Tag: Paul Statham (Page 2 of 2)

PAUL STATHAM Asylum

30 December 2017 /

PAUL STATHAM’s musical contributions date back to post-punk, and having worked and composed for many successful artists, his accolades are many.

Signed to Mute, his project PEACH with a fellow producer Pascal Gabriel, brought ‘Audiopeach’ and the song ‘On My Own’ featured in the film ‘Sliding Doors’, became a US top 20 hit.

Working with SIMPLE MINDS, TINA ARENA and THE SATURDAYS alongside others, his main commercial success came on DIDO’s and KYLIE MINOGUE’s albums as a co-writer and producer.

Having his fingers in many pies includes co-founding the band B-MOVIE, acting as a visiting professor in Leeds College Of Music and running songwriting workshops in London. Statham also developed his own project THE DARK FLOWERS, which featured collaborations with Peter Murphy, with whom the producer has a long lasting working relationship, SIMPLE MINDS’ Jim Kerr, Dot Allison from ONE DOVE and HELICOPTER GIRL. If that wasn’t enough, the multi-talented artist busies himself with film, art installations and exhibitions.

Recently the many faces of Paul Statham were realised in a start-up of his own label Loki Records and the release of an eight track album ‘Asylum’. Having been signed to Warner Chappell Publishing for over twenty years, Statham set up Loki to issue his experimental material, a phase which began with the ‘Ephemeral’ and ‘Installation Music 1’ releases.

‘Asylum’ features music from an audio visual installation created with painter Jonathan McCree, which was held in Asylum Chapel in South London’s Peckham.

The opening eponymous track’s video utilises images from an Italian exhibition as well as dancers from Turkish State Contemporary Dance Company. The song itself is minimalistic and sparse, yet evolving the feelings of distress, fear, anxiety, laced with blissful oblivion and dread.

Soundtrack worthy, ‘Asylum’ is creepily delicious, and the senses are becoming to wake with the following ‘Collision’, a messier, more confused enterprise, still bearing the elements of dystopia and madness.

‘Who Won’t Wait’ continues the ambient atmosphere with the feeling of no hope, and ‘Tq347773’ brings a delicate piano, treated with a dose of electronic manipulation.

‘Rhea Moon’ introduces a steady beat and a promise of brighter days within the disjointed musicality and leads onto much heavier sounding ‘Estuary Point’.

Here, the inevitable dread returns with the uncomfortable images of being shut out from the world, enclosed in a small space and being fed disturbing images for no other reason but to be broken. Was Statham going for mind control references here; Montauk experiment perhaps?

No relief comes in the form of ‘Malleki’, which utilises treated found sounds; wooden, primal, ritualistic. The strings and piano have no chance against the gritty synth. The closing ‘Ascend’ promises a glimmer of hope from the onset. Being lifted in a beam of light; lifted to the higher spiritual plains or being taken maybe.

This is the beauty of ambivalent music – anyone can imagine what they like and address the feelings a particular piece may evoke. ‘Ascend’ brings that aura of weightlessness, the divine connotations and the calmness of being, away from the “asylum”.

‘Asylum’ will appeal to the discerning customer, to the lovers of unusual synth play, GAZELLE TWIN or JORI HULKKONEN or maybe even THE KNIFE.

It’s wholesomely cinematic, marvellously ethereal and perilously addictive, if you aren’t afraid of darker auras and more intellectual sound manipulations.

‘Asylum’ is released on CD by Loki Records, available from https://www.lokirecords.com/shop

http://paulstathammusic.com

https://www.facebook.com/paulstathammusic/

https://paulstatham.bandcamp.com/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
30th December 2017

PAUL STATHAM Ephemeral + Installation Music 1

5 April 2017 /

PAUL STATHAM has had a diverse music career if nothing else.

He first made his name as the guitarist of B-MOVIE who appeared on the ‘Some Bizzare Album’ alongside DEPECHE MODE, SOFT CELL, BLANCMANGE and THE THE. Following the band’s disbandment, he began a nine album songwriting partnership with Goth icon Peter Murphy of BAUHAUS fame.

With producer Pascal Gabriel and singer Lisa Lamb, Statham formed synthpop trio PEACH who released their only album ‘Audiopeach’ on Mute in 1997, a long player which also featured some of the last vocal recordings made by the late Billy MacKenzie and an American hit single in ‘On My Own’.

