Representative Albums: "The Noise Made by People," "Haha Sound," "Work and Non-Work"
Representative Songs: "The Book Lovers," "Papercuts," "Come on Let's Go"
Biography
Space-age pop collagists Broadcast formed in Birmingham, England, in 1995; comprised of vocalist Trish Keenan, guitarist Tim Felton, bassist James Cargill, keyboardist Roj Stevens, and drummer Steve Perkins, the quintet came together out of a shared affection for the psychedelic cult band the United States of America, a primary influence on their subsequent work as a group. Debuting in 1996 with the Wurlitzer Jukebox label single "Accidentals," Broadcast immediately won favorable comparisons to Stereolab for their sample-heavy, analog, synth-driven sound; the comparisons continued when they signed to Stereolab's Duophonic Super 45s imprint for their next effort, "Living Room." After the icily atmospheric Book Lovers EP, the group moved to Warp Records to release 1997's Work and Non-Work, a compilation of their existing singles tracks. The much-anticipated full-length The Noise Made by People finally appeared in early 2000 and the Extended Play Two EP was issued that fall. Ever the studio perfectionists, fans had to wait until 2003 to hear any new material from the band, when the Pendulum EP arrived that spring and Haha Sound appeared that summer. In fall 2005, Broadcast -- pared down to the duo of Keenan and Cargill -- issued the America's Boy single and Tender Buttons full-length. 2006's Future Crayon collected the group's numerous rare tracks and B-sides. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Broadcast are an electronicmusic band, based in the Kings Heath part of Birmingham, England. Original members were Trish Keenan (vocals), Roj Stevens (keyboards), Tim Felton (guitar) and James Cargill (bass). Various drummers have played with the band, including Keith York, Phil Jenkins, Jeremy Barnes, Steve Perkins and Neil Bullock. As of 2005, the group consisted of Keenan and Cargill, with Felton having departed to form a new project, Seeland, with Billy Bainbridge, formerly of another Birmingham Warp act Plone.
The band's style is a mixture of electronic sounds and Keenan's 1960s-influenced vocals. It is heavily influenced by the 1960s American psychedelic group The United States of America, using many of the same electronic effects. It is also reminiscent of Stereolab. However, despite the similar musical pedigree, Broadcast's music often has a darker, edgier sound - with amorphous samples and analogue dissonance giving it a retro-futuristic sci-fi edge.
The band's first releases were singles released on Wurlitzer Jukebox Records ( "Accidentals" ) and Duophonic Records ("The Book Lovers") in the mid-1990s. "The Book Lovers" was also featured on the soundtrack of the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. They attracted the attention of Warp Records, who compiled the singles in 1997 on Work and Non Work. All subsequent releases have been on Warp Records, or in the USA on Tommy Boy Records. Their song "Before We Begin" was used in the Season Four finale of The L Word.
The band has released three albums, several EPs, two singles and EP collections. In October 2009, Broadcast released their latest work - a collaborative mini-album with The Focus Group (aka graphic designer and Ghost Box label co-owner Julian House) called 'Broadcast and The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age'. In late 2009 their song "I Found the F" was covered by Gravenhurst on the Warp20 (Recreated) compilation.
