Acacia (band)
Encyclopedia
Acacia was a multi-cultural British experimental pop band active during the mid-1990s. The band is most notable for helping to launch the subsequent musical careers of several of its members, most notably keyboard player/producer Guy Sigsworth
, singer Alexander "Blackmoth" Nilere and associate vocalist Imogen Heap
(later a solo artist, half of Frou Frou
and a collaborator with Urban Species and Jeff Beck
). Though never commercially successful, Acacia attracted a good deal of underground attention during their existence and were notable for their eclectic musical approach and for Nilere's unorthodox, polysexual image.
Other musicians who played with Acacia were drummer Eshan Khadaroo
(Cirque Du Soleil
, Blue Man Group
, Psapp
, Bow Wow Wow
), guitarists Luca Ramelli and Maurizio Anzalone, and percussionist/world instrument player Ansuman Biswas (better known as a performance poet). Talvin Singh
was also a member during the early days of the group.
The band should not be confused with the Detroit-based techno artist Acacia (a.k.a Kelli Hand/K-Hand)http://www.acaciarecordsdetroit.com/ACACIA.html.
, sampling, nu-soul, thrash metal
, indie rock
, R'n'B and club music. Core Acacia members Sigsworth and Nilere had originally bonded over a mutual interest in John Cage
and Karlheinz Stockhausen
, but retained their parallel (and more commercial) interest in "pop melodies with very strange arrangements." Nilere had first learned to play the guitar to Chinese and Balinese scales (before being introduced to R'n'B forms) and the band's songs were strongly influenced by this factor.
The band were known to describe their sound as "liquid music", due to the distinctive "underwater tabla" sound. Nilere once described Acacia as "a fourth world band, because the music's alien to everyone."
, a former harpsichord student obsessed by Stravinsky and electronic music. Sigsworth had already made a considerable mark for himself as a rising keyboard player, songwriter and junior producer on the British pop scene. In 1991, he had played and recorded with Bomb The Bass
and Seal (co-writing the latter's hit single "Crazy"), and had followed this up in 1992 by working with Hector Zazou
, Naked Truth and Seal's former musical partner Adamski
. By the time he met Nilere, he had moved on to become Bjork
's keyboard player and musical director of her live band.
Initially forming Acacia as a duo project, Nilere and Sigsworth subsequently recruited Maurizio Anzalone (a self-taught Spanish/Italian guitarist who'd developed a playing style blending punk
and the avant-garde). As percussionist, they recruited future world-music/British-Asian club music star Talvin Singh, who'd already established himself as a live performer with Siouxsie And The Banshees, Björk
and the On-U Sound System. Singh stayed with Acacia for "about three gigs". He was replaced by another British Asian: Ansuman Biswas, an experimental poet and performance artist who happened to play tabla, percussion and santoor
.
's "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get
".
Both singles, plus the interest built up by the band's compelling live concerts, attracted enough attention and then a deal from London label Radar Records
. This gave Sigsworth enough immediate financial security to enable him to leave Bjork's live band and to begin recording Acacia's debut album in his home studio at a basement flat near Abbey Road Studios
.
, who was recruited to the project by Sigsworth after he had heard her voice on a demo tape. Although Heap would never become a full time member of the band, she was featured prominently on almost every song the band recorded from then on, and would perform at Acacia's live gigs whenever possible. Members of Acacia would return the favour by performing in Heap's backing band for her 1996 showcase at the Prince's Trust Concert in Hyde Park
, London
.
Acacia's fourth single, released later in 1996, was "Sway", a song of bisexual intrigue which gained the band some more press attention (although not much mainstream attention).
(aka "Eshan K).
Signing a new deal with Warner Music UK, the new Acacia lineup re-recorded their first single, "Maddening Shroud". This gained the band the most interest they'd received so far and was promoted by a striking video. The band also played a UK tour and also played two concerts in Los Angeles at the Viper Room and Whiskey (as part of a possible deal with Interscope Records). A sixth single - the rave-inflected "Wired" - followed.
