Cocteau Twins | Artist
Cocteau Twins was a Scottish Indie band formed 1983 in Grangemouth by Elizabeth Fraser (vocals), Robin Guthrie (guitar), and Will Heggie (bass). Heggie was replaced by multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde in 1983. Cocteau Twins have one of the most distinctive sounds in rock music based on Fraser's ethereal vocals and their combination of guitar and synths. They were a very successful signing to the 4AD label and recognised as pioneers of "Ethereal Wave" and "Dream Pop". The band came into being when Guthrie met the 17-year-old Fraser in 1981 at a local disco, where Guthrie was DJing. Their first recording was a four track session for John Peel in June 1982, including "Wax and Wane" and "Garlands". Their debut LP Garlands, released through 4AD in July 1982, was a sales success, peaking at #14 in the indie albums chart in the UK. Sounds magazine wrote that the style of the band was "mixing strong Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division influences", while Spin compared it to Bauhaus. A European tour supporting OMD followed, but after a gig in Hamburg the band left the tour and dropped bassist Will Heggie. Guthrie and Fraser returned to Scotland to re-think their approach, which had relied on Heggie's rhythmic basslines underpinning Guthrie's minimalist guitar melodies, and Fraser's voice. Their next LP, Head over Heels, relied solely on the latter two, establishing the characteristic Cocteau Twins sound: Fraser's voice, by turns ethereal and operatic, combined with increasingly effects-heavy guitar playing by Guthrie. Guthrie has often said he's far more interested in the way the guitar is recorded than in the actual notes being played, citing Phil Spector's wall of sound as "an obvious influence" on his sound. The band's run of seven albums over the decade 1983-93 are all classics: Head Over Heals (1983), Treasure (1984), Victorialand (1986), The Moon and the Melodies (1986), Blue Bell Knoll (1988), Heaven or Las Vegas (1990), and Four Calendar Cafe (1993), are all indispensible for any serious collection. Heaven or Las Vegas was their most commercially successful recording, reaching #7 in the UK Albums Chart. Despite the success of the records and concert tours, not everything was well with the band. They left 4AD following Heaven or Las Vegas because of conflicts with the label's founder Ivo Watts-Russell, and were close to breaking up over internal problems due in large part to Guthrie's substance abuse. In 1997 while recording what was to have been their ninth LP, the trio disbanded over irreconcilable differences between Guthrie and Fraser. Some songs were partially recorded, but the band has stated that they will likely never be finished or released in any form. Post break-up, Elizabeth Fraser has engaged in many high-profile collaborations, providing vocals on Massive Attack's Mezzanine, vocals for "Lament for Gandalf" on The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, and singing with Peter Gabriel on Ovo (The Millennium Show). Recently, Fraser worked with ex-Bunnyman Damon Reece in the duo Sun's Signature. Robin Guthrie has released several fine solo albums and soundtracks, some together with Harold Budd. The Cocteau Twins took their band name from an early, unreleased song by Scottish band Simple Minds (originally called Johnny and the Self-Abusers), titled "Cocteau Twins."
Artist Website: cocteautwins.com
Featured Albums: Cocteau Twins
Related Artists: Lost Horizons, This Mortal Coil, Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie, Sun's Signature, Harold Budd
