About:
Since receiving widespread critical acclaim for his debut solo album, Frieze, Chris has been busy performing in the US, Canada, South Africa and Europe, while getting extensive radio play, not only reaching the top 20 in the US on College Radio charts, but also featuring on the influential Morning Becomes Eclectic show on KCRW. Frieze was released at the end of last year and is currently in the top position on eMusic’s Commercial Alternative and Progressive Rock charts in the US, and has been since November last year. Chris played Austin’s South by Southwest, Toronto’s North by Northeast, and has just confirmed the legendary Oppikoppi Festival. Harmonium has already received airplay on London’s Xfm and BBC 6 Music.
Harmonium – in Chris’ words:
‘I Was Awake’: A dreamy, half-hallucinated song from the point of view of someone lying in intensive care waiting for a heart and lung transplant. Contemplating the body, life and how he wound up in that position: ‘Life’s a dog upon the leash of lung’. The percussion sounds are made from recordings of an artificial heart machine. Since Frieze, 'I Was Awake' has been rerecorded with the full band and has a much more natural, live vibe.
One unifying feature of the Harmonium EP is the use of cross-rhythms – four against three as the basis of Harmonium'; different divisions of fours and threes on 'I Was Awake' and 'Parker'. ‘Scenes’ is a tongue-in-cheek song about the music business. The song ‘Harmonium’: I suppose about dark moods, and feeling at the end of yourtether. About someone just hanging on by a thread.
London-based Chris achieved his first critical and commercial success with Urban Creep, one of South Africa's biggest rock bands. He has continued to release stunning solo and collaborative projects, recently working with Dave Matthews, Xavier Rudd and Vusi Mahlasela, as well as creating music for films and documentaries. He is also currently studying towards completion of his Doctorate in Music Composition at the Royal College of Music London.
Playing live with Chris are Victoria Hume (keyboards/voice), Andrew Joseph (bass), Phil Wakeman (guitar/voice) David Eugene Webb (drums/glock). Guesting on the EP is Quinta (Bat for Lashes) onviola/saw.
Praise for Frieze:
“Keenly intelligent, musically dense, utterly memorable” Billboard
“Chris Letcher crafts songs that sound like dawn: low and creaky, slowly building to a big burst of light.” Rolling Stone
“A sense of luminous menace... further proof of the pleasure-potential of the disquieting and disturbed.” Guardian
“Letcher has created a world that feels somehow more real than the one we're living in, and when the album is over, our own world doesn't feel quite the same.” Etan Rosenbloom, Prefix Mag
“Dense, gorgeous pop” Maura Johnston, Idolator
“The most sophisticated rock album ever made by a South African Artist.” FHM
“An intricately orchestrated, sincerely sung and often humorous offering... disquieting, electro-flecked, intricately composed revenge ballads.” Critics’ Choice, London Time Out
“On sent l'influence des plus grands mais on ne peut qu'entendre le protagoniste qui n'a rien à leur envier. L'album intemporel, joyeux, mélancolique, doux, amer offre quinze morceaux généreux qui deviennent vite indispensables.’ Pop News, France
“A lush orchestrated soundtrack.” Editor’s Picks, Blender, US
Press Contacts:
info@letchermusic.com
UK: helen@foundationpromotion.com
US: beckicarr@yarrrpr.com
Artist: Chris Letcher
Title: ‘I Was Awake’ single from Harmonium EP
Release date: 30 June 2008
Label: 2feet Music
Format: CD, Download
Cat Number: SSCD 519
UK Distributor: ADA
www.letchermusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/letchermusic
Email: info@letchermusic.com
UK Media: helen@foundationpromotion.com
FRIEZE OUT NOW. BUY  OR 
Reviews:
“Letcher has created a world that feels somehow more real than the one we're living in, and when the album is over, our own world doesn't feel quite the same.” Etan Rosenbloom, Prefix Mag
“A sense of luminous menace... proof of the pleasure-potential of the disquieting and disturbed." Guardian UK, June 2007
"Diese Album ist ein hörenswerter Gegenbeweis; Da hat jemand viel gewollt und viel geschafft." Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, August 2007
"Fascinatingly delicate textures that enhance the somber narratives." Ken Barnes, USA Today
“Dense, gorgeous pop.” Maura Johnston, Idolator
“Makes the earnest mopes of miserable bastards like David Gray and Damien Rice look like laundry lists.” - GQ (April 2007)
“A lush orchestrated soundtrack in search of a film - you know, something big budget and with lots of expensive crane shots and boyfriends in the rain calling up to their girlfriends illuminated windows. John Cusack needs to hear this.” Mike Errico, Senior Editor - Blender Magazine, USA June 2007
"The most sophisticated rock album ever made by a South African Artist." FHM (February 2007)
"A écouter d'urgence." - Indietronica
"The album Frieze illustrates that Chris Letcher is one of the greatest songwriters to grace the shores of this southern-most tip of Africa." Lloyd Gedye, Mail & Guardian
"This is simply a great album. Truly world class. Intricate, complex, melodic, ambitious, funny, literate and so damn listenable it will make you gasp" - Jeremy Daniel, The Star
"Keenly intelligent, musically dense, utterly memorable, always sliding through any attempts to nail it down to a genre." Diane Coetzer, Billboard/Entertainment Africa
"Une grande réussite, un grand moment de bonheur simple à découvrir d'urgence..." - Mur de son
...more reviews here
Cover design: Tamsyn Adams
FRIEZE RECORDED AND MIXED BY HOWARD 'FINGERS' BARGROFF and the band.
  
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