Tracer AMC
Encyclopedia
Tracer AMC is a Northern-Irish post-rock
band formed in Bangor
, Northern Ireland
in 1999.
The band consists of:
("magical") and Record Collector
("brilliant"). One of the b-sides, Elmwood Avenue, went on to feature on a number of compilation albums, including the annual Belfest CD (2002) and collections by Liberty Blue (2003) and Ballroom of Romance (2003).
In the same year, they recruited Michael Kinloch (formerly of Antrim band Mushpuppies) as a second guitarist, and toured intermittently in the UK.
' "Apache
" (retitled "I'm an Apache, You're an Aeroplane, I Don't Think We Stand A Chance"). The first three were released on Flux & Form, with Don't Be Soft renamed Copenhagen.
The next year, for Radio 1's Session in Northern Ireland, they recorded Flux & Form, Some Electric, The Russian Threat, and a cover of The Jesus & Mary Chain's Just Like Honey.
The last two were notable for being the first time Tracer had recorded vocals, with Michael singing both. The Russian Threat was later released on the In Rivers 12" E.P.
said of Flux & Form "the group [display] an impressive mastery of the epic."
, Windsor for the Derby
, Oceansize
, The Lapse
, Six by Seven
, Cinerama
, Fugazi, Spiritualized
, The Album Leaf
, 65 Days of Static and toe.
Kerrang!
magazine said recently: "Tracer AMC, returned from a successful jaunt across Japan, show the hometown crowd how they’ve won Tokyo’s heart. Immediately more developed and daring, they skip through movements in four songs that need no lyrics to augment an accomplished grace." Stuart Bailie of NME
once said "the music sounds holy and true".
A third album, recorded in 2007, is yet to be released.
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
band formed in Bangor
Bangor, County Down
Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in 1999.
The band consists of:
- Jonny Ashe (Guitar)
- Alex Donald (Bass)
- Michael Kinloch (Guitar)
- Keith Winter (Drums)
Formation
Formed in Bangor in 1999 by schoolfriends Jonny Ashe and Alex Donald, and joined quickly by Keith Winter, Tracer AMC released their first single "A Song for Amber and Red" on We Love Records in May 2000.A Song For Amber and Red
Tracer AMC gained moderate popularity throughout 2000 when their double A-side 7" single, limited to 500 copies and now sold out, was played occasionally by John Peel.Pelican
In 2001 Tracer recorded a follow up, another 7" single called the Pelican E.P. It was released by Errol Records, and was reviewed favourably by Drowned in SoundDrowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
("magical") and Record Collector
Record Collector
Record Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
("brilliant"). One of the b-sides, Elmwood Avenue, went on to feature on a number of compilation albums, including the annual Belfest CD (2002) and collections by Liberty Blue (2003) and Ballroom of Romance (2003).
In the same year, they recruited Michael Kinloch (formerly of Antrim band Mushpuppies) as a second guitarist, and toured intermittently in the UK.
BBC Sessions
The band have recorded two sessions for the BBC. In 2003, for Across the Line on Radio Ulster they recorded Flux & Form, Nineteen, Don't Be Soft, and a cover of The ShadowsThe Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
' "Apache
Apache (instrumental)
"Apache" is an instrumental written by Jerry Lordan. It has been recorded by many people, but the first released version was recorded by British group The Shadows in June 1960 and released the following month. The song topped the UK singles chart for five weeks...
" (retitled "I'm an Apache, You're an Aeroplane, I Don't Think We Stand A Chance"). The first three were released on Flux & Form, with Don't Be Soft renamed Copenhagen.
The next year, for Radio 1's Session in Northern Ireland, they recorded Flux & Form, Some Electric, The Russian Threat, and a cover of The Jesus & Mary Chain's Just Like Honey.
The last two were notable for being the first time Tracer had recorded vocals, with Michael singing both. The Russian Threat was later released on the In Rivers 12" E.P.
Flux & Form
In 2004, Tracer AMC released their first album, Flux & Form, launching the album at a gig in Auntie Annie's, Belfast. Another co-release with Errol Records, prestigious indie gospel The WireThe Wire (magazine)
The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...
said of Flux & Form "the group [display] an impressive mastery of the epic."
12" E.P.
In June 2005 Tracer released a 12" E.P., featuring new tracks In Rivers and The Russian Threat, and two acoustic version of Blue Thread (from Flux & Form), originally recorded for the Tom Robinson radio show on BBC 6 Music.Islands
Flux & Form was followed in late 2005 by the band's second full length collection, Islands. It was quickly picked up by Thomason Sounds, and re-packaged and re-released in Japan. It went on to sell more copies there than in the UK, and they toured Japan with labelmates Miaou in late 2006, notably playing to a full house in Shibuya's famous O-Nest.Live shows
Tracer AMC have played with June of 44June of 44
June of 44 was an American rock band which was formed in 1994 from ex-members of Rodan, Lungfish, Rex, and Hoover. The band's music is often described as 'math rock'. The band's name refers the period during which erotic fiction writers Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin corresponded.The band toured...
, Windsor for the Derby
Windsor for the Derby
Windsor for the Derby are an American post-rock band based in Austin, Texas, whose members are originally from Tampa, Florida.Their debut album was released in 1996 on Trance Syndicate, and was produced by Adam Wiltzie, who then joined the group after the release of the album...
, Oceansize
Oceansize
Oceansize were a British rock band, formed in Manchester, England on 19th October 1998. The band consisted of Mike Vennart , Steve Durose , Richard "Gambler" Ingram , Mark Heron and Jon Ellis for the majority of its career, with Steve Hodson replacing Ellis on bass in 2006...
, The Lapse
The Lapse
The Lapse was an American indie band formed in late 1997. The band was first signed to Gern Blandsten, then Southern Records. The Lapse was the duo of then boyfriend/girlfriend Chris Leo and Toko Yasuda . They formed The Lapse after the breakup of their previous band, The Van Pelt...
, Six by Seven
Six by Seven
Six By Seven were a Nottingham-based rock band who consisted of Chris Olley on vocals and guitars, James Flower on keyboards, Sam Hempton on guitar and Christian Davis on drums...
, Cinerama
Cinerama
Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...
, Fugazi, Spiritualized
Spiritualized
Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce after the demise of his previous outfit, space-rockers Spacemen 3...
, The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf
The Album Leaf is an American solo musical project founded in San Diego, California in 1998 by Jimmy LaValle. He is known for his use of electronics, synthesizer and Rhodes piano...
, 65 Days of Static and toe.
Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine said recently: "Tracer AMC, returned from a successful jaunt across Japan, show the hometown crowd how they’ve won Tokyo’s heart. Immediately more developed and daring, they skip through movements in four songs that need no lyrics to augment an accomplished grace." Stuart Bailie of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
once said "the music sounds holy and true".
Related bands
Michael and Keith play in Not Squares. Jonny plays in Julip and Eisberg and Resnick. Michael previously played in Mushpuppies, Heliopause and Julip. Keith previously played in Dreams of 4 and Julip. Jonny and Alex played in Kidd Dynamo (now Radial Nerve) and Joss Mills.A third album, recorded in 2007, is yet to be released.