This helped Statham maintain a successful career co-writing and producing songs for a variety of diverse acts including DIDO, DOT ALLISON, KYLIE MINOGUE, RACHEL STEVENS, SARAH NIXEY, THE SATURDAYS and LOST BOY! aka Jim Kerr.

While B-MOVIE reformed in 2004, Statham continues with projects outside the band like THE DARK FLOWERS which featured his previous collaborators Kerr, Murphy and Allison. And now he can add ambient and experimental instrumental music to his forte.

The first collection ‘Ephemeral’ consists of four lengthy pieces reminiscent of BRIAN ENO, the first of which ‘Ephemeral 1’ is a shimmering cross between ‘Neroli’ and ‘Thursday Afternoon’.

With its sonic clusters of synth, it actually moves at a slightly faster pace than both, but that of course is all comparative. Whatever, it is a wonderful slice of thinking music.

‘Ephemeral 2’ takes the pace down further, droning rather than shimmering, its denser textures recalling those of ‘On Land’. The sound painting continues with ‘Chronology 1’ adding piano and acoustic guitar to the orchestrated structure, while ‘C2’ is more obscure with its sparse experimental jazz feel.

The second body of work ‘Installation Music 1’ is more fragmented and follow the lead of ‘Music For Films’, with its nine tracks mostly clocking in at less two minutes.

Opener ‘Breaking Water’ takes waves and mechanical noises into a cavernous aural collage, while ‘Radio Dreaming’ does what it says on the tin, but is too short to lead anywhere.

The pretty rings of ‘Submerged’ are serene, it could easily develop into a longer ambient piece but sounds unfinished. However, the other tracks like ‘Particles’ and ‘The Deep World’ really do submerge into their own other worldliness. Overall, ‘Installation Music 1’ has some great ideas but comes over more as incidental accompaniment like its conceptual title suggests.

Both are now available as free downloads, with a third album on the way. This is music worthy of BRIAN ENO himself that can provoke feelings of relaxation. It’s gratis, so why not take the chance?

‘Ephemeral’ and ‘Installation Music 1’ are available as free downloads from https://paulstatham.bandcamp.com/

http://www.paulstatham.com/

https://www.facebook.com/paulstathammusic/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
5th April 2017

Lost Albums: PEACH Audiopeach

16 April 2011 /


The concept of PEACH was “ABBA meets THE KLF”. Released on Mute Records in September 1997, ‘Audiopeach’ is one of those synthpop albums that has been lost in the midsts of Cool Britannia.

The trio had been slowly building a profile, having supported ERASURE, based on the musical reputations of their two instrumentalists Pascal Gabriel and Paul Statham. The pair had met during the recording of ex-BAUHAUS singer Peter Murphy’s solo album ‘Cascade’. Gabriel worked with BOMB THE BASS, S’EXPRESS and EMF.

Meanwhile Statham was the Goth icon’s writing partner and had been the guitarist with B-MOVIE. Led by Steve Hovington, B-MOVIE were a band with so much promise that their then manager Stevo of Some Bizzare Records fame was able to include the then unknown SOFT CELL as part of the conditions for Phonogram Records to sign the Nottingham quartet in an innovative ‘2 for 1’ deal! Completing PEACH’s line-up was blonde South African born singer and dancer Lisa Lamb who Gabriel and Statham had met at an art exhibition in London.

Released in 1996, first single ‘On My Own’ was classic pop for the modern era. Lisa Lamb’s vocal delivery echoed Belinda Carlisle going electro while the vibrant backing took the dance sound of the times into a song format. Although failing to capture the hearts of the British public, ‘On My Own’ was later crucially chosen for a key scene in the Gwyneth Paltrow film ‘Sliding Doors’ which incidentally was directed by Peter Howitt, the actor who played Joey Boswell in the sitcom ‘Bread’!

This eventually led to the song entering the US Billboard Top 40 in 1998 where the band had to be renamed PEACH UNION for the North American market. The follow up single ‘From This Moment On’ is a truly lost jewel. Mid-paced synth pulses accompanied by Lamb’s cutely processed “do-do-do” vocals coupled to a tremendous tune in the Bacharach and David tradition unfortunately went over the heads of most. As a result, the album was delayed until 1997.

