Dawn of the Replicants

Dawn of the Replicants
Origin Galashiels, Scotland
Genres Indie rock
Years active 1996– present
Labels eastwest, Hungry Dog (Flying Sparks imprint), SL Records
Website Official website
Members Dave Coyle
David Little
Roger Simian
Mike Small
Paul Vickers
Past members Donald Kyle
Grant Pringle

Dawn of the Replicants are a Scottish indie rock quintet from Galashiels,[1] described by Allmusic as "one of the most inventive groups in the United Kingdom. Impossible to categorize".[2] Four of the 1997 line-up (Pringle, Vickers, Simian and Small) had previously worked together on the short-lived Scottish music magazine, Sun Zoom Spark.

Band members

Biography

Initially a duo (Vickers and Simian), the band released a mail-order EP, entitled So Far So Spitfire in December 1996.[1] John Peel and Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 1 DJs gave the EP substantial airplay.[1] The band was expanded to a quintet and a second self-released single followed in the summer of 1997. They signed for eastwest, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records. Before the close of the year, a few more EPs followed, accolades from the NME, and The Times newspaper declared them the 'best new band of 1997'.[2]

The 1998 single "Candlefire", taken from the debut album reached number 52 in the UK Singles Chart.[3] The follow-up, "Hogwash Farm", peaked at number 65.[3] That summer the band played both the Glastonbury and Reading Festivals.

Before his death, John Peel aired five sessions, four as Dawn of the Replicants plus a one-off session Vickers and Simian recorded as side project, Pluto Monkey. The band's single "Science Fiction Freak", taken from the second Replicants' album, made John Peel's 'Festive 50' in 1999. The album sold less well than its predecessor and Warner Bros. dropped the band.

In 2000, Vickers and Simian released an album and two singles through Shifty Disco of electronica, under the name Pluto Monkey.

After a break the band returned with a third album and a live tour in 2002. John Aizlewood wrote in Q, "being dumped by their major label in 1999 should have finished Dawn of the Replicants. Instead they took their always cheery, slightly off-kilter pop to indieworld and carried on as if nothing (save a drastic budget reduction) had happened".

In 2005 the band played at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. In recent years they have also recorded sessions for Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1 and Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music. While on tour in the UK during early 2006, the band took part in the Abbey Road Sessions for American satellite radio station U-Pop and enjoyed video plays on MTV2, whilst Mojo, NME, Uncut, and Q all carried reviews of their fifth studio album, Fangs.

In 2006 ten years was celebrated with a twenty two track singles collection, the first 1,000 copies of which included a free DVD, featuring live footage, videos and interviews. New tracks were recorded in early 2007 for the sixth studio album. Members of Dawn of the Replicants can currently be found working on projects including Paul Vickers and The Leg, Mr. Twonkey, The Stark Palace, The Stone Ghost Collective, Mike and Michi, COW and The Border Boogie Band.

Discography

Albums

Compilations

EPs

Singles


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 246. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Craig Harris: Dawn of The Replicants biography at AllMusic. Retrieved on 2008-07-23
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 143. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.