Jape (band)
Encyclopedia
Jape are an Irish
electronic
–rock
band from Dublin. Formed as a side project by Richie Egan whilst part of The Redneck Manifesto
, they have released four albums to date; Cosmosphere (2003), The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me
(2004), Ritual
(2008) and Ocean of Frequency (2011). Jape's wider discography includes the EP
, Jape is Grape (2007), as well as a number of singles, including "Floating
" and "Phil Lynott
". The band have performed at festivals and events such as Glastonbury
, Electric Picnic
, Lovebox
and Hard Working Class Heroes
and provided support for The Flaming Lips
at Belsonic
in Belfast
in August 2008.
The first and second albums received airplay on alternative
national radio in Ireland. The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Mes opening track, "Floating
", became a popular single on late night alternative music radio shows and attracted the attention of Brendan Benson
during a visit to Dublin. Benson now covers the track whilst performing live with his band The Raconteurs
, as do the Belgian
bastard pop
duo Soulwax
during their DJ
sets. Jape's third album, Ritual, was released in June 2008, later winning the Choice Music Prize
for Irish Album of the Year 2008. The album features the singles "I Was a Man", "Strike Me Down" and "Phil Lynott
", the latter of which was subject to an unsuccessful petition by fans to have it named Ireland's Christmas
number one single in December 2008.
but as part of a band. Egan has been part of many bands from a young age, and spent his youth experimenting with four-track tape recorder
s and sounds. He was previously a member of the bands Black Belt Jones and Sir Killalot. After leaving Black Belt Jones he went on to become the bassist
in the instrumental rock
band The Redneck Manifesto
of which he is still a member. He has occasionally toured as part of David Kitt
’s live band, as well as in Conor J. O'brien's band Villagers
as a bass player and with his bandmates in The Redneck Manifesto. By 2003 Egan had developed Jape after spending a week at the family home of fellow Redneck, Niall Byrne, in Avoca
, County Wicklow
. “I’ve been playing in bands since I was really young but I’ve always been messing around on the side with four-track tape recorders, experimenting with sounds”.
"The chance to turn this “messing around” into something concrete came about when he was given the opportunity to decamp to Avoca, where fellow Redneck, Niall’s family own a house. Richie used it as a studio for a week."
“I listen to a lot of different styles of music, so I try to keep my finger in as many pies as possible. It keeps me interested,” he laughs."
. He was initially influenced by 1960s melodic pop such as Simon & Garfunkel, later listened to American
hardcore punk
such as the Dead Kennedys
, Minor Threat
, Black Flag
but listens to many styles of music overall. The single "Strike Me Down" has been compared to MSTRKRFT
and the French
synthpop
quartet Phoenix
. Memories of a childhood show by heavy metal
band Mastodon
led him to write the song "Phil Lynott
". He also enjoys newer Irish acts such as Villagers
.
's Here Comes the Night
on Today FM
.
Jape's second album, The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me
was released by Trust Me I'm A Thief Records in 2004. It enjoyed much more success than its predecessor and contains the well-known single "Floating
" which was given much airplay on late night alternative radio shows. The lead single "Floating" was famously overheard being played in Whelan's
in Dublin by the musician Brendan Benson
. Benson immediately requested a copy of the album and then praised Jape in The Guardian
– however, the newspaper spelt it "Jabe". He also rang Egan personally to inform him he would be covering "Floating" with his band The Raconteurs
. However, Egan has stated that he did not give Benson personal permission to cover the song. He did witness the cover live at the Olympia Theatre
and was later to describe it as "a great moment". The single is also covered by Soulwax
during their DJ sets. Jape participated in two nationwide tours with both David Kitt and The Redneck Manifesto to promote the album's release. Kitt was co-producer of "Floating". The band went on to perform at prominent Irish festivals such as Electric Picnic
and Hard Working Class Heroes
.
A collection of remixes of the "Floating" single were released in June 2007. A performance at the Lovebox
festival in Dublin followed on 21 July that year. Jape recorded the EP Jape is Grape, due for release by V2 Records
on 19 November 2007. Despite V2 folding in October 2007, the EP release went ahead and a nationwide tour of Ireland followed to promote what was the band's major label debut. The band re-signed to The Co-Op.
