Colorama (band)

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Colorama
OriginWales
GenresFolk, Blues, Baroque pop, Dream pop, Balearic folk, Folktronica, Acid folk, fuzz-soul, electropop, Psychedelic pop, Psychedelic soul, Alternative rock
Years active2007–present
LabelsWonderfulsound, Agati, Aficionado Recordings, AED (Analogue Enhanced Digital) Records, See Monkey Do Monkey, NOISE McCARTNEY RECORDS(Victor Entertainment)
MembersCarwyn Ellis
Luca Guernieri
David Page
Past membersDavid Fletcher
Matthew Evans, Wendon Davis, Richard Hayes, Gwion Rowlands, Dimitri Spiro, Ed Turner, Andrea Garbo, Tom Gardner, Adrian Meehan, Michael Rosenberg
Websitecolorama.org.uk [1]

Colorama is an alternative music group formed by Welsh singer-songwriter, music producer and multi-instrumentalist Carwyn Ellis. The line-up varies frequently, both in the studio and on stage.[1][2]

History

Colorama was started by Carwyn Ellis in Liverpool in 2007, the first shows being as a duo with David Fletcher, on double bass.
Colorama released their Japan only debut album, Cookie Zoo on Noise McCartney Records in April 2008,[3] and released their debut single, Sound via Redbricks Recordings in UK.[4][5][6]

In 2008, they became a trio with the addition of Luca Guernieri on drums and have since played Glastonbury Festival, Latitude Festival, Home Game, The Sŵn Festival, Port Eliot Festival, Truck Festival, The Apple Cart Festival, National Eisteddfodau, Cloudspotting Festival, Festival N°6, Green Man Festival and more.[7][8][9]

In the summer of 2009, the tragic news was announced that their double bass player, Ellis's best friend David Fletcher had died on 29 June, from a heart attack suffered in his sleep,[10] just days after Colorama’s appearance at Glastonbury Festival.[11][12]

Magic Lantern Show, featuring songs in Welsh and English was released in September 2009 with Dere Mewn becoming a modern classic in Wales and garnering rave reviews and lots of airplay on both sides of the border.[13][14]

In 2010 Colorama released their third album BOX on Noise McCartney (Victor Entertainment) in Japan and See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings in the UK.[15][16] Shortly afterwards, they released a Christmas single, Cerdyn Nadolig ( Christmas Card ) which garnered them the Welsh Christmas Number 1 on the BBC Radio Cymru chart.[17][18][19][20][21] BOX was also nominated for the inaugural Welsh Music Prize.[22]

In October 2011, Colorama released Llyfr Lliwio ( Colouring Book ), which was their first predominantly Welsh-language collection.[23][24][25]

August 2012 saw their fifth album release - Good Music, produced by Edwyn Collins and Sebastian Lewsley, and featured high in many an end-of year best album list (2012).[26][27] In November 2012 Colorama released a limited edition 12" single, Hapus? ( Happy? ) on Aficionado Recordings.[28]

In 2013, Colorama did remixes for fellow artists, John Stammers and AM & Shawn Lee. They reworked John Stammers's Idle I'm, 'transforming the stripped back acoustic song into a massive Balearic groove that has a John Barry-esque cinematic feel to it'.[29] Two Times by AM & Shawn Lee however, was transformed from its dub reggae roots and given a hard rock treatment.[30] Shawn Lee returned the favour, remixing Good Music for Colorama on their Do The Pump EP, also in 2013.[31]

At the end of 2013, the Colorama back catalogue was released on iTunes through the Wonderfulsound imprint, with Cookie Zoo being made available in the UK and Europe for the first time.[32]

In 2014, Colorama released a new EP, Heaven's Hotel,[33] a new album TEMARI,[34][35] followed by a split single, Yn Rhydiau'r Afon / Forget Tomorrow with The Joy Formidable.[36]

In November 2014, a compilation of all of Ellis's Welsh songs as Colorama was released on his own, new Agati label, entitled Dere Mewn!.[37]

In 2015, Colorama resumed recording at Toe Rag Studios in London, as well as continuing to perform in the UK and in Spain, including appearances at that year's Green Man Festival [38] [39] and Port Eliot Festival [40].

Some Things Just Take Time, the first full-length Colorama release in 3 years, came out in September 2017 on the Wonderfulsound label, and showed the group taking a more acoustic, folk-influenced direction.[41][42]

Musical Style

Colorama would best be described as a indie pop and alternative though they’ve been described as dream pop, acid folk, psychedelic rock, Baroque pop, fuzz-soul and electropop. The band perform in both English and Welsh.

