Fila Brazillia
Encyclopedia
Fila Brazillia was an electronica collaboration from Kingston upon Hull
, Yorkshire
in North-East England. Formed in 1990 by Steve Cobby
and David McSherry. They played electronica
, ambient
, techno
, rock
, funk
and dub
, and are often described as downtempo.
Their early releases on Pork Recordings
(also based in Hull), Old Codes New Chaos
, Maim That Tune
, Mess
, Black Market Gardening, Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight
and Power Clown followed. After creating their own music label with Sim Lister, Twentythree Records
, they released further albums A Touch Of Cloth, Jump Leads, The Life And Times Of Phoebus Brumal, Dicks and Retrospective.
They also released a DJ mix album
for the Azuli Records
Another Late Night
series, Another Late Night: Fila Brazillia
in 2001 and Another Fine Mess : Fila Brazillia in 2002.
Their collaborations include working with Harold Budd
and Bill Nelson
to release Three White Roses & A Budd (Twentythree Records
, 2002).
They co-produced the first Twilight Singers LP Twilight As Played By The Twilight Singers
with Greg Dulli
in 2001.
Cobby and McSherry have produced more than 70 remixes for artists including Black Uhuru
, Busta Rhymes
, DJ Food
, Lamb
, Radiohead
and The Orb
.
Bill Hicks
, the controversial American stand-up comedian, satirist and social critic 'appears' on Fila Brazillia's album Maim That Tune
(1996) and the album is dedicated to Hicks.
Their music has made its mark both on small-screen blockbusters (such as CSI
and Sex and the City
) and cult cinema films such as Dogtown and Z-Boys
, Riding Giants
and Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos, a 2006 documentary about the New York Cosmos
soccer team.
One of their more well-known songs, A Zed and two L's, appear on Jam
, a black comedy sketch show by British satirist Chris Morris
.
Their song Here Comes Pissy Willy from the Power Clown album featured as the theme to the James Whale Show on Talk Radio in the late 1990s.
After releasing their "Retrospective" album in 2006, Cobby and McSherry quietly ended their longtime partnership.
Currently, McSherry is a lecturer in Audio Production at the University of Lincoln
.
Cobby went on in late 2006 to form Steel Tiger Records
with Sim Lister. Over the course of 2007, the label saw various digital releases by J*S*T*A*R*S (Cobby and Lister), Peacecorps (Cobby and guitarist Rich Arthurs) and by The Cutler
(Cobby and ex-head of Pork Recordings
David "Porky" Brennand).
The first formal album by The Cutler
on Steel Tiger Records
was released on July 7, 2008, distributed by Kudos Records Ltd.
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
in North-East England. Formed in 1990 by Steve Cobby
Steve Cobby
Steve Cobby is a British electronic musician, composer, DJ and producer, based in Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire.Cobby co-founded Fila Brazillia with David McSherry in 1990. From 1990 to 1998 Fila Brazillia releases were on the Kingston-upon-Hull based Pork Recordings established by David 'Porky'...
and David McSherry. They played electronica
Electronica
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...
, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, and are often described as downtempo.
Their early releases on Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles....
(also based in Hull), Old Codes New Chaos
Old Codes New Chaos
Old Codes New Chaos is the first album by the British group Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings in 1994. The title comes from a line in the 1991 book Lila: An Inquiry into Morals by Robert Pirsig: "Rigel's interpretation of recent moral history is probably a pretty simple one: old codes vs...
, Maim That Tune
Maim That Tune
Maim That Tune is an album released by the British group Fila Brazillia on Pork Recordings in 1995.This album was dedicated to the deceased stand-up comedian, satirist and social critic Bill Hicks....
, Mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
, Black Market Gardening, Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight
Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight
Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight is an album by the British electronica group, Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings in 1997.-Track listing:#"Lieut...
and Power Clown followed. After creating their own music label with Sim Lister, Twentythree Records
Twentythree Records
Twentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, they released further albums A Touch Of Cloth, Jump Leads, The Life And Times Of Phoebus Brumal, Dicks and Retrospective.
They also released a DJ mix album
DJ mix
A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. When a DJ mix or DJ mixset is recorded onto some medium, it is often referred to as a mix tape...
for the Azuli Records
Azuli Records
Azuli Records is an independent record label, focusing mainly on house music and other forms of electronic dance music. The label was founded by DJ Dave Piccioni in London, UK in 1991 and went into liquidation in April 2009. It's assets were sold to Phoenix Music International Ltd...
Another Late Night
Late Night Tales
Late Night Tales and its predecessor Another Late Night are the names of two related series of artist curated compilation albums released on Late Night Tales independent record label...
series, Another Late Night: Fila Brazillia
Another Late Night: Fila Brazillia
Another Late Night: Fila Brazillia is a DJ mix album, mixed by Fila Brazillia and is the first release in the Another Late Night / Late Night Tales DJ series.-Track listing:# "The Persuaders Theme" - John Barry# "Firefly" