Low-Noise

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of English synth-pop band Blancmange (as well as some other general stuff) in (just over) thirty minutes. Formed in Harrow, London, in 1979 by vocalist Neil Arthur and instrumentalists Stephen Luscombe and Laurence Stevens, the group's name derived from the milky pudding of the same name. Stevens left shortly after the band was formed, and Arthur and Luscombe conti...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of American indie-rock band Low (as well as some other general stuff) in (just under) thirty minutes. Formed in 1993 by Alan Sparhawk (guitar and vocals) and Mimi Parker (drums and vocals), the band was a trio from 1993 to 2020, having featured four different bassists. They disbanded following the death of Parker in 2022. I do hope you enjoy this episode. Mathew Wo...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of Original Pirate Material by English hip hop project the Streets (as well as some other general stuff) in (just over) thirty minutes. Released in 2002 by principal member Mike Skinner, the album is musically influenced by UK garage and American hip hop, while its lyrics tell stories of British working-class life. Skinner has also stated that his main early influe...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the album Amarok by English musician Mike Oldfield. Released in 1990 by Virgin Records, Oldfield originally conceived it as an 'angry protest album'. It is presented as a single sixty-minute track of continuous, uninterrupted but constantly changing music. Although the album was not promoted with singles or a concert tour at the time, a duo comprising American p...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the Scottish rock/soul/funk band Love and Money (as well as some other general stuff) in (just under) twenty five minutes. Formed in 1985 in Glasgow, Love and Money was created by three former members of Friends Again (singer-songwriter and guitarist James Grant, drummer Stuart Kerr and keyboardist Paul McGeechan) along with bassist Bobby Paterson, who replaced...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the English post-rock band Bark Psychosis (as well as some other general stuff) in (just under) twenty five minutes. Originally, Bark Psychosis was a quartet of Graham Sutton, Daniel Gish, John Ling and Mark Simnett. This line-up (with contributions from other passing members) recorded early singles and EPs plus the debut album Hex, before gradually dissolving o...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the English rock band Joy Division (as well as some other general stuff) in (just over) thirty minutes. Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook formed the band (initially called Warsaw) after attending a 1976 Sex Pistols concert. While Joy Division's first recordings were heavily influenced by punk, they soon developed a sparse sound and style that made them one of the pi...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the musical group Gong (as well as some other general stuff) in (just over) twenty five minutes. The band were formed in Paris in 1967 by Australian musician Daevid Allen and English vocalist Gilli Smyth. Band members have included Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake, Pierre Moerlen, Bill Laswell and Theo Travis. Others who have pla...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the album 'Moon Safari' by French electronic duo Air (as well as some other general stuff) in just under twenty minutes. Released in 1998 by Source and Virgin Records, Moon Safari was acclaimed by critics. It was re-released in 2008 to mark the album's 10th anniversary (including a bound book, a DVD documentary about the duo, and a bonus CD with live performance...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the musical group Animals That Swim (as well as some other general stuff) in (just over) twenty five minutes. Formed in London in 1989, the band was initially created by brothers Hugh Barker and Hank Starrs (Jeffery Barker), before adding third brother Al Barker to the line-up (along with Del Crabtree). The band issued two albums on the Elemental label, but work...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of Irish rock band Thin Lizzy (as well as some other general stuff) in (just over) twenty five minutes. Formed in Dublin in 1969, the band were led by bassist, songwriter, and singer Phil Lynott until 1984.One of the defining rock groups of the 20th Century, Thin Lizzy became an inspiration for modern heavy rock bands such as Metallica and Alice in Chains. I do hop...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the song 'The Captain of Her Heart' by the Swiss duo Double (as well as some other general stuff) in just under twenty minutes. Double was formed in 1983 in Zürich by Felix Haug (drums and keyboards) and Kurt Maloo (guitar and vocals). The high point of their career came shortly after the 1985 release of their first full-length album, Blue, which contained the i...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of British rock band The Railway Children in (just under) twenty minutes. Formed in Wigan in 1984, the group comprised Gary Newby (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Brian Bateman (rhythm/guitar), Guy Keegan (drums), and Stephen Hull (bass). Their debut single A Gentle Sound was released on Factory Records in 1986. This was followed by their debut album, Reunion Wilderness...