Ritual
, Jape's first album in four years, was released under the Co-op label on 4 June 2008. It entered the Irish album charts at number fifteen, while the Irish Independent
s John Meagher named it his twentieth best Irish album of the noughties. Ritual featured ten tracks, including "Streetwise", "Graveyard" and "Strike Me Down", all of which had previously been performed live. The album was preceded by the single "I Was a Man", whilst a video for the song "Graveyard", which was filmed in an actual graveyard in Dublin, was also released. There was a host of Irish and European dates and festival appearances to promote the album in June 2008, including performances at the Róisín Dubh
in Galway
and Vicar Street
and the Road Records
music store in Dublin. Appearances alongside CSS, Battles
and MGMT
on the Park Stage and Dance Stage at Glastonbury
in England on 28–29 June and an appearance at the Ola Festival in Spain followed. Jape then opened for The Flaming Lips
at Belsonic
in Belfast
on 11 August 2008 and performed a free show as part of Heineken Green Spheres in Cork
alongside Donal Dineen
on 19 November 2008. Supporting Friendly Fires
led to the English band remixing Jape's "Strike Me Down" single. There was also an appearance at Electric Picnic 2008
to follow the appearance Electric Picnic 2006. Tony Clayton-Lea, writing in The Irish Times
beforehand, said: "Suffice to say that if this whippet-thin geezer isn't one of the highlights of this year's Picnic then that's it—we give up". In December 2008, Jape fans were behind an unsuccessful petition to have the single "Phil Lynott
" become the Christmas
number one single in Ireland.
As of March 2009, Jape has six songs written for a fourth album. An appearance at Electric Picnic 2009
occurred, however, a performance at Pohoda
in Slovakia
did not occur, with Jape narrowly escaping a stage collapse which killed one person and injured more than 90 others. On March 19, 2010 Jape were announced as one of the first acts expected to perform at that year's Indie-pendence
.
was announced on 14 January 2009.
Rituals victory was announced at a live ceremony held at Vicar Street
, Dublin on 4 March 2009. The prize included a cheque for €10,000, jointly provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation
(IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association
(IRMA), and a specially commissioned award. Frontman Richie Egan joked about a rival nominee by saying: "They all deserve the award -- sure my mother even told me that Mick Flannery
(nominated for his album White Lies
) was going to win, she said you're good, Richie, but he's gorgeous". The award was decided by a secret ballot after the twelve judges, who included Today FM
presenter Ian Dempsey
, decided that the decision was proving difficult due to a closeness in voting. Jape was amongst six of the nominees who performed at the event, with a three-song set featuring earlier in proceedings.
When Lisa Hannigan
was nominated for the Mercury Prize
, Ed Power, writing in the Irish Independent
, wondered how close Jape had come to receiving a Mercury nomination—"Or, for that matter, how many of the judges had even heard of him".
|-
| 2009 || Ritual
|| Irish Album of the Year 2008 ||
|-
in the Best Irish Male category at the awards ceremony held on 17 March 2009.
|-
| 2009 || Jape/Richie Egan || Best Irish Male ||
|-
’s video for "Me and Mandy", Lise Westzynthius's video for "Childlike Curves" and These New Puritans
's video for "Elvis". The awards ceremony took place on 14 October 2008 in the Odeon West End
in Leicester Square
, London.
|-
| 2008 || "Floating
" || Best Budget Video ||
|-
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
–rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Dublin. Formed as a side project by Richie Egan whilst part of The Redneck Manifesto
The Redneck Manifesto (band)
The Redneck Manifesto are an instrumental rock band from Dublin, Ireland. Its members are Mervyn Craig , Richard Egan , Niall Byrne , Matthew Bolger and Neil O'Connor .-History:...
, they have released four albums to date; Cosmosphere (2003), The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me
The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me
- References :...
(2004), Ritual
Ritual (Jape album)
Ritual is the third studio album from electronic rock band Jape, released on Co-op Records in 2008. It won the Choice Music Prize for the 2008 Irish Album of the Year in March 2009....
(2008) and Ocean of Frequency (2011). Jape's wider discography includes the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Jape is Grape (2007), as well as a number of singles, including "Floating
Floating (Jape song)
"Floating" is a 2004 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the second studio album, The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me and described as "Jape's trademark song". Co-produced by David Kitt, the single was the first release from the album and was generally viewed by critics as the...
" and "Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott (song)
"Phil Lynott" is a 2008 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the Choice Music Prize-winning third studio album, Ritual. Released on 19 December 2008, Jape fans were behind an unsuccessful online petition to establish the song as the Christmas number one in the Irish Singles Chart...
