Lark
There are 2 bands called Lark:
1) A South African group from the city of Cape Town that formed in 2003 and disbanded temporarily in 2008. The group reunited in 2009 for 2 tours and are currently producing their 3rd album in London and Cape Town.
Lark formed in April 2003 as a four-piece electronica band originating from Cape Town, South Africa. Their music is a groundbreaking blend of electronic beats, audio manipulation and organic instrumentation resulting in a sound that explores new musical territory. Lark's offering is an honest and gritty challenge to the audience to abandon their preconceived ideas about music.
Inge Beckman (vocalist & vocal FX) is a trained singer in opera, classics, dance and jazz. She has been exercising her talents since an early age. Her public performances began in the jazz scene, gigging in Stellenbosch clubs with local jazz musos and at various venues throughout Cape Town. Her subsequent collaboration with the 9 piece hip hop band The Spindle Sect put her on the map.
Inge has also starred in various music videos for Russia, Germany and South Africa. She has featured in commercial film productions flighted locally and internationally and was the lead in a MTV International commercial called Nightswimmer.
A prolific songwriter, Inge began to look for an alternate outlet for her music, something more personal and unconstrained. One evening she heard Humanizer for the first time, she instantly knew this was the producer she was looking for and one month later they named it LARK.
Paul Ressel's (production & instrumentation) musical history is heavily steeped in rock music. Having played in numerous bands since the age of 11, he mastered guitar, drums, bass guitar and keyboards. The cross over into the electronic realm stemmed from an instinctive ability to build an entire composition from scratch.
While studying design, he discovered the electronically produced music of Amon Tobin, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and other WARP record artists. When Radiohead, a major alternative rock influence released KID A, Paul began to experiment in previously unknown genres, curious to see where his rock origins could take him in the unknown world of electronically produced music. Paul played as Humanizer for the first time at age 21.
Within months Paul had released on UNIT-R records on 2 compilations distributed internationally. He has also released music with TIME CODE Records and nominated for a SAMA for best production on Colfield Mundis debut album, Ceremony.
Simon "Fuzzy" Ratcliffe - Double Bass, Bass, Flute & Doudouk
Fuzzy began his musical journey playing jazz and swing trumpet, ultimately moving on to other wind instruments such as flute and sax. While he has played bass for years he first started playing upright bass with Capetonian Trip Hop pioneers Raygun and has since moved on to various eastern and world instruments, such as the Armenian Doudouk, Indian Bansuri and Egyptian Ney flute.
Over the years he has played as a session and studio musician for BMG, Edi Niederlander, BVK and the like. Hes also been involved in various theatre productions under the directorship of Graham Weir, Matinus Basson, Chris Weare and Megan Chortiz.
A sound engineer by profession and owner of Sound and Motion Studios, Fuzzy originally hooked up with Lark as their studio engineer and occasional session musician. With over a decade in the sound industry behind him, hes worked with the likes of Fetish, Springbok Nude Girls, Hog Hoggidy Hog, Muse String Quartet, The Dirty Skirts, 7th Son and so on, as well as international acts such as INXS, UB-40, Steven Spielbergs Dreamworks and the BBC.
He has been for 4 SAMA nominations (1 win) as well as a Sithengi Short award, Jamison Short Award, Vita Award, Fleur de Cap Award and Leories.
Sean Ou Tim - Drums
Sean Ou Tim aka Mr Sakitumi is the newest member of the band on drums. Another multi-instrumentalist, Sean is one of the most sought after session musicians in the country, collaborating and performing with the likes of Max Normal, Battery 9, Urban Creep, Naked, Strait&Narro, Freshlyground & Henry Ate. Sean has performed abroad at various major international festivals such as Pukkelpop (Belgium), Lowlands(Netherlands), Nante fest(France),Hove fest(Belgium), Book capital fest(Antwerp), Film fest(Antwerp), Faces fest (Finland), Oppikoppi fest(South Africa),Splashy Fen(South Africa), Up the Creek(South Africa), North Sea Jazz fest/Cape Town Jazz fest(South Africa) and at The Forum (venue in London) with Rodriguez. Sean is currently working on a solo beats album as Mr Sakitumi with music video and VJ artist Grrrl aka Inka Kendzia.
The band split in early 2008, citing disheartenment with South African music - especially after not being put on the line up for My Coke Fest 2007, despite their SAMA award. They reformed a year later for a national tour in 2009 and 2010. They are currently in recording and producing their new album at Paul Ressel's studio in London and Simon Ratcliffe's "Sound & Motion Studios" in Cape Town. The album is set for release late 2011.
2) Lark's debut album 'Shop' is a selection of songs documenting Lark’s progression since their inception: from when artist Karl Bielik wrote and recorded 14 songs on a 4-track back in 2006 to the expanded cohesive and unpretentious sextet - Diane Bielik (keyboards), Karl Bielik (vocals), Annie Davey (percussion/ guitar), Ross McTaggart (drums), Jim Morris (bass/ guitar) and Ewan Robertson (guitar/ bass) - that rehearse and record at Terrace studios that they co-run in East London.
With influences ranging from TOM WAITS, THE CRAMPS, THE FALL AND THE DIRTY THREE, the band have released a number of un-promoted yet very well received limited 7” releases: Stuart Maconie exclaimed the band as ‘wonderful’ on his BBC6Music show, freakzone; and Rob Da Bank has invited them to play at this year’s Bestival (09) ; with Rough Trade Records giving their single, The Animal’s Claw - a wonky punk cross-over that was re-edited by DJ extrodanaire, Erol Alkan - Record of the week status and also charted as one of Alkan’s top 10 tracks of the year.
Utilising a traditional rock format assisted by an array of analogue keyboards and various other devices, many of which were purchased at the nearby Kingsland Waste market (as pictured on the album cover) their choice of live performances have been effective in building support for the band. Legendary producer Brendan Lynch (Primal Scream,Paul Weller,Ray Davies) heard them play in a local pub, and shortly after remixed their instrumental odyssey Tardis. as did Pop’s intellectual Green Gartside of Scritti Politti who chose LARK as the support act at one of his rare performances. Gartside has also been hard at it reworking an album track for future release.
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