Hey y'all! So last week I went to Bahrain to play at the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix. I travelled out with the awesome Funkstylerz breakdance crew, girl dance group Decibella, our inimitable host Gil Kolirin and loads of other artists and entertainers to provide the entertainment for the race goers between races. I had an awesome time, the people were ace and made the shows and the whole experience one i'm gonna remember for a long while. Here's a video of what i got up to, there's loads missed out cos my camera kept running out of battery but you get the idea!! Hopefully i'm going to be in the amazing Bahrain many more times in the future... vroooooom!! Pic By Christopher SC Odukwe
Bahrain F1 Grand Prix 09 Video Blog
I'm waiting for vids and pictures which i will post on here, but for the time being click here to view some of my pics from the week of sun, hoolahoops and cars!
I've been playing music with my brother John since we were 15, starting out in a band called Inelcerub which lasted a couple of fun filled years. I play drums and started because none of the drummers John tested out for the band could play the songs right - usually Nirvana covers. Since i'm crazily into them, knowing all the songs on guitar, bass, words n drums, i would get frustrated watching them play it wrong and ended up taking the seat and learning to play for the sake of joining the band, it took a while as of course no one wants your little bro in your band when you're 15! Still it was ace fun but we split up.... Many years later the foundations of Swimming we being made by John and we started to rehearse some of the early material and getting together the right people to make up the desired sound. We released an ep and a couple of singles in 2008 through Izumi, a Brighton indie label, as well as playing loads of shows and making one of the winners of the Glastonbury new band comp, which was cool. We are about to release our debut album - The Fireflow Trade, through our own Colourschool records. It's out on 11th May and we will of course be touring for that, as well as spending time in the studio working on the next album.
So as for what we sound like - here's a brief biog and some things others have said about us:
One of the most refreshing acts to have emerged from the UK in 2008, Swimming are rapidly developing a devoted fanbase on the basis of their intense and mesmerizing live shows. Artfully blending the power and and energy of Pixies with the ambient soundscapes of Boards Of Canada, their talent for sonic experimentation never detracts from their innate gift for melody.
"Washed in sound with a great big brush, Swimming's canvas is wide and handsome, big as the sky, colour dripped from above, layer on layer, like an Aurbach take on Pollock" Artrocker
"Take the Pixies' energy, the ambient soundscapes of Boards Of Canada and add a penchant for melody and experimentation and you've got yourself one great band in the making" - Rock Sound
Here's what people are saying about the album:
"a technicolour acid-pop gem" Toonwaves "...hyperactive and exhilarating" Uncut "Swimming are on the verge of being the breakout band of 09" Rocksound
Heres a vid of our single Panthalassa, out June 09
I'm gonna be pretty busy with all things SWIMMInG// over the coming months. Have a listen, i hope you enjoy, and look out for the live shows featuring some rock out, dance off beatboxing action!
So hello Peteboxeteers! This marks the beginning of new new stylee blog making! I'm now going to start publishing video blogs of my goings on! And here's the first... I recently went to play the Young Prague 2009 Choir Festival. It was my second year there and what a show it was! These guys are seriously amazing vocalists and musicians and i was fortunate enough to be invited to show them what i do. Here's a short vid from my trip...
Pic By Christopher SC Odukwe