". The band have performed at festivals and events such as Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
, Lovebox
Lovebox Dublin
Lovebox Dublin is an Irish one-day music festival that has taken place in 2007 and 2008. The 2007 event took place in Malahide Castle on Saturday 21 July with the 2008 event taking place in Marlay Park on Saturday 23 August . Bacardi sponsor the festival and MCD promote it...
and Hard Working Class Heroes
Hard Working Class Heroes
Hard Working Class Heroes is an Irish music festival for emerging bands. It has taken place in Dublin on an annual basis in and around September of each year since 2003...
and provided support for The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
at Belsonic
Belsonic
Belsonic is the name of an outdoor music festival which has taken place in August at the Custom House Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland since 2008. It is organised by Shine Productions Ltd. The capacity of the event is 5,000.- 2008 :...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in August 2008.
The first and second albums received airplay on alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
national radio in Ireland. The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Mes opening track, "Floating
Floating (Jape song)
"Floating" is a 2004 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the second studio album, The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me and described as "Jape's trademark song". Co-produced by David Kitt, the single was the first release from the album and was generally viewed by critics as the...
", became a popular single on late night alternative music radio shows and attracted the attention of Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released four solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs....
during a visit to Dublin. Benson now covers the track whilst performing live with his band The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
, as do the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
bastard pop
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
duo Soulwax
Soulwax
Soulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
during their DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
sets. Jape's third album, Ritual, was released in June 2008, later winning the Choice Music Prize
Choice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
for Irish Album of the Year 2008. The album features the singles "I Was a Man", "Strike Me Down" and "Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott (song)
"Phil Lynott" is a 2008 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the Choice Music Prize-winning third studio album, Ritual. Released on 19 December 2008, Jape fans were behind an unsuccessful online petition to establish the song as the Christmas number one in the Irish Singles Chart...
", the latter of which was subject to an unsuccessful petition by fans to have it named Ireland's Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
number one single in December 2008.
Background
Richie Egan is the principal songwriter but refers to the overall band as Jape. This came about following his first few solo performances when he realised he did not wish people to consider him a singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
but as part of a band. Egan has been part of many bands from a young age, and spent his youth experimenting with four-track tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
s and sounds. He was previously a member of the bands Black Belt Jones and Sir Killalot. After leaving Black Belt Jones he went on to become the bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
in the instrumental rock
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
band The Redneck Manifesto
The Redneck Manifesto (band)
The Redneck Manifesto are an instrumental rock band from Dublin, Ireland. Its members are Mervyn Craig , Richard Egan , Niall Byrne , Matthew Bolger and Neil O'Connor .-History:...
of which he is still a member. He has occasionally toured as part of David Kitt
David Kitt
David Kitt is an Irish musician. He is the son of Irish politician Tom Kitt.He has released six studio albums to date: Small Moments, The Big Romance, Square 1, The Black and Red Notebook, Not Fade Away and The Nightsaver.-History:Kitt grew up surrounded by music, as his father and uncles formed a...
’s live band, as well as in Conor J. O'brien's band Villagers
Villagers (band)
Villagers are an Irish band fronted by Conor J. O'Brien.They have performed at several music festivals and toured with Tracy Chapman, Bell X1, Tindersticks and Elbow. They have one EP, titled Hollow Kind...
as a bass player and with his bandmates in The Redneck Manifesto. By 2003 Egan had developed Jape after spending a week at the family home of fellow Redneck, Niall Byrne, in Avoca
Avoca, County Wicklow
Avoca is a small town near Arklow, in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated on the River Avoca.The Avoca area has been associated with its famous copper mines for many years and the valley has been immortalised by Thomas Moore in the famous song The Meeting of the Waters...
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. “I’ve been playing in bands since I was really young but I’ve always been messing around on the side with four-track tape recorders, experimenting with sounds”.
"The chance to turn this “messing around” into something concrete came about when he was given the opportunity to decamp to Avoca, where fellow Redneck, Niall’s family own a house. Richie used it as a studio for a week."
“I listen to a lot of different styles of music, so I try to keep my finger in as many pies as possible. It keeps me interested,” he laughs."
Style
Egan has said that he started listening to music during pubertyPuberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
. He was initially influenced by 1960s melodic pop such as Simon & Garfunkel, later listened to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
such as the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
, Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
, Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
but listens to many styles of music overall. The single "Strike Me Down" has been compared to MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto, Ontario. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort...
and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
quartet Phoenix
Phoenix (band)
Phoenix is a Grammy Award winning French indie rock band from Versailles, founded by Thomas Mars, Deck d'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz.-Formation and early years:...