- was released in early 1997 and looked set to take the band to the next stage. However, problems with contract issues between Warner Music UK and Interscope were revealed which caused the album to be pulled from record stores at the last moment. (Enough copies of the album reached press and public to generate a few reviews and promote some mild cult interest.)
While the details of the legal problems are yet to be disclosed, they proved to be serious enough to entirely halt Acacia's career. With their impetus and opportunity apparently lost, the members of Acacia opted to split up the band.
.
Post-Acacia, Sigsworth also resumed his work as keyboard player and producer, going on to work with Mandalay, Badmarsh & Shri, Goldie, Robyn and Lamb. He has since moved into the premier league of pop sessions and productions thanks to his collaborations with Britney Spears
, Alanis Morissette
and Madonna
(for the latter, he co-wrote and produced the smash hit single "What It Feels Like for a Girl
").
During the last days of Acacia, Sigsworth and Imogen Heap had been working on Heap's debut solo album I Megaphone, for which Sigsworth co-wrote and produced the debut single "Getting Scared". Sigsworth and Heap subsequently formed the pop duo Frou-Frou (who recorded a cover of "Maddening Shroud" for their Details album). Although Frou Frou was a short-lived project (due to problems with record companies and Heap's desire to produce herself) the two remain friends and occasional collaborators.
Alexander Nilere went on (under the new pseudonym of "Blackmoth") to form the R'n'B/club music project Hexdragon with Nellee Hooper
, which produced the singles "Da Boogaloo" and "Two Summers". Unfortunately, the debut Hexdragon album suffered the same fate as Acacia's Cradle and was pulled on the eve of its release for undisclosed reasons. Alternating between his own name and the Blackmoth pseudonym, Nilere then went on to a solo career and has also worked with Bjork
, Peyton, Saian Supa Crew and The Prodigy
. He is currently working on a solo record in collaboration with producer and writer Sean McGhee.
After his stint in Acacia, Eshan Khadaroo
went on to drum with Blue Man Group
, Bow Wow Wow
, Psapp
, Incognito
, Jon Hassell
, Bonnie McKee
, Gemma Hayes
, Badmarsh & Shri
and his former Acacia bandmate Imogen Heap
. He is one of the many members of Cirque Du Soleil
.
Both Talvin Singh
and Ansuman Biswas resumed their own solo careers after leaving Acacia.
Luca Ramelli left London to return to Italy in 1999. He now mostly creates music for commercials and fashion events, but remains very enthusiastic about Acacia and has expressed interest in participating in a reunion should it ever happen.
(former members)
(associated members)
(albums)
Guy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth is a U.K. based composer, producer and songwriter. In his career to date he has worked with many famous artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian and Alanis Morissette...
, singer Alexander "Blackmoth" Nilere and associate vocalist Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
(later a solo artist, half of Frou Frou
Frou Frou
Frou Frou was a British electronic duo composed of Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth. They released their only album, Details, in 2002. Both of them write, produce and play instruments on the tracks, while Heap also provides the vocals...
and a collaborator with Urban Species and Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
). Though never commercially successful, Acacia attracted a good deal of underground attention during their existence and were notable for their eclectic musical approach and for Nilere's unorthodox, polysexual image.
Other musicians who played with Acacia were drummer Eshan Khadaroo
Eshan Khadaroo
Eshan Khadaroo is a British drummer and percussionist who plays a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, funk. hip-hop, worldbeat and experimental...
(Cirque Du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
, Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
, Psapp
Psapp
Psapp is an experimental electronica band. The band, a duo consisting of members Carim Clasmann and Galia Durant, are sometimes credited with inventing a musical style known as toytronica, a form of electronica made with toys and toy instruments...
, Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow were an English 1980s New Wave band created by Malcolm McLaren to promote his and business partner Vivienne Westwood's New Romantic fashion lines.The group's music is described as having an "African-derived drum sound".-History:...
), guitarists Luca Ramelli and Maurizio Anzalone, and percussionist/world instrument player Ansuman Biswas (better known as a performance poet). Talvin Singh
Talvin Singh
Talvin Singh Matharoo , is a producer and composer and tabla player, known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass...
was also a member during the early days of the group.
