Piano Magic

Last updated

Piano Magic
Origin London, England
Genres Indie rock, ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica
Years active1996-2017
Labels
Members
  • Glen Johnson
  • Jerome Tcherneyan
  • Alasdair Steer
  • Franck Alba
  • Paul Tornbohm
Past members
  • Dominic Chennell (musician)
  • Dick Rance
  • Alexander Perls
  • Jen Adam
  • Ezra Feinberg
  • Charles Wyatt
  • Caroline Potter
  • Miguel Marin
  • John Cheves
  • Angèle David-Guillou
  • Cédric Pin
Website www.piano-magic.co.uk

Piano Magic was a musical collective formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their sound has been described as ambient pop, [1] post-rock, [2] indietronica, dark wave, "arty baroque pop" [3] and "English radiophonic soundscapers". [4] While later releases saw them operating in a traditional band format, they originally intended to base their recordings around their small nucleus and whoever else would like to contribute. Glen Johnson was the only remaining member from the original trio when the group disbanded in 2017.

Contents

History

Formation and early years: 1996–1998

Piano Magic was formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, as a 'bedroom-studio' project with the intention to base their recordings around their small nucleus and whoever else would like to contribute.

Originally reluctant to perform live, they gave way to label pressure when their first single proved popular on the BBC Radio 1 John Peel show [5] and was awarded Single of the Week in Melody Maker . [6] While recruiting Paul Tornbohm to play drums at these gigs, they pointedly refused to play or sound like any of their released material. [7]

Popular Mechanics appeared on I (label)/Ché Trading in 1997, a debut album which the press variously described as "ethereal electro pop atmospheric soundscapes" [8] or "simply delighting in... making silly noises" [9] and which the band thought of as "Small Beat, pre-chip... radiophonics". [8] It included vocals by Hazel Burfitt and Raechel Leigh but, with Rance having quit the band, combined two previous single releases with a set of new recordings by Johnson and Chennell.

The duo then briefly recruited American music students Alexander Perls, Jen Adam and Ezra Feinberg to complete the band, [10] though Chennell too had departed by the time of the second album release Low Birth Weight in 1998, a record described as "dreamy, trance and organic psychedelia". [11] It introduced the vocals of Caroline Potter, who would sing on one further album.

Mid-period: 1999–2004

By 1999 only Johnson remained from the original trio, and the departure of Chennell left him free to lead the band into a much more conventional format and sound. A line-up of Glen Johnson, Miguel Marin, John Cheves and Paul Tornbohm recorded the third album, Artists' Rifles, with John A Rivers (producer of Dead Can Dance and Felt), and showcased its guitar-based sound, "a mixture of chiming guitars and processional rhythms", [12] at the Benicassim and BAM music festivals. By now, Piano Magic was proving more popular abroad than in their homeland, and the next few years' activity included mainly European tours.

The band, now minus Cheves, signed to 4AD Records in 2000 and released the soundtrack for Spanish director Bigas Lunas' film Son de Mar in 2001, described as "ethereal, delayed guitar lines... accompanied by various ambient sounds." [13]

Jerome Tcherneyan then replaced Miguel Marin on drums, and the second and last album with 4AD, Writers Without Homes in 2002, was released with mixed press reaction; "exquisite, if a touch diffident." [14] Its myriad guest artists imported talents from Cocteau Twins, The Czars, Tarwater, Life Without Buildings and Tram. It also featured the first vocal recording for thirty-three years of lost '60s/'70s folk heroine Vashti Bunyan.

With the addition of Franck Alba and Alasdair Steer, The Troubled Sleep of Piano Magic was released in 2003 on the Green Ufos label, soliciting comparisons with This Mortal Coil and Durutti Column. [15]

Final period: 2005-2017

Cédric Pin joined Piano Magic in time for the 2005 album Disaffected with a melodic, nearly "pop" sound, featuring more guest vocal contributions from John Grant of The Czars and Angèle David-Guillou of Klima. It appeared to confirm a return to their 'exile' status, gaining significant attention abroad (including, for example, a full feature in the French daily Liberation [16] ) but with no coverage in any UK broadsheet or music magazine. [17]

The album Part Monster was released in 2007 produced by Guy Fixsen of Laika.

In 2008, Piano Magic moved to Make Mine Music, an artist-run, artist-owned label collective, and released a new EP, Dark Horses, the last release to feature Cédric Pin.

In 2009, Piano Magic released their 10th official album, Ovations, with contributions by Brendan Perry and Peter Ulrich of Dead Can Dance.

In June 2012, the album Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet was released. Among the guests is Irons' Josh Hight, who contributes vocals on The Animals, Judas and A Secret Never Told.

