The Monsoon Bassoon
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The Monsoon Bassoon were a London based rock band, who existed between 1995 and 2001. Their music can be described as psychedelic rock or math rock, although their songs were often characterised by sudden changes in direction or mood. Regular features of their songs were male and female harmony vocals, swapping of the lead singer, woodwind parts, polyrhythmic sections, time changes and unusual scales.
Although sometimes sounding chaotic, their music was carefully planned to the last note. At times, all of the band could seem to play in different timings, before locking into a crescendo. For example, "The King of Evil," starts as a gentle folk song, but ends with all three singers shouting in chorus over a death metal guitar part. The band won the NME's single of the week award three times and had a passionate underground following, particularly inspiring other bands.
Since their break up, guitarists Dan Chudley and Kavus Torabi have continued to write songs together under different names. As of 2005, they are rehearsing with ex-Monsoon Bassoon drummer Jamie Keddie, under the name Authority. After working as their guitar technician for several years, Kavus Torabi is now also a member of Cardiacs, the cult underground rock band.
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[edit] Band members
- Kavus Torabi - Guitar, vocals
- Dan Chudley - Guitar, vocals
- Sarah Measures - Saxophone, clarinet, flute, vocals
- Laurie Osbourne - Bass
- Jamie Frazer Keddie - Drums
[edit] Discography
- Redoubtable - Cassette EP (Org records)
- In Bold Gardens - EP (unreleased)
- Wise Guy/28 Days in Rocket Ship - 7" single on Weird Neighbourhood Records
- In the Iceman's Back Garden/Pyramid - 7" single (Weird Neighbourhood Records)
- The King of Evil/Flamingo Lawn - 7" single (Weird Neighbourhood Records)
- I Dig Your Voodoo - 10 track CD album (Weird Neighbourhood Records)
- Wall of Suss 1 - 7" split single with Rothko (Weird Neighbourhood Records)
- Wall of Suss 2 - 7" split single with Max Tundra (Weird Neighbourhood Records)
- The Noosemaker/God Bless T.M.B./Brickfields - 3 track single (Day Release Records)
- Useless in Bed Volume 1 - Compilation featuring one song from the In Bold Gardens EP (H.O.S.)
- My Kill Hand Never Felt so Good - Tentatively planned EP of new songs (unreleased)
[edit] Related bands
- Die Laughing - Plymouth metal band, featuring Kavus and Dan before forming the Monsoon Bassoon
- Squid Squad - Plymouth based band, featuring Dan, Sarah and Jamie before the Monsoon Bassoon
- Knife World - Solo project by Kavus Torabi, currently unreleased
- The Don and Only - An electronic solo project by Dan Chudley
- Hatchjaw and Bassett - Dan Chudley and Kavus Torabi's largely experimental recordings
- Admiral's Hard - Sea shanty band, led by Andy Carne and featuring ex-Monsoon Bassoon members
- Max Tundra - Members have acted as backing musicians for this electronic composer
- Miss Helsinki - Rock band briefly formed by Kavus, Dan and Jamie circa 2003
- Authority - New band formed by Kavus, Dan and Jamie in 2005
- Cardiacs - Kavus Torabi now plays guitar in this seminal underground band