. Memories of a childhood show by heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
led him to write the song "Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott (song)
"Phil Lynott" is a 2008 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the Choice Music Prize-winning third studio album, Ritual. Released on 19 December 2008, Jape fans were behind an unsuccessful online petition to establish the song as the Christmas number one in the Irish Singles Chart...
". He also enjoys newer Irish acts such as Villagers
Villagers (band)
Villagers are an Irish band fronted by Conor J. O'Brien.They have performed at several music festivals and toured with Tracy Chapman, Bell X1, Tindersticks and Elbow. They have one EP, titled Hollow Kind...
.
Career
Jape's debut album, Cosmosphere, was released on the Volta Sounds label in 2003. National broadcaster RTÉ suggested in its review that Jape was not a "convincing electronic producer" and that Egan did not have the voice of a singer-songwriter, indicating its desire to see him remain with The Redneck Manifesto and refrain from any further activities under the pseudonym Jape. However, the album received airplay on national radio on shows such as Donal DineenDonal Dineen
Donal Dineen is an Irish radio presenter, photographer, film maker and former television presenter from County Kerry. He currently presents an assortment of electronica and world music on his Small Hours late-night radio show on Today FM...
's Here Comes the Night
Here Comes the Night (radio show)
Here Comes the Night was a late night radio show hosted by Donal Dineen on Today FM. It commenced broadcasting on 17 March 1997, lasting for a seven-year period before being replaced by Dineen's current show Small Hours. It was Dineen's first radio show on Today FM, airing from the station's...
on Today FM
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
.
Jape's second album, The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me
The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me
- References :...
was released by Trust Me I'm A Thief Records in 2004. It enjoyed much more success than its predecessor and contains the well-known single "Floating
Floating (Jape song)
"Floating" is a 2004 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the second studio album, The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me and described as "Jape's trademark song". Co-produced by David Kitt, the single was the first release from the album and was generally viewed by critics as the...
" which was given much airplay on late night alternative radio shows. The lead single "Floating" was famously overheard being played in Whelan's
Whelan's (music venue)
Whelan's is a small music venue in Dublin, Ireland, located on Wexford Street.The venue and pub was initially started by Gary Whelan and Ian Keith in 1989 and ten years later was bought by Frank Gleeson. Local musicians and actors frequent it...
in Dublin by the musician Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released four solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs....
. Benson immediately requested a copy of the album and then praised Jape in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
– however, the newspaper spelt it "Jabe". He also rang Egan personally to inform him he would be covering "Floating" with his band The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
. However, Egan has stated that he did not give Benson personal permission to cover the song. He did witness the cover live at the Olympia Theatre
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of...
and was later to describe it as "a great moment". The single is also covered by Soulwax
Soulwax
Soulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
during their DJ sets. Jape participated in two nationwide tours with both David Kitt and The Redneck Manifesto to promote the album's release. Kitt was co-producer of "Floating". The band went on to perform at prominent Irish festivals such as Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
and Hard Working Class Heroes
Hard Working Class Heroes
Hard Working Class Heroes is an Irish music festival for emerging bands. It has taken place in Dublin on an annual basis in and around September of each year since 2003...
.
A collection of remixes of the "Floating" single were released in June 2007. A performance at the Lovebox
Lovebox Dublin
Lovebox Dublin is an Irish one-day music festival that has taken place in 2007 and 2008. The 2007 event took place in Malahide Castle on Saturday 21 July with the 2008 event taking place in Marlay Park on Saturday 23 August . Bacardi sponsor the festival and MCD promote it...
festival in Dublin followed on 21 July that year. Jape recorded the EP Jape is Grape, due for release by V2 Records
V2 Records
V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
on 19 November 2007. Despite V2 folding in October 2007, the EP release went ahead and a nationwide tour of Ireland followed to promote what was the band's major label debut. The band re-signed to The Co-Op.
Ritual
Ritual (Jape album)
Ritual is the third studio album from electronic rock band Jape, released on Co-op Records in 2008. It won the Choice Music Prize for the 2008 Irish Album of the Year in March 2009....
