Plone
A quirky, retro-electronic trio based in Birmingham, England, Plone comprises Mike Bainbridge, Mark Cancellara and Michael Johnston. Taking their name from the sound an old synthesiser might make or that of a cartoon ricochet, they signed to the influential UK label, Warp Records, in 1998, after a handful of impressive live performances and a single ("Press A Key"/"Electronic Beauty Parlour") on the Wurlitzer Jukebox label. They formed in Birmingham in 1996 and began supporting other local acts including Pram and Broadcast. Their first track for Warp, "Plaything", appeared on the label's June 1998 compilation We Are Reasonable People. The same month they performed at John Peel's Meltdown festival at London's South Bank Centre. Their Warp debut single, "Plock", was released in September to widespread critical acclaim. It was also named Single Of The Year in 1998 by Melody Maker. The trio assembled a collection of vintage drum machines and analogue synthesisers and effects for their debut, For Beginner Piano. While its most notable reference point was the sound of the perennially influential Kraftwerk, the album was also reminiscent of film and television themes and mood music from the 60s and 70s, such as the work of the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop. Unlike other experimental electronica, For Beginner Piano was heavily melodic and Plone cited a diverse range of influences, encompassing John Barry, the Upsetters, the Flying Lizards, Suicide, Sun Ra, Joe Meek and even the Beach Boys. Other, more contemporary comparisons might include Stereolab and Air. Using vocoder and even bossa nova rhythms, Plone create a kitsch, playful sound that embraces a contemporary vogue for technological nostalgia and a return to analogue electronics.
Listen to Plone
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Albums
- (1999) For Beginner Piano
Top Tracks
- The Greek Alphabet
- Plock
- Summer Plays Out
- Press a Key
- Bibi Plone
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