Aesoteric

Aesoteric is the solo electronic outpourings of 28 year old producer and experimental guitarist TJ Allen. Organic, glitchy rhythms emerging from miniscule morsels of sonic wonder. Blending layers and layers of live looping, DIY FX, and home-made software processing into a psychedelic nursery rhyme - part nostalgia, part euphoria...
Raised in the peaceful town of Poole in Dorset, TJ's earliest bands were guitar-based and heavily folk-influenced, but all the while he was messing round with tape loops, modified FX pedals and old drum machines, writing lo-fi electronic soundscapes without even realising it.
He finally found his feet when he co-founded and co-produced the well lauded Juniper, a live, heavily trip hop influenced five piece, fronted by the wonderful Kerrie Robinson ( Edith Squeels ), and featuring the beautiful sub-sonic frequencies of bass-hero Brad Hemsell ( Brenda ), scratch DJ Phil Greeno, and drummer Caleb Green, alongside TJ himself playing processed guitar. With a pair of well received EP's, and a string of acclaimed live shows under their belt, the band were starting to turn heads when they decided enough was enough...
After the band split, and with his reputation for boundary pushing sound manipulation growing, TJ spent a couple of years at art college working on visual and sonic installation pieces, before moving to Bath to do a degree. It was then that the Aesoteric moniker first appeared, initially on a string of remixes, but finally the call for a original Aesoteric material brought about the Growing Up EP (SP Records) in 2002 - quiet, glitchy electronica with a strong analog and acoustic influence, featuring heavily treated and manipulated guitar alongside subtle found sound sampling and non-traditional instrumentation. Love Songs Gone Wrong followed a year later, further developing its predecessor's knack for tugging the heart strings whilst challenging the brain. Well received by both listeners and critics alike, live dates followed, culminating in a seminal show at the launch party of 2003's Submerge festival.
Since then, with Aesoteric in temporary hibernation, TJ has been focusing on his ever growing production roster - which includes System Vertigo , Hazel Mills , and Roxy Music's Andy Mackay , whilst continuing to remix for the likes of Brenda , Jocasta , Jukes , and the wonderful Renfro .
Currently touring as guitarist and sound manipulator with Andy Mackay + The Metaphors , TJ is constantly striving to expand the typical sonic palette of the guitar, using bowing techniques, manipulated feedback, and live DSP to coax new tones from a familiar instrument. Liberated by the wonderfully open and experimental environment Mackay's new band creates, and featuring world renowned players such as classical harpist Julia Thornton , Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson , and live-looping pianist and student of the modern classical avant-garde Hazel Mills (whom TJ works extensively with), the result is a fascinating collage of influences and unusual textures more akin to classical music in structure than to pop. The debut album from The Metaphors, produced by TJ and Michael Boddy, was recorded at the incredible Real World complex in the summer of 2007, mixed at The Hospital, Covent Garden, and is due out late in 2008. Titled London, Paris, New York, Rome, it is a collection of arrangements, re-imaginings and variations on pop, film and show tunes, searching for the dark heart of the contemporary city.
The coming months are looking busy for TJ - with pre-production/writing for the follow up to Hazel Mills' acclaimed debut EP, Butterfly scheduled, more remixes, and tours/live sessions with both The Metaphors and Hazel Mills on the horizon, and a pair of new Aesoteric tracks for the upcoming Meltwater compilation, Phenotype.
"...like listening to nursery rhymes whilst having an epileptic fit"
(Venue)
"...dance music for paraplegics"
(J. Galvin)
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Hazel Mills is Flower-Powered Featured Artist of the Month for LA's KGRL Radio this July. See the feature, including a filmed six track live session (produced, mixed and featuring TJ Allen (Aesoteric)), video interview, extensive biography and exclusive photos here .
Below is the mesmerising live version of Freestanders from the session to wet your appetites...
Hazel Mills - Freestanders (KGRL FPA Live Session)
(c) + (p) xpress records 2008. all rights reserved
Filmed at J + J Studios, Bristol
Produced and mixed by TJ Allen (Aesoteric)
Engineered by Jeff Spencer
Mastered by Michael Boddy
Filmed by Sacha Atkinson
Video editing and grade by Josh Randall
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The debut EP from Hazel Mills is also out now on Xpress Records...
Hazel Mills - Butterfly EP
1. Give Away
2. Insomnia
3. Butterfly
4. Sense of Smell
5. Freestanders
Produced & mixed by TJ Allen (Aesoteric)
Mastered by Jason Mitchell @ Loud
(c) xpress records llp 2007. (p) xpress publishing 2007.
all rights reserved.
"...think Eno meets Kate Bush"
(Tom Semioli, Amplifier Magazine)
"...nothing short of phenomenal."
(KGRL Radio)
“…richly detailed, intelligent, beautifully-voiced dark moody pop songs…Spot on production, spot on everything.”
(Organ Magazine)
"...engrossing and enthralling..."
(NM Promotions)
You can purchase Butterfly from...
PayPal
CD Baby
CD Baby
Indie Store
iTunes