, Jape's first album in four years, was released under the Co-op label on 4 June 2008. It entered the Irish album charts at number fifteen, while the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s John Meagher named it his twentieth best Irish album of the noughties. Ritual featured ten tracks, including "Streetwise", "Graveyard" and "Strike Me Down", all of which had previously been performed live. The album was preceded by the single "I Was a Man", whilst a video for the song "Graveyard", which was filmed in an actual graveyard in Dublin, was also released. There was a host of Irish and European dates and festival appearances to promote the album in June 2008, including performances at the Róisín Dubh
Róisín Dubh (music venue)
The Róisín Dubh is an established live music venue in Galway, Ireland. It has hosted events such as the IMRO Showcase Tour and the 2fm 2moro 2our. The name translates from the Irish language as the "black rose"...
in Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and Vicar Street
Vicar Street
Vicar Street is a concert and events venue in Ireland, located on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Its capacity allows for 1,000 people for seated performances, and 1,500 people for standing gigs...
and the Road Records
Road Records
Road Records was an independent record store in Dublin, Ireland. Extensive media coverage followed its closure in January 2009 but it had relaunched by April with the support of the Irish music community...
music store in Dublin. Appearances alongside CSS, Battles
Battles (band)
Battles is an American experimental rock group, founded in 2002 in New York City, comprising guitarists Ian Williams and Dave Konopka , and drummer John Stanier .-Biography:...
and MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
on the Park Stage and Dance Stage at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in England on 28–29 June and an appearance at the Ola Festival in Spain followed. Jape then opened for The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
at Belsonic
Belsonic
Belsonic is the name of an outdoor music festival which has taken place in August at the Custom House Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland since 2008. It is organised by Shine Productions Ltd. The capacity of the event is 5,000.- 2008 :...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
on 11 August 2008 and performed a free show as part of Heineken Green Spheres in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
alongside Donal Dineen
Donal Dineen
Donal Dineen is an Irish radio presenter, photographer, film maker and former television presenter from County Kerry. He currently presents an assortment of electronica and world music on his Small Hours late-night radio show on Today FM...
on 19 November 2008. Supporting Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires are an English band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.-History:Friendly Fires...
led to the English band remixing Jape's "Strike Me Down" single. There was also an appearance at Electric Picnic 2008
Electric Picnic 2008
Electric Picnic 2008 was the fifth Electric Picnic festival to take place. The three-day event took place on the weekend of Friday–Sunday, 29–31 August at Stradbally in County Laois, Ireland...
to follow the appearance Electric Picnic 2006. Tony Clayton-Lea, writing in The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
beforehand, said: "Suffice to say that if this whippet-thin geezer isn't one of the highlights of this year's Picnic then that's it—we give up". In December 2008, Jape fans were behind an unsuccessful petition to have the single "Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott (song)
"Phil Lynott" is a 2008 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the Choice Music Prize-winning third studio album, Ritual. Released on 19 December 2008, Jape fans were behind an unsuccessful online petition to establish the song as the Christmas number one in the Irish Singles Chart...
" become the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
number one single in Ireland.
As of March 2009, Jape has six songs written for a fourth album. An appearance at Electric Picnic 2009
Electric Picnic 2009
Electric Picnic 2009 was the sixth edition of the Electric Picnic festival to take place. The three-day event took place on the weekend of Friday September 4, Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6 at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland...
occurred, however, a performance at Pohoda
Pohoda (music festival)
Pohoda festival is an open-air summer music festival in Slovakia, first organized in 1997 in Trenčín. It is one of the biggest Slovak music events organized annually...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
did not occur, with Jape narrowly escaping a stage collapse which killed one person and injured more than 90 others. On March 19, 2010 Jape were announced as one of the first acts expected to perform at that year's Indie-pendence
Indie-pendence
Indiependence is an annual Irish indie-rock music festival, that usually takes place at or near Mitchelstown in County Cork. Indiependence is one of the "little two" music festivals in Ireland, sharing many of its acts with Castlepalooza which is held on the same weekend in Tullamore, County Offaly...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
||||||
| 2003 | Cosmosphere
|
— | ||||
| 2004 | The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me - References :... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
— | ||||
| 2008 | Ritual Ritual (Jape album) Ritual is the third studio album from electronic rock band Jape, released on Co-op Records in 2008. It won the Choice Music Prize for the 2008 Irish Album of the Year in March 2009.... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
16 | ||||
| 2011 | Ocean of Frequency
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
29 | ||||
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart. | ||||||
Extended plays
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
||||||
| 2007 | Jape Is Grape
|
— | ||||
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart. | ||||||
Choice Music Prize
The nomination of Jape's third album, Ritual, for Ireland's Choice Music PrizeChoice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
was announced on 14 January 2009.
