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Chilled By Nature - Biography
Chilled By Nature has been a labour of love over the last ten years. It is the realisation of an ongoing musical vision that has been distilling over time, shaped by a bewildering variety of musical influences, and real life experiences.I like to think of it as spiritual music, that celebrates being alive on earth, with all its beauties and imperfections, joys and sorrows. The Chilled By Nature sound is my personal travelogue - an attempt to capture the bigger picture and through it, to reflect my experiences and emotions.
Pete Lawrence January 2006
Immersed in music from the very beginning by his jazz drummer father, Pete's musical journey saw him playing in a variety of bands before setting up roots and world music label Cooking Vinyl (in which he is no longer involved) in the 80s , and subsequently The Big Chill club nights, festivals, record label and bar.
Nowadays, while devoting much of his time to other artists music through The Big Chill's various music-led ventures, and his own globe-trotting DJ sets (USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Italy, Ibiza, India, The Greek Islands, Hungary, Finland, Egypt and Siberia), Pete also finds time to record and perform his own music, as Chilled by Nature.
Through Chilled by Nature's EPs, one-off tracks and collaborations, live performances at The Big Chill festival, and the 2006 album 'Under One Sun' - Pete combines his diverse influences to produce haunting, cinematic music of quiet beauty, which plays out in widescreen in the mind's eye.
With previous releases championed by the likes of Chris Coco, Laurent Garnier, Charles Webster and Phil Mison and many of the more discerning dowtempo DJs, Chilled by Nature's debut album, which Pete had been working on since the dawn of The Big Chill, and in its final months with new Big Chill Recordings artist Laura B as co-producer, has made waves beyond The Big Chill community.
Chilled By Nature's music illustrates a love of cinematic orchestral textures, drawn from components of musical traditions and forged ahead in new directions, perhaps best described as a new kind of electronic chamber music.
Folk, classical, jazz, electronic, ambient, lounge - these are all sounds that he has spent a lifetime soaking up. A diverse panoply of musicians have been instrumental in shaping Pete's musical direction over the years: Pat Metheny, Andreas Vollenweider, Brian Eno, Michael Mantler, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, The Beach Boys, John Barry, Faure, Satie, Zappa, and more recently the new breed of eclecticism that has shaped his programming at the tastemaking Big Chill festival : Zero 7, Cinematic Orchestra, Sufjan Stevens, Hint, The Necks, Four Tet and Ulrich Schnauss to name but a few.
These artists share a wide-screen palate of sounds, a desire to create 'big' music and a delight in the journey to the end destination.
The album Under One Sun features several guest musicians and collaborators:
State Of Grace is the first collaboration between Pete Lawrence and Mozez, and it has been given the remix treatment by The Beauty Room, whose eponymous debut album on Peacefrog has been rated as one of 2006's best. Mixmaster Morris describes the song as an instant classic, and definitely the most played song at The Big Chill this year.
The Swingle Singers also make an appearance on The Otherworld and other guest players inclde Andy Gangadine and Nick Cohen of Bays fame, Egyptian keyboard maestro Fathy Salama and guest vocalist Rosa Fernandez.
Chilled By Nature appeared live at The Big Chill festival 2006, and some of that show appeared on the Channel 4 documentary of the festival, screened later in August. The last semi-live shows were back in 2002, using live horns and cello. This time, Nick Cohen, who plays bass on the album, was musical arranger for the show which also featured Andy Gangadeen on drums, Dave Nobie on guitar, Neil Cowley and Simon Richmond on keyboards, Kat Arney on harp and a three piece horn section, as well as vocal appearances from Mozez and Rosa Fernandez.
Chilled By Nature recorded a session for Radio 1's Blue Room which was broadcast in September 2006 featuring a stripped down line-up of Nick Cohen on bass, Ansuman Biswas on percussion, Jessica Lauren on piano and keyboards, Dave Noble on guitar and Mozez and Rosa on vocals. Tracks recorded were 'Where Did You Go?', 'Rolling' and 'State of Grace'
Chilled By Nature website
Download Hi-res photo
Chilled by Nature - Live at The Big Chill 2006
Chilled by Nature - Live at The Big Chill 2002
Out now on Big Chill Recordings
Chilled by Nature - Musical BoxMusical Box - Alucidnation remix
Musical Box - Original mix
Musical Box - Ulrich Schnauss remix
Review | Buy it! CD Vinyl
Chilled By Nature on bigchill.net
Pete talks about the new album Under One Sun, released in August
Chilled By Nature @ Enchanted Garden 2002
Musical Box EP
Solar Powered EP
'Musical Box' in DMC Top 3
Written: 8th Jun, 07
Read: 7035 times
