Ladytron's Witching Hour, Sneaker Pimps' debut Becoming X, Editors' debut The Back Room, Kasabian's...
(Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
) at the renowned Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.-History:...
in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
.
Their debut single "Down Here" was released on 3 April 2004 as a limited edition CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
and 7" vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, with 1000 of each format made available. The single was backed with a live studio session recording of "Horizon" as B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
and a promotional music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was published coinciding the release. A new version of "Prism #1" was made available as a free download from the bands' website. Further in 2004 they played among others at Homelands festival
Homelands
Homelands was a British music festival which consisted mainly of Dance music, both live acts and famous DJs. The event was held at Cheesefoot Head near Winchester, Hampshire, and was one of the most popular British festivals of this genre. It was run by Live Nation UK.A Scottish edition of the...
, the New Bands stage at V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
and supported Kosheen
Kosheen
Kosheen are a British trip hop, breakbeat and rock group based in Bristol, England. The trio consists of producers Markee Substance and Darren Decoder , with singer and song writer Sian Evans...
on their UK tour. The demo version of the song "Exit" was included in the soundtrack for the videogame Driv3r
Driv3r
Driv3r, more commonly known as Driver 3 , is a racing, shooting, and adventure video game. It is the third installment in the popular Driver series and was developed by Reflections Interactive and published by Atari. Driv3r was released in North America for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on June 21, 2004...
(2004) and its standalone album release. When Sony merged with BMG, their contract with the Sony Music label terminated. Stateless lost their record deal but James stated in 2007 it "wasn’t much of a blow to us, it was a bit of a relief."
In April 2005 Stateless raised £1280 for Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
by organising a live music event, held on 30 April at Leeds Metropolitan Students' Union
Leeds Met Students' Union
Leeds Metropolitan Students' Union is the university-wide representative body for students at Leeds Metropolitan University, England. It exists to represent Leeds Met students in University decision-making, to act as the voice of students in the national higher education policy debate, and to...
, a night jointly organised by Stateless and the Events Department at Leeds Metropolitan University. Leeds Met provided the venue and promotional material free of charge so that the full £5 ticket price could be donated to Amnesty.
On 25 July 2005 Stateless released The Bloodstream EP as a 10" 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...
and CD on Regal
Regal Recordings
Regal Recordings is a British record label functioning as an imprint of Parlophone.-Background:Regal Records was a British record label founded in 1914 as a subsidiary of the UK branch of Columbia Records known as Columbia Graphophone Company...
, a subsidiary of Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
(EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
). The EP contains 4 songs, including a reworked version of "Exit". While recording with Stateless, Abbiss was also working with American DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
on an UNKLE
UNKLE
Unkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
album. He passed several Stateless tracks on to Shadow who became an instant fan, stating their EP was "As close to perfection as I've heard in a long time". Several months later, Shadow invited vocalist James in June 2005 to co-write and sing songs for his new album. Shadow met James in London, gave him three demos and a week to write as much as he could, lyrically, and met him at the end of that week in the studio. The collaboration resulted in the songs "The Eraser" and "You Made It" that were featured on DJ Shadow's 2006 album The Outsider. James joined him as guest vocalist on his 2006 world tour to perform the songs live, playing 90 live shows in 17 countries. In November 2006 Stateless played 14 shows as Shadow's support act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
on his UK tour, after they were joined by David Levin (drums) and Justin Percival (bass guitar, backing vocals) in early 2006 when James Sturdy (drums, piano, string arrangements) and Jon Taylor (bass guitar, keyboards, guitar) parted with the band. James had already been mates with Levin and Percival for years, since they were about 13 years old and played together in various rock, metal, funk and soul bands when they were at high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
.