The band should not be confused with the Detroit-based techno artist Acacia (a.k.a Kelli Hand/K-Hand)http://www.acaciarecordsdetroit.com/ACACIA.html.
Sound and influences
Acacia's music combined elements of synth pop, electronicaElectronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, sampling, nu-soul, thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, R'n'B and club music. Core Acacia members Sigsworth and Nilere had originally bonded over a mutual interest in John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
and Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
, but retained their parallel (and more commercial) interest in "pop melodies with very strange arrangements." Nilere had first learned to play the guitar to Chinese and Balinese scales (before being introduced to R'n'B forms) and the band's songs were strongly influenced by this factor.
The band were known to describe their sound as "liquid music", due to the distinctive "underwater tabla" sound. Nilere once described Acacia as "a fourth world band, because the music's alien to everyone."
Roots and formation
Alexander Nilere (the son of a wealthy and prominent Nigerian family based in the UK) had originally been scheduled to travel to America and study medicine. More interested in music, he fooled his parents by faking his departure from Heathrow Airport and subsequently settled in the London squat scene. During this period, he was introduced to Guy SigsworthGuy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth is a U.K. based composer, producer and songwriter. In his career to date he has worked with many famous artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian and Alanis Morissette...
, a former harpsichord student obsessed by Stravinsky and electronic music. Sigsworth had already made a considerable mark for himself as a rising keyboard player, songwriter and junior producer on the British pop scene. In 1991, he had played and recorded with Bomb The Bass
Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
and Seal (co-writing the latter's hit single "Crazy"), and had followed this up in 1992 by working with Hector Zazou
Hector Zazou
Hector Zazou was a prolific French composer and record producer who worked with, produced, and collaborated with an international array of recording artists...
, Naked Truth and Seal's former musical partner Adamski
Adamski
Adamski is an English dance music producer, prominent at the time of acid house for his tracks "N-R-G" and "Killer" .-Career:...
. By the time he met Nilere, he had moved on to become Bjork
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's keyboard player and musical director of her live band.
Initially forming Acacia as a duo project, Nilere and Sigsworth subsequently recruited Maurizio Anzalone (a self-taught Spanish/Italian guitarist who'd developed a playing style blending punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and the avant-garde). As percussionist, they recruited future world-music/British-Asian club music star Talvin Singh, who'd already established himself as a live performer with Siouxsie And The Banshees, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
and the On-U Sound System. Singh stayed with Acacia for "about three gigs". He was replaced by another British Asian: Ansuman Biswas, an experimental poet and performance artist who happened to play tabla, percussion and santoor
Santoor
The santoor is an ancient stringed musical instrument, native to Kashmir and Iran. It is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut, with seventy two strings. The special-shaped mallets are lightweight and are held between the index and middle fingers...
.
Early singles
Acacia spent much of 1993 working on their music, and subsequently began to sell it via home-made cassette. They released their debut single, "Maddening Shroud" in April 1994 - a song fusing Balkan gypsy voices and gamelans to "an insistent nursery rhyme melody". "Maddening Shroud" was followed with a witty electronic soul-pop cover of MorrisseyMorrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
's "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get
The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get
"The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in February 1994. It was taken from the then-unreleased Vauxhall and I album and was the first Morrissey single to be produced by Steve Lillywhite....
".
Both singles, plus the interest built up by the band's compelling live concerts, attracted enough attention and then a deal from London label Radar Records
Radar Records
Radar Records was a UK-based record label formed by Martin Davis who had previously worked at United Artists Records, and Andrew Lauder, who had previously been head of A&R at the UK divisions of Liberty Records and United Artists...
. This gave Sigsworth enough immediate financial security to enable him to leave Bjork's live band and to begin recording Acacia's debut album in his home studio at a basement flat near Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
.
