The Monsoon Bassoon
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The Monsoon Bassoon were a London based rock band, who existed between 1995 and 2001. Their music can be described as psychedelic rock or math rock, although their songs were often characterised by sudden changes in direction or mood. Regular features of their songs were male and female harmony vocals, swapping of the lead singer, woodwind parts, polyrhythmic sections, time changes and unusual scales.
Although sometimes sounding chaotic, their music was carefully planned to the last note. At times, all of the band could seem to play in different timings, before locking into a crescendo. For example, "The King of Evil," starts as a gentle folk song, but ends with all three singers shouting in chorus over a death metal guitar part. The band won the NME's single of the week award three times and had a passionate underground following, particularly inspiring other bands.
Since their break up, guitarists Dan Chudley and Kavus Torabi have continued to write songs together under different names. Their last outing together with ex-Monsoon Bassoon drummer Jamie Keddie was under the name Authority. The group folded in 2007 , Kavus Torabi is now also a member of Cardiacs, the cult underground rock band and avant rock group Guapo. Laurie Osborne now writes, records and performs within the dubstep genre under the name Appleblim.
Contents |
[edit] Band members
- Kavus Torabi - Guitar, vocals
- Dan Chudley - Guitar, vocals
- Sarah Measures - Saxophone, clarinet, flute, vocals
- Laurie Osborne - Bass
- Jamie Frazer Keddie - Drums
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- I Dig Your Voodoo CD (1999) WNRS4
[edit] Singles/EP’s
- Redoubtable Cassette EP (1995) ORG007
- In Bold Gardens EP (1996) (unreleased)
- Wise Guy 7" (1998) WNRS1
- In the Iceman's Back Garden 7" (1998) WNRS2
- The King of Evil 7" (1999) WNRS3
- Wall of Suss 1 7" split single with Rothko (2000) WNRS5
- Wall of Suss 2 7" split single with Max Tundra (2000) WNRS6
- My Kill Hand Never Felt so Good EP (unreleased)
[edit] Artwork
All single and album artwork was designed by David Barclay a tattooist in Old Street, London.
[edit] Compilations
- Summer 2001: 4 Seasons Singles Club 3 x CD (2001) DRSUM01 (featuring the tracks The Noosemaker, God Bless The Monsoon Bassoon and Brickfields)
- Useless in Bed Volume 1 Compilation CD (2002) HOS001CD (featuring one song from the unreleased In Bold Gardens EP)
[edit] Related bands
- Die Laughing - Plymouth metal band, featuring Kavus and Dan before forming the Monsoon Bassoon
- Squid Squad - Plymouth based band, featuring Dan, Sarah and Jamie before the Monsoon Bassoon
- Knife World - Solo project by Kavus Torabi, currently unreleased
- The Don and Only - An electronic solo project by Dan Chudley
- Hatchjaw and Bassett - Dan Chudley and Kavus Torabi's largely experimental recordings
- Admiral's Hard - Sea shanty band, led by Andy Carne and featuring ex-Monsoon Bassoon members
- Max Tundra - Members have acted as backing musicians for this electronic composer, and his song 'Acorns' is a posthumous tribute to the band.
- Miss Helsinki - Rock band briefly formed by Kavus, Dan and Jamie circa 2003
- Authority - New band formed by Kavus, Dan and Jamie in 2005
- Cardiacs - leader Tim Smith produced many of The Monsoon Bassoon's recordings, and Kavus Torabi now plays guitar in this seminal underground band.
- Guapo - Kavus Torabi also plays guitar in this UK avant-progressive act