Rituals victory was announced at a live ceremony held at Vicar Street
Vicar Street
Vicar Street is a concert and events venue in Ireland, located on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Its capacity allows for 1,000 people for seated performances, and 1,500 people for standing gigs...
, Dublin on 4 March 2009. The prize included a cheque for €10,000, jointly provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation
Irish Music Rights Organisation
Irish Music Rights Organisation is the collecting society for songwriters, composers and music publishers of Ireland. Its role is to act as an agent for its members in order to collect license fees whenever their musical works are performed in public, broadcast or transmitted, and to pay out...
(IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
(IRMA), and a specially commissioned award. Frontman Richie Egan joked about a rival nominee by saying: "They all deserve the award -- sure my mother even told me that Mick Flannery
Mick Flannery
Mick Flannery is an Irish singer-songwriter from Blarney, County Cork.His debut album Evening Train resulted from his time spent studying music and management at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork...
(nominated for his album White Lies
White Lies (Mick Flannery album)
White Lies is the second studio album released by Irish singer-songwriter Mick Flannery. The album was released on September 12, 2008. It achieved a top ten position on the Irish Albums Chart and featured prominently on the country's national radio stations....
) was going to win, she said you're good, Richie, but he's gorgeous". The award was decided by a secret ballot after the twelve judges, who included Today FM
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
presenter Ian Dempsey
Ian Dempsey
Ian Michael Dempsey is an Irish presenter of television and breakfast radio. He is the long-running presenter of the breakfast show on Today FM, self-titled The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, which runs from 07:00 - 09:00 each weekday morning...
, decided that the decision was proving difficult due to a closeness in voting. Jape was amongst six of the nominees who performed at the event, with a three-song set featuring earlier in proceedings.
When Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Margaret Hannigan is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. For several years she was a member of Damien Rice's band before beginning her solo career in 2008. She has been the recipient of various award nominations and critical praise both in Ireland and the USA...
was nominated for the Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
, Ed Power, writing in the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
, wondered how close Jape had come to receiving a Mercury nomination—"Or, for that matter, how many of the judges had even heard of him".
|-
| 2009 || Ritual
Ritual (Jape album)
Ritual is the third studio album from electronic rock band Jape, released on Co-op Records in 2008. It won the Choice Music Prize for the 2008 Irish Album of the Year in March 2009....
|| Irish Album of the Year 2008 ||
|-
Meteor Music Awards
Richie Egan received one nomination at the 2009 Meteor Awards for his band Jape. He lost to Mick FlanneryMick Flannery
Mick Flannery is an Irish singer-songwriter from Blarney, County Cork.His debut album Evening Train resulted from his time spent studying music and management at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork...
in the Best Irish Male category at the awards ceremony held on 17 March 2009.
|-
| 2009 || Jape/Richie Egan || Best Irish Male ||
|-
UK Music Video Awards
"Floating" was nominated for Best Budget Video at the UK Music Video Awards in 2008. Autamata, another Irish band, were also nominated for their video "Need You Sunshine" as were ExampleExample (rapper)
Elliot John Gleave , better known by his stage name Example, is an English singer and rapper signed to Data Records. His name arose due to his initials being E.G., which is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "exempli gratia", which means, "for example".Example's third album Playing In The Shadows...
’s video for "Me and Mandy", Lise Westzynthius's video for "Childlike Curves" and These New Puritans
These New Puritans
These New Puritans are a British Art Rock band from the Southend-on-Sea area. The group consists of Jack Barnett , his twin brother George Barnett , Thomas Hein , and Sophie Sleigh-Johnson...
's video for "Elvis". The awards ceremony took place on 14 October 2008 in the Odeon West End
Odeon West End
The Odeon West End is a cinema on the south side of Leicester Square, London. It contains two screens—screen 1 seats 500 and screen 2 seats 832 . Both house large screens in comfortable auditoria...
in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
, London.
|-
| 2008 || "Floating
Floating (Jape song)
"Floating" is a 2004 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the second studio album, The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me and described as "Jape's trademark song". Co-produced by David Kitt, the single was the first release from the album and was generally viewed by critics as the...
" || Best Budget Video ||
|-
External links
- Jape at Trust Me I'm A Thief Record Label
- Interview at entertainment.ieEntertainment.ieentertainment.ie is a Dublin-based Irish website which provides extensive cinema, TV, live music, theatre, comedy, exhibition and festival listings for free, as well as celebrity gossip, music and movie news, movie and DVD reviews, CD reviews and up-to-date lottery results.The site was developed in...
- Interview at Drop-D.ie