New record label and Stateless (2006–2008)
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
-based electronica label !K7 Records
Studio !K7
Studio !K7 is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany that focuses mostly on electronic music. The name is an abbreviation of the company's original Berlin address, Kaiserdamm 7 . !K7 has since opened branch offices in New York City, Hamburg, London, and Tokyo.It has four independent...
in November 2006. Single "Exit" was released as a 7" single 14 May 2007, backed with b-side "Hurricane". Their self-titled debut album Stateless
Stateless (Stateless album)
- Release history :...
was released worldwide on CD on 16 July 2007. Two thirds of the album was recorded and co-produced with Jim Abiss and includes all tracks previously released on The Bloodstream EP and debut-single "Down Here". They recorded and produced the final third of the album themselves; half of the record eventually being recorded at Rockfield Studios and half at their home studio in Leeds. Further in July they released the single "Prism #1" as a CD single with b-side "Lose Myself", a track exclusive to this release, and as a 12" with remixes from Prince Language and a rework from kidkanevil as "Prism #2". The "Prism #1" music video was nominated on mtvU
MtvU
mtvU is a division of Viacom's MTV Networks which produces a 24-hour television channel that is available on more than 750 college and university campuses across the United States, as well as several digital cable packages...
's "The Freshmen". Third and final single taken from the album "Bloodstream" was released 29 October 2007 again as a 12" with remixes, this time from Henrik Schwarz and Pilooski, and as CD single holding the same remixes. To coincide with the single's release, a promotional music video was released as well.
The album has been receiving airplay on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
with the former's Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
playing singles "Bloodstream", "Prism #1" and album track "This Language". The latter featuring a contribution from American hip hop artist Lateef the Truthspeaker
Lateef
Lateef the Truthspeaker also known as The Truthspeaker or simply Lateef, is an American hip-hop artist who is part of the groups Latyrx and The Maroons AKA Lateef and the Chief...
. The Artwork for both the album and its accompanying singles was created by London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based design team Non-Format
Non-Format
Non-Format is a contemporary London-based Anglo-Scandinavian graphic design team specialising in design projects for the publishing and music industries. The firm was founded by Kjell Ekhorn and Jon Forss in 2000. They have worked for The Leaf Label and also closely with Lo Recordings who they...
. Single "Bloodstream" was featured in the 2008 film "Colpo d'occhio" by Italian actor and director Sergio Rubini
Sergio Rubini
- Biography :He was born in Grumo Appula but soon moved to Rome to study acting. After some roles in theater, he debuted in a feature film with Figlio mio infinitamente caro , which was followed by Desiderando Giulia and Il caso Moro...
and the 2009 American crime drama
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
episode "Flight Risk". A remixed and digitally remastered version with new piano parts of "Bloodstream" was also featured in the season 1 finale of the American hit television series The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
.
In 2006 a collaboration with American singer–songwriter
Singer–songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and musician Gavin Castleton
Gavin Castleton
Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known for his work with Gruvis Malt as keyboardist and singer, Castleton has also released seven full length albums and 5 EPs Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known...
on lead vocals
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, resulted in the single "Window 23/The Great White Whale". They hooked up with Gavin through the internet and initially planned to do a split EP
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
. They would do 2 tracks with Castleton remixing 2 of his own tracks and James writing vocals over them and 2 tracks with Stateless remixing 2 of their tracks and Castleton writing vocals over them. Eventually only the latter two were finished so they decided on the single format with vocals from Castleton on both tracks with "Window 23" being a remix of Stateless' song "Exit". The single was ready for release in 2006–2007 but release was postponed due to promotional restrictions at that time, set by their newly signed record company !K7, whose main priority was the promotion of their debut album and singles. The single was eventually released as a 7" and a digital package
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
including a new acoustic song "Wade In" on 20 July 2008 on First Word Excursions, the sister label to Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
-based independent label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
First Word Records. The latter being also home to kidkanevil as a solo artist, on which he released three albums to date.
While releasing their debut on !K7, they already started writing new material for a second album. In the autumn of 2007 and 2008 Stateless played venues
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
including festivals
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
and several acoustic sets, throughout 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...
and across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in countries as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
among others. Newly written songs as "Junior" and "Whiter Than Snow" for an upcoming album already received their live debut during the tour. In March 2008 they were to play their first gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
at the SXSW
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
music festival in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas, but had to cancel eventually.
