Piano Magic
| Piano Magic | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Indie rock, ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | www |
| Members | |
| Past members | |
Piano Magic was a musical collective formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their sound has been described as ambient pop,post-rock, indietronica, dark wave, "arty baroque pop" and "English radiophonic soundscapers". While the most recent releases have seen them operating with a traditional band format, they originally started their career with the intention to base their recordings around their small nucleus and whoever else would like to contribute. Glen Johnson was the only remaining band member from the original trio (with the exception of Paul Tornbohm, who returned to the band for their final album Closure).
Piano Magic was formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, as a 'bedroom-studio' project with the intention to base their recordings around their small nucleus and whoever else would like to contribute.
Originally reluctant to perform live, they gave way to label pressure when their first single proved popular on the BBC Radio 1 John Peel show and was awarded Single of the Week in Melody Maker. While recruiting Paul Tornbohm to play drums at these gigs, they pointedly refused to play or sound like any of their released material.
Popular Mechanics appeared on I (label)/Ché Trading in 1997, a debut album which the press variously described as "ethereal electro pop atmospheric soundscapes" or "simply delighting in... making silly noises" and which the band thought of as "Small Beat, pre-chip... radiophonics". It included vocals by Hazel Burfitt and Raechel Leigh but, with Rance having quit the band, combined two previous single releases with a set of new recordings by Johnson and Chennell.
The duo then briefly recruited American music students Alexander Perls, Jen Adam and Ezra Feinberg to complete the band, though Chennell too had departed by the time of the second album release Low Birth Weight in 1998, a record described as "dreamy, trance and organic psychedelia". It introduced the vocals of Caroline Potter, who would sing on one further album.
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Wikipedia