Edward Ka-Spel

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Edward Ka-Spel
Amanda Palmer, Edward Ka-Spel & Patrick Q. Wright 2017.jpg
Edward Ka-Spel on stage at the Traumzeit festival in 2017
Background information
Born (1954-01-23) 23 January 1954 (age 70)
London, England
Origin Nijmegen, Netherlands
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
Years active1980–present
Labels Third Mind
Website www.brainwashed.com/lpd/music.php

Edward Sharp, better known by his stage name Edward Ka-Spel, (aka 'Archangel, Che Banana, The Prophet Qa'Spell, Qa-Sepel) is an English singer-songwriter and musician, born in London on 23 January 1954, to a family with East Anglia connections. He is best known for his work with the band The Legendary Pink Dots, which he co-founded. [1]

Contents

Ka-Spel is also known for his work on The Tear Garden with Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key. In 2017, he collaborated with Amanda Palmer on the album I Can Spin a Rainbow . [2]

Ka-spel's recordings are often of a limited number and only available through an extensive and devoted mail-order system at Soleilmoon. He has also released numerous cassette-only special recordings, usually including materials out-of-print on earlier labels along with new releases. [3] He often appears on stage barefoot, wearing a long scarf and either pink or black glasses. Early in his career, he drew black lines on his face and arms. [4]

Biography

Ka-Spel is best known as the lead singer, keyboard and electronics player, songwriter and co-founder of the band The Legendary Pink Dots, in which he was initially known as D'Archangel, Prophet Q'Sepel and other pseudonyms. [5] [6] He has also released numerous solo albums (initially featuring other members of the Legendary Pink Dots, and including contributions from Steven Stapleton), [7] [8] and has worked in various side projects, including The Tear Garden (with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy), [5] [6] and Mimir (with Phil Knight, Christoph Heemann, Jim O'Rourke and others). An album with 48 Cameras, Songs from the Marriage of Heaven & Hell was released in 2019.

Ka-Spel's solo albums range from abstract electronic noise to more traditional pop songs, incorporating diverse elements of psychedelia, industrial, avant garde, experimental electronic, art pop, classical music, folk (nursery songs), sampling, noise, collage, music concrete, etc. [6] His lyrics have been described as mystically bizarre and ambiguous, and incorporate recurrent themes from his own personal mythos. Ka-Spel's songwriting has been compared to that of Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd, though the artist describes the comparison as being a coincidence, not a direct influence. [6] Ka-Spel has cited Iannis Xenakis, the Beatles, Nurse With Wound, David Bowie, Brainticket, Can, The Residents, Magma, and Throbbing Gristle as significant influences. [9]

Associated acts

Discography (selected)

Ka-Spel live with The Legendary Pink Dots in 2006 Edward Ka-Spel 2006.jpg
Ka-Spel live with The Legendary Pink Dots in 2006
Ka-Spel live in 2008 Edward ka-spel -2008-09-13-.jpg
Ka-Spel live in 2008

Albums

Singles and EPs

Collections

Live albums

Compilation appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Legendary Pink Dots</span> Anglo-Dutch rock band

The Legendary Pink Dots are an Anglo-Dutch rock band formed in London in August 1980. In 1984, the band moved to Amsterdam, playing with rotating musicians and having, as core members, singer/songwriter/keyboardist Edward Ka-Spel and keyboardist Phil Knight. In 2022, founding member and synthesist Philip Knight retired from touring, and Randall Frazier joined the band on synths, samples and electronics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tear Garden</span> Canadian band

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I Can Spin a Rainbow is a collaborative studio album by American singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer and English singer-songwriter Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots. In a blog post on her official website, Palmer explained the backstory of how she was obsessed with the Pink Dots as a teenager, and even wrote and directed an experimental dialogue-free play inspired by their album Asylum when she was seventeen. When she was nineteen, the band needed a place to stay while on tour in Boston, Massachusetts and Palmer offered up her house. The Legendary Pink Dots also served as an opening act for Palmer's band the Dresden Dolls in the early 2000s. The two of them spent years trying to find a time to record an album together, but due to struggles in Palmer's personal life, plans always fell through. Most of the album was recorded in the house of English musician Imogen Heap.

References

  1. ↑ Edward Ka-Spel on Discogs
  2. ↑ Goodwin, Jeremy D. "Amanda Palmer Mesmerizes in Concert with Edward Ka-Spel (18 May 2017)". Boston Globe . Boston Globe. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  3. ↑ Edward Ka-Spel on Discogs
  4. ↑ "Phil Knight". Brainwashed.com. 29 July 1954. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  5. 1 2 Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN   1-84195-335-0, p. 398
  6. 1 2 3 4 Carr, Daphne "Edward Ka-Spel Biography", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-02-06
  7. ↑ Couture, François "Laugh China Doll Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-02-06
  8. ↑ "Chyekk, China Doll Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-02-06
  9. ↑ "Interviews". Legendarypinkdots.org. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
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