Conquering Animal Sound

Last updated

Conquering Animal Sound
Origin Glasgow, Scotland
Genres Electronic
Years active2008–present
Labels Chemikal Underground Gizeh Records Gerry Loves Records
MembersAnneke Kampman
James Scott
Website http://www.conqueringanimalsound.co.uk

Conquering Animal Sound is a Glasgow-based electronic duo consisting of Anneke Kampman (vocals/music) and James Scott (music). The band's debut album Kammerspiel was released in February 2011 on Gizeh Records, and their sophomore "On Floating Bodies" on Chemikal Underground in March 2013.

Contents

Early history (2008–2010)

Kampman and Scott met at university in Edinburgh, and began collaborating in 2008. [1] Taking their name from an article about the Conquering Lion sound-system group, they released a free mixtape titled "Your Friends, Conquering Animal Sound" [2] on download and cassette, and began gigging around Scotland. In 2010 they were approached by new label Gerry Loves Records, and released their debut single "Giant" on 7" and download.

Kammerspiel (2011)

Gizeh Records released their debut album Kammerspiel, which The Skinny called "a remarkable unveiling ... the organic and the electronic coexisting beautifully". The Line of Best Fit heralded it "one of the most accomplished debuts 2011 will see", [3] and Drowned In Sound praised Kammerspiel's depth, as it "simultaneously managed to capture on record the full depth of their creativity and imagination, as well as the inherent beauty of their sound". [4]

The album was recorded and mixed entirely by the band in Kampman's flat, and she discussed this lo-fi approach, which informed the album's title, in an article with the Skinny.

I had the word Kammerspiel in mind for a long time. I saw that there was a comparison to be drawn between the way those Kammerspielfilm films were made and what occurred within them, and Conquering Animal Sound's approach to music making. I imagine a lot of different facial expressions within our songs, similar to the way narrative was conveyed in Kammerspiel films. I think there’s an intimacy to our music, which is probably a consequence of the fact that it has been made by two people together in one space. [5]

Kammerspiel was shortlisted for the inaugural Scottish Album of the Year Award, [6] ultimately losing out to Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat's Everything's Getting Older .

On Floating Bodies (2013)

The success of Kammerspiel interested Glasgow's Chemikal Underground label, and the band went into the label's Chem 19 studios to mix their second album "On Floating Bodies" with Paul Savage. The album was preceded by the single "The Future Does Not Require", and was released on the Chemikal Underground label in March 2013. The List (magazine) praised the album's "daring and gloriously rich palette", [7] and included it in their Top Ten Albums of 2013. [8] The album takes its title from Archimedes’ treatise on hydrostatics, [9] and Mike Diver wrote for the BBC that the album is "not always comfortable, but consistently engaging ... persist and there’s real beauty to be found in its digitised designs". [10] The Herald (Glasgow) called it "cosmic, disorientating and sublime", [11] and in an article with the paper, the band discussed their writing processes.

Rather than having the lyrics or the melody and writing everything down, we write everything up – we create a sound we like and just see where it goes. We work up from the stuff that other people might use ornamentally – that’s the seed that starts the song for us. So on The Future Does Not Require, we started by sampling a note on Anneke’s flute, and then using that as a keyboard sound, and then making it a bit more unrecognisable. It’s about using different things and subverting them in the process. [11]

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

EPs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bis (Scottish band)</span> Scottish indie pop band

Bis are a Scottish indie pop band composed of Steven Clark, John Clark, and Amanda MacKinnon, formed in 1994. The band's name, rhyming with 'this', derives from "black iron skyline", a lyric from the song "Twilight of a Champion" by The The.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemikal Underground</span> Scottish independent record label

Chemikal Underground is an independent record label set up in 1994 at Glasgow, Scotland, by rock band The Delgados. It was set up to release their first single, "Monica Webster" / "Brand New Car" and went on to break many new Scottish bands in the nineties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Delgados</span> Scottish indie rock band

The Delgados are a Scottish indie rock band formed in Glasgow in 1994. The band is composed of Alun Woodward, Emma Pollock, Stewart Henderson, and Paul Savage (drums).

Arab Strap are a Scottish indie rock band whose core members are Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. The band were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground, split in 2006 and reformed in 2016. The band signed to Rock Action Records in 2020.

Brendan O'Hare is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist musician, primarily known for being the drummer in the rock band Teenage Fanclub from 1989 until early 1994, and a member of and collaborator with Mogwai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogwai</span> Scottish post-rock band

Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances McKee</span> Musical artist

Frances McKee is a Scottish singer and songwriter known best for her work in the Scottish indie band The Vaselines.

