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Biography
Refimprove|date=April 2011Peacock|date=April 2011Infobox musical artist | | name = The High Llamas| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = group_or_band| origin = London | instrument =| genre = Indie pop , folktronica | occupation =| years_active = 1990–present| label = Demon Records , V2 Records|V2 , Duophonic Records , Drag City (record label)|Drag City | associated_acts = Stereolab | website = http://www.highllamas.com/ highllamas.com| current_members = Sean O'Hagan Marcus Holdaway John Fell Rob Allum Dominic Murcott Pete Aves| past_members =| notable_instruments = The High Llamas are a London -based musical group, formed by the Irish guitarist and songwriter Sean O'Hagan after the demise of his group Microdisney . O'Hagan writes and arranges the music and the rest of the group consists of drummer Rob Allum, keyboardist/cellist Marcus Holdaway, and ex-Microdisney bassist Jon Fell. Guitarist John Bennett played with the band for several years, leaving in 2000. The core group is augmented by guitarist Pete Aves and vibist/percussionist Dominic Murcott, both for live performances and on record.
Musical style
The High Llamas' output (including the eponymous debut album, technically credited to "Sean O'Hagan") showed influences including pre-1950s American pop and folk, Brazilian jazz and bossa nova , film music|film composers of the 1960s, and 1990s European electronic music . O'Hagan's work most frequently included references to Brian Wilson 's psychedelic period and/or kitsch Easy listening|lounge revival . Although O'Hagan sometimes expresses discomfort at reviewers' claims of derivative works, he generally wears his influences on his sleeve, even naming several more recent songs after the composers and pop musicians who most inspired that particular track. (Examples: " Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach Tom Ze|Ze ", "Pat Charles Mingus|Mingus ", " Shuggie Otis|Shuggie Todd Rundgren|Todd ") The Beach Boys ' influence on O'Hagan is most obvious on the expansive, cinematic 1996 album Hawaii , a musical spaghetti western on themes of tourism and colonialism . It blended elements of Pet Sounds , Smile (Brian Wilson album)|Smile , and Wild Honey (album)|Wild Honey such that O'Hagan was recommended by Bruce Johnston to produce an eventually mixed Beach Boys comeback LP. Sean had played on some The Beach Boys dates. Incidentally, Sean's Llamas had previously provided a backing band for Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Lee 's Love (band)|Love in the mid 90's.
The High Llamas' own musical arrangements vary according to album, but marimbas , nylon-string guitar s, and heavily reverb ed pounding tack piano s are often featured. For a period in the late 1990s, O'Hagan's work was often marked by distinctive vintage synthesizer "gurgling" or "bouncing" effects, first explored and developed in Turn-On , his experimental collaboration record with members of Stereolab . The High Llamas' albums are also notable for frequent guest appearances by members of that band, with whom O'Hagan once played guitar, and for whom he often contributes string and horn arrangements.
The High Llamas infrequently tour and only release an album every few years; since the group was dropped by V2 Records they have made it clear that their records are personal projects that do not support them financially. O'Hagan frequently does arranging and production work for artists like The Boo Radleys , Doves (band)|Doves , Super Furry Animals and Sondre Lerche , and percussionist Allum has worked with Turin Brakes and the LightningSeeds . Their work for V2 is anthologized on the compilation Retrospective, Rarities and Instrumentals , and they continue to record for Duophonic Records (UK) and Drag City (record label)|Drag City (US). Can Cladders saw a slight return to form in 2007, plus some favourable touring. In 2008 Sean teamed up with the artist Jean Pierre Muller to publish Musical Paintings Vol. 1. The film soundtrack "La Vie D'Artiste", with Tim Gane of Stereolab , followed. Talahomi Way (Drag City, 2011) was released on April 11, 2011 in the UK. It has received very good reviews. Generally making a return to Sean O'Hagan's superb form of the mid 1990's, the album is a sweet reminder of how original perfectly crafted pop music can be made. Very much now a cult figure, the band successfully toured the United Kingdom in May 2011. They toured Spain in July 2011, and then played The Headstock Festival on September 12, 2011. Two gigs followed in Japan in late September. Four gigs have been lined up for December 2011 in Norwich, Milton Keynes, York and Edinburgh.
Discography
High Llamas (album)|High Llamas credited to Sean O'Hagan (Demon, 1990)
Hawaii (album)|Hawaii (V2, 1996) - UK Albums Chart|UK #62cite book
| first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 252
