no-man

housekeeping

the oli years 1990 -1994

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CD reissue boxset ‘Housekeeping: The OLI Years, 1990-1994’ out January via One Little Independent Records

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“Conceivably the most important band since The Smiths” - Melody Maker, 1990

Somewhere (somehow) between the feverish grooves of Madchester and the anthemic charge of the Britpop brigade, musically eclectic mavericks No-Man made a small mark on the early 1990s UK Independent music scene.

The band released two albums and series of singles on the influential OLI label (Björk, The Shamen etc), which generated rave reviews (Singles Of The Week in Melody Maker, Sounds, and Hot Press) and radio/TV play aplenty (BBC Radio One sessions/playlist, appearances on MTV, Channel Four and ITV1).

‘Housekeeping’ is a comprehensive remastered collection of No-Man’s output for the OLI label between 1990-1994.

Featuring the band's first two albums ‘Loveblows & Lovecries’ (1993) and ‘Flowermouth’ (1994), along with the singles compilation ‘Lovesighs’ (1992), the deluxe 5CD bookset also contains outtakes, alternate versions and the band’s sessions for BBC Radio from the period (which reveal a very different, more visceral, side to the band’s output).

Formed by Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson, the band also included violinist Ben Coleman and the albums featured notable appearances by Mick Karn and Steve Jansen (Japan), Robert Fripp, Ian Carr, Lisa Gerard (Dead Can Dance), and soon to be Porcupine Tree members Richard Barbieri, Chris Maitland and Colin Edwin.

Containing driving electronic pop music, epic ambient rock suites and emotive groove-enhanced ballads, ‘Housekeeping’ is a lovingly compiled tribute to the creative anomaly that is (and was) No-Man. Designed by Carl Glover, the hardback book includes essays by Matt Hammers (author of No-Man blog, All The Blue Changes), Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson, alongside rare photos and memorabilia.

lost not lost volume one: 1989/1990

no-man

swagger

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‘Housekeeping’ is launched simultaneously with ‘Swagger: Lost Not Lost Volume One, 1989/1990’ via Burning Shed.

‘Swagger’ chronicles the in-between period that came after the initial, wildly eclectic Tim Bowness / Steven Wilson studio experiments of 1987 and 1988, and prior to No-Man signing its first record deal in 1991. It mostly captures the band making a propulsive electro-rock music and forging a fresh and more flamboyant identity courtesy of new recruit, virtuoso violinist Ben Coleman.

Featuring Steven Wilson's guitar playing to the fore and Tim Bowness’s “before voice”, the music is notably more aggressive than what was created either side of it and, though it occasionally hints at the smoother ‘Loveblows & Lovecries’ to come and the fragility of what preceded it, it has a unique sound that separates it from everything else the band has ever done.

Containing 45 minutes of music, including 6 unreleased songs and 3 early versions of pieces that ended up on later releases, ‘Swagger’ showcases a hungry band making its alternate universe debut album. ‘Swagger’ is available on CD, LP and limited-edition cassette.

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Formed in 1987, no-man is a British band comprising Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson.

The name no-man was adopted in 1990 and first used on the self-released single, Colours (a Melody Maker, Sounds and Channel Four Planet Sound Single Of The Week).

Signed to labels including Kscope, One Little Indian and Sony, the band has so far produced six studio albums, a documentary dvd and a number of singles and compilations.

Originally creating ambient, dream pop and sample-based music,
no-man has subsequently embraced post rock, art rock and classical minimalist influences as its sound has become more organic and band-oriented.

Guest contributors to the band's music have included King Crimson's Robert Fripp and Pat Mastelotto, Porcupine Tree's Colin Edwin and Gavin Harrison, Jazz luminaries Theo Travis and Ian Carr, Electronic artists Scanner and Faultline, Bruce Kaphan (American Music Club) and Dave Stewart (Egg/Hatfield & The North). Ex Japan/Rain Tree Crow alumni Jansen, Barbieri & Karn toured and recorded with the band in the early 1990s.