Radar Bros. are an American indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, formed in 1993 by Jim Putnam, Senon Williams (bass) and Steve Goodfriend (drums). They released their self-titled EP in 1995 on Fingerpaint Records. In 1996, they signed to Restless releasing a self-titled full-length record Radar Bros. the following spring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Rosa (band)</span> Scottish rock band

De Rosa are a Scottish rock band from Bellshill. It consists of Martin Henry, Chris Connick (guitar), James Woodside (bass), Neil Woodside (drums) and Andrew Bush (piano/keyboards). The band have released three studio albums—Mend, Prevention, and Weem.

Martin John Henry is a songwriter from Bellshill in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Henry is noted for his success as the frontman of the rock band De Rosa, who released several albums, singles and other recordings on Glasgow’s influential independent label Chemikal Underground. De Rosa's music has been critically lauded and championed by John Peel and Steve Lamacq. Sound-Scotland recently praised Henry as "...one of Scotland's finest songwriters" Henry has written, recorded and played with many of Scotland’s finest musicians, including Barry Burns (Mogwai), Robert Johnston, King Creosote and Malcolm Middleton. As a solo artist, Henry contributed a track to MOJO Magazine’s ‘Abbey Road Now!’ CD in October 2009 and has played numerous shows including SOUNDS Festival, Tigerfest and Glasgow’s Merchant City Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Phantom Band</span> Scottish indie rock band

The Phantom Band is a Scottish indie rock band based in Glasgow, consisting of Duncan Marquiss (guitar), Gerry Hart (bass), Andy Wake (keyboards), Rick Anthony, Iain Stewart (drums) and Greg Sinclair (guitars). They are often generally described as indie rock but are known to utilize a variety of genres and styles. The band's debut album Checkmate Savage was released in January 2009 and the follow-up The Wants in October 2010. In June 2014, the band released their third record, Strange Friend followed by Fears Trending in January 2015.

<i>Checkmate Savage</i> 2009 studio album by The Phantom Band

Checkmate Savage is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Phantom Band, released on 26 January 2009 through Chemikal Underground Records to critical acclaim.

John Clark is a Scottish record producer, sound engineer and songwriter. He started out his career as a member of the band Bis, and has worked in the recording studio with Fangs, Franz Ferdinand, Stevie Jackson, Linus Loves and Mylo.

Fieldhead are a British band formed in Leeds, England, in 2008 and led by Paul Elam, a member of The Declining Winter. Paul currently resides in London, whilst violinists Elaine Reynolds and Sarah Kemp reside in Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne respectively. Fieldhead's music is ambient/electronica in style, and is created using a combination of electronics and acoustic instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RM Hubbert</span> Scottish guitarist and singer

RM Hubbert, commonly known as Hubby, is a Scottish guitarist and singer. Best known for his solo work as RM Hubbert and as a member of Scottish post rock band El Hombre Trajeado, he has been an active member of the Glaswegian DIY music scene since 1991.

Holy Mountain is a psychedelic rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Andy McGlone, Pete Flett (drums) and Allan Stewart (Idlewild/Desalvo). The band is currently signed to Chemikal Underground Records.

Rick Anthony is a Scottish singer and songwriter originally from Aberdeenshire and now based in Glasgow. He is the lead singer and guitarist in the alternative rock band The Phantom Band and also performs as a solo act and releases music under the pseudonym Rick Redbeard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miaoux Miaoux</span> Musical artist

Julian Victor Corrie, better known by his stage name Miaoux Miaoux, is an English producer, musician and songwriter based in Glasgow, Scotland. He is signed to Chemikal Underground Records, who have released his albums Light of the North and School of Velocity. Prior to his solo career Corrie was a member of the Glasgow-based band Maple Leaves.

<i>Strange Friend</i> 2014 studio album by The Phantom Band

Strange Friend is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Phantom Band, released on 2 June 2014 through Chemikal Underground Records.

Matt Brennan is an author, musician, and academic whose work focuses on popular music and society. He is Professor of Popular Music at the University of Glasgow.

References

  1. ↑ Radar Music Blog : Conquering Animal Sound Archived 6 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Your Friends: The Mixtape — Conquering Animal Sound". Last.fm.
  3. ↑ "Conquering Animal Sound – Kammerspiel". Thelineofbestfit.com.
  4. ↑ "Album Review: Conquering Animal Sound - Kammerspiel". DrownedInSound.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Conquering Animal Sound: Command and Conquer | The Skinny". Theskinny.co.uk.
  6. ↑ "Scottish Album of the Year Award 2012 long list announced". List.co.uk. 12 April 2012.
  7. ↑ "Conquering Animal Sound - On Floating Bodies". List.co.uk. 13 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Top 10 albums of 2013". List.co.uk. 20 December 2013.
  9. ↑ ""On Floating Bodies" by Conquering Animal Sound". Shop.chemikal.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  10. ↑ Diver, Mike. "BBC - Music - Review of Conquering Animal Sound - On Floating Bodies". Bbc.co.uk.
  11. 1 2 Meighan, Nicola (24 April 2013). "Interview: Conquering Animal Sound". Nicolameighan.wordpress.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.