Core:Rudy Tambala and Alex Ayuli
passing thru ... Russel Smith and Colin Cairns on bass, Richie Thomas and Benny DiMassa on drums, Maggie on backing vocals - and many more, too numerous to eat ...
And our spiritual compass with the bullshit-o-meter, producers Ray Shulman and Tan, and Robin Guthrie.
Influences
Dub, Soul, Club, Rock, Punk, Jazz, Folk, Classical, Funk, House
Dreams ...
From Allmusic.com:
Arguably the most criminally under-recognized band of their era, the British duo A.R. Kane anticipated virtually all of the key musical breakthroughs of the 1990s a decade before the fact, with the roots of everything from shoegazing to trip-hop to ambient dub even those of post-rock lying in their dreamy, oceanic sound. Formed in London in 1986, A.R. Kane were essentially the partnership of Alex Ayuli and Rudi Tambala; hailed in the press as "the black Jesus and Mary Chain" upon debuting the following year on One Little Indian with the single "When You’re Sad," they moved to 4AD later in 1987 to release the follow-up EP Lollita, an impressively eclectic blend of gorgeous dream pop bliss and nightmarish squalls of feedback produced by the Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie.
While at 4AD, label chief Ivo Watts-Russell suggested that Ayuli and Tambala team with roster mates Martyn and Steven Young of Colourbox, champion mixer Chris "C.J." Mackintosh, and London DJ Dave Dorrell to record a single fusing the rhythms and beats of classic soul recordings with state-of-the-art electronics and production. Dubbing the collaboration M/A/R/R/S, the resulting single, "Pump Up the Volume" a breakthrough effort heralding sampling’s gradual absorption from hip-hop into dance music and ultimately the pop mainstream soon topped the British charts, the first 4AD release ever to accomplish the feat. Plans for a M/A/R/R/S follow-up never materialized, however, and A.R. Kane again picked up stakes, moving on to Rough Trade to begin work on their much-anticipated full-length debut.
The resulting album, 1988’s 69, fulfilled all the promise of A.R. Kane’s earlier work and more; cosmic yet funky, its liquid grooves immersed in waves of ecstatic noise, the record’s mastery of atmosphere and mood in tandem with its nearly formless songs establish it as a clear antecedent not only of the nascent shoegazer sound but also much of the underground dance music to emerge in the years to follow. The duo’s double-LP follow-up, 1989’s i, was even more impressive in its scope, breathlessly veering from melodic dance-pop to eerie drone-rock to epic dub mosaics. And then...nothing: only three years later did the next A.R. Kane LP, Americana -- a handful of new tracks combined with past highlights -- appear on the Luaka Bop label. By the time of a proper follow-up, 1994’s New Clear Child, the moment had clearly passed.
-Jason Ankeny Also see a mixed biog/review on stylus magazine at http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=339"
(You can find A.R Kane’s first two albums, 69 and i for sale at the One Little Indian online store. You’ll need to scroll down a bit to find it.). There’s some stuff on iTunes nowadays too.
Video for Green Hazed Daze on Rough Trade, fet’ Alex on Vox and Rudy on Guitars
A.R. Kane Discography from http://www.maymarch.com/arkane/arkane.txt
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compiled by David McCallum
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You push a knife (into my womb) Single [1986]
12: 1986 UK (One Little Indian; 12 TP 2)
When You’re Sad
So Far Away
When You’re Sad (long version)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lollita Single [1987]
12: 1987 UK (4AD Records; BAD 704)
Lollita
Sado-masochism Is A Must
Butterfly Collector
Produced by Robin Guthrie (of Cocteau Twins).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Up Home! Single [1988]
12: 1988 UK (Rough Trade; RTT 201)
Baby Milk Snatcher
W.O.G.S.
One Way Mirror
Up
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 69 Album [1988]
LP: 1988 UK (Rough Trade; Rough 119)
CD: 1988 UK (Rough Trade; Rough CD 119)
LP: 1988 US (Rough Trade; Rough US 45)
3:25 Crazy Blue
3:36 Suicide Kiss
3:16 Baby Milk Snatcher (version)
3:25 Scab
6:23 Sulliday
3:47 Dizzy
4:39 Sperm Whale Trip Over
5:46 The Sun Falls Into the Sea
3:48 The Madonna Is With Child
2:07 Spanish Quay (3)
[unlisted instrumental]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Listen Up! Single [1988]
12: 1988 UK (Rough Trade; RTT 229)
Listen Up! (pulsar mix)
Listen Up! (quasar mix)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Love-sick Single [1988]
12: 1988 UK (Rough Trade; RTT 231)
Green Hazed Daze
Sperm Travels Like Juggernaut
Is This Is?
