Piano Magic

Infobox musical artist
Name = Piano Magic


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Origin = London, England
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Genre = Indie rock
Ambient pop
Post-rock
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Years_active = 1996 - present
Label = Important Records
Darla Records
Green UFOs
Monopsone Records
4AD
Rocket Girl Records
Acuarela Records
Morr Music
Acetone Records
Lissy's Records
Bad Jazz Records
Staalplaat
Piao! Records
i/Che Records
current_members = Glen Johnson
Jerome Tcherneyan
Alasdair Steer
Franck Alba
Cedric Pin
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URL = [http://www.piano-magic.co.uk www.piano-magic.co.uk]
Current_members = Glen Johnson
Jerome Tcherneyan
Alasdair Steer
Franck Alba
Cedric Pin
Past_members = Dominic Chennell
Dick Rance
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Piano Magic is 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. 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 is the only remaining band member from the original trio.

History

Piano Magic was formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England, as a 'bedroom-studio' project with the intention to base their recordings around their small nucleus and whomever else would like to contribute.

Originally reluctant to perform live, they eventually gave way to pressure from their label Ché. They recruited drummer Paul Tornbohm for the purpose but pointedly refused to play any of their released material at these live gigs.

With various singles and EPs under their belt, the debut album ' Popular Mechanics' appeared in 1997 and contained a collection of experimental, small-beat Meccano Pop. This was followed by a more ethereal sounding 'Low Birth Weight' 1998.

By 1999, only Johnson remained from the original trio and the band took on a much more conventional format. They showcased the post-modernist baroque sound of 'Artists' Rifles' 1999 at the Benicassim and BAM music festivals. Perhaps more popular abroad than in their homeland, tours of Germany, Holland, Italy, Belgium, France, Spain peppered the next few years.

The band signed to 4AD Records in 2000 and delivered perhaps their most critically contentious work, 'Writers Without Homes' (featuring the first vocal recording for thirty-three years of lost 60's/70's folk heroine, Vashti Bunyan) and the soundtrack to Spanish director, Bigas Lunas' Son de Mar movie.

After drafting in French musicians, Jerome Tcherneyan and Franck Alba alongside English bassist Alasdair Steer, they recorded 'The Troubled Sleep Of Piano Magic'. The 'Saint Marie EP' 2004 followed and featured collaborations with, again, Vashti Bunyan, Alan Sparhawk from Low and Ben Ayres from Cornershop.

Piano Magic's 2005 album, 'Disaffected' extended into an even more melodic, near-on "pop" sound, featuring more guest vocal contributions from John Grant of The Czars and Angle David-Guillou of Klima.

The current line up is is Franck Alba, Glen Johnson, Cedric Pin, Alasdair Steer, Jerome Tcherneyan.

Related Projects

Cedric Pin and Glen Johnson have recorded as 'Future Conditional'.

Glen Johnson has recorded as 'Textile Ranch'.

Glen Johnson has published a collection of short stories and poems titled "Angel Kagoule".

Dominic Chennell has recorded under the title 'Dominic de Nebo'.

Discography

Official full-length releases

*" Popular Mechanics", (i/Che, 1997)
*"A Trick of the Sea", (Darla, 1998)
*"Low Birth Weight", (Rocket Girl, 1999)
*"Artists' Rifles", (Rocket Girl, 2000)
*"Son de Mar", (4AD, 2001)
*"Writers Without Homes", (4AD, 2002)
*"The Troubled Sleep of Piano Magic", (Green UFOs, 2003)
*"Disaffected" (Darla, 2005)
*"Part Monster" (Important, 2007)

Official single releases

*"Wrong French", (i/Che, 1996)
*"Wintersport", (i/Che, 1997)
*"For Engineers", (Wurlitzer, 1997)
*"Music for Rolex", (Lissy's, 1998)
*"There's No Need for Us to Be Alone", (Rocket Girl, 1998)
*"Fun of the Century", (Piao!, 1998)
*"Mort Aux Vaches", (Staalplat, 1998)
*"Music for Annahbird", (Piao!, 1998)
*"Amongst the Books, an Angel", (Acetone, 1999)
*"Panic Amigo", (Morr Music, 2000)
*"I Came to Your Party Dressed as a Shadow", (Acuarela, 2001)
*"Speed the Road, Rush the Lights", (Green UFOs, 2003)
*"Saint Marie EP", (Green UFOs, 2003)
*"The Opencast Heart EP", (Important Records, 2005)
*"Never It Will Be the Same Again" [Limited Edition of 100 copies] , (EN/OF, 2006)
*"Incurable EP", (Important Records, 2006)

Resources

* [http://www.piano-magic.co.uk/ Piano Magic official site]
* [http://www.4ad.com/pianomagic/ Piano Magic at 4AD Records]
* [http://www.rocketgirl.demon.co.uk/pianomagic/index_1.html Piano Magic at Rocket Girl]
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* [http://www.myspace.com/lowbirthweight Piano Magic on myspace.com]