Upbeat Eletronica in the Key of Life: sonic costume is a band of three Londoners creating a unique kind of eletronica.
__SONIC COSTUME ___TARTTLE
The project has been driven forwards by its creator, Nick Mills, ever since he was given a Casio keyboard as a Christmas present. The first track recorded was _Cake_ and this led to an album that was never released. These days he composes the music on his computer, an Alesis QS8 synthesiser and various guitars. He has a love of electronic music but tries not to be restricted by the usual rules. His influences range from Van Dyke Parks to Aphex Twin, from Wendy Carlos to The Beach Boys, from John Barry to Boards of Canada.
In their own words, sonic costume is a band of three Londoners creating a unique kind of eletronica. If you ask them, they might tell you more about the music they make, but what really matters is that it’s some of the most exciting stuff out there right now. I can’t stop listening to them, and if you hear them once, you probably won’t be able to either.
Their first two albums, Upbeat Eletronica in the Key of Life and __SONIC COSTUME ___TARTTLE are available for free online. Go download them now (or buy them on vinyl from the sonic costume website).
Upbeat Eletronica in the Key of Life: sonic costume is a band of three Londoners creating a unique kind of eletronica.
Their sound is a unique blend of electro-pop and post-rock with hints of jazz, drum’n’bass and trip-hop. But this ambitious mix is not an over reach for the band. Their music never fails to create a mood, move a crowd or make you feel something special.
It is because their music connects so well with people that sonic costume have been booked at some of London’s top venues within just two years, playing alongside such legends as Midge Ure and The Thompson Twins. This has led them to being shortlisted for the best unsigned band competition at Camden Crawl 2008, where they were selected as one of London’s top 40 emerging artists.
The trio, who have already completed one tour of the UK, are currently putting together their first mini-album which will be released shortly on their own label, sonic costume records.
In the meantime you can buy their latest single ‘Tarttle’ from digital stockists such as iTunes and Napster. Or listen to it on http://www.myspace.com/soniccostume
Sonic costume is a band of three Londoners creating a unique kind of eletronica.
In ‘Upbeat Eletronica in the Key of Life: sonic costume is a band of three Londoners creating a unique kind of eletronica.’, sonic costume explain why they decided to start their own label, Tarttle. They talk about the music that inspires them and what it’s like to work with friends (spoiler alert: it’s awesome)
We spoke with sonic costume ahead of the release of their debut album, A&E, on May 4th.
Upbeat Eletronica in the Key of Life: sonic costume is a band of three Londoners creating a unique kind of eletronica.
In the early days they were making music with electric guitars and drum machines, but soon they went on to experiment with laptops and analogue synths. The result is a blend of influences from all over the world, but at the same time completely distinct and original: you’ll hear hints of acoustic guitar, kora or harmonicas, but also groovy bass-lines, glitchy beats and deep vocals. And always interwoven with strong melodies and uplifting lyrics.
Their live sets are an intriguing blend of synths, samplers and real instruments, played by three musicians wearing their trademark costume – hence the name “sonic costume”.
Their debut album “The Key Of Life” was released on April 19th 2019. It features songs from the earlier EP “Tarttle” as well as a few brand new ones.
In the 1980s, a group of young Japanese musicians created a new kind of music that was simple, direct, and groovy. They called it Shibuya-kei. It was an eclectic mix of styles inspired by the soundtracks of old French films, US club music and 60s pop.
Much later, in London, three musicians heard this music. Inspired by its directness and simplicity they began to write their own songs and play live shows around the city. Their first album saw release in 2008 on the London-based label Moshi Moshi Records.
Sonic costume is: __TARTTLE___
Sonata is a kind of music invented by Haydn and Mozart, characterized by three movements of contrasting rhythms. The first movement is usually fast and energetic, the second slow and expressive, and the third lighthearted, with plenty of dance rhythms.
The other great form of 18th-century instrumental music was the concerto – a piece for solo instrument with orchestra. The soloist would play virtuoso passages over the orchestra’s accompaniment, and in some movements would have a cadenza – a passage where he could show off his technique and improvisatory skills.
The development of classical music in the late 18th century was also influenced by social factors. In 1789 Louis XVI was overthrown in the French Revolution, which had far-reaching effects on European culture. For example, Paris became the most important city in Europe for artists and composers: Beethoven moved there to study with Haydn, and Rossini wrote operas for Parisian audiences.