Marconi Union

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Marconi Union are James Crossley and Richard Talbot, a British musical duo.

They are notable for incorporating elements of electronica, ambient, jazz and dub into their music, and a tendency to make records that are conceptually-based. Frequent comparisons are drawn between Marconi Union and bands like Talk Talk, Sigur Rós and Boards of Canada.

[edit] History

Their first album, Under Wires and Searchlights, appeared on the small British independent label Ochre Records, drawing attention for its combination of synthesisers, guitars, strings and musical soundscapes. This album was followed with a sustained period of silence only punctuated by a couple of remixes. They eventually resurfaced in 2005 on All Saints with a new album, Distance, featuring a darker, more electronic sound and garnering even more publicity.

Initially Marconi Union was a very reclusive band, never granting interviews or playing live. Recently they have become more visible, playing at the 2006 Big Chill Festival and Eden Sessions at Cornwall's Eden Project. They granted their first interview in October 2006 for the syndicated radio show Echoes. They continue to receive radio play in the US and the UK, and their tracks have appeared on several compilations albums as well.

Their most recent public performance was a one-hour live broadcast on Resonance FM 104.4 (UK based arts radio station) where they improvised music and used spoken word tapes to create an audio scape.