Mark Bell | |
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 Mark Bell on stage in Arma 17, Moscow, on 30 March 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 22 February 1971 |
| Died | (aged 43) Wakefield, Yorkshire, England |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1988–2014 |
| Labels | Warp |
Mark Bell (22 February 1971 – 8 October 2014) was a British DJ, record producer, and member of the pioneering techno group LFO. [1] He recorded on Warp Records, and also collaborated with artists such as Björk and Depeche Mode.
Mark Bell's early musical influences came from three specific sources. [2] One was an art teacher in school who taught art and played music by Jean-Michel Jarre and Kraftwerk, an older sister who played disco, funk music and electro from her bedroom, and a music shop in Leeds Mark described as having "arcade games like Tempest and Defender " and that it would play "loads of early hip hop like Schoolly D. I remember feeling this is mine and my friend’s place". [2] Bell's first experiments in electronic music involved him making a deal with his girlfriend's father who made his musical ballads listened to despite disliking them. [2] Bell convinced him he required a real backing band and purchased his drum machine from him. [2]
Bell went to college to study photography and graphic design, where he met the West Yorkshire DJ Martin Williams and Gez Varley. [2] With money from Varley's grandmother, Bell had access to a bedroom full of equipment. [2] In 1988, Varley, Bell and Martin began to play gigs as LFO, named after the low frequency oscillator, a function of many synthesizers. [2] [3]
LFO were performing at the Warehouse, a club in Leeds, when Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell arrived and noticed the positive reception club goers had to the track "LFO". [2] Beckett and Mitchell were the original creators of the Warp record label, but had not officially created the label yet. [2] Despite this, Beckett and Mitchell offered to put out a 12-inch single, [2] which was expected to sell about 2,000 copies but eventually became a Top 20 hit. [3] The label released their first studio album Frequencies in 1991. [2] Following the album's release, Bell continued to release singles for other independent labels such as Carl Craig's Planet E. [2]
While working on a follow-up album, Bell began his partnership with Björk before the release of her album Post . [4] Bell gave her a cassette of LFO demo material allowing her to use what she wanted for a future release. [4] Björk chose a track that would later become her song "I Go Humble", which would show up again in instrumental form as "Shove Piggy Shove" on the LFO album Advance in 1996. [2] [4] When asked about the long gap between records, Bell stated “It’s not intentional...It's easy doing your first album as you have all the first part of your life to express. The second one is harder unless you're going to repeat yourself... and repetition bores me a bit, it's a complete wasted opportunity to be creative." [2] After the release of Advance, Bell and Varley parted ways, with Bell retaining rights to the name LFO. [2] Bell continued to perform under the LFO moniker. [2] [3]
Bell worked on almost every Björk album until Biophilia in 2011. [3]
Björk had initially wanted Bell to contribute to her albums Debut and Post, however, he started a real collaboration with her on the album Homogenic . [3] [5] Bell was credited for the majority of the album's production, including the songs "Pluto", "Alarm Call", and the bassline in "Jóga". [6] Björk stated that she "trusts and respects what [Bell] does for me. If I were to say who has influenced me most it would be Stockhausen, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno and Mark Bell". [6]
Bell would also produce Björk's Selmasongs , the soundtrack to the Lars von Trier's film Dancer in the Dark . [2]
Bell also produced Depeche Mode's Exciter . [2] Bell commented that he found working with the group fun but strange, stating he had listened to the group when he was 12 and found the band asking him for days off or for "what they should eat". [2]
Other collaborations included contributing to Deltron 3030's self-titled album. [3]
Bell died on 8 October 2014 at the age of 43. His death was reported on 13 October 2014 due to complications after surgery. [7] [8] [9]
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LFO was a British electronic music act formed in 1988 consisting of Mark Bell and Gez Varley. They released their acclaimed debut LP Frequencies in 1991 on Sheffield label Warp. After Varley left the group in 1996, Bell continued solo to release Advance (1996) and Sheath (2003). Bell died in October 2014, effectively ending the project.
The discography of Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk consists of eleven studio albums, two soundtrack albums, one compilation album, six remix albums, seven live albums, four box sets, three collaboration albums, forty-five singles, ten promotional singles and eight remixes series.
Vespertine is the fourth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was first released on 18 August 2001 in Japan by One Little Indian Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. Björk aspired to create an album with minimal and intricate electronic music to evoke an intimate and domestic feeling, in contrast with the louder styles of her previous studio album Homogenic (1997). She enlisted producers such as Opiate, Console and the duo Matmos, and has also worked with harpist Zeena Parkins. Production on the album began whilst filming her role in Dancer in the Dark.