‘Audiopeach’ was a lovely, lushly produced album. The standout track is ‘Deep Down Together’ a frantic spacey Eurostomper in the vein of SPARKS’ ‘(When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing’. With throbbing hints of ‘I Feel Love’, it is seasoned with some wonderfully distinctive vocal ad-libs from the late Billy MacKenzie. He pops up again on the NEW ORDER-ish ‘Higher Ground’ which offers some love technique while on their final single ‘Sorrow Town’, the trio go all poptastic.

Photo by Adrian Green

An intended single release of the very pretty ‘Made In Vain’ was abandoned for a reissue of ‘On My Own’ following its North American success which was then met with ambivalence, reaching only No67 in the UK charts.

The beautiful album closer ‘Hush’ recalls PET SHOP BOYS’ more reflective moments, although Lamb’s voices gives it some soulful intensity sounding not unlike Tennant and Lowe’s compositions for Dusty Springfield’s ‘Reputation’ album. Of the other tracks, ‘Perfect World’ is a pleasant electro-acoustic excursion similar to Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr’s side project ELECTRONIC.

Driven by a chunky bass triplet, ‘Tell Me’ has a club-friendly feel while continuing in that mood, ‘Give Me Tomorrow’ is punctuated by the chunky Italo House piano of the times.

Unlike the other one girl / two guy electronic based acts of the day like SAINT ETIENNE, DUBSTAR and ONE DOVE, PEACH were too obviously electronic to attract the support of a media drunk on Britpop and not consistently dancey enough attract a club following. Unfortunately for their few admirers, there would be no second album.

Photo by Pete Walsh

Put in simple terms, ‘Audiopeach’ was under appreciated and happened to be ten years ahead of its time. Despite the unfortunate timing, PEACH laid the foundations of a pop sound that would become widely accepted by the late-noughties.

Since PEACH disbanded, Gabriel and Statham continued their partnership for a number of years, writing and producing songs for a variety of acts including Dido, Dot Allison, Kylie Minogue and Rachel Stevens.

More recently, Gabriel has successfully collaborated with LADYHAWKE, LITTLE BOOTS, MISS KITTIN, GOLDFRAPP and MARINA & THE DIAMONDS, while Statham has worked with THE SATURDAYS and Sarah Nixey

Lamb founded a sonic branding company called Sonicsista, creating audio identities for clients such as T Mobile, AT&T, Ben & Jerry’s and Disney. In late 2009, she performed two PEACH tracks ‘From This Moment On’ and ‘Sorrow Town’ at a special one-off performance in South London.

‘Audiopeach’ is still available on CD via Mute Records

http://www.inspiracy.com/peach

http://www.melophobia.com

http://www.paulstatham.com

http://www.sonicsista.com

Text by Chi Ming Lai
16th April 2011

Lost Albums: RACHEL STEVENS Come & Get It

24 February 2011 /


Released in October 2005 and boasting four Top 12 singles, the former SClubber’s vastly underrated electro-oriented album ‘Come & Get It’ peaked at No 28 in the UK which in manufactured pop terms, was deemed a total disaster.

Initially at the time, Rachel Stevens’ success seemed to be guaranteed; she was regularly in the media spotlight and also a popular lads mag pin-up.

So her second album, assembled by a team of top writers and producers including Richard X, Hannah Robinson, Xenomania, Pascal Gabriel, Paul Statham and Rob Davis (who co-wrote Kylie Minogue’s ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’) seemed a surefire way of cementing it.

But one thing a pretty face never guarantees is sales. Lads mag readers generally don’t buy music unless it is of the Mancunian monobrow rock variety while the G-A-Y audience are suspicious of any prospective pop divas who maybe have just had life a little bit too easy… Stevens’ middle class drama school roots probably reinforced that!

And generally, young women prefer boy bands and just don’t buy the records of other females if the artist is aesthetically more pleasing than themselves! The writers and producers, all experienced hands, probably foresaw that Stevens’ pop career was likely to flop so used their contributions to the album as an excuse to experiment and have fun. The end result is a collection of pop songs bursting with inventive, fun and risqué ideas.