Is This Dub?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "i" Album [1989]
LP: 1989 UK (Rough Trade; Rough 139)
CD: 1989 UK (Rough Trade; Rough CD139)
0:27 Hello *
5:08 A Love from Outer Space
4:11 Crack Up
0:15 Timewind *
4:03 What’s All This Then
4:47 Snow Joke
0:04 Off Into Space *
2:42 And I Say
0:11 Yeti *
2:31 Conundrum
3:20 Honeysuckleswallow
1:21 Long Body *
4:37 In a Circle
0:27 Fast Ka *
3:01 Miles Apart
3:40 Pop
0:20 Mars *
3:09 Spook
3:37 Sugarwings
0:07 Back Home *
5:14 Down
5:40 Supervixens
2:51 Insect Love
0:05 Sorry *
5:40 Catch my Drift
0:05 Challenge *
* -short instrumental tracks and samples listed separately on the
sleeve.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rem"i"xes Remix Ep [1989]
12: 1989 UK (Rough Trade; RTD 171)
CD: 1989 UK (Rough Trade; RTD CD 171)
2:57 Miles Apart (remix)
3:44 Sugarwings (remix)
3:41 Crack Up (remix)
5:14 A Love from Outer Space (remix)
5:43 Catch My Drift (remix)
3:29 Crack Up (space mix)
Tracks 2,4,5 remixed by A.R.Kane.
Tracks 1,3,6 remixed by Robin Guthrie (of Cocteau Twins).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pop Single [1989]
12: 1989 UK (Rough Trade; RTT 239) [omits Snow Joke]
CD5:1989 UK (Rough Trade; RTT 239 CD)
3:57 Pop (long version)
4:05 What’s All This Then (dub version)
4:47 Snow Joke
3:07 Pop (short version)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Americana Comp. Album [1992]
LP: 1992 US (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.; 9 26669-1)
CD: 1992 US (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.; 9 26669-2)
CA: 1992 US (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.; 9 26669-4)
4:18 A Love From Outer Space (edit)
4:05 Snow Joke (edit)
3:16 Baby Milk Snatcher (version)
3:54 The Madonna Is With Child
4:37 In a Circle
3:01 Miles Apart
3:20 Green Hazed Daze
2:50 Water
1:20 Long Body
6:06 Up
5:39 Supervixens
3:08 Spook
4:11 Crack Up
2:41 And I Say
4:40 Sperm Whale Trip Over [mislabeled at 4:21]
0:30 [unlisted instrumental from album 69]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A Love From Outer Space Single [1992]
CD5:1992 US (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.; 9 40373-2)
4:01 A Love From Outer Space (solar equinox mix)
7:18 A Love From Outer Space (lunar eclipse mix)
3:37 Sugarwings
7:00 A Love From Outer Space (venusion dub)
4:18 A Love From Outer Space (edit)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sea Like a Child Single [1994]
CD5:1994 UK (Third Stone; Stone 009CD)
3:10 Sea Like a Child
3:10 Sea Like a Child (in the sky)
2:30 Water
3:27 Sea Like a Child (underwater) (radio mix)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ New Clear Child Album [1994]
CD: 1994 UK (Third Stone)
CD: 1994 US (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.)
4:56 Deep Blue Breath
3:25 Grace
3:33 Tiny Little Drop of Perfumed Time
2:36 Surf Motel
4:28 Gather
3:32 Honey Be (for Stella)
3:44 Cool As Moons
4:52 Snow White’s World
4:34 Pearl
3:10 Sea Like a Child
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collaborations
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[with members of Colourbox]
M/A/R/R/S: Pump Up The Volume Single [1987]
7: 1987 CA (4AD/Vertigo; SOV 2400)
Pump Up The Volume
Anitina (version)
12: 1987 CA (4th & Broadway/Island; B’Way 452) [omits radio edit]
CD5:1987 US (4th & Broadway/Island; CCD 452)
7:10 Pump Up the Volume
4:49 Pump Up the Volume (bonus beat)
5:04 Pump Up the Volume (instrumental)
4:06 Pume Up the Volume (radio edit)
4:20 Anitina
CD5:1993 UK (4AD Records; BAD M 707 CD)
5:05 Pump Up the Volume (version)
6:27 Pump Up the Volume (version) (remix)
6:40 Anitina (version 2)
[Rudy with Allison Shaw of Cranes]
In Rain: Grow
7:1991 UK (Rough Trade; RT no. 7, dec.)
