Angerbot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Angerbot | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Bedale, England |
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| Genre(s) | European Rap Pyschadelic Rock |
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| Years active | 1998–present | |
| Label(s) | Bedale Grooves | |
| Website | [1] | |
| Members | ||
| Ross Andrew James Cope Ed Goodacre |
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Angerböt are a popular post-eurorock British band, known for their unique musical style (which fans have lovingly named, 'Bötlike'), and their flamboyant, mystical dress sense.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] 1998-2003
Cope, Andrew and Goodacre all met whilst attending Bedale High School, in September 1998. All living in the area, they became friends whilst attending the school, and considered forming a band to take advantage of their formidable musical talents. They did, and the band which became the root for Angerböt to grow from, 'Shackleton in Ernest', was born.
[edit] Shackleton in Ernest
After forming Shackleton with the addition of Nicholas Pitchers (keyboard and additional vocals), the band began to write new work, in the hope of attracting attention, and landing a deal, or at least an opportunity to record a demo. Their first EP, 'A Star Named Bedale', was met with mixed reaction, with local press labelling it 'mediocre', whilst the local jazz and drum and bass clique labelled the band as 'the second coming'. Hurt by their early criticism, the band took the unanimous decision to fire Pitchers, and instead replaced him with 'Raphael', a 6"4 mute Cossack poet. The decision to replace Pitchers, who had been the main songwriter and vocal contributor, with someone who just walked around all day barefoot wearing a white robe, understandably alienated fans and critics alike.
[edit] Early EP's and Eagerly Relaxed
Egged on by Raphael's enthusiasm, Shackleton began to write new material, and in 2001, released an EP, the self-titled 'Shackleton in Ernest'. The first track on the EP, 'In Search of Richard Bacon', began to garner airplay on local radio, and the band signed up with a manager and put pen to paper on a 2-album record deal with EMI. Unfortunately, the additional pressure of recording a new album as well as being the band mascot became too much for Raphael, and he began to noticeably start drinking.
Recording the first album was difficult. With in-fighting amongst the band over track listings and instrument solos, the release of Shackleton's first full length album, 'Eagerly Relaxed', anticipated since the release of their earlier EP's, proved to be a dissapointment. The album contained only 2 tracks, the first, 'Space', a 36-minute static guitar solo from Goodacre, which amounted to nothing more than white noise and some moderate coughing, and the second, 'The End is Nigh', which was 14-minutes of Cope reading 'War and Peace' in a high-pitched falsetto voice, whilst Andrew improvised with maracas and a triangle. Widely thought of as the first bridge between concept album and audio book, the album bombed, and was never widely made available.
Shackleton in Ernest were subsequently dropped from EMI.
[edit] In the wilderness
[edit] Raphael's Death
Distraught at the failure of Shackleton's debut effort, Raphael descended into an oblivion of alcohol, self-loathing and urine. Soiled, depressed, and drunk, he wondered into a Lincolnshire woodland (where he was witnessed by two local ramblers), pulled a dove out of his robe, set it free, then turned around, visibly sobbing, and was never seen again.
The death hit the band hard. Each blaming each other over the failure of their debut album and subsequently Raphael's death, the band took an 'indefinite' hiatus, and returned to their studies, hoping to put the experience behind them. Fortunately, talent can only be held back so long, and soon the bow on the ribbon holding them back was released.
[edit] Reunion, Touring Europe, and Angerböt
[edit] Reunion (2003)
After attending college and being separated for 2 years, Cope, Goodacre and Andrew met, discussed their differences, and decided to reform Shackleton in Ernest. At first just playing local gigs and competitions, the band once again began to get noticed, but initially they refused to sign a contract, instead choosing to hone their unique sound and build the foundations for the house that was to become Angerböt.
[edit] Touring Europe
In late 2006, the band decided to tour Europe, with the intention of going on an improvised holiday, and playing gigs along the way. They were met in Europe with a lot more enthusiasm than at home, perhaps due to Cope's sensibilities to write europop orientated singles, and Andrew and Goodacres jazz/pschadelic tendencies. Met with a standing ovation in Louvren, Belgium, and chased off the stage in Brig, Switzerland, they were still polarising opinions all over. Next, they decided to test Munich's stomach.
[edit] Angerböt
Whilst staying in a Wombat's hostel in Munich centre, the band were drinking and talking to the local residents, when an originally named Irishman named Paddy went home whilst leaving his guitar and bongos. Taking the opportunity, the band began to jam at around 11pm, as the bar was beginning to close. It was to prove an astonishing session. 'Maybe it was the Paulaner, maybe it was the stagnant smell of American travellers, but something inspired us....possessed us' Andrew was later quoted as saying. Joined by a harmonica wielding hippy, the band came up with new material in a short space of time, and immediately penned the new single, 'Keep on Strivin'. The jam was cut short as the band was musically repressed by 'the man', but they decided that with their fresh start, they needed a new name. Angerböt was born.
[edit] New Success
[edit] A Sheep Sheared on Pluto
The first single from Angerböt was said song, 'Keep On Strivin', which was a groundbreaking, controversial mix of European rap, scat jazz and sampled screaming. A European smash upon release, the band had their first major success, and buzz began to generate. Whilst still travelling around Europe, the band wrote and recorded Angerböt's debut album, 'A Sheep Sheared on Pluto', which included the songs which later become hits, 'Prague Traffic Lights' and 'Jamming Tree' (a re-release of the same-titled single present on the Star named Bedale EP, co-written by Nicholas Pitchers). With 'Jamming Tree' nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year, and the album track '8.44pm Munich time' being featured on an iPod advert, the band were a phenomenon.
[edit] Solo Projects
With the success of their debut album, the band decided against immediately recording a new album, not wanting to put too much stress on themselves, and devoted themselves to solo projects and hobbies. Cope soon became a favourite of the tabloid media, and was spotted on several dates and linked with several celebrities. Rumours began to circulate that he was recording a duet with George Michael, and after a 2 day session at Abbey Roads studio, the cover 'Don't let the sun, go down on me' was released by the two. Peaking at 22 in the UK charts, it was considered a dissapointment, although it was Number One in four countries (Spain, Slovenia, Moldova and Luxembourg).
Andrew formed a 7-man Drum and Bass troupe, known as 'Jungle Sushi', and their debut album, 'Neon Drum-Beat in A minor', sold nearly 1.2 million copies worldwide, including 400,000 in Japan alone.
Goodacre devoted himself to organic farming, and supplied cherry tomatoes to 80% of the Morrison's branches in the South-East of England.
[edit] Diversity Complex (2007)
In early 2007, Angerböt regrouped and began work on their sophomore effort, 'Diversity Complex'. Early reports from the sessions indicate that old frictions are beginning to surface, with the band already hiring and firing 14 different producers in just 6 weeks, unhappy that no one was 'catching their sound'. Newspaper reports suggested that one producer, the acclaimed Nigel Godrich (of Radiohead fame), walked out on the band after one particurly heated argument in which Cope hurled a chair through a glass window, and nearly hit Godrich, before curling up in a ball on the floor sobbing, whilst scratching lyrics onto his hand with a compass. Cope's publicist denied this, stating 'it's all been blown out of proportion, it was a microphone stand, not a chair'.
Diversity Complex is scheduled for release sometime in late 2007.
