Marconi Union
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marconi Union are Richard Talbot and James Crossley, a British musical duo with strong links to the Manchester based DOTCA arts collective.
They are notable for incorporating elements of electronica, ambient, jazz and dub into their music, and a tendency to make records that are conceptually-based. Frequent comparisons are drawn between Marconi Union and bands such as Talk Talk, Sigur Rós and Boards of Canada.
[edit] History
Their first album, Under Wires and Searchlights, appeared on the small British independent label Ochre Records, drawing attention for its combination of synthesizers, guitars, strings and musical soundscapes. This album has subsequetly beome sought after and copies often change for considerable amounts of money, it was followed with a sustained period of silence only punctuated by a couple of remixes. They were then picked up in 2005 by All Saints Records (a label strongly associated with electronic musician Brian Eno) releasing a new album, Distance, which featured a darker, more electronic sound and garnered even more publicity, meeting with widespread acclaim, especially in the US where it became one of the most successful ambient albums in recent years. Unusually for an album of this kind it received widespread radio play on mainstream radio and several tracks were prominently featured on popular US television shows.
Marconi Union have always veered towards reclusiveness, rarely granting interviews or playing live. None of their releases gives any details about the personnel and little is known of their background. They seem content to operate outside the mainstream, preferring to pursue their own course. Recently their public profile has become higher, playing at the 2006 Big Chill Festival and Eden Sessions alongside such mainstream acts as Snow Patrol and Goldfrapp, at Cornwall's Eden Project. They granted their first interview in October 2006 for the widely syndicated American radio show Echoes, their tracks have also appeared on several compilations albums, and they have done a number of remixes for other artists.
According to their record label Marconi Union are presently working on a new album, which will be released in Autumn 2007.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Under Wires and Searchlights (Ochre Records, 2003)
- Distance (All Saints, 2005)