Homogenic is the third studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 22 September 1997 by One Little Indian Records. Produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B, and Markus Dravs, the album marked a stylistic change, focusing on similar-sounding music combining electronic beats and string instruments with songs in tribute to her native country Iceland.
"Possibly Maybe" is a song by Björk, released as the fifth single from her second album Post (1995). It is a song with deep electronic tones and soft beats that reflects on potential love. Released in the United Kingdom as the fifth single from the album, it reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1996.
"Hunter" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her third studio album Homogenic (1997). The lyrics explore the pressure Björk felt to write music after realising the workforce that depended on her, following the success she found as a solo artist with her previous studio albums. The song was first performed at the 1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert and later included with the online promotional release of Homogenic; the track was subsequently released as the third single from the album as three different CD releases in the United Kingdom in October 1998, having been released in France four months prior. A collaborative effort between Björk and Mark Bell, "Hunter" features a dark combination of strings and layered synths, a militaristic electronic beat, and enigmatic lyrics about the heading towards a mission.
"Alarm Call" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her third studio album Homogenic (1997). It was released as the fourth single from the album, peaking at number 33 in the United Kingdom. The sped-up radio edit of the song was used in the 1999 film The Mod Squad.
"All Is Full of Love" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk from her third studio album, Homogenic (1997). The lyrics were inspired by love in spring and Ragnarök of Norse mythology. Björk's original version is a trip hop ballad with soul influences, harp, strings, and electronic beats; the version on Homogenic is a minimalist ambient remix by Howie B, emphasising Björk's vocals. A remix by the German IDM duo Funkstörung was released as a single in 1998.
"Hidden Place" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her fourth studio album Vespertine (2001). Written and produced by Björk herself, "Hidden Place" was released as the lead single from Vespertine on 30 July 2001 by One Little Indian Records.
Selmasongs: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack 'Dancer in the Dark' is the first soundtrack album by Icelandic musician Björk. It was released on September 18, 2000, by One Little Indian Records to promote and accompany the film Dancer in the Dark. In the film, Björk starred as Selma Ježková, a Czech immigrant who has moved to the United States. The album features classical arrangements, as well as melodies and beats composed of sounds from mundane objects, such as factory machines and trains.
Surrounded is the third box set by Icelandic musician Björk, released on 27 June 2006 through One Little Indian. It is a collection of seven of her studio albums, issued in the DualDisc format—one side contains the original longplayers, while the other one includes their remastered versions in surround sound, in tandem with music videos and additional features. While the box set did not impact any record charts, music critics gave mixed to positive reviews to Surrounded. Most of them were positive towards its packaging and affirmed it was an effective showcase of Björk's catalogue. Nonetheless, criticism was targeted towards its opportunistic nature and technicalities.
Gerrard Varley is a British electronic musician and DJ, who was member of LFO during the 1990s and later released his solo works under the moniker G-Man.
Frequencies is the debut studio album by British electronic music duo LFO, released on 22 July 1991 by Warp. It peaked at No. 42 on the UK Albums Chart and was released to universal acclaim.
Advance is the second studio album by British electronic music duo LFO, released 29 January 1996 by Warp. The album peaked at number 44 on the UK Albums charts and was the final album to feature Gez Varley before he left the group shortly after its release. Advance was followed up with Sheath in 2003 with only contributions from Bell.
"Pluto" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk. The song was written and produced by Björk and British producer Mark Bell for Björk's third studio album, Homogenic (1997).
Björk Guðmundsdóttir is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public persona, she has developed an eclectic musical style over a career spanning four decades, drawing on electronica, pop, dance, trip hop, jazz, and avant-garde music. She is one of the most influential pioneers in electronic and experimental music.
Biophilia is the seventh studio album by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released on 5 October 2011 by One Little Indian Records and distributed by Nonesuch Records in North America and by Universal Music Group in the rest of the world. Björk composed it as a concept album during the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis, exploring the links between nature, music and technology. Billed as the first "app album", Biophilia is a multimedia project released alongside a series of apps linking the album's themes to musicology concepts. It was followed by a series of educational workshops on four continents.
"Mutual Core" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her seventh studio album Biophilia (2011). It was written and produced by Björk herself, while programming and beats were made in collaboration with Matthew Herbert and the English dubstep band 16bit. "Mutual Core" is an uptempo experimental song. Its music includes Pipe organ, electronica-tinged sounds and features the Choir Graduale Nobili, the choir featured on Biophilia. The song's lyrics are a metaphor for human relationships, compared to the structure of the Earth and Plate tectonics. The song was well received by contemporary music critics, who praised its production and beats, moreover appreciating Björk's voice on the track.
"All Neon Like" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk. The song was written by Björk and produced by the singer and British producer Mark Bell for Björk's album Homogenic (1997).
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