Piano Magic's final album, Closure, was formally released by Second Language Music on 20 January 2017 worldwide on CD, 180 gm vinyl and digital download formats. The album features guest appearances from Peter Milton Walsh of The Apartments, Audrey Riley (go-to cellist for The Go-Betweens, Nick Cave, Virginia Astley and many more), Josh Hight (Irons) and Oliver Cherer (Dollboy). [18]

The band's final concert was at The Lexington, Islington, London in December 2016, exactly 20 years to the day of their first ever concert at The Wag Club, Soho, London. The band's last line-up for recording and concerts was Franck Alba (guitar), Glen Johnson (guitar, voice), Alasdair Steer (bass), Paul Tornbohm (keyboards) and Jerome Tcherneyan (drums).

Glen Johnson released a solo album, Details Not Recorded, under his own name in March 2009 on the Make Mine Music label. In 2014, he released a 3" postcard EP, Same Sex (Hibernate) and featured prominently on the Silver Servants eponymous album by a collective of artists from the Second Language Music label. In 2015, Johnson collaborated on an album (My Heart Has Run Out of Breath) and audio-visual live performances with the London-based Macedonian artist, Kristina Pulejkova.

Cédric Pin and Glen Johnson have recorded as Future Conditional. In 2018, they released a collaborative album, The Burning Skull (Second Language Music). Glen Johnson has also recorded under the name, Textile Ranch.

Angèle David-Guillou has recorded two albums under the name Klima ('Klima'- Peacefrog, 2007 and 'Serenades and Serinettes'- Second Language 2010). She has released two albums under her own name on the Village Green label : 'Kourouma' (2013) and 'En Mouvement' (2017).

Dominic Chennell has recorded as 'Dominic de Nebo' and with the group 'Carphology Collective'.

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Singles & EPs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Francis</span> American musician

Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black. After releasing two albums with record label 4AD and one with American Recordings, he left the label and formed a new band, Frank Black and the Catholics. He re-adopted the name Black Francis in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocteau Twins</span> Scottish rock band

Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth by Robin Guthrie and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981. They signed with the record label 4AD in 1982 and released their debut album Garlands. In 1983, Heggie was replaced with multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde. The group earned critical praise for their ethereal, effects-laden sound and the soprano vocals of Fraser, whose lyrics often eschew any recognisable language. They pioneered the 1980s alternative subgenre of dream pop and helped define what would become shoegaze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">His Name Is Alive</span> American rock band

His Name Is Alive is an American experimental rock band/project from Livonia, Michigan. After several self-released cassettes, they debuted on 4AD Records in 1990, starting a long run at the label. Throughout the band's long history, leader Warren Defever has been the only constant member, with a variety of musicians and singers contributing over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4AD</span> British record label

4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name Axis Records by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of the label's first four singles. Later that year, Watts-Russell and Kent purchased the label from Beggars Banquet to become an independent record label, and Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell a year later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Donelly</span> American musician

Tanya Donelly is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England. She came to prominence as a co-founder of the band Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alternative rock band The Breeders alongside Kim Deal in 1989, before leaving to front her own band Belly in 1991. By the late 1990s, she settled into a solo recording career, working largely with musicians connected to the Boston music scene.

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

Lisa Ruth Germano is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album Geek the Girl (1994) was chosen as a top album of the 1990s by Spin magazine. She began her career as a violinist for John Mellencamp. As of 2018, she has released thirteen albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Efterklang</span> Danish indie rock group

Efterklang is a Danish art pop, indie rock band from Copenhagen, formed in December 2000. Efterklang emerged in the front half of the 2000s with an enchanting blend of atmospheric pop and lushly arranged orchestral rock elements. The band found an audience, especially in Europe, after releasing their first two albums on England's the Leaf Label; the attention led to a deal with 4AD. The band has recorded five studio albums and are currently signed to City Slang.

Windy & Carl is an American ambient duo based in Dearborn, Michigan, United States.

Magnétophone are an electronic/art rock band originating from Birmingham, England, composed of Matthew J Saunders and John Hanson. Since their inception in the mid-1990s they have released two albums, I Guess Sometimes I Need to Be Reminded of How Much You Love Me and The Man Who Ate the Man, plus numerous singles and EPs and are currently signed to the record label 4AD. Magnétophone rose to international recognition out of a period of vibrant musical activity in the second city, which also spawned contemporaries Broadcast.

