BIOGRAPHY
Transparent Sound has had various different members over the years, but is essentially a musical collaboration between Martin Brown and Orson Bramley, who met and started writing music together in their hometown of Bognor Regis back in 1994. Along with co-founder Steve Penfold they set about creating a very distinctive electro influenced sound. The first release on Transparent Sound Recordings, Meltdown Ride (or the yellow one as it has become known) came out the following year. A flurry of 12s came out over the next few years under various different guises, as the guys experimented with different sounds & styles, but the main theme continued to be electro, with further releases on the TS imprint.
This chapter in their history closed after The Cure asked them to re-mix their 1997 single Wrong Number. Steve left the project to pursue his scaffolding career, while Orson & Martin continued recording.
During the summer of 1998 an analogue only project was started with old friends Scape 1 and Tim Harris, another two of Bognors Electro Elite. Using nothing but an 808,a couple of 101s, a basic 8 channel desk, minimal effects and a handful of crappy old keyboards such classics as Freaks Frequency and Down in Miami were created in a series of live session recordings.
By the end of 1999 it was clear this project had reached a natural end, and Orson and Martin set about creating a new studio-The Chilli Plant. Still using basic equipment, the duo produced a series of stunning tracks culminating in the release of their first studio album, Emotional Amputation in 2002 on Electrix. During this period the boys developed an impressive live set, which has since set dance floors alight in venues across the UK & Europe. A much acclaimed mix album Beats Clash volume 1-Radioactive Man v Transparent Sound also came out during 2002.
In early 2003 the guys moved the studio away from the urban sprawl of London to a rural farm location-The Electronic Cottage. Here they penned tunes such as 350 Short & Your Eyes are Pretty. A more melodic & mellow mini-album ,Dirty Curtains & Football Posters was recorded. So far, these inspiring 6 tracks have not been released, although several had imagery put to them by Addictive TV for a mix-masters show on ITV1. You can exclusively download Dirty Curtains & Football Posters, including all the artwork by Andrew Rae for the amazing bargain price of £2!!! from our Audio page.
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE THE ADDICTIVE TV VIDEO FOR DIRTY CURTAINS!!
http://transparentsound.co.uk/ts_video.htm
2003 also saw a period of intense giging for Transparent Sound, playing live sets & DJing at all sorts of clubs, parties, festivals & radio shows including FABRIC, DANCE VALLEY, TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS, MIAMI ANTI CONFERENCE, CLUB 69, SHINE, XFM & KISS FM to name a few. The tour carried on well into 2004, including a breathtaking set at the Sonar festival.
2004 also saw Orson Recordings being set up by Orson & Martin Bundock (who ran the infamous Perverted Science parties @ the 333 in Old Street, London). This fantastic label gives a platform to various artists that have impressed Orson during his travels.
The studio was moved back up to London, & in the autumn TS started work on their 2nd Studio Album, Hair Cut Fantasy. This was released in September 2005 on Exceptional Records, to much critical acclaim, with two singles coming out before and after release, featuring remixes from Swaysak, Espion and Bangkok Impact.
Other releases in 2005 included several bits on Electrix (Who is Who? and Mr Velcro Fastener remixes) and their first release, Vintage EP on Craig Richards Tyrant Label.
Amongst the many dates played by the guys last year was their first live performance in their home town, Bognor Regis, at a Wasted Audio night at the Mud Club. TS played a blinder of a set at Fabric, which was recorded by the club and can be heard exclusively by members of their website, fabriclondon.com
HERE'S THE NEWS ON WHATS GOING ON AT THE MOMENT
THE TWO HEADED MONSTER
Transparent Sound have been leading the UK electro charge since forming in 1994, and just as their Transparent Sound Recordings imprint championed the electro-funk beats of the late Nineties, their latest label Orson Records is a similar vehicle for todays experimental, electronic club sounds. And now with The Two Headed Monster they are pairing together Orson artists with like-minded, visionary producers and DJs for a wonderfully open minded snapshot of the music making clubbing in 2006 so life-affirmingly vital again.
