Kyshera
Encyclopedia
Kyshera are a three-piece alternative rock
band from South Wales
, formed in 2005. The band was formed by James Kennedy to perform the music from his album 'Made in China'. Since then the band has had several line up changes. Musically, the band describes its sound as 'Konic', meaning that it has no allegiance to any style or scene, however, their sound can broadly be defined as 'Progressive
Grunge
'. Kyshera are known for their sometimes complex and challenging music as well as their energetic live show and overtly topical lyrics, however, unusually for a progressive band, Kyshera also have a string of popularly accepted songs. Kyshera list their influences as including Frank Zappa
, Melt Banana, Stravinsky, Pink Floyd
, Squarepusher
and Soundgarden
(a full list can be found on the bands' ever growing 'Q&A' page). The meaning of the bands name is frequently refused an explanation, although they say there is one. Kyshera have a 'manifesto' which can be found on their website among their frequent blogs about music
, politics
and the music industry.
calling it a work of 'warped genius'. The sudden flurry of attention soon brought about the threat of legal action from classical violinist Nigel Kennedy
's management, demanding that the name 'Kennedy' not be used on the album cover (the album's original release was simply entitled Kennedy - Made in China). With this and the growing demand for the album to be played live, Kennedy began forming Kyshera in 2003.
Setting up the band was a lengthy process given the complex nature of some of the music and the band underwent several lineup changes before its first gig at TJ's nightclub
in Newport
in 2005. As the band proceeded to gig heavily across the UK, the lineup continued to change until its longest lineup to date consisting of Carl Peel on Drums and Joe Cicero on Bass between 2006 and 2008. The band then developed a highly energetic live show, incorporating live electronics
, stage mannequins and frequent destruction of gear, resulting on one occasion with James needing medical attention backstage due to severe loss of blood after landing on the drum kit at a festival. During this time the band released the Kyshera EP in 2006 and the "Superstar" single in 2007 which included on the disc, a video shot by movie director Wes Anderson
's editor, Ben Campbell. The band continued to perform at festivals and many of the UK's most famous venues, however, an attempt at performing a 12-hour, improvised gig for charity in central London
was axed last minute due to venue complications. The band have stated that this is something that will still take place although there are no plans as yet.
Positive reviews continued, including Mathew Priest
(formally Drummer with UK band 'Dodgy
') announcing the band in Rhythm Magazine as the UK's answer to Mars Volta, Tony Iommi
(guitarist with Black Sabbath
) stating that the band was one of the best in the UK today and Huw Stephens
from BBC Radio 1
saying that Kyshera was 'one of the best things I've heard in ages'. However, lineup problems continued to haunt the band, holding up the recording of the long in the making second album and bringing the band to a complete standstill between 2009 and 2010.
After growing despondent with the 'stop & start' nature of the band which Kennedy felt was becoming a distraction from creating new music, James decided to focus entirely on the recording of Paradigm, the second Kyshera album which he had been trying to record for a long time. Like Made in China, Paradigm was recorded and produced by Kennedy during January 2010 and was released on 12 July 2010. Despite being a very different sounding album, Paradigm was met with the same positive press response as Made in China with Andy Von Pip describing the sound as "Incendiary adrenaline fuelled stadia straddling epicness". As a whole, the album marked a departure from the densely layered sound of its predecessor & had a distinctly more 'immediate' appeal with stripped down production. Paradigm also featured for the 1st time on a Kyshera recording, the use of an Orchestra
on the experimental 'colour' piece 'Frequency 1'. During this time, James also began recording an album of completely electronic
and experimental music entitled 'Nine i.P.' which will be released in 2012, as well as an album of simple acoustic
songs. There are also plans to release an album of obscure cover
songs as well as a re-release and complete re-recording of Made in China which has since been taken out of distribution. James has stated that he would like to release all of these four albums in 2012 and has also stated that there are already several completed songs from the third Kyshera album with others in the workings.
Kyshera resurfaced in March 2010 with its new lineup consisting of Matt Warr on Bass and Rhys Jones on Drums. Whilst promoting the release of 'Paradigm', the band performed constantly & played some of their biggest venues to date, such as Cardiff's St David's Hall & Ynysangharad Park. A free live DVD of their intimate, hometown launch party at The Globe in Cardiff was later put on the Kyshera YouTube page & captures the new line up at its earliest inception. In November, James was nominated as one of 'Wales' Sexiest men' in a yearly poll & around this time, Kyshera began wearing Orange Guantanamo Bay style boiler suits in photo shoots.
In January 2011 Kyshera released a brand new song, entitled 'Know Your Enemy' onto the internet for free. The song was apparently written in an hour & recorded & mixed in an afternoon. 'Know Your Enemy' was hosted on SoundCloud & is linked to Kyshera's various web pages. Kyshera spent most of 2011 touring, including dates as far as Canada & in September they signed a licensing deal for the proper release & total re-recording of 'Made in China', to be released in Spring 2012. A full scale tour of the UK, Europe & Canada is currently being booked for the release.