Singles for Radar Records
Acacia's third single (and their first release for Radar Records) was 1995's "Hate" EP. By this time, Acacia had gained a part-time fifth member in the shape of backing singer Imogen HeapImogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
, who was recruited to the project by Sigsworth after he had heard her voice on a demo tape. Although Heap would never become a full time member of the band, she was featured prominently on almost every song the band recorded from then on, and would perform at Acacia's live gigs whenever possible. Members of Acacia would return the favour by performing in Heap's backing band for her 1996 showcase at the Prince's Trust Concert in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Acacia's fourth single, released later in 1996, was "Sway", a song of bisexual intrigue which gained the band some more press attention (although not much mainstream attention).
Line-up changes and further singles
Maurizio Anzalone left the band following the release of "Sway". He was replaced by Luca Ramelli - an Italian guitarist and sound designer based in London - who finished off the remaining guitar tracks on the album. Shortly afterward Ansuman Biswas also left the band to resume his solo work. Biswas was replaced by versatile session drummer/percussionist Eshan KhadarooEshan Khadaroo
Eshan Khadaroo is a British drummer and percussionist who plays a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, funk. hip-hop, worldbeat and experimental...
(aka "Eshan K).
Signing a new deal with Warner Music UK, the new Acacia lineup re-recorded their first single, "Maddening Shroud". This gained the band the most interest they'd received so far and was promoted by a striking video. The band also played a UK tour and also played two concerts in Los Angeles at the Viper Room and Whiskey (as part of a possible deal with Interscope Records). A sixth single - the rave-inflected "Wired" - followed.
Cradle, and the end of the band
Completed in 1996, the Acacia debut album - CradleCradle (Acacia album)
Cradle is the first and only album by the English pop group Acacia, which featured future record producer Guy Sigsworth and singer Alexander "Blackmoth" Nilere...
- was released in early 1997 and looked set to take the band to the next stage. However, problems with contract issues between Warner Music UK and Interscope were revealed which caused the album to be pulled from record stores at the last moment. (Enough copies of the album reached press and public to generate a few reviews and promote some mild cult interest.)
While the details of the legal problems are yet to be disclosed, they proved to be serious enough to entirely halt Acacia's career. With their impetus and opportunity apparently lost, the members of Acacia opted to split up the band.
Life after Acacia
The breakup of Acacia was entirely amicable, with several members continuing to work together on other projects. In particular, Guy Sigsworth and Alexander Nilere maintained their writing partnership, working together on songs for both Imogen Heap and for British soul singer Hinda HicksHinda Hicks
Hinda Hicks is a Tunisian born singer, with British nationality having moved to West Sussex as a child.-Introduction:Hicks originally sang with an R&B band called the Fabulous Fug Band and at one time sent a demo of her vocals alongside Aretha Franklin's "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" to Phil...
.
Post-Acacia, Sigsworth also resumed his work as keyboard player and producer, going on to work with Mandalay, Badmarsh & Shri, Goldie, Robyn and Lamb. He has since moved into the premier league of pop sessions and productions thanks to his collaborations with Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
(for the latter, he co-wrote and produced the smash hit single "What It Feels Like for a Girl
What It Feels Like for a Girl
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the third and final single released from her eighth studio album Music on April 17, 2001 by Maverick Records. The video mix of the song is a trance song, while the album version is a more demure pop and...
").
During the last days of Acacia, Sigsworth and Imogen Heap had been working on Heap's debut solo album I Megaphone, for which Sigsworth co-wrote and produced the debut single "Getting Scared". Sigsworth and Heap subsequently formed the pop duo Frou-Frou (who recorded a cover of "Maddening Shroud" for their Details album). Although Frou Frou was a short-lived project (due to problems with record companies and Heap's desire to produce herself) the two remain friends and occasional collaborators.
Alexander Nilere went on (under the new pseudonym of "Blackmoth") to form the R'n'B/club music project Hexdragon with Nellee Hooper
Nellee Hooper
Nellee Hooper is a British producer/remixer/composer best known for his work with Björk, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Sinéad O'Connor, Garbage, Andrea Corr, U2, Sneaker Pimps, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack...
