[ 2003 / 08 ] Freelance artist Dave Andrae did one of the most extensive interviews to date with Mark Clifford, primarily on the subject of Seefeel, for the July/August 2003 edition of online magazine, Perfect Sound Forever.
[ 1997 / 11 ] From David Thorpe, the pure/impure mailing list is back up. Additionally, Jim Adams has created a seefeel side projects page. Check it out.
[ 1997 / 10 ] Seefeel are playing Oct 31 at Powerhaus in London. Details.
"Scala are currently recording their album - think they've just comeback to London from recording in Cornwall and are in production." [Source David Thorpe]
Another comp appearance. Nothing new... [Source Jim Adams]
[ 1997 / 07 ] Scala has released a new EP called Slide. I have provided 2 sound samples from the CD.
[ 1996 / 06 ] Aaron Johnston has conducted an excellent interview with Mark Clifford.
[ 1996 / 05 ] Mark Clifford has released a 12-inch Souf, Souf on Warp under the name Woodenspoon. And Scala -- less van Hoen plus members of MLO and Twisted Science -- as Echo Park have issued a 12-inch Razor Kiss on Lo Recordings. [Source Jim Adams]
[ 1995 / 11 ] Seefeel is back together! ch-vox is the name of the new album. Apparently it was recorded for Rephlex Records around two years ago. Six droning tracks totaling around 30 minutes. However, new material is being recorded for a summer release. [Source Conrad Sauerwald]
Mark Clifford has released 2 CDs as Disjecta (his sound is, not surprisingly, along the lines of Succour, IMO). The rest of the lot have formed a band called Scala with Mark Van Hoen (Locust) and have recently released a single and album. Apparently side projects include Aurobindo: Involution by Seymour and Van Hoen. [Source Jim Adams]
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More Like Space (pure CD 20) too pure
More Like Space (8'44") / Time to Find Me (Come Inside) (5'05") / Come Alive (5'06") / Blue Easy Sleep (4'41")
pure, impure EP (pure CD 25) too pure
plainsong (6'45") / moodswing (5'37") / minky starshine (10'37") / time to find me (afx fast mix) (7'31") / time to find me (afx slow mix) (9'30") / plainsong (sine bubble embossed dub) (8'46") art by jane brownhill
Quique (ASW 6123-2) Astralwerks, too pure
climactic phase #3 (8'23") / polyfusion (6'22") / industrias (6'38") / imperial (6'37") / plainsong (7'40") / charlotte's mouth (7'25") / through you (5'46") / filter dub (8'45") / signals (5'47") art by jane brownhill, dave masters
Starethrough EP (WAP 45CD) Warp Records
starethrough (7'46") / air-eyes (5'32") / spangle (7'21") / lux1 (6'04") art by designers republic dee are shekinah
Polyfusia (ASW 6125) Astralwerks
Combines More Like Space and pure, impure EP.
Fracture CD5 (Warp 53CD) Warp
fracture / tied art by designers republic
Succour (Warp LP28/Warp CD28) Warp
meol / extract / when face was face / fracture / gatha / ruby-ha / rupt / vex / cut / utreat art by designers republic
(ch-vox) (CAT 036 CD) Rephlex
utreat (complete) / e-hix2 / ch-vox / hive / ashdecon / net
12" white label (500 pressed)
starethrough (original version) / signals (momentum 1.3 remix) / filter dub (low pass remix)
"We're not really song people. We're more sound people." In a nutshell of Darren Seymour's making, that's Seefeel. But if a year ago you'd pressed him or any of the band for a similar comment the issue might have been more confused.
In the early part of 1992, Mark Clifford, Sarah Peacock and Justin Fletcher began knocking around for a band in the only way they know how.
"We were doing three-minute pop songs," says Justine, with a frown. "Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, middle-eight, chorus and fade to end..."
"Until we got bored," continues Sarah. "Which was very quickly!"
Darren entered the picture in July of that year, and when the four of them went into a studio to record tracks that would later become 'More Like Space', their first EP, they just decided to let everything go, to consign tried-and-tested indie formulae to the scrap-heap and start their journey to the heart of the sound.
This meant constructing songs around sequenced guitar effects, wandering into bassline-driven rhythmic experiments, putting sounds through filters, delays and old analogue synths, making up loops and samples, fiddling with EQs and reverb time...all of which sounds really bloody boring on paper. Muso city!
"Most people who're in guitar-based indie bands are just boys who spend years and years in their bedrooms practising Led Zeppelin riffs," counters Sarah. "OK, they might end up sounding a bit different, but they're trying to be musicians, guitar players. We're not like that at all.
"I'd hardly ever picked up a guitar before I met this lot. They got me in because I'd played bass once before! We all realised that it doesn't really matter what you play, it'll sound good because of what you're plugged into."
All of which sure sounds like the good old indie ethic--ideas before ability--but Seefeel are breathing new life into that flagging scene by drawing their inspiration from the current ambient techno boom.
"I'm an ex-indie kid," blurts Sarah. "And I'm completely pissed off with all my old records. I don't play them anymore. I'm seriously considering selling them all! For its failings, indie music did travel down a path of guitar sound experimentation. You can get some fucking excellent noises. We like that, so why not do it in a different context?"
"That's the great thing," adds Mark. "There's nothing like the warmth of an electric guitar. Synthesisers can be cold, but a guitar, just like a synthesiser, is just a signal. It's what you do to that signal afterwards that matters.
[rest deleted...]
As always, I am in no way affiliated with the band or label. I do not know where you can get their music or contact the band. Any comments regarding this page should be directed to brianh@hyperreal.org. This is a Hyperreal Experience.