Seefeel
Along time has passed since the seminal sounds of Seefeel's Spangle came to the fore in 1994 but those who remember Seefeel will be delighted by their return in 2010. Originally forming in 1992 in London with Mark Clifford on guitar, Mark Van Hoen on bass (later to be replaced by Darren Seymour), Justin Fletcher on drums and Sarah Peacock on vocals, the group quickly signed to the British Independent label Too Pure. Early on their sound was characterized by the shoe-gazing dream pop from the 1990's such as My Bloody Valentine & Co. This soon changed after they signed to Warp Records in 1994 where the band decided to explore darker and more abstract forms. It wasn't until 1996 whilst on AFX's Rephlex label that the band bled one of their final releases.
That was until the end of 2009 when Seefeel announced that they would partly be reforming for a gig in Paris during the Warp20 Celebrations (video below). For reasons mostly geographical neither Justin Fletcher nor Darren Seymour could make the gig. Instead the other members of Seefeel where accompanied by Lida Kazuhisa (E-da, former Boredoms) on drums and Shigeru Ishihara (aka Scotch Egg) on bass.
With a recent remix of 'Chain', a School of Seven Bells track out on Ghostly International, we can only look forward to hearing new material.
Contact > ned{at}littlebig.org.uk
Seelfeel at Warp 20 Celebrations
Seelfeel Myspace
Old Seelfeel Classic - Spangle
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Press release Aug 2010 from www.warp.net ::
The catalyst to regroup with new members Shigeru Ishihara and E-da (a former Boredoms drummer) and record new material came after the band were asked to play Warp20 in Paris in 2009, as guitarist Mark Clifford explains: "We always said that we wouldn't record a new Seefeel record unless we could present something that we felt was new. When 'Quique' was re-issued a couple of years back myself and Sarah did some interviews together and we talked about recording new material. We exchanged a few ideas which were OK and things slowly got into gear but it was being asked to do the Warp20 show in Paris that really forced us to step up a couple of notches and since then, with the addition of E-da and Shige, things have developed and grown."
The band's relationship with Warp began in 1994. Our co-founder Steve Beckett explains: "Seefeel were the first band that Warp signed who had guitars – they were brave to sign to us because they became the ‘older siblings’ in the family and took all the flak by breaking the unwritten rules of an (up until then) purely dance label. After 1995’s ‘Succour’ they stopped performing live, but we always kept in touch and then for the first Warp20 show in Paris we asked if they would play".
Describing their performance in Paris as 'unbelievable', Steve asked the band to make another record as they came offstage. "They came back six months later – not just with a record, but a great record. This band needs to be heard, they need to be seen so that’s why we got involved again. Family members might leave for a long time but they always come home."
Mark says of the band's immediate future and the addition of Eda and Shinge: “Having two new members has really helped the dynamic of the band. There is a real dynamic, creative process that's exciting. We are growing as a live band, adding elements of improvisation and looser structures unimaginable to us a few years back and with continued touring - I'm excited to see how we develop in that direction."
