| Ilya | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Bristol, England |
| Genres | Electronica Trip hop Downtempo Baroque Pop Indie folk |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Virgin Records, Universal Records |
| Website | http://www.ilyasounds.com/ |
| Members | |
| Joanna Swan Nick Pullin |
|
| Past members | |
| Dan Brown | |
Ilya are a duo from Bristol, England. The band consists of Joanna Swan and Nick Pullin.
The band released their debut album They Died For Beauty in 2004, receiving a massive critical acclaim. It was followed by Somerset in 2006, after the departure from major company Virgin Records. The pair has been self-producing most of their music ever since then, in their home studio near Bristol.
Ilya have often been compared to Zero 7 and other post-2000 downtempo acts, whilst also being considered as continuing the trip-hop tradition, originated in Bristol in the 1990s. If their first album probably fitted better in the Zero 7-esque downtempo category, their second one was an attempt to a more organic and rowdier sound. A musical direction that was to be followed since then, each album being somewhat more radical and bare than the previous.
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The song Bellissimo was used by Revlon in their advertising, as well as in the French TV commercial for Cacharel perfume "Amor, Amor".
Martin Freeman from The Office is featured in the Bellissimo music video.
Soleil Soleil, from Ilya's first album, can be heard in the film Mr Brooks, starring Kevin Costner, William Hurt and Demi Moore.
The third Ilya album, Hootchi Cootchi, was released early 2007, through online orders only. But due to its very different sound, which explores a rougher, sometimes darker, and definitely more electronic and experimental side of Ilya, the pair decided to release it under the name Jo Swan, so as not to disturb early fans, used to the jazzy Ilya sound.
Still in 2007, Joanna Swan from Ilya has recorded an album with Belgian female artist Lunabee. Eventually released in November 2007 after a few months of postponing, it was simply titled Lunabee & Swan, and was also only available by mail orders. That same year, Joanna Swan wrote lyrics and recorded voices for an album with French composer Francois-Elie Roulin, "Alien Robots Orchestra". It was first digitally released in France on September 11, 2008.
The fourth album (but the third one as Ilya), Carving Heads On Cherry Stones, was released on CD on June 23, 2009, and exclusively sold through the band's website. Digital release followed next September. On this 10-track album, the music goes in a more abstract and rugged direction, focusing on voice and guitar.
Prior to the digital release of the All Around My Heart 4-track EP (April 21, 2010), an exclusive track (Carrion Crows) was given away to fans through the Ilya mailing list. The duet announced the making of a new album, to be released during the fall of 2010, possibly containing a couple of tracks from the EP. Another project is in talks, involving Dan Brown, the third Ilya member during the making of 'They Died For Beauty'.
On September 14, 2010, Jo Swan released, under her own name, a 17-tracks compilation album, Songs From the 90's (A Retrospective of Previously Unreleased Recordings). Digital release only. An extra live track (In Timeless Light) is offered to fans to announce this release.