, which produced the singles "Da Boogaloo" and "Two Summers". Unfortunately, the debut Hexdragon album suffered the same fate as Acacia's Cradle and was pulled on the eve of its release for undisclosed reasons. Alternating between his own name and the Blackmoth pseudonym, Nilere then went on to a solo career and has also worked with Bjork
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Peyton, Saian Supa Crew and The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
. He is currently working on a solo record in collaboration with producer and writer Sean McGhee.
After his stint in Acacia, Eshan Khadaroo
Eshan Khadaroo
Eshan Khadaroo is a British drummer and percussionist who plays a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, funk. hip-hop, worldbeat and experimental...
went on to drum with Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
, Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow were an English 1980s New Wave band created by Malcolm McLaren to promote his and business partner Vivienne Westwood's New Romantic fashion lines.The group's music is described as having an "African-derived drum sound".-History:...
, Psapp
Psapp
Psapp is an experimental electronica band. The band, a duo consisting of members Carim Clasmann and Galia Durant, are sometimes credited with inventing a musical style known as toytronica, a form of electronica made with toys and toy instruments...
, Incognito
Incognito (band)
Incognito is a British band, as well as one of the members of the United Kingdom's acid jazz movement. Their debut album, Jazz Funk, was released in 1981, with thirteen more albums following, the last of which, Transatlantic RPM, was released in 2010....
, Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell is an American trumpet player and composer. He is known for his influence in the world music scene and his unusual electronic manipulation of the trumpet sound.-Life and career:...
, Bonnie McKee
Bonnie McKee
Bonnie Leigh McKee is a North American singer-songwriter, formerly signed to Reprise Records. She released her debut album Trouble in 2004, which was a minor success. The single "Somebody" was included in the soundtrack to the 2004 comedy film Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!...
, Gemma Hayes
Gemma Hayes
Gemma Claire Hayes is an Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cake Sale.-Early life:...
, Badmarsh & Shri
Badmarsh & Shri
Badmarsh & Shri are an electronic/trip hop duo from London, UK.- Formation :Prior to their formation, Badmarsh worked at the reggae studio Easy Street; which was hiring PA equipment to a nightclub called Labyrinth...
and his former Acacia bandmate Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
. He is one of the many members of Cirque Du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
.
Both Talvin Singh
Talvin Singh
Talvin Singh Matharoo , is a producer and composer and tabla player, known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass...
and Ansuman Biswas resumed their own solo careers after leaving Acacia.
Luca Ramelli left London to return to Italy in 1999. He now mostly creates music for commercials and fashion events, but remains very enthusiastic about Acacia and has expressed interest in participating in a reunion should it ever happen.
Members
(final lineup)- Alexander Nilere - vocals, acoustic guitar
- Guy SigsworthGuy SigsworthGuy Sigsworth is a U.K. based composer, producer and songwriter. In his career to date he has worked with many famous artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian and Alanis Morissette...
- keyboards ,sampler, programming, "guitar facsimile" - Luca Ramelli - guitar and guitar treatments
- Eshan KhadarooEshan KhadarooEshan Khadaroo is a British drummer and percussionist who plays a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, funk. hip-hop, worldbeat and experimental...
- drums, percussion
(former members)
- Maurizio Anzalone - guitar and guitar treatments
- Ansuman Biswas - percussion, tabla, santoor, noise
- Talvin SinghTalvin SinghTalvin Singh Matharoo , is a producer and composer and tabla player, known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass...
- tabla, percussion
(associated members)
- Imogen HeapImogen HeapImogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
- vocals
Discography
(singles)- "Maddening Shroud" (1994)
- "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I GetThe More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in February 1994. It was taken from the then-unreleased Vauxhall and I album and was the first Morrissey single to be produced by Steve Lillywhite....
" (1994) - "Hate" (Radar Records, 1995)
- "Sway" (Radar Records, 1995)
- "Maddening Shroud" (Warner Music, 1996)
- "Wired" (Warner Music, 1996)
(albums)
- CradleCradle (Acacia album)Cradle is the first and only album by the English pop group Acacia, which featured future record producer Guy Sigsworth and singer Alexander "Blackmoth" Nilere...
(Warner Music, 1997)
External links
- Acacia @ MySpace
- "Maddening Shroud" video (on YouTube)