Matilda (2011–present)
New material was written and debuted at several one-off live performances and acoustic showcases throughout 2008. Recording of the new album started in September 2008 at Strongroom 33 Studios in East London. In February 2009 all songs were written and "Wade In" was made available as a free download on the band's MySpaceMySpace
Myspace 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....
page. A demo of the new album's intro was posted to their MySpace for a free listen as well. In April 2009, it was stated that 13 songs were written and recorded for their then still untitled second studio album. In the following months, they were mixed with a release eventually expected in early 2010. Although the full album was leaked online as early as October of 2009. While taking a short break from mixing the upcoming album, Stateless embarked on a small acoustic tour in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in June 2009, playing 4 locations, which they repeated in late October 2009 with another 4 Dutch acoustic showcases.
With a new website still under construction, the band's official Myspace was used as the single instrument for communication whilst the new album was being recorded and mixed. In late November 2009 it was announced on their Myspace-page that mixing of the new album was almost complete and was due for release in the first half of 2010. Buchanan-Dunlop (programming, live FX, keyboards) opted out of the band in December 2009 to pursue a new career, leaving only James and kidkanevil left from the original line-up and thus leaving Stateless a four piece.
In early February 2010, the band announced again through their Myspace blog, that mixing of the album was finished and that Stateless was to be back on the scene from autumn 2010 with the release of new material in sight as well as a brand new electronic live show. In addition it was announced James would be playing three stripped down solo acoustic shows in London with two in March and one in April and May 2010.
After signing with independent label Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music...
in 2010, Stateless released their first new single "Ariel" on 22 November 2010 followed by "Assassinations" on 14 February 2011. Their eleven track second album Matilda
Matilda (album)
Matilda is the second studio album released by Stateless on Ninja Tune. The album was released on both 2CD which includes a instrumental version of the entire album and 2LP. The digital release that accompanied the physical media included a bonus track called "Matilda" as well.-Track listing:...
was eventually released on 21 February 2011 on both 2CD which includes a instrumental version of the album and 2LP. The digital release that accompanied the physical media included a bonus track called "Matilda" as well.
Stateless tracked and engineered the record themselves and teamed up with Damian Taylor (Björk
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...
, The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
) to help produce and mix the album. Taylor provided electronic elements to the album as well. Furthermore, the album features contributions from The Balanescu String Quartet
Balanescu Quartet
The Balanescu Quartet is an avant-garde string quartet founded in 1987 by Alexander Bălănescu that achieved fame through the release of several complex cover versions of songs by German experimental electronic music band Kraftwerk on their album "Possessed"....
, DJ Shadow and vocals by Shara Worden
Shara Worden
Shara Worden is the lead singer and songwriter for My Brightest Diamond. She was previously a backup vocalist for Sufjan Stevens and the frontwoman of Awry.-Life:...
(My Brightest Diamond
My Brightest Diamond
My Brightest Diamond is the project of singer–songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Worden. The band has released two studio albums, 2006's Bring Me the Workhorse and 2008's A Thousand Shark's Teeth, along with a remix album Tear It Down and a download-only release through iTunes...
) on the track "I'm on Fire". Stateless played the HMV Next Big Thing festival in February 2011, followed by a small European tour, playing venues in The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, France and the UK among others.
Style and main influences
Stateless musical style is often described as a cross between RadioheadRadiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, as well as reminiscent to that of bands as Portishead, Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, UNKLE
UNKLE
Unkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
and Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
. When growing up they state to have drawn influence from the Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
movement and many other more guitar-oriented bands. Coming from this more traditional rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
background, Stateless got heavily influenced by electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, dance music, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
. It was planned from the start not to be a guitar oriented band. They left guitars behind and started playing with turntables
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
and samplers
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, using them as an instrument as in a regular band and incorporating them next to more conventional instruments as keyboards
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s for creating their sound.
Their blend of several musical styles and many diverse influences makes it challenging to classify them into one particular music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
or scene. They say they try not to restrict themselves to one type of music or try to fit into any scene. This creative approach in making music is according to Levin directly reflected in their name: "Musically we’re stateless, we don’t belong to any particular scene." James states their name reflects where they belong creatively: "It mainly means; Freedom. We want to be free from barriers, borders and any restrictions really." and that it is "reflecting our feelings about the way we make music. No boundaries, no pigeon-holes, no rules."