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...
band from South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, formed in 2005. The band was formed by James Kennedy to perform the music from his album 'Made in China'. Since then the band has had several line up changes. Musically, the band describes its sound as 'Konic', meaning that it has no allegiance to any style or scene, however, their sound can broadly be defined as 'Progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
Grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
'. Kyshera are known for their sometimes complex and challenging music as well as their energetic live show and overtly topical lyrics, however, unusually for a progressive band, Kyshera also have a string of popularly accepted songs. Kyshera list their influences as including Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, Melt Banana, Stravinsky, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Squarepusher
Squarepusher
Squarepusher is the performing pseudonym of Tom Jenkinson, an English electronic music artist signed to Warp Records. He specialises in the electronic music genres of drum and bass and acid, with a significant jazz and musique concrète influence....
and Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
(a full list can be found on the bands' ever growing 'Q&A' page). The meaning of the bands name is frequently refused an explanation, although they say there is one. Kyshera have a 'manifesto' which can be found on their website among their frequent blogs about music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and the music industry.
History
In late 2002, James Kennedy released Made in China, a twelve track album that was written, performed and produced entirely by himself. After going straight to the top of the BBC's New Bands Chart, where it stayed for six weeks, the album picked up a score of acclaim from the national music press with the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
calling it a work of 'warped genius'. The sudden flurry of attention soon brought about the threat of legal action from classical violinist Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy is a British born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti...
's management, demanding that the name 'Kennedy' not be used on the album cover (the album's original release was simply entitled Kennedy - Made in China). With this and the growing demand for the album to be played live, Kennedy began forming Kyshera in 2003.
Setting up the band was a lengthy process given the complex nature of some of the music and the band underwent several lineup changes before its first gig at TJ's nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
in 2005. As the band proceeded to gig heavily across the UK, the lineup continued to change until its longest lineup to date consisting of Carl Peel on Drums and Joe Cicero on Bass between 2006 and 2008. The band then developed a highly energetic live show, incorporating live electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
, stage mannequins and frequent destruction of gear, resulting on one occasion with James needing medical attention backstage due to severe loss of blood after landing on the drum kit at a festival. During this time the band released the Kyshera EP in 2006 and the "Superstar" single in 2007 which included on the disc, a video shot by movie director Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson
Wesley Wales Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer of features, short films and commercials....
's editor, Ben Campbell. The band continued to perform at festivals and many of the UK's most famous venues, however, an attempt at performing a 12-hour, improvised gig for charity in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was axed last minute due to venue complications. The band have stated that this is something that will still take place although there are no plans as yet.
Positive reviews continued, including Mathew Priest
Mathew Priest
Mathew Priest is an English drummer with the band Dodgy. He has also played with The Lightning Seeds, The Electric Soft Parade, The Yellow Moon Band and Ian McNabb in The Icicle Works....
(formally Drummer with UK band 'Dodgy
Dodgy
Dodgy are an English power pop rock trio, that rose to prominence during the Britpop era of the 1990s, who are best known for their hits "Staying Out for the Summer", "If You're Thinking of Me", and "Good Enough"...
') announcing the band in Rhythm Magazine as the UK's answer to Mars Volta, Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
(guitarist with Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
) stating that the band was one of the best in the UK today and Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
from BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
saying that Kyshera was 'one of the best things I've heard in ages'. However, lineup problems continued to haunt the band, holding up the recording of the long in the making second album and bringing the band to a complete standstill between 2009 and 2010.
After growing despondent with the 'stop & start' nature of the band which Kennedy felt was becoming a distraction from creating new music, James decided to focus entirely on the recording of Paradigm, the second Kyshera album which he had been trying to record for a long time. Like Made in China, Paradigm was recorded and produced by Kennedy during January 2010 and was released on 12 July 2010. Despite being a very different sounding album, Paradigm was met with the same positive press response as Made in China with Andy Von Pip describing the sound as "Incendiary adrenaline fuelled stadia straddling epicness". As a whole, the album marked a departure from the densely layered sound of its predecessor & had a distinctly more 'immediate' appeal with stripped down production. Paradigm also featured for the 1st time on a Kyshera recording, the use of an Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
on the experimental 'colour' piece 'Frequency 1'. During this time, James also began recording an album of completely 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...
and experimental music entitled 'Nine i.P.' which will be released in 2012, as well as an album of simple acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
songs. There are also plans to release an album of obscure cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
songs as well as a re-release and complete re-recording of Made in China which has since been taken out of distribution. James has stated that he would like to release all of these four albums in 2012 and has also stated that there are already several completed songs from the third Kyshera album with others in the workings.
Kyshera resurfaced in March 2010 with its new lineup consisting of Matt Warr on Bass and Rhys Jones on Drums. Whilst promoting the release of 'Paradigm', the band performed constantly & played some of their biggest venues to date, such as Cardiff's St David's Hall & Ynysangharad Park. A free live DVD of their intimate, hometown launch party at The Globe in Cardiff was later put on the Kyshera YouTube page & captures the new line up at its earliest inception. In November, James was nominated as one of 'Wales' Sexiest men' in a yearly poll & around this time, Kyshera began wearing Orange Guantanamo Bay style boiler suits in photo shoots.
In January 2011 Kyshera released a brand new song, entitled 'Know Your Enemy' onto the internet for free. The song was apparently written in an hour & recorded & mixed in an afternoon. 'Know Your Enemy' was hosted on SoundCloud & is linked to Kyshera's various web pages. Kyshera spent most of 2011 touring, including dates as far as Canada & in September they signed a licensing deal for the proper release & total re-recording of 'Made in China', to be released in Spring 2012. A full scale tour of the UK, Europe & Canada is currently being booked for the release.