Dopamine found in Garage

• 12th Aug 2004

Time for another Glasswerk London update already? I hear you ask/groan/exclaim in delight* delete as applicable.

Well yes my friends it is. And this one is well worth reading. For starters, we have a great competition to win tickets for the reading and Leeds festivals! All you have to do is check out link for more information.

There are also reviews of Graham Coxon, Finn Brothers, Lambchop, Dogs Die in Hot Cars, Ambershades live for Glasswerk London, as well as exciting up-and-coming talent such as The Chevrons, The Koreans and Visiting Ghosts. There’s news on the Beta Band split, new live music and club nights happening in the Capital, and single and tour news for our faves Art Brut.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

Yes my friends, next Thursday (Aug 19th)the quite frankly superb Dopamine are in town as part of a national tour and will be gracing the Glasswerk stage Upstairs at the Garage. In support we have exciting new talent Western Electric System, as well as two Glasswerk bands who we are hoping big tings from… Burnt Ash and Akira.

Doors are at 8pm and it is £6 advance. Tickets can be purchased here link or here 020 7437 2222.

Let the profiles below whet your appetite and be sure to be at the Highbury Garage next Thursday.

Dopamine (22.15)

During the wintry days of early 2000, as their previous bands faded into fond memories Neil, James and Sam came together to form Dopamine. Bored of the bland rock that was coming from the local scene they set out to add their own unique sound to the mix.

Skip forward a couple of years. The ‘Statement of Intent’ EP, a DIY self-release that the band sold at shows shifted nearly 2000 copies. Dopamine went on to play many successful shows with bands such as McLusky, Hiding With Girls and Funeral For A Friend. ‘You And Whose Army? Records’ were so excited by the ‘Statement of Intent’ EP that the London newcomers knew straight away they wanted to sign Dopamine.

After a short period of negotiation Dopamine signed to YAWA Records for a one release deal which spawned the ’The Time It Takes To Let Go’ EP which was produced by Stuart Richardson of Lostprophets fame at Frontline Studios Caerphilly, and earned many favourable reviews.

The summer of 2003 saw Dopamine continue to play all over the UK, including their first jaunt off the mainland for a hugely successful mini-tour of Northern Ireland Dopamine recorded a session for the Bethan and Huw show and having been played on The Rock Show and Colin Murray Show on Radio 1. They have been played on Digital Radio Stations Such as Storm Radio and Total Rock… it’s looking like everyone is going to have a fix of Dopamine and once you’ve had it you’ll just keep coming back for more . . . . .

“Dopamine have toured relentlessly over the last two years, and are finally poised to fill the underground gap that Funeral For A Friend have so recently vacated.”
Bethan and Huw Show, Radio 1

”This is a finely crafted slice of emo-rock with great choruses and great hooks. The real gem here though is 'Six Miles South of Home' – simply brilliant and sounds much much more than what you'd expect to hear on a demo.” – BBC ONEMUSIC

”Highly polished emo songs, one of our favourites, ones to watch” – This Girl competition, Kerrang!

”Could the Welsh rock scene get any better? Hands up if you'd like to be Welsh right now? Yep, thought so. . . . There's a new addition to the aforementioned scene and they go by the name of Dopamine.” – DROWNEDINSOUND.COM

www.dopaminemusic.com

Burnt Ash (21.35)

Exciting young rock band whose Rogue Sessions EP has earned critical acclaim. Check out their full details on their own Glasswerk page here: link and read ourglowing review of their CD right here: link

It’s a pleasure to welcome Daz and the boys to the Garage and we just know it will be a great set.

link

Western Electric System (20.55)

Major chords, positive words, personal songs. The best kind. The kind that Bowie, The Beatles, Pulp and Badly Drawn Boy have all perfected, the kind that The Western Electric System has in droves.

The Western Electric System is Nick and Nathan, Dan and Henning. No less, but certainly a lot more. They have an understanding and appreciation of music that many have, but few are able (or willing) to articulate. It's a pleasure to hear a band that acknowledges and embraces different styles, unconstrained by the preconceptions that musicians so often hold about how their music “ought” to sound.

Refugees from various global villages, all four found themselves within streets of each other in North London. Instead of following the time-honoured tradition of writing songs, then recording them far away from home, Nick and Nathan built an entire studio from scratch in their front room. Having a negligible knowledge of studios, they had to master the equipment piece by piece. Nick's bedroom became the recording area, and the living room/kitchen morphed into the control room. Battling with a mighty jungle of cables and plugs, power points became so scare that each time they wanted to use the keyboards, the kettle had to be unplugged. Gradually the songs took shape, and as their living space shrunk, so the music grew. Finally, adding his own musical magic dust, Bernard Butler arrived on the scene with advice and eventually production. The end result was a front room looking like Abbey Road's Studio 3 and music that sounds like…

…well, it sounds like everything great that you've ever heard before, and sure, you can hear the influences, but it's the personal touches and quirks that sets The Western Electric System apart and makes them so special. If ever there was a soundtrack to the “preparation of the elixir of longevity”, then this is it.
Just as remarkable is the fact that this is just the introduction. This is the taster. This is simply to give you an idea. To get you warmed up.
Setting up camp in a local comedy club, they are honing their live sound, Cavern-style, with a monthly residency.

There is more to come.

link

Akira (20.20)

Describing themselves as a dirty post-pop three-piece, Akira a re originally from Cambridge but are now at home in the big smoke. Again, to get all the information you need on this band please check out: link

link

See you all there.