They state to have drawn their musical style from various styles of music ranging from classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
to psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, dancehall reggae
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
to hip hop and electronic music from Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
and similar labels. The fact that their tastes in music are very diverse is, according to the band, their main influence. In particular they state to be heavily influenced by Radiohead, DJ Shadow and his highly acclaimed album Endtroducing.....
Endtroducing.....
Endtroducing..... is the debut studio album by American hip hop artist DJ Shadow. It was released on November 19, 1996 by Mo' Wax Records. The album was conceived as an effort by Shadow to make an album completely based around sampling...
, Massive Attack, Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
, Björk
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...
and Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
.
James' vocal style and in particular his falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
, has often been compared to that of singers as Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
(Radiohead), Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
and sometimes even mistaken for Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
(Coldplay). When asked about this he disregards the direct comparison: "I've been singing all of my life. I never want to base my sound around any other vocalist and I certainly don't ever want to sound exactly like someone else."
James himself states to have drawn other notable influences from Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, Jeff Buckley, Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, and rap music
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
vocals.
Songwriting and lyrics
While James is the main songwriterSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and lyricist, all of the band members participate in writing music. Percival also contributed lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
for second album Matilda. The band has said that songwriting usually begins with James at piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
or one member programming a beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
. They state to be very beat-oriented and take a lot of time figuring out the rhythmic foundations when writing music.
The band aimed to demonstrate variety in the lyrics on their self-titled debut album, a fact expanded upon by James: "Some songs are inspired by dreams, fantasizing, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. This Language is an anti-war song, Exit is just an explosion and Bluetrace is trippy, with the second half like a primal scream. We just wanted to make a lot of noise!" In regards to their second album, the band aimed for an increased sense of maturity and self-awareness, and wanted to focus less on "break-ups and such things" and more on "longing, searching, loving, life, death, magic, lust and forgiveness," according to James. "We've also developed our relationships off the stage as well. This album was so much fun because it was like five best mates playing around in a studio."
Studio albums
| Year | Details |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Stateless Stateless (Stateless album) - Release history :...
|
| 2011 | Matilda Matilda (album) Matilda is the second studio album released by Stateless on Ninja Tune. The album was released on both 2CD which includes a instrumental version of the entire album and 2LP. The digital release that accompanied the physical media included a bonus track called "Matilda" as well.-Track listing:... Ninja Tune Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music... |
Extended plays
| Year | Details |
|---|---|
| 2005 | The Bloodstream EP
|
Singles
| Year | Date | Single | Album | Label | Format(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 5 April | "Down Here" | Stateless Stateless (Stateless album) - Release history :... |
Sony Music | 7", CDS |
| 2007 | 14 May | "Exit" | !K7 | 7" | |
| 30 July | "Prism #1" | 12", CDS | |||
| 29 October | "Bloodstream" | 12", CDS | |||
| 2008 | 20 July | "Window 23/Great White Whale" (feat. Gavin Castleton Gavin Castleton Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known for his work with Gruvis Malt as keyboardist and singer, Castleton has also released seven full length albums and 5 EPs Gavin Castleton is a musician/songwriter from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally known... ) |
Single-only | First Word Excursions | 7" |
| 2010 | 22 November | "Ariel" | Matilda Matilda (album) Matilda is the second studio album released by Stateless on Ninja Tune. The album was released on both 2CD which includes a instrumental version of the entire album and 2LP. The digital release that accompanied the physical media included a bonus track called "Matilda" as well.-Track listing:... |
Ninja Tune | Digital |
| 2011 | 14 February | "Assassinations" | Digital |
Music videos
| Year | Single | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Down Here" | Ben Ib |
| 2007 | "Prism #1" | Mo Stoebe |
| "Bloodstream" | Mox | |
| 2010 | "Ariel" | FIELD |
External links
- Stateless on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...