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of pop band The Big Dish in (just under) twenty minutes. Named after Steven Lindsay's father's soup, the group formed in Airdrie, Scotland in 1983 and initially comprised Steven Lindsay (vocals/guitar), David Brownlie (drums), Stuart Hall (saxophone), Mark Ryce (guitar), and John Harper (keyboards). The band was subsequently augmented on stage by Paul Albertis (bas...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of English band The Beat (known in the United States and Canada as the English Beat and in Australia as the British Beat) in (just over) twenty minutes. The band formed in Birmingham in 1978. Their music fuses Latin, ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock. After the break-up of the Beat in 1983, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger went on to form General Public and had s...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of German electronic band Kraftwerk and in particular, their performance at the Forever Now festival in (just over) twenty minutes Kraftwerk were formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. They are widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music. The band's work has influenced a diverse range of artists and many genres of moder...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor Isaac Hayes Jr. in (just over) forty five minutes - this is the longest Low-Noise episode to date, which seems rather fitting as Hayes is known for his lengthy musical compositions. As a successful in-house songwriter, session musician and producer, Hayes was one of the creative forces behind Stax Records in the 1...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the song 'Why' by Carly Simon (as well as some other general stuff) in just under twenty minutes. The song was recorded for the 1982 film Soup for One. The film was a flop, but the soundtrack, including Simon's song, was a success, particularly in Europe. The song Why, produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, also became a top 10 hit in the UK. In 2...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the album Mamouna by Bryan Ferry (as well as some other general stuff) in just under thirty minutes. Released on Virgin Records in 1994, Mamouna was Ferry's first album of original material in seven years. Ferry spent six years writing and recording it under the working title Horoscope. The album peaked at number 11 on the UK Albums Chart. Mamouna was reissued i...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the album Kiss Me Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure (as well as some other general stuff) in just over thirty minutes. The Cure enjoyed an increased international popularity after the release of The Head on the Door in 1985. Capitalising on this success, the band released a singles compilation 'Standing on a Beach'. They toured to support the compilation and also rel...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of Exit North, the musical collaboration between Steve Jansen, Thomas Feiner, Ulf Jansson and Charlie Storm in under thirty minutes. Former Japan-drummer Jansen established a co-writing connection with singer Thomas Feiner in 2007 for his first solo album 'Slope'. Feiner co-wrote the track 'Sow The Salt.' For Jansen's second album 'Tender Extinction', Feiner co-wro...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of English progressive folk band Gryphon in under twenty minutes. Formed in London in 1972, Gryphon are known for their medieval and Renaissance style of music. After gaining notability during the progressive rock heyday of the early 1970s, they retired to pursue other musical activities. The group reformed for a one-off reunion in 2009, retired once more before pl...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of British funk band Cymande in under thirty minutes. Cymande was formed in London, in 1971. All were members of an Afro-Caribbean community in Balham, originating from nations such as Guyana, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent. Cymande were discovered by British producer John Schroeder while they played in a club in Soho in 1971. Schroeder recorded some demos and convince...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of Canadian folk band The Weather Station in (just under) fifteen minutes.  Formed in 2006, The Weather Station is fronted by Tamara Lindeman. Their debut album The Line was released in 2009 and their seventh album, Humanhood, was released in 2025. In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber. Mathew Woodall https://www.facebook.com/share/1F15mx4ea3/ h...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of London-based jazz /afrobeat/hiphop fusion band Kokoroko in under thirty minutes. Their track Abusey Junction, from their first eponymous EP boasts 59 million views on YouTube. They released their debut album 'Could We Be More' in 2022 and their second album ‘Tuff Times Never Last’ was released in 2025 on the Brownswood label. In this episode I am in discussion w...