David Wrench
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David Wrench is an albino pop singer from North Wales.
He first came to public attention while still at school in 1989 with his first group Nid Madagascar, who recorded "the first Welsh language acid house record" as a 12" single in 1990. Reappearing some years later as a solo artist he was signed first to Ankst Records of Cardiff and later to Manchester based Storm Music. Wrench has made two albums, Blow Winds Blow and The Atomic World of Tomorrow, as well as a number of singles and EPs. He was also a member of the 33 piece "cosmic supergroup" The Serpents, with whom he also released a single and an album.
His first full-length solo album, Blow Winds Blow, can be musically described as reminiscent of Nick Cave's signature "murder ballad" sound. The album also showcases Wrench's multi-instrumentalist talents. He is supported by Alan Holmes on violin and Henry Priestman on clarinet. Five of the album's thirteen tracks were co-written by Wrench and Zoe Skoulding. Another track from the album, "Mad Song" is based on the poem by William Blake.
The Atomic World of Tomorrow and its supporting singles are best described as camp synth pop, with a resemblance to artists such as the Pet Shop Boys and Scissor Sisters. The lyrics are more involved and interesting than one would associate with the genre, subjects include satirising British sexual repression ("Superhorny") and attacking the Bush/Blair war Jugend in the confrontational "Fuck You (and Your War on Terror)".
The latter track was to appear on an anti-war E.P. 'World War IV, which was to include a cover of Radiohead's "Creep". The band refused permission causing the track to be removed from the E.P. David went to Manchester to confront an irrated Thom Yorke to no avail.
When not working on his own music, Wrench is a studio sound engineer and has worked in this capacity with the likes of Beth Orton, Jackie Leven, Ladytron, Julian Cope, The Duke Spirit, British Sea Power, Euros Childs, Zabrinski, Radio Luxembourg, Simian, James Yorkston and many others.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 1997: Blow Winds Blow (vinyl LP/audio CD)
- 1999: You Have Just been Poisened by The Serpents (audio CD with The Serpents)
- 2005: The Atomic World of Tomorrow (audio CD)
[edit] Singles and EPs
- 1990: "Lledrith Lliw" (12" vinyl EP with Nid Madagascar)
- 1997: "Black Roses" (7" vinyl)
- 1997: "The Ballad of the Christmas Tree and the Silver Birch" (7" vinyl)
- 1998: "No Mask, No Cloak, Dim Gobaith" (7" vinyl with The Serpents)
- 1998: "Sings the Songs of the Shangri Las" (7" vinyl EP)
- 2004: "Superhorny" (12" vinyl & CD EP)
- 2004: "World War IV" (CD EP)