Grow
...And Julie Rose
Sleep
[with Butterfly Child?]
[with Papa Sprain?]
[with Bark Psychosis?]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remixes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rudy Tambala remixes and production
[David Byrne: Forestry]
[On David Byrne: Forestry]
CD5:1991 US (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.; 9 40177-2)
4:47 Ava (less space dance mix edit)
9:03 Ava (space dance mix)
Remix and add’nl production by Rudy Tambala
Co-creative force: Anthony Capel
[Saint Etienne: Avenue]
[On Saint Etienne: Avenue]
CD5:1992 UK (Heavenly; HVN 23CDR)
6:27 Avenue (martial mix)
5:19 Avenue (venusian mix)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solo projects from Alex (as Alex!) and Rudy (as Sufi and
musicone) - soon come
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nice to see the site is alive and kicking....I'm getting ready to pick up my guitar again once school is over...hope all is well with you and yours....
El video de "Green hazed gaze" es espectacular!!! esa cancion me lleva de viaje hacia el pasado, hacia mi infancia, es algo que no me pasa con casi nada, los sonidos son de otros planetas, de otras dimensiones. Alex y Rudi son totalmente geniaaaales!!! I love you guys!!!
Cool that you're running the page now, brother. Lance did a great job but now you can make it as personal as you choose. Good times. L, Boston www. myspace. com/urbalt
It's Culture - It's Liverpool - It's 2008 but without the ex-Beatles drummer
From Punk to Rave - with some Performance Poetry and Comedy thrown in Inspired by John Peel It's Non-Corporate / DIY / Non Profit-Making It's all about the music
19th Feb 2008 @ The Magnet - Free Entry 20th Feb 2008 @ Roadkill - £2 with flyer
Click on the profile to listen to the bands and for more info
I'm glad someone will take responsibility for this sight and a rightful landlord it is if the report is true. Its been years since I had a turntable, so I love getting to hear one of my favorites, So Far Away. There's a song on the Up Home ep I've been wanting to hear for over a decade, but I'm unsure of the title? Like I said, no turntable. The song went something about being sold down the river.
Dear friends! You may have recently lost your shadows. We hope to help you find them. They may have been misled in our last "Machination" video which is available on our profile. Hope you will enjoy it and don't hesitate to give us your feedback! Cheers L & N de fH
i just dug up a cd-r of a recording session that i did with my old tiger mountain comrade steven thomas... (it's ridiculous how much we owe a.r. kane!) it was the first time we'd played together in over 5 years... i edited a piece, "ending and beginning," from a 45 minute jam... the first 2.5 minutes are from the very beginning of the jam and the last 4.5 minutes are from the end... i think it's very beautiful and i hope you do too... click the image below to listen... oh, yeah, i'm in the right channel and steven is in the left....
A Deeper Shade of Shoegaze Vivid art-rockers Apollo Heights craft 'soul songs for people who hate our music' by Michael A. Gonzales November 13th, 2007 4:12 PM
A Deeper Shade of Shoegaze Vivid art-rockers Apollo Heights craft 'soul songs for people who hate our music' by Michael A. Gonzales
Afro-geek rockers Apollo Heights are recognized on the Lower East Side for their "soulgazing" wall of guitars and lo-fi grit; on their debut disc, White Music for Black People, frontman Daniel Chavis seems to be as influenced by the falsetto flow of Donny Hathaway as he is by Cocteau Twins aural angel Liz Fraser. Even though a generation of boho folks unfamiliar with the tragic tension of Hathaway's voice might argue, anyone who's ever listened to the quiet-storm heartache of that particular '70s soul suicide victim will hear the similarities. As Chavis's haunting voice wrings every drop of doomed romanticism from the depths of the deliriously explosive "Dankini" and the symphonic guitar textures of "Everlasting Goppstopper," these songs serve as a reply to anyone who thinks that soul is missing from the indie-rock scene. Imagine if A.R. Kane had done the soundtrack to Super Fly and you've got an idea as to what Apollo Heights represents.
for the rest of the story go to: www.villagevoice.com/music/0746,gonzales,78337,22.html
