Richard James | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Carmarthen, Wales | 27 March 1975
Genres | Folk, indie folk, psychedelic pop, avant-garde |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter, composer |
Instruments | Guitar, bass guitar |
Years active | 1991–present |
Labels | Gwymon, state51 |
Richard James (born 27 March 1975) is a guitarist, bassist and singer-songwriter originally from Carmarthen, Wales. He was a founding member of the band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, who split up in 2006. He performs and records as a solo artist, and as part of the bands Pen Pastwn and Locus. [1]
James was with Gorky's Zygotic Mynci throughout the band's lifespan, from 1991 to 2006, and appears on all their albums, initially mostly as a bassist. After John Lawrence left the band, James took Lawrence's place as guitarist. James wrote, and handles lead vocals on, some later Gorky's songs.
His first solo album, The Seven Sleepers Den, appeared in 2006. It featured backing vocals from Cate Le Bon (under her birth name of Cate Timothy).
His second album was released on 21 June 2010 from Gwymon Records. Called We Went Riding, it features the talents of Le Bon and Euros Childs. [2]
In April 2012, James released his third album, Pictures in the Morning, also on Gwymon Records. Stylistically, it's a return to the sound of The Seven Sleepers Den. [3] [4]
James has curated the musical sides of both the annual Laugharne Weekend festival and In Chapters, a Cardiff-based event. His band Pen Pastwn evolved from the In Chapters house band. [1] He has also long-collaborated with folk musician The Gentle Good.
James's fourth solo album, All the New Highways, was released in February 2015. It was originally a digital-only release on Bandcamp. In September the album was nominated for the 2014–2015 Welsh Music Prize. [5] The album was released in physical form (vinyl and CD) in March 2016 on The state51 Conspiracy label. [6]
James has also composed music for the screen, including for the S4C drama series Cara Fi (2014) and for Tir, the 2013 film and the 2015 series which followed it. [7] He was nominated for a 2015 BAFTA Cymru award for Original Music for his work on Cara Fi. [8]
Since 2016 James has participated in a collaborative project with his partner, musician and artist Angharad van Rjiswijk, called Locus, which among other work involved improvisational sound collages being performed live. [9] In 2017 James was commissioned by the BBC to write a new orchestral piece for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with van Rjiswijk supplying visuals for the debut performance in November 2017. [10] [11]
James and van Rjiswijk currently live in west Wales.
Ankst was a Welsh independent record label formed in 1988 at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth by Alun Llwyd, Gruffudd Jones and Emyr Glyn Williams. After a handful of low key cassette releases, the label relocated to Cardiff and became a more serious concern, providing a launch-pad for several popular Welsh artists, including Llwybr Llaethog, Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. The Rough Guide to Wales described Ankst as "one of the most prolific, eclectic and innovative" of the 1990s Welsh music labels.
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a psychedelic folk and alternative rock band which formed in Carmarthen, Wales, in 1991. The group performed music in both Welsh and English, and they had eight Top 75 singles on the UK Singles Chart during their career. They were prominent during the era known as Cool Cymru. The group disbanded in May 2006.
Ffa Coffi Pawb was a band signed to Welsh music label, Ankst, active from 1986 to 1992.
Barafundle is the fourth album by Welsh psychedelic folk band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, which was released 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom. The album's title comes from the name of a beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Gorky 5 is the fifth album by Welsh band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, released on 27 August 1998. It was their last album for Mercury Records and features the singles "Let's Get Together " and "Sweet Johnny".
Spanish Dance Troupe is the sixth album by Welsh psychedelic folk band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, released on 4 October 1999. The album was recorded at Stiwdio Ofn in Llanfaelog, Anglesey and mastered by Chris Blair at Abbey Road Studios. The album was the last to feature founder member John Lawrence, who had departed the band by the time the album was released.
Alun Tan Lan is a Welsh singer-songwriter from the village of Pandy Tudur.
Euros Childs is a Welsh musician and songwriter, perhaps best known as the frontman for the band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and—as of January 2019—the keyboardist for Teenage Fanclub. His sister, violinist Megan Childs, was also a member of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, and their father Lynn played on some Gorky's recordings, most notably on Barafundle. Childs was born in Freshwater East, Pembrokeshire, and was educated at the Welsh-medium school Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin in Carmarthenshire.
Meic Stevens is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Stevens's songs have a mystical, faintly psychedelic flavour, and are mostly sung in his native Welsh language. Still largely unknown outside Wales, he was discovered by DJ Jimmy Savile, who saw him performing in a Manchester folk club in 1965. This led to Stevens recording his first single – with arranger John Paul Jones – for Decca Records that same year, though it sold badly.
Recordiau Anhrefn was a record label established in 1983 by Rhys Mwyn.
Steffan Cravos is a Welsh rap and hip hop musician and artist.
John Lawrence is a Welsh musician. He was a founding member of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, but left the band in 1999, prior to the release of the band's sixth album Spanish Dance Troupe. As a solo artist, he has sometimes gone by the name Infinity Chimps.
Anweledig are a band from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales; their style is a mixture of funk, reggae, ska and rock. The band consists of Ceri Cunnington (vocals), Gai Toms (guitar/vocals), Iwan 'Oz' Jones (guitar), Rhys Roberts, Alwyn Evans (drums), Joe Buckley (keyboard), Edwin Humphreys (saxophone), Barri Gwilliam (trumpet) and Arwel Davies (trombone).
Gorwel Owen is a Welsh producer and musician. He has worked with Datblygu, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Super Furry Animals, Hwyl Nofio, Ffa Coffi Pawb, Gwenno, Steve Eaves, Melys, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion, Llio Rhydderch and many others. He also co-writes, records and performs with his wife, the poet Fiona Owen; their third album Releasing Birds was released in 2015 via their label Yamoosh!. He is also involved in other music and sound-making activities such as free improvisation, composition and sound installation.
Bwyd Time is the third full album by Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. It was released in 1995 and was the band's last album for Ankst. It features, amongst others, Anthony Saffery from Cornershop, who plays sitar on several tracks.
Cate Le Bon is a Welsh musician and producer. She sings in both English and Welsh. She has released six solo studio albums, three EPs and a number of singles. Le Bon has toured with artists such as St. Vincent, Perfume Genius and John Grant.
Zabrinski were an alternative rock band from Carmarthen and Cardiff, Wales. They formed in the late 1990s and released four albums before splitting up in 2007.
Jonny is a two-person band formed by Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub and Euros Childs of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. The two bands toured together in 1997 and Blake contributed to the Gorky's Zygotic Mynci album How I Long to Feel That Summer in My Heart (2001).
The Gentle Good is the stage name of Gareth Bonello, a singer-songwriter and folk musician from Cardiff who performs in English and Welsh. The stage name is inspired by Bonello's, with "Gareth" traditionally meaning "Gentle" in Welsh. In addition to his own material, Bonello has had a longstanding partnership with musician Richard James and has also collaborated with other artists as a session musician.
Cool Cymru was a Welsh cultural movement centred around music, independent film, and other artistic endeavours by young Welsh figures prior to and during the new millennium. It was highlighted in 1999 when the BBC announced that year as the "year of Cool Cymru".
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