"In the clubs youre seeing an interaction between live acts and DJs, and the DJs themselves, by using laptops and programs like Traktor, Ableton and Final Scratch, are bringing in new technological elements to their sets", comments Transparent Sounds Orson Bramley on one of the key concepts behind the series. "The Two Headed Monster is about trying to show the differences and similarities - between these things."
For the debut release in this series, Transparent Sound have hooked up with Fabric resident and long-time champion of cutting-edge, underground dancemusic, Craig Richards. Both artists have a musical admiration for one another that has grown dramatically over the last year.
"Ive got an interest in electro and more recently they've been making music which is deeper, groovier and more four-four based as opposed to the electro they used to do. So I guess we've both become a lot closer together in what we do", says Richards of his involvement. "I put out one of their records last year, I play their stuff and we have a mutual respect for one-another, so it seemed like a good idea to work on something together."
Their contributions to the debut release for this project show how the boundaries are increasingly becoming blurred between sounds, styles and reference points: without less fickle media endlessly pigeonholing genres into safe, sanitised little boxes, each exclusive from the other, dance music has been given a new lease of life. And its all here.
Transparent Sound have put together a live studio mix that draws on the many weird and wonderful styles of music that are influencing their productions. From the driving bass assaults of Vintage and Proper Techno through to the more delicate, intricate rhythms of Variations Of An Attitude and Voyeurs Chance right through to the sublime Hell Bent and The Cider Club, its an engaging, melodic and dynamic set oftracks that although diverse, remain fluid and coherent throughout.
Craigs DJ mix, his first to be released in two years, is a deep, hypnotic collection of current favourites and rediscovered gems that never once takes its eye off of the dancefloor. Many of the tracks hes edited himself, and aswell as this hes added a load of his own FX. Craig says Its quite bouncy and groovy, and is probably closer to the first mix I did for the Fabric series than the Tyrant one from a couple of years ago. I tried to keep it moving around as much as possible, messing around with the tunes and sneaking in things that people wouldnt always expect.
The end results a thrilling Trans Europe Express-way ride through the EUs most daring discotheques and illicit after-parties, and it makes for a devastating trip.
Orson Records was launched by Transparent Sounds Orson Bramley in 2003 as a means of showcasing new, undiscovered producers and acts as well as their own increasingly less straight-up electro tracks. With a growing catalogue of releases from Glasgows Espion, The Artificial Arm (whoseWelcome To Planet Funk was a highlight of last years Pile-Up compilation, mixed be Belgiums Geoffroy and released on his Hi-Phenimprint), Point B and Transparent Sound themselves, the label is shaping up to be one of the UKs leading purveyors of modern electronic music for dancing
The Two Headed Monster, the first full-length release on the label, is to be followed by a series of limited-edition coloured vinyls and samplers. These three releases will come in the form of tracks from Craigs DJ mix, a brand new TS production Hell Bent (with remixes from Dub Kult, Espion and Mesak) and an exclusive studio collaboration between Craig and Transparent Sound.
Words: Jason Riley
HAIR CUT FANTASY
The Album is available now! If you've been unable to get a copy in your local record shop, go to the Exceptional Records web site, where you can buy it at the online shop. www.exceptionalrecords.co.uk
HAIR CUT FANTASY DRAWING COMPETITION
We're afraid that you're too late to enter the competition we held to celebrate the release of Hair Cut Fantasy - You can still have some fun with it though by using the drawing board below.
VECTOR LOVERS REMIX
Transparent Sound, and Orson Records label mate Espion both have remixes of Vector Lovers highly acclaimed Nostalgia For The Future featured on his current 12" Post-Arctic Industries, on Soma. If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing any of Vector Lovers tunes yet then we highly recommend that you get hold of this one, and check out his amazing album, Capsule for One, also on Soma.