Bows
Country of origin:
England (though Luke Sutherland grew up in the Orkney Islands of Scotland)
Type of music generally:
Ectronica
Status:
Most recent release, Cassidy (2001)
See also:
Bows' MySpace pageThe Ectophiles' Guide's entry for Luke Sutherland's previous band, Long Fin Killie
Comparisons:
Like a looser Massive Attack, Lamb, Portishead, Air
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Bows is Luke Sutherland (novelist and formerly of Long Fin Killie)'s electronica project. Here he teams up with wonderful singers and produces soundscapes from fascinating pieces of sound. These are loose, experimental soundscapes to get lost in. (Neile)
Recommended first album:
I personally prefer Cassidy. (Neile)
Recordings:
Blush
Release info:
1999—Too Pure—Pure 90CD
Availability:
Wide in U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of open electronica
Group members:
Luke Sutherland—guitars, violins, saxophones, vocals
Guest artists:
Ruth Emond—vocals on 3 tracks, backing vocals on 2 tracks
Signe Høirup Wille-Jørgensen (Speaker Bite Me, Jomi Massage)—vocals on 4 tracks
Robbie McKendrick—drums on 3 tracks
Colin Greig—bass on 2 tracks
Comments:
Luke Sutherland's new project, Bows, is completely different from Long Fin Killie on the surface. The first track begins with pretty washes of ambient sound, light trip-hop beats, and lazy, spacey female vocals (in a sort of post-Bjork tone). The rest of Blush follows this pattern, with Sutherland singing soto voce on 2 tracks. Lush, orchestral electronica is what you'd file this under, upon first listen. Subsequent listens bring out the more subversive elements. The female singers function as Sutherland's muses, their pretty, detached vocals describing the paradigms and complexities of desire with the precision and abstraction of French post-structuralists, like Barthes and Baudrillard. Sutherland's own pieces serve as a kind of dialogue with these muses/demons. His weird, hyper-literate imagery is still there--you just have to work at it more, since he doesn't provide a lyric sheet. Underneath the electronic gimmickry, real violins and saxophones creep out. In short, Bows successfully grafts the ambition of Long Fin Killie to a more accessible format. (ethereal_lad@livejournal.com)My favourite tracks here are the title track, "Blush", and the duet "Girls Lips Glitter", both of which feature Luke Sutherland's vocals, so I guess I like the way his vocals anchors the sounds and beats. (Neile)
Cassidy
Release info:
2001—Too Pure—Pure 104CD
Availability:
Wide in U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of open electronica
Group members:
Luke Sutherland—guitar, violin, machines, gizmo, bass, piano, 808, vocals
Guest artists:
Colin Greig—bass on 3 tracks
Signe Høirup Wille-Jørgensen (Speaker Bite Me, Jomi Massage)—vocals on 5 tracks
Howard Monk—drums on 2 tracks
Ruth Emond—vocals on 2 tracks
Pete Flood—drums on 3 tracks
Debbie Smith—guitar on 2 tracks
A.B.—bass on 1 track
Cream Team—vocals on 3 tracks
Duncan Brown—bass on 1 track
Comments:
Dreamy atmospheric instruments and vocals. I love how Signe Høirup Wille-jørgensen and Luke Sutherland's vocals work like instruments here—this is particularly well illustrated on such tracks as "Ali 4 Onassis". These aren't exactly songs, but are more sound sculptures with catchy moments. I find this one an intriguing listen. (Neile)
