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MAGENTA
MOOR |
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 Formed:
Lampeter,
Wales...2000, by MOORE, MATTHEWS and JESPER.
Moore added girlfriend LUCAS while Jesper brought in OWEN. Maintained interesting
working arrangement, with Jesper based some distance away in Sheffield,
and only occasionally joining the band live, while Moore, Lucas and Jesper
continually exchanged instrumental roles. Style: Ecclectic over
produced rock with folk, space-rock, and prog flavourings. Also production
numbers and quirky happy ditties. Moved into concept album territory with
their second release. Verlecci was very nearly a noise record but Dragon
King returned to more conventional territory.Songwriters: Initially
all by Jesper, with occasional collaborations from Moore and Lucas. Later
group compositions, with decreasing involvment from Jesper. Trivia:
Lucas
is the daughter of Et Cetera's Adam Lucas and Jo Hustler.
Recommended: Turn to
Face the Light (*8), 11 (*6)
JESSICA MOORE (aka
MAGGIE MOORE) - vocals, violin, flute, cello, bass, keyboards
/ IAN MATTHEWS - drums,
vocals / RACHAEL OWEN - guitars,
vocals, keyboards / STEPH JESPER (ex-
HUNTER'S MOON) -
keyboards, bass, vocals, production, CLAIRE
LUCAS - vocals, bass, viola, guitars, keyboards |
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Jul '01 (cd - AMM1CD)
II
- Starship 2020 / Venusian Love Song / Elastic / Mrs Roan /
Unshala / Pleasure Pier / Tonight / Nostril Poem / Tresspassers Will...
/ Caribbean Fun / Another World
CLUSTAMM1CD - CD album - c.40'
The debut album from Magenta Moor. Dripping in keyboards and guitar
overdubs this album begins with the whizzy space-age doublet of "Starship
2020" and "Venusian Love Song", before crashing down into a school play-ground
for "Elastic" and "Mrs Roan". Phase One ends with the quirky ditty of "Pleasure
Pier" and the cheesy "Tonight" begins the second half of the album. Then
later there is the raucous "Tresspassers Will..." charting the future of
Whinnie the Pooh, the silly "Caribbean Fun", and the dark closer of "Another
World". As electro-goth music-hall goes, it's alright. |
Sleevenotes excerpt:
Written by Steph Jesper
and other members of the collective consciousness, with contributions from
the Marquis de Sade.
Magenta Moor vocalises,
violins, flutes, cellos, basses and keyboards like there's no tomorrow.
Claire Lucas vocalises,
basses, violas, guitars and keyboards for the safety of the future.
Rachael Owen guitars, vocalises
and keyboards in hope of a new generation of love, peace and harmony furniture
polish.
Ian Matthews drums and vocalises
for the benefit of the children.
Steph Jesper basses, keyboards,
guitars, flutes, cellos, vocalises and productionates because it's needed
for the good of the nation.
Engineered by Dafydd Morgan
in the year 2001.
Recorded.
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next with JO
HUSTLER
(ex-
ET CETERA) - guitar,
vocals, keyboards / STAN
ROBERTS (ex- THREE STAR ACCOMODATION)
- vocals, guitar / LINDA
JESSOP (ex- ET CETERA) -flute, percussion / JOHN
CRAVEN - guitars, keyboards, production, vocals |
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Nov '02 (d-cd - AMM2CD) (d-lp - AMM2) TURN
TO FACE THE LIGHT
- A Fool Like You / Destiny / Love Song on a Theme of Classic
Venusian Folk Music (If Romance is a Miracle then Hold Out for Love) /
(Another Bleeding Heart - ) Another Bleeding Love Song / Let's Go Out Tonight
// Unbelievable / The Dreams of the Careless Wisher / The Unknown / Lost
and Found /// We'll Meet Again / (Enter the Darkness) / Brave Young Heroes
/ 42 (Zeroes and Ones) / System Malfunction // Black Hole / Loneliness
at Lightspeed / The End of the Line / Terminus
CLUSTAMM2 - Double LP - c.90'
CLUSTAMM2CD - Double CD - c.90'
An epic double album charting the life of the unluckiest woman in the
world, from her first disasterous relationship to her role in the destruction
of the planet. Note: The CD edges carry "secret" 'vinyl' grooves. The LPs
have the same messages hidden on them somewhere too. |
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Next on Japanese import, and now without Craven
and Roberts: |
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Feb '03 (lp - OBI001) VERLECCI
- (track titles written in symbols)
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Apr '03 (7" - 7MM1)
DRAGON
KING PT. I / DRAGON KING PT. II
(cd-s (SMM1) +=) Dragon King (Full Version); (12"
(12MM1) =) Dragon King (12" Version) / Flight of the Dragons
(lp (officially AMM3 but labeled 12MM1)
=) all of the above tracks (packaged exactly as the 12")
CLUST7MM1 - 7" single (green vinyl)
- c.10'
CLUST12MM1 - 12" single (green vinyl) - c.15'
CLUSTSMM1 - CD single - c.30'
Recorded in a cave near Sheffield, here are half a dozen edits of the
same lengthy (almost Meatloaf) track. Note: some of the 12"s were LP length
(with no distinction made in the packaging). |
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Aug '03 - Members and tracks appear on Et Cetera's
Vivus
DVD. |
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Nov '03 (cd - AMM3CD) (lp - AMM3) MAGENTA
MOOR
CLUSTAMM3 - LP - c.45'
CLUSTAMM3CD - CD album - c.45'
This is a moody single-track prog-rock epic about a ghost on a moor,
recorded on a real moor at Halloween for that genuine atmosphere. Dedicated
fans should buy the CD version as there's a secret flexidisc hidden in
the case. |
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Jesper all but abandons the project, and the gap between Magenta Moor
and Et Zenda decreases by the day. |
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Apr '04 (3-lp - AMM4) TERMINUS
- Back On The Line Again / Perseverence / The Trials and Tribulations
of Alan the Mighty / Nicola / Beyond the Golden Sunrise // The Independents
/ The Continuing Adventures of Alan the Mighty / Doing the Irish Box /
Fart of a Thousand Fuhrers / Alan the Mighty in the Lozenge of Absalom
/// Lazarus / Beach Rock / Snake in the Grass / Alan the Mighty's Curious
Excursion / Party // TurboDrive / Irreality / Now the Time is Near / Pan's
Plea / The Last Temptation of Alan the Mighty /// Wentworth // Dragon King
CLUSTAMM4 - triple-LP - c.111'
The final offering from Magenta Moor is two (incredibly long) hours
of whizzing, noisy, guitar-led space-age folk-prog in which a jilted pyromaniac
stalks his ex. A mixed bag of noisy guitars, cheesy ballads and all in
between. Jesper does her best with the production but is unable to disguise
some of the ropier tracks. Turn to Face the Light was pushing things
at two discs, but this really is an album desperately in need of an editor.
Perhaps there's one record's worth of decent material here, but that's
at best. This immolation is well timed. (Warning: May contain secret tracks). |
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The above is partly made without Jesper and Owen, both leaving to DISABLE
BELGIAN WARP. As a result, the line-up practically converges with ET
ZENDA. |