A Mojo magazine review of Good Music described Colorama’s music as ‘genre-hopping - playful, boundary-free pop with oodles of melodic backbone and a neat line in intriguing sonic detail’, while various observers (Q, Shindig! Magazine, NME, eMusic) have made comparisons with The Clientele, Caravan, Harpers Bizarre, Vetiver, Fred Neil, The Kinks, Harry Nilsson, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Beck, Steely Dan, Espers, The Free Design, The Left Banke, John Barry and Bagpuss.[43][44][45]

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • Forget Tomorrow (2014, UK); Aruthrol
  • Hapus? (2012, UK); Aficionado Recordings
  • Cerdyn Nadolig / Christmas Card (2010, UK); See Monkey Do Monkey
  • Sound (2007, UK); Redbricks Recordings

EPs

  • Heaven's Hotel (2014, UK); AED Records
  • Do the Pump (2013, UK); AED Records

Compilation albums

  • #40 Mawr Radio Cymru (2015, UK); Sain
  • Mannequins (2009, UK); Kartel
  • The Music Sounds Better With Huw: Vol. 1 (2009, UK); Wichita Recordings

Remixes

References

  1. ^ "datatransmission.co.uk ARTIST COLORAMA".
  2. ^ "Western Mail-The changing man - Carwyn Ellis".
  3. ^ "Bad News Records ARTIST COLORAMA". Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "COLORAMA SOUND Piccadilly Records".
  5. ^ "BESIDE THE B-SIDE Colorama: 'Turnham Green'".
  6. ^ "Commuter Love: Colorama's Turnham Green and the romance of the suburban tube station".
  7. ^ "Who to watch at SWN Festival 2010 via Your Cardiff - Wales Online".
  8. ^ "Port Eliot Festival:ARTIST:COLORAMA".
  9. ^ "Green Man Festival : ARTIST COLORAMA". Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "David Fletcher Obituary - Musicians' Union Website".
  11. ^ "Glastonbury 2009 - Colorama".
  12. ^ "Western Mail-The changing man - Carwyn Ellis".
  13. ^ "datatransmission.co.uk ARTIST COLORAMA".
  14. ^ "The Digital Fix - Magic Lantern Show".
  15. ^ "THE INDEPENDENT Peer to peer: The stars' albums of the year COLORAMA:BOX". London. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Shindig! No.20".
  17. ^ "BBC Cymru Artistiaid COLORAMA".
  18. ^ "BBC Cymru Deg Nadolig Lisa Gwilym".
  19. ^ "Wonderfulsound COLORAMA 'Cerdyn Nadolig' (or 'Christmas Card' in English)".
  20. ^ "The top Welsh sounds of 2010 -Wales Online".
  21. ^ "Interview – Colorama". Themmp.tv. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "Welsh Music Prize Nominees".
  23. ^ "BBC Radio Wales - Bethan Elfyn - Colorama Llyfr Llywio/Colouring Book".
  24. ^ "Folk Radio UK - Introducing : Colorama".
  25. ^ "Beat City: Magic Lantern Show/Colouring Book".
  26. ^ "eMusic : Colorama, Good Music".
  27. ^ "Louder Than War : Colorama - Good Music".
  28. ^ "Phonica Records-HAPUS? COLORAMA AFICIONADO RECORDINGS".
  29. ^ "Idle I'm (Colorama Coloured In Remix : Piccadilly Records".
  30. ^ "Under the Radar Magazine: Premiere: AM & Shawn Lee - Two Times (Colorama Remix)".
  31. ^ "iTunes: Do the Pump - EP".
  32. ^ "Colorama/Wonderfulsound - Back Catalogue".
  33. ^ "The nearest faraway place : BBC Kent:Sean Rowley - New Release : Colorama – Heaven's Hotel".
  34. ^ "Colorama-Temari".
  35. ^ "BBC Radio Wales - Glittering, soulful music from Colorama".
  36. ^ "Double A-sides : Welsh singles club via Wales Online".
  37. ^ "Sound of Brit: Review : Colorama – Dere Mewn".
  38. ^ "BBC News : Green Man festival 2015".
  39. ^ "The Line of Best Fit : Green Man Festival".
  40. ^ "The Quietus : News : Port Eliot Festival".
  41. ^ "From The Margins : Review : Some Things Just Take Time".
  42. ^ "music won't save you : Review : Some Things Just Take Time".
  43. ^ "Beat Review-Colorama". Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  44. ^ "Kool Kat Musik:COLORAMA".
  45. ^ "BBC Radio Wales - Glittering, soulful music from Colorama".

External links

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