News

Fantasy Rainbow Announce Debut Album

• 28th Sep 2012

Bos Taurus is the debut LP from Fantasy Rainbow, the one man / three man / four man (it really does depend on the day) indie troupe from Manchester led by Oliver Catt. Marking his second release on the excellent Heist Or Hit, the album bubbles with warmth, a combination of youthful, infectious indie-rock and anxious slacker pop. The album has much more of Daniel Johnston, Archers Of Loaf and Malkmus sound about it than it does any musical references from its geographical home. Joy Division homage, this is not.

Initially conceived as a bedroom recording outfit, Fantasy Rainbow’s departure from obscurity has been rapid. Last year, a newly eighteen year old Oliver Catt recorded four songs with the help of friend Jonathan Coddington, a collaboration which led to a demo which would generate a large amount of buzz in the north east music scene.

Over the next nine months Fantasy Rainbow would go on to release three full length releases in the shape of the ‘Teens’ EP, the ‘Healthy Lung, Dirty Lung’ cassette and the ‘No Hope. Not Ever’ EP. You can stream Condominium here:

Soon; all three releases were receiving regular national airplay from the likes of XFM, BBC 6 Music & Amazing Radio resulting in both of the first two releases selling out.

Recently signed to Heist Or Hit Records, the first recording with the label for the now nineteen years old and Manchester based, Oliver, was with former The Answering Machine frontman, Martin Colclough who recorded and produced the single O, Weirdo released last month to a Single Of The Month accolade in NARC.

Just after the single was recorded, Oliver was invited to record Bos Taurus in Nashville, Tennessee in Sputnik Sound Studios run by Grammy Award winning producer, Vance Powell (Jack White etc). The album, produced by Ed Spear, is a mix of Fantasy Rainbow material old and new. From the bolt-start of Soda Scream, to the twisting melodies of Condominium, Nothing But and the hook laden final third of Portra the record is quick out of the traps. On side 2, previous single O, Weirdo stands up against Golf World and the unpredictable closer Tooth Ache, to conclude a rough-edged charm and confidence that puts many an artist several years older, and several shades more successful, to shame.