John Metcalfe

‘A Darker Sunset’ epitomes music currently dissolving boundaries between electronic and modern classical styles. With influences from Bach to Eno via Schoenberg and Kraftwerk, Metcalfe's sound world is seductive, haunting and fiercely intense. Pieces range in scope from electric intimacy and lush cinematica to searing orchestral drum’n’bass and include exceptional performances from some of the finest musicians in the country. The music is scrupulously composed so that structural cohesion beguiles the listener whilst absorbing detail reveals itself on repeated listening.
‘... crossing all manner of boundaries. Melding avant-pop and electronica, film music and contemporary classical......a set of highly melodic, sonically compelling songs without words....the ideal item for classical fans wanting to investigate a pop-leaning, contemporary sound world or for electronica fans who crave far more musicality than they're used to getting." Billboard
‘John Metcalfe’s strings and electronics are impeccable’ The Guardian
The album features;
John Metcalfe; viola, piano, guitar The Duke Quartet Collaborations include Durutti Column, Blur, Catatonia, The Pretenders, George Michael.
Andy Gangadeen; drums The Bays Collaborations include Spice Girls, Massive Attack, Imagined Village.
Louisa Fuller; violin The Duke Quartet. Collaborations include Jessye Norman, Lloyd Cole, The Pretenders, Elvis Costello.
Simon Richmond; keyboards, sonic science The Bays, Palmskin Productions Collaborations include Neneh Cherry, Freerange records.
Ali Friend; bass Clayhill Collaborations include Red Snapper, Beth Orton, Afro Celt Sound System.
Attab Haddad; Oud Attab Haddad Quintet Collaborations include James Newton Howard, Paul Gladstone-Reid.
Chris Worsey; Cello Collaborations include Divine Comedy, Badly Drawn Boy.
Richard Henry; Trombone Collaborations include Jazz Warriors, George Russell, Hermeto Pascoal.
Robin Blaze; Counter-tenor Britain’s leading counter-tenor. Solo recitals and opera roles worldwide.
Ruth-Ann Boyle; Vocals Solo Artist Collaborations include Olive, Enigma.
Plus remixes from Nitin Sawhney and Palm Skin Productions.
LIVE
‘A Darker Sunset’ live is an intense experience. The level of musicianship and technical skill is second to none. Audiences are simply blown away by the visceral focus and variety of emotion on offer. ‘A Darker Sunset’ has already been heard by thousands of people through touring and performances at festivals such as Big Chill and Bestival. More often than not a set from the band provokes descriptions of ‘absolutely jaw-dropping’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘awesome’ on website forums. The press too. Of a recent show The Guardian stated, ‘ "The event starts brilliantly with viola player/composer John Metcalfe. They play a smartly written, sharply defined repertoire (as demonstrated by Metcalfe's album Scorching Bay), but Gangadeen's supercharged style reveals an extra dimension in Metcalfe's material; the drums sit right on top of the beat, synchronising precisely with the urgent attack of the strings."
Onstage everyone features. Generally audiences are accustomed to a focal personality - a conductor, soloist or singer. With ‘A Darker Sunset’ the whole band are core to the music. The musicians stand in a semi-circle so all are easily visible. This is crucial for the drums and bass which so often sit behind the singer or lead instrument. Strings in electronic/pop music are usually relegated to the back row but here the audience get nothing but in-your-face bionic playing.
In addition the range of performers appeals to a wide spectrum of listener and venue. The power comes from combining players who are musically adventurous and with diverse musical backgrounds. Gangadeen’s awesome drumming style features alongside Friend’s deeply felt b-lines intertwined with blistering strings from the Fuller/Metcalfe combination. All intensified by up-to-the-second electronics from Richmond.
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From his early days in New Zealand listening to his father sing opera, John Metcalfe has become one the most exciting and versatile musicians in the UK. From giving string quartet recitals in prestigious venues world-wide to composing for radio and TV, arranging strings for some of the world's biggest rock artists and releasing his own genre-defying music, Metcalfe has gained wide recognition for his unique brand of music-making.
Moving to England he took up the viola aged 10 and joined his first band at school playing drums. Raised on a dual-mono diet of Kraftwerk and Joy Division this band influenced his move north-west where he joined cult band The Durutti Column on Manchester's legendary Factory label. He stayed for three years adding his own unique sound and flavour to the enigmatic style of guitarist Vini Reilly.
Hard classical study continued along with hard dancing at the now defunct Haçienda and scholarships took him to London and Berlin to finish his training. His dissatisfaction with standard classical recording industry practices led him to persuade Factory boss Tony Wilson to launch the ground-breaking Factory Classical label aimed at bringing young British talent and music to a truly new audience.
Metcalfe's talents at A+R led to debuts for now major artists such as Rolf Hind, Steve Martland and his own Duke Quartet. In the meantime Metcalfe's strength as a string composer for bands came to the fore.
Since his work on Morrissey's no.1 solo album, 'Viva Hate', he has become one of the UK's top arrangers working for artists such as Blur, The Cranberries, The Corrs, and Catatonia. He provided all the strings for the 'Concert for Linda' memorial concert at the Albert Hall, working with George Michael, Johnny Marr and Tom Jones. After hearing his arrangement of 'Angel in The Morning' for the Friends soundtrack, the Pretender's Chrissie Hynde asked John to arrange some of her most famous songs for the Isle of View album which featured John's string quartet, the Duke.
His debut cd The Inner Line received glowing reviews. Billboard magazine described it as '.... a solo debut that crosses all manner of boundaries. Melding avant-pop and electronica, film music and contemporary classical The Inner Line is the ideal item for classical fans wanting to investigate a pop-leaning, contemporary sound world or for electronica fans who crave far more musicality than they're used to getting.' Regularly played on BBC Radio 3's hugely influential cult show Late Junction, George from the cd was also included on their first compilation cd. Tracks have also been used for many BBC radio and tv programmes.
Recently Metcalfe has completed works for choreographers Jean Abreu and Liz Lea with performances at the South Bank Centre and Covent Garden. Solo guitar pieces for Tom Kurtsens have been followed by cello compositions for Matt Barley, one of the UK's most innovative cellists. During all of this he has also scored music for TV shows on Sky and the BBC. Metcalfe is one of the two composers (the other being Toni award-winning composer Simon Hale) touring in November with the Bays and Heritage Orchestra on an MBM tour.