Artist Profile

Grasscut

Label: Ninja Tune
Agent: Sinan Ors

One of that select band of artists who are making genuinely daring music that still remains an accessible and enjoyable listen” – Tom Robinson, BBC 6Music 

“Plying the kind of steam powered imagined futurism that Daedelus does, Grasscut mesh phonographic samples with toy keyboards and Fender Jaguar riffola. It looks like Fuck Buttons on paper. I’m pleased to say it sounds nothing like that” – FACT magazine 

"Sparse, democratic beauty... each glitch and sample is given the space to resonate in its simple splendour. Electronic music that makes you realise you're alive" – The Source magazine 

"These forms exist. They simply have fallen into disrepair." - W G Sebald

So begins the debut album from Grasscut, a transcendental journey from the Sussex South Downs of High Down to the Nintendo cathedral of Muppet. On its way it encounters both string quartets and casio keyboards, as well as a cast of voices including a 1920s tenor (The Tin Man), a Victorian singing poet (In Her Pride), gossiping mums and the Massed Voices of St Helier Choir (Muppet), a woman reminiscing about post-war rationing (1946), and two American property developers (Old Machines). The contemporary song cycle also features original vocals on several tracks.

Influences include Robert Wyatt, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, Vaughan Williams, Brian Wilson, and Gavin Bryars.

Grasscut songwriter Andrew Phillips is an award-winning film and television composer with over 100 screen credits (to be viewed at unitedagents.co.uk/film/andrew-phillips/). His soundtrack album, Home, is out on Burning Shed and he has recently contributed tracks to Lo Recordings. He is also a former keyboard player, vocalist and arranger with One Giant Leap, working with Baaba Maal and Neneh Cherry.

He is joined on this journey by erstwhile partner in grasscut: classically trained double bassist, keyboards player Marcus O'Dair. Live, they set up facing one another, at right angles to the audience, each armed with laptop and keyboard – Phillips on live programming, keyboards, vocals and guitar, O’Dair on double bass, stylophone, megaphone and toy piano. TThe pair made their live debut at the Loop Festival (Fourtet, Caribou, Holy Fuck) in August 2008, and have since performed at Tate Britain, the ICA, the Union Chapel and Koko, as well as opening the main stage at The Big Chill 2009. They have shared stages with Plaid, Clark, Luke Vibert, Tim Exile, Nathan Fake, Daedelus and Anti-Pop Consortium, and remixed the likes of Bonobo and Jaga Jazzist. They have been played on BBC Radio 1, 2 and 3 aswell as performing sessions on XFM and 6 Music. This is their first album together.

Also appearing on the record: Frank Byng (Snorkel – Slowfoot Records) and David Bramwell (Oddfellows Casino – Pickled Egg Records).