Andrew Poppy
Encyclopedia
Andrew Poppy is an English
composer
, pianist
, and record producer
.
and Goldsmiths College
University of London
, studying piano with Susan Bradshaw and earning a B.M. degree in piano performance.
One of the least internationally known of British minimalist
composers, Poppy was a founding member (in 1981) of The Lost Jockey, a large ensemble dedicated to the performance of new works by British composers composed in the style of such composers as Philip Glass
, Steve Reich
, and Louis Andriessen
.
His first solo album The Beating of Wings was released on ZTT records in 1985, and the follow-up Alphabed (A Mystery Dance) in 1987. His third album for ZTT (Under the Son) was scheduled for release in 1988, but he left the label that year and most of its material appeared only in 2005 as part of a 3-CD collection of Poppy's ZTT works entitled Andrew Poppy on Zang Tuum Tumb. The collection comprised three tracks from Under the Son as well as the first two ZTT albums, some of whose tracks appeared in versions slightly different to their initial album appearances, as well as in 12" remixes.
He contributed orchestral arrangements to Force The Hand of Chance, the first album by the group Psychic TV
which was released on WEA Records in 1982. Poppy's subsequent arrangements have appeared on records by groups such as Coil
, Erasure
, The The
, The House of Love
, Strawberry Switchblade
and Nitzer Ebb
.
On June 9th 2011, Poppy's early 1990s orchestra and live electronics work Revolution No. 8: Airport for Joseph Beuys featured as one of the works in Electronica III at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, the final event in a series of BBC Concert Orchestra concerts showcasing contemporary music and electronica.
A collaboration between Poppy and German singer Claudia Brücken
(another ZTT artist in the 1980s who recorded with Propaganda
and Act
) resulted in the album Another Language in 2005. On this sparsely scored album of cover songs Poppy's piano playing accompanied Brücken's vocals.
Poppy's style occupies a place between classical minimalism, Postminimalism
and more popular genres, although individual pieces are not necessarily overtly minimalist. A wide range of ensembles have commissioned and/or performed his works at prestigious musical festivals including Noszferatu Ensemble and the Graham Fitkin
Band.
Poppy teaches composition at Trinity College of Music
in Greenwich
, London
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Biography
From 1974 to 1979 he studied music at Royal Holloway CollegeRoyal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...
and Goldsmiths College
Goldsmiths College
Goldsmiths, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom which specialises in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1891 as Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute...
University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, studying piano with Susan Bradshaw and earning a B.M. degree in piano performance.
One of the least internationally known of British minimalist
Minimalist music
Minimal music is a style of music associated with the work of American composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. It originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School....
composers, Poppy was a founding member (in 1981) of The Lost Jockey, a large ensemble dedicated to the performance of new works by British composers composed in the style of such composers as Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
, Steve Reich
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael "Steve" Reich is an American composer who together with La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass is a pioneering composer of minimal music...
, and Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen
Louis Andriessen is a Dutch composer and pianist based in Amsterdam. He teaches composition at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague...
.
His first solo album The Beating of Wings was released on ZTT records in 1985, and the follow-up Alphabed (A Mystery Dance) in 1987. His third album for ZTT (Under the Son) was scheduled for release in 1988, but he left the label that year and most of its material appeared only in 2005 as part of a 3-CD collection of Poppy's ZTT works entitled Andrew Poppy on Zang Tuum Tumb. The collection comprised three tracks from Under the Son as well as the first two ZTT albums, some of whose tracks appeared in versions slightly different to their initial album appearances, as well as in 12" remixes.
He contributed orchestral arrangements to Force The Hand of Chance, the first album by the group Psychic TV
Psychic TV
Psychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
which was released on WEA Records in 1982. Poppy's subsequent arrangements have appeared on records by groups such as Coil
Coil (band)
Coil were an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as "Jhonn Balance"—and his partner Peter Christopherson, aka "Sleazy". The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be...
, Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
, The The
The The
The The are an English musical and multimedia group that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member.-Early years :...
, The House of Love
The House of Love
The House of Love is an English alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, the band rose to prominence in the UK as a leading indie rock band in 1988 and split up in 1993, eventually reforming a decade later in 2003. The band is best known for its detailed psychedelic guitar sound and for the...
, Strawberry Switchblade
Strawberry Switchblade
Strawberry Switchblade was a female pop rock band formed in Scotland in 1981 by Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, best known for their song "Since Yesterday" in 1985.-Before being signed:...
and Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
.
On June 9th 2011, Poppy's early 1990s orchestra and live electronics work Revolution No. 8: Airport for Joseph Beuys featured as one of the works in Electronica III at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, the final event in a series of BBC Concert Orchestra concerts showcasing contemporary music and electronica.
A collaboration between Poppy and German singer Claudia Brücken
Claudia Brücken
Claudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...
(another ZTT artist in the 1980s who recorded with Propaganda
Propaganda (band)
Propaganda is a German synthpop group, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish....
and Act
Act (band)
Act were a short-lived synthpop group signed to ZTT Records in the late 1980s, and comprising Thomas Leer and ex-Propaganda vocalist Claudia Brücken. Besides electro-pop and disco the group were also influenced by psychedelic rock and musical theatre...
) resulted in the album Another Language in 2005. On this sparsely scored album of cover songs Poppy's piano playing accompanied Brücken's vocals.
Poppy's style occupies a place between classical minimalism, Postminimalism
Postminimalism
Postminimalism is an art term coined by Robert Pincus-Witten in 1971 used in various artistic fields for work which is influenced by, or attempts to develop and go beyond, the aesthetic of minimalism...
and more popular genres, although individual pieces are not necessarily overtly minimalist. A wide range of ensembles have commissioned and/or performed his works at prestigious musical festivals including Noszferatu Ensemble and the Graham Fitkin
Graham Fitkin
Graham Fitkin is a British composer, pianist and conductor. His compositions fall broadly into the minimalist and postminimalist genres...
Band.
Poppy teaches composition at Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, 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...
.
Discography
- Cadenza and Matters of Theory from the self-titled LP by The Lost Jockey (1982, Les Disques du Crepuscule)
- Crude Din from "Professor Slack" EP by The Lost Jockey (1982, Operation Twilight 10"; reissued 1983, Battersea Records 12")
- The Beating of Wings (1985, ZTT)
- Alphabed (1987, ZTT)
- Recordings (1992, Bitter and Twisted Records)
- Ophelia/Ophelia (1995, Impetus)
- Rude Bloom (1995, ArtGallery/Wotre Music)
- Time at Rest Devouring Its Secret (2000 Source Research Recordings)
- Another Language (with Claudia BrückenClaudia BrückenClaudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...
ex. Propaganda singer) (2005, There (there)) - Andrew Poppy on Zang Tuum Tumb - comprises The Beating of Wings, Alphabed, Under the Son (previously unreleased third album for ZTT) plus bonus tracks (2005, ZTT)
External links
- Andrew Poppy's Official website
- Marc Issue: Poppy art Blitz, December 1986 (copy at Zang Tuum Tumb and all that)
- Andrew Poppy on MySpace