(le) poisson rouge

After a hiatus of nearly 15 years, seminal early 90s, UK guitar noise band Chapterhouse have agreed to temporarily reform for a limited number of live shows. Following two sold out shows in London, England and a tour of Japan in April 2010 the band are about to embark on their first North American tour since 1994. Encouraged by the new wealth of current bands referencing Chapterhouse as an influence and the new generation of music fans these groups have brought with them, the band feel that this is a perfect time to offer fans, old and new, the opportunity to see them play live one last time.

Chapterhouse formed in Reading, England in 1987. After a period of playing regularly around London and touring with Spacemen 3, they signed to Dedicated Records in 1989. The band released their first 3 EPs 'Freefall', 'Sunburst' and 'Pearl' which topped the UK independent music charts throughout 1991. They followed this with their first album 'Whirlpool' which reached #23 in the UK album charts and another EP 'Mesmerise' in October 1991. The band ended the year with their first tour of North America and Japan. Chapterhouse released their second album 'Blood Music' in 1993 and followed this with their second North American tour in 1994. The group disbanded in 1995 but have remained good friends and continue to work on projects together. Alongside these Chapterhouse dates, Simon has been playing with reformed Slowdive spin off Mohave 3 and Ashley continues to play with his current band Tunng.

..A Place To Bury Strangers have often been called "the loudest band in New York". This may very well be the case, but unlike much so-called "loud" rock and roll that's out there, APTBS is not loud simply for the sake of it. The sonically overdriven sound they've accomplished is no clumsy accident, but a carefully cultivated and well-maintained entity all its own, fostered by an unbridled passion that's clearly evident in every live show they play and each recording they make. A Place To Bury Strangers does not so much play songs as allow them to pour out. They are songs about longing, heartbreak and confusion played extremely well and at a passionately loud volume...

At once uplifting and otherworldly, the music of Ulrich Schnauss combines multilayered synthesizers with beats and ethereal vocals, serving as an aural escape route from the trappings of reality. As Schnauss explains, ‘I’ve always used making and listening to music as a way to escape – putting on headphones is a great way to leave reality behind for a while, reminding yourself why it still makes sense to carry on.’

Classic pop songwriting fused with hard driving disco backbeats... hooky bass lines... layered, shoegaze guitars and floating, atmospheric synths with Kim Field’s unmistakably sincere and distinctively un-affected ethereal vocals.