Member Since: 1/7/2005
Band Website: raidart.com/joycopter.html
Band Members: Stu - drums, composition & Wotsits.How on earth did these incredibly talented people get hoodwinked into being in this band. The idea was to put modern film score type harmony and atmosphere over a strong beat. Michelle got hold of the tunes and put raps and beautiful melodies together with thought provoking subject matter over the top. Ste, db and ant all have unique musical voices and ridiculous musical abilities, ( he means good here, trust me ...! db ) and take these tunes way beyond anything I thought possible. SEE US LIVE !Michelle - vocals, words, melodies & leather pants.JOY is the operative part of our band name, because it is pure joy to make music with these guys. Steve's an old friend and an astonishingly talented guitarist.When he suggested I come up with rap for a song for his friend Stu I was a little dubious since it wasn't a style I'd tried my hand at before. But then I heard the music for Erotomania (as it came to be known) and somehow, with a little help from the rhythm nicked from Tennyson's Lady of Shalot, I conjured up a rap. I'd been instantly hooked by the ingenuity and originality of Stu's music. What's more he shared my passion for cheesy wotsits! Anthony's dexterity on the keyboards and Dave's inimitable style of totally groovy bass have taken Joycopter to another level. I'm eternally grateful to Stu and the rest of the band for being so ridiculously indulgent and not calling the men in white coats when I've written songs about intercontinental ballistic missiles and rapped in Latin.Steve - guitars, guitars synths & silly noises.Joycopter means a lot to me - secondly the chance to play with some great old friends ( Stu and Michelle) and some new ones ( DB and Ant) But primarily I feel proud to share in Stus musical vision. Having watched and listened to Stu with many other bands over the years mostly playing someone elses music its a real pleasure to have some part in getting his own ideas out there. The guitar slot in the band is pretty unusual as the keyboards lead the harmony and the vocals lead the melody this leaves me play to play structured parts improvising on different use of tones and textures - as much as the notes themselves. A key point of interest to me is the need to bring non-standard ideas to every song. Going from straight funky rock in Neurofen to warped nylon string in Next of Skin and Fripp-inspired madness in Nature of the Beast. You will also rarely hear me playing in 4/4 - a fact which tends to make the other guys count on the one a lot, Oh - and Stu says I am too loud and push the beat - mark of a true guitarist then.DB - basses, Electric Upright Bass & marketing.I was the latest addition to Joycopter, joining in summmer 03. The full length demo I heard was unique, end of the world chord progressions over hip-hop beats, a cogent and erudite narrative, which is, at the same time, both primal, and stylised in terms of a wry, self- awareness. Melodic leads & counterpoint which have more in common with Glass and Stravinsky than Britpop & grunge. Combined with a staggering level of musical ability, Joycopter for me is at once awe inspiring & rewarding. I have been allowed a great freedom of expression and feel a comensurate responsibility to provide the best possible support for the music. And on a human level, grooving on the same stage as Chelle, Ant, Steve, & Stu generates huge levels of positivity that leaves me charged for days, see you live again soon, cheers ... db.Ant - more keyboards than can be fit in one room, short hair, single, all round nice bloke.Being a member of the band is great fun as we all get on, and the musicianship is on a high level (...apart from stu). The material is bizarre and challenging and as long as i get the odd solo then im afraid theyre stuck with me.
Influences: Frank Zappa, The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Bjork, System Of A Down, King Crimson, Lacuna Coil, The Mars Volta, Rammstein, Yes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jens Johannssen, Ned Steinberger, The Orb, William Orbit, Igor Stravinsky, Shawn Lane, Bill Bruford, Katia Labeque, Hiromi Uehara, Arthur Bliss,
Sounds Like: Backstage at a Chili Peppers gig - the Prodigy are partying with Bjork, Lacuna Coil & Igor Stravinsky
Record Label: JoyCopter
Type of Label: None