Sheffield’s finest audio imagers, Animat, famed for their cinematic re-score live performances, release their debut album Earplay on Big Chill Recordings. Earplay follows on from the success of their critically acclaimed self released eps ‘Heart Shaped Balloons’, ‘Arctic’ and ‘Sunshine or Rain’.

Animat are nothing if not ambitious so far they have toured the UK independent cinemas with live re-scores of Sylvian Chomet’s award winning animated film Bellevile Rendez-vous, David Lynch’s classic film ‘The Straight Story’ (with the directors explicit blessing) and at The Big Chill this year they re-interpreted German Director Viet Helmers dark comedy ‘Tuvalu’. Their approach pays homage to the silent era of cinema when a lone pianist would interpret the action, Animat have brought this forward to the present day using electronics and live playing.

Earplay as an audio album manages to express the same depth of imagination and emotion and features stunning performances by an array of impressive guests. Sanchita Farruque adds her distinctive vocals to Deep Space Lament and Second High. Sanchita has worked with Nitin Sawney, The James Taylor Quartet, Guy Barker and Badmarsh and Shri and met the Animats through mutual friends, she wrote four tracks with the band two of which make there debut on the album the other two have previously been released on earlier eps. Sanchitta also played flute on the album alongside longtime Animat colloborator Anne Garner.

Lisa Palmer worked with Michael in a previous incarnation called ‘Feeler’ who Chris Coco featured on his ‘Solar Spectrum’ compilation and sang and co-wrote Riverbed Road with Animat. The track has been picked up by various re-mixers including Sheffield’s Santa Cruz Musique and Winter North Atlantic who have done great remixes for the forthcoming ep release alongside Just Music acts Laroca and Echaskech.

The album is available now via all good record stores or you can download it from the iTunes Store.

Also The Riverbed Road Remixes will be coming out as a digital release on October 20th 2008. You will also be able to order a hires couturre copy from bigchill.net if mp3’s don’t rock your world.

Tags: album, live, release, road
Posted in Label Artists | 4,072 views |

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