NEW ALBUM MARCH 2017 AVAILABLE HERE....

https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/phretheeon

https://www.facebook.com/phretheeon

"experts in executing vibrantly lit indie songs" - MANCHESTERMUSIC.CO.UK

"something pretty special" - BBC INTRODUCING

"a rare treat......equipped with that most indefinable of talents: the ability to write a decent tune." - SOUND ON SOUND MAGAZINE

"god they are catchy, so bloody catchy!" - CHIMP MAGAZINE

From the Kites Of San Quentin use various boxes and instruments old and new and make sounds come out of them. When the sounds turn into music we mash them together. You may call them songs if you wish....we call them experiments. Please enjoy responsibly. XX

Minute Taker, AKA Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ben McGarvey, is known for his nostalgia-fuelled synth-pop songs and haunting, ethereal vocals. 

His latest 80s-inspired album WOLF HOURS includes the singles Lead You Home, The Darkest Summer and After The Rain (featuring BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT) which has received airplay on BBC Radio 2. 

The album’s music videos are taken from an audiovisual show he toured in 2019-20, also called WOLF HOURS, which explores the psyches of gay men at different point in time. 

Aside from two previous acclaimed albums, official remixes for YAZOO & ERASURE, and collaborations with fellow synthwave artists COLOR THEORY, LAU, 3FORCE, WALTER ALIENSON & MEGAN MCDUFFEE, Minute Taker has gained a reputation for his inventive cover versions of classic songs by some of his favourite artists including Kate Bush, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Tori Amos & Pet Shop Boys. Many of these were recorded exclusively for Secret Songs, a series of homemade albums available for fans via a Patreon-esque subscription service.

Manchester, UK-based Canadian singer/songwriter Ryan Lamey distills experiences of tragedy, trauma, and unrelenting pining and anxiety into songs of great warmth, sincerety and, often, a playful wit. His music spans tender, low-fi acoustic observations, to full-band power pop - music described by the Manchester Evening News as “epic in chorus, heartfelt in sentiment, and rousing in atmosphere.”

Lamey was a founding member of Canadian band queencab with renowned singer/songwriter Peter Hicks (Sleepy Driver, My Black Ram) and of the Manchester-based emotive indie band Sloganeer. He is also half of the ever-evolving project The Spiels with friend and long-time collaborator Ben McGarvey (Minute Taker).

"Hotly-tipped local outfit The Spiels specialise in alternative folk-pop of infinitely dark hue. A heady formula that takes in Arcade Fire, Kate Bush and Anthony and the Johnsons, the Manchester outfit subtly sweep you into their dark melodic undertow". 

David Sue- Manchester Evening News.

The Spiels, with their energetic live sets, breathtaking harmonies and rolling rhythms, have earned a reputation as one of Manchester's most intriguing new bands. The story began in 2010 when singer-songwriters Ryan Lamey and Ben McGarvey, once rivals of the Manchester music scene, discovered they had a mutual affinity for all things dark and melodic. The pair were soon joined by Jo Reid on violin, Andy Ford on drums and Gemma Lovegrove on bass and synth. Together, in the midsts of their dynamic soundscapes and haunting melodies, The Spiels seek to capture the brutal, the beautiful, and the strangely comic aspects of the human condition.

After performing all over the UK and supporting various artists (Uh Huh Her, Karima Francis, Autoheart) the band have attracted a firm following of like-minded creatives. In December 2010 their version of Kate Bush's December Will Be Magic Again was released by French independent label Ocean Music as part of their 7 Wishes For Christmas charity compilation and has since become a fan favourite. In February 2011 the band created the soundtrack for In The Red Theatre Company's production of Patrick Marber's Closer.

Early 2013 sees The Spiels releasing their debut 5 track EP Night Vision Part One. To celebrate the much awaited release a launch party will be held at Soup Kitchen in Manchester's Northern Quarter on 19th January. The Spiels will perform a 1 hour concert and advance copies of the EP will be available to buy. 

Night Vision Part One will be released on Octagonal Records on February 18th 2013. 

Blissy broken beats via an electronic 3-piece from Manchester :: boxboxbox are Lee Campbell, Phil Brooker and Helen Crowder :: Follow this page for new releases, and gig updates :: Dive E.P. out now, stream here and download at whoaskedboxboxbox.bandcamp.com ::

We have delivered varied sets, supporting and sharing stages with the likes of; Alchemist, Dead Prez, Eclair Fifi, Fingathing, fLako, Just Blaze, Kutmah, Maureen 'Ma Dukes' Yancey, The Mouse Outfit, Onra, Paul White, Peanut Butter Wolf, Phat Kat, Throwing Snow and Zed Bias to name but a few.
As well as setting the scene sonically for Artist Residence Hotels, artrepublic, Dazed & Confused Magazine, The Doctor’s Orders, Future Shorts, Genesis Research Trust, Island Records, Laine Pub & Brewery Co., Manchester International Festival, Merivale Sydney, Mission Mars, Nokia, Northern Monk, Secret Cinema, Singha and Smirnoff. As well as provided music production for Arber Gin, Fade Footwear, Mountain Dew, Ride BMX Magazine, Transworld Sport and Toyota.

Bookings: questions@whataboutthe.com

Music / Creativity / Events / Activism
Northern Quarter, Manchester.


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