Le Volume Courbe is a band by French-born, London-based singer/songwriter/producer, Charlotte Marionneau/Charlotte Courbe. "Le Volume Courbe" was a name of a sculpture by a friend of Marionneau's, Marcel Marionneau, a French sculptor living in the region of Vendée (France).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scheer (band)</span>

Scheer was an alternative metal band from County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It was first founded by PJ 'Doc' Doherty and Paddy Leyden. The composition of the band was Paddy Leyden, Audrey Gallagher (vocals), Neal Calderwood, Joe Bates (drummer) PJ Doherty left before the band signed to 4AD and recorded their first album and was replaced by Peter Fleming.

<i>Popular Mechanics</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Piano Magic

Popular Mechanics is the debut album by English experimental rock band Piano Magic. It was originally released in 1997 on I/Ché Trading records and then again by Rocket Girl in 2003.

<i>Disaffected</i> 2005 studio album by Piano Magic

Disaffected is the eighth album by Piano Magic.

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

Broken Records are a band from Edinburgh, Scotland, which formed in December 2006. The band are signed to 4AD and released their debut album, Until the Earth Begins to Part, in June 2009. Their second album Let Me Come Home was released in October 2010, and their third Weights and Pulleys in May 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Big Pink</span> English rock band

The Big Pink are an English electronic rock band from London, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Robertson "Robbie" Furze, Akiko Matsuura and Charlie Barker. Initially a duo, they signed to independent record label 4AD in 2009 and won the NME Philip Hall Radar Award for best new act. To date, they have released five singles, with their debut album A Brief History of Love released in September 2009 and its follow-up, Future This released in January 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Ulrich</span> British songwriter and recording artist

Peter Lawrence Ulrich is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, recording artist and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocket Girl</span> English independent record label

Rocket Girl is a London-based independent record label. It has released records by Robin Guthrie, Pieter Nooten, God Is an Astronaut, Ulrich Schnauss, A Place to Bury Strangers, Bell Gardens among others, including many artists associated with ambient music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daughter (band)</span> English indie folk band

Daughter is an English indie folk trio. Fronted by North London native Elena Tonra, the band was formed in 2010 after the addition of American-born Swiss guitarist Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella from France. They have released four EPs and three albums, and are currently signed to Glassnote and 4AD (Europe). After playing the local London circuit, they toured supporting Ben Howard around Europe and have since played headlining tours around North America, Europe and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew J. Saunders</span> Musical artist

Matthew J. Saunders is an English composer, mastering engineer, and visual designer. During the first decade of the 21st century he was signed to 4AD Records — a British major independent label home to The Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Scott Walker and many others. He records and performs as Magnétophone, The Assembled Minds, Rapid Eye Electronics Ltd. and also runs the record label Patterned Air Recordings.

Tugboat Records was a small independent record label based in London, England, which was affiliated with Rough Trade Records. It was founded in May 1998 by Geoff Travis, who had previously founded Rough Trade Records itself. The first release on Tugboat Records was "Joan of Arc", a 7" single by Low. The label's manager was Glen Johnson of Piano Magic. Among the most influential albums originally released by Tugboat was Any Other City (2001), the only studio album by Scottish indie rock band Life Without Buildings.

References

  1. ↑ 4AD Piano Magic Biography retrieved 14 November 2013
  2. ↑ NME Low Birth Weight review retrieved 14 November 2013
  3. ↑ allmusic Piano Magic biography retrieved 14 November 2013
  4. ↑ Colin Buttimer, BBC Popular Mechanics review retrieved 14 November 2013
  5. ↑ Vinita Joshi, Rocket Girl Press Release (rgirl 31) 22 October 2001
  6. ↑ Melody Maker, "Single of The Week", 9 November 1996
  7. ↑ Andy Kellman, Allmusic retrieved 16 November 2008
  8. 1 2 Rob Young, The Wire, "Piano Magic Popular Mechanics", February 1998
  9. ↑ Mark Luffman, Melody Maker, "Piano Magic Popular Mechanics", November 1997
  10. ↑ Piano Magic official site timeline retrieved 16 November 2008
  11. ↑ George Parsons, Dream Magazine, "Piano Magic Low Birth Weight", December 2001
  12. ↑ Tom Ridge, The Wire, "Piano Magic Artists' Rifles", June 2000
  13. ↑ Joe McIver, Record Collector, "Son De Mar (Music from the Film by Bigas Luna)", November 2001
  14. ↑ The Independent, "Piano Magic Writers Without Homes", 7 June 2002
  15. ↑ David Sheppard, Mojo, "Piano Magic: The Troubled Sleep of Piano Magic", December 2003
  16. ↑ Liberation, 18 April 2005
  17. ↑ Piano Magic Official Site Archived 16 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 9 December 2008
  18. ↑ "Piano Magic". Piano Magic. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
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.