The album’s launch single ‘I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)’ is a Rob Davis penned glam stomper with a touch of ‘Antmusic’. The provocative lyrics certainly wouldn’t have been allowed on CBBC: “I feel such a traitor – oh, I let you in my back door… rough love’s so deceiving – I said never again but here we are!” All highly amusing if you appreciate the saucier pleasures in life! Rob Davis also pays tribute to his MUD roots with his other offering, reprising that schaffel beat on UK bonus track ‘Every Little Thing’.

Richard X’s GOLDFRAPP-lite production on ‘Some Girls’ has Stevens playing a wannabe who ends up on pop’s casting couch: “Some girls always get what they wanna – all I seem to get is the other – this won’t last for long not forever – the champagne makes it taste so much better!”…

Co-written by X with Hannah Robinson apparently in response to having one of his GOLDFRAPP remixes rejected and based on some real music industry anecdotes, it was ‘Some Girls’ that first put the icy glam electro sound into the mainstream consciousness, so much so that many thought ‘Ooh La La’ was actually the follow-up to ‘Some Girls’, much to fury of Alison Goldfrapp! “I AM NOT RACHEL STEVENS!” she exclaimed!

The Richard X led ‘Crazy Boys’ is another Frapper’s delight featuring timpani coloured 6/8 time signatures and atmospheric electronics that recall Jean Michel Jarre’s ‘Oxygene Part II’… it could be BLACK BOX RECORDER with a Gallic twist although on ‘Je M’Appelle’, Ms Stevens actually gives the French language a go with an ‘Allo ‘Allo accent! Despite this, it does recall the comedic charm of SPARKS’ ‘Je M’Appelle Russell’!

‘So Good’ is brilliantly bouncy and tastefully engaged electro produced by Pascal Gabriel; and yes, it does sound like LADYHAWKE without the guitars. Meanwhile with his erstwhile partner Paul Statham from B-MOVIE, their heavenly co-write ‘I Will Be There’ features the sort of pulsing sequencers that drove NEW ORDER’s dancefloor exploits.

Post-punk influences continue in abundance with a sample from THE CURE’s ‘Lullaby’ forming the basis of ‘It’s All About Me’. A slice of wispy electro-soul a la Chaka Khan’s ‘Ain’t Nobody’ comes in the shape of ‘Secret Garden’ while ‘Negotiate With Love’ is squelchy Scandinavian synthpop with added Simmons drum sounds. These two have hints of both Annie and Robyn. Xenomania chip in the lovely mid-paced ‘Nothing Good About This Goodbye’ but it is their main event closer ‘Funny How’ that shines brightest.

Apparently co-written by Stevens with the hit factory who later worked with PET SHOP BOYS, this is a perfect Princess Stephanie Eurodisco record in the vein of ‘I’m Not Scared’. The best track on the collection, ‘Funny How’ should have been covered by GIRLS ALOUD and turned into a massive hit.

The gorgeous synthpop gems ‘Love Is Pain’ and ‘Turn to Stone’ from Cole and co’s most recent album ‘Out of Control’ take their template from here.

‘Come And Get It’ is a superb album that can be appreciated on an intellectual level as well as a throwaway pop experience. Whether Miss Stevens is actually really singing is a moot point as each of the lead vocals on the album appear to be different; it could be any pretty poppet!

Rachel Stevens is the girl you should fancy but actually don’t! Is her look too flawless? Is it because she always appears too pleased with herself? It is rumoured THE STREETS’ ‘Fit But You Know It’ is actually about her! This aura may have actually hampered the potential of this album. Whatever, the craft and quality danceable electro on ‘Come & Get It’ delivered on the path paved by GOLDFRAPP and predicted what was to come with LADYHAWKE, LITTLE BOOTS and LA ROUX.

In its post-release reappraisal, All Music Guide said it was “a collection of thoroughly excellent electronic dance-pop songs” and “the definitive album of 2000s UK chart pop”. The Guardian placed it in their ‘1000 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die’ list. And LITTLE BOOTS later acknowledged ‘Come & Get It’ as an influence on her hit album ‘Hands’. Like it or not, ‘Come & Get It’ really was forward thinking pop music!

‘Come & Get It’ is still available as a CD or download via Polydor Records

https://www.rachelstevens.com/

https://twitter.com/MsRachelStevens

https://www.instagram.com/msrachelstevens/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
24th February 2011, updated 8th January 2017

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