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Simian

 
Artist: Simian
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists
Simian

Group Members:

James Shaw, Alex MacNaughton, James Ford, Simon Lord

Similar Artists:

Mull Historical Society, The Beta Band, Beulah, The Phoenix Assmebly of God Choir, Sloan, Pacific!, Justice, The Black Neon, Broadcast, Luke Vibert, Super Furry Animals, The Flaming Lips, Aspera, Alfie

Influenced By:

The United States of America, Silver Apples

Formal Connection With:

The Black Ghosts, Simian Mobile Disco
See Simian Lyrics
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "We Are Your Friends," "Chemistry Is What We Are"

Biography

Psychedelic pop experimentalists (with a heavy emphasis on the mental) Simian came into full fruition after James Ford, Alex MacNaughton, and James Shaw bumped into Simon Lord; after the trio heard Lord's compositions and vice versa, the four opted to work together under the name of Simian. Informed by and resembling experimental artists of the '60s like Silver Apples and the United States of America just as much as those of the current times, from Luke Vibert to the Beta Band, Simian debuted on the U.K.'s Source label in 2000 with the Watch It Glow EP. Another EP, The Wisp, was released a full year later, followed four months later by their acclaimed debut LP, Chemistry Is What We Are. Astralwerks picked up the head-scratcher of a record for release in the U.S. In late 2002, the group released We Are Your Friends, and early the following year they embarked on their first U.S. tour. Unfortunately, a third was not forthcoming, although Ford and Shaw later regrouped as the production act Simian Mobile Disco and released Attack Decay Sustain Release in 2007. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Simian (band)
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Simian
Origin Manchester, England, UK
Genres Indie pop
Electro-pop
Years active 2000–2005
Labels Source UK
Associated acts Simian Mobile Disco, The Black Ghosts
Members
Simon William Lord
James Ellis Ford
Alex MacNaghten
James Anthony Shaw

Simian were an English electronic rock band, formed in Manchester in 2000.

Contents

Personnel

  • Simon William Lord (vocals, lead guitar)
  • James Ellis Ford (drums),
  • Alex MacNaghten (bass)
  • James Anthony Shaw (keyboard).

History

Simian were formed while members of the band were studying at Manchester University.

Main releases

Their debut album Chemistry Is What We Are was first released in the UK on 9 July 2001 on Source Records and in the U.S. on 18 September 2001 on Astralwerks. The U.S. edition contained two bonus tracks, "The Tale of Willow Hill" and "Grey", that had previously been released in the UK as part of The Wisp and Watch It Glow EPs respectively.

Their second album, We Are Your Friends was released in the UK on 28 October 2002 (on Source Records) and in the U.S. on 29 October 2002 (on Astralwerks). The Japanese release (26 March 2003) also included the bonus tracks, "Out of Bed", "Coins" and "Reasons", the first two of which had previously been released in the UK as B-sides of the "Never Be Alone" single.

Other work

In 2000 the band recorded a cover version of the Prince song "Under the Cherry Moon" from his album Parade (1986). This song was released on the tribute album, If I Was Prince (2001).

The band remixed the track "Playgirl" by Ladytron and remixes by Appliance and Zero 7. They have also remixed the track "Papua New Guinea" by The Future Sound of London.

In 2003, their song "La Breeze", which was featured in a Peugeot 1007 advertisement, and in the Dove film advertisement "Onslaught".

Split

The band split up in 2005 with Ford and Shaw forming the splinter group Simian Mobile Disco. The new group is more dance oriented and are in demand as remixers and DJs.[citation needed] Lord is now in The Black Ghosts, an electronica act with DJ Touche from The Wiseguys.

In 2006 the single "We Are Your Friends", which is a remix of their song "Never Be Alone", was released on a reactivated Virgin Records subsidiary label called Ten Records. This single was credited to "Justice vs. Simian", and started life as a submission by the French electrohouse outfit Justice in a remix competition. The video for the single won the award for best video at MTV Europe Video Awards 2006. At the MTV Europe Music Awards 2006, fellow nominee Kanye West appeared on stage to complain about the Justice vs. Simian victory.[1] West claimed that the prize should have gone to him, and that he was told prior to the event that he was going to win the award.[2]

Discography

Albums

  • Chemistry Is What We Are (2001)
  • We Are Your Friends (2002)

Singles and EPs

The following releases were in the UK only, on Source Records:

  • Watch It Glow (EP, 16 October 2000)
  • The Wisp (EP, 21 May 2001)
  • "One Dimension" (22 October 2001)
  • "Mr. Crow" (25 February 2002)
  • "Never Be Alone" (14 October 2002)
  • "La Breeze" (2 June 2003) - UK #55[3]

References

  1. ^ Partizan (2007-07-08). "mtv awards - justice vs simian rinse kanye". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdDO3TJRbUY. Retrieved 2009-04-28. 
  2. ^ Bainbridge, Luke (2007-08-12), "It's Kanye's world", The Observer, http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/aug/12/urban.kanyewest 
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 498. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

External links


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