Description
V40 – Fantastic album from San Francisco genius electro musicians… Tommy Greñas and Len Del Rio. They created the Anubian Lights in the early ’90s out of a pure intention to explore their overlapping interests in electronica, psychedelic space rock and ambient and experimental sounds. But their roots stretch back to London in the 1980s, when Tommy was a devoted fan of Space Rock and Krautrock bands like Hawkwind, Can and Neu!, as well as electronic innovators such as Kraftwerk, Cabaret Voltaire and others.. Len, at the time living in London on an extended break from California, preferred the sounds of Post Punk, classic exotica and ska. A wide variety of tastes that included, Martin Denny, Les Baxter, The Fall, The Stranglers, The Specials and Henry Mancini. “What really brought us together was Yello,” Tommy remembers, noting that the influential Swiss electronic ensemble’s earliest albums, Claro Que Si and Solid Pleasure, appealed to their individual sensibilities, providing them with a key point of intersection.
Tommy and Len formed the Anubian Lights in 1995, as a side project to their then current Industrial/Space Rock band-Pressurehed. Wanting to delve more into the direction of Electronica/Ambient/Trance music, they released two albums,(The Eternal Sky,Let Not The Flame Die Out) on the Hypnotic label, (an offshoot of Cleopatra Records). In 2001, they signed to Germany based label, Crippled Dick Hot Wax!(Warner Chappell). There they released Naz Bar. Their distinct mélange of Lounge Electronica sounds won them enthusiastic support from international tastemakers, including influential BBC broadcasters John Peel and Anne Hobbs, and DJ, recording artist, and film composer David Holmes (Oceans Eleven). The following year, after successful live shows in Australia and Europe, the duo joined forces with notorious NYC no wave icon Lydia Lunch, a collaboration that yielded the sinister yet seductive EP Champagne, Cocaine, and Nicotine Stains.
It was while working with Lunch on her latest album, Smoke in the Shadows, that Tommy and Len met Adele Bertei, another downtown NY music icon. Adele was the original Keyboardist for James Chance and the Contortions in the late 1970’s. Later, she became an in demand backing vocalist for artists such as: Thomas Dolby, Scritti Politti, & Tears For Fears. After working with her on Lunch’s album, Anubian Lights asked her if she would be interested in working together. Phantascope (2004), the trio’s first recording together resulted in a sexy, groove-laden space romp that was released by Rhythmbank Entertainment, a new record label founded by punk-funk pioneer Nona Hendryx. After a two year whirlwind of activity, including live performances on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic & an instore performance at the world famous, Amoeba Music Hollywood, Anubian Lights took a brief hiatus to work on other projects. Adele left the band in 2006 to pursue other interests.
Anubian Lights continue on, recording new songs, and performing sporadically. Tommy & Len have lent their musical talents to a wide range of artists, most notably, as backing musicans for Damo Suzuki’s Network (former Can vocalist). In 2011, Anubian Lights teamed up with the 1970’s Kraut Rock band Brainticket’s founder, Joel Vandroogenbroeck. Along with other musicians, they embarked on a successful USA tour supporting Prog legends-Nektar. A live dvd from that tour was released in 2012. Currently, Anubian Lights are putting the finishing touches on their 5th studio album, to be released sometime in 2013.
http://www.theanubianlights.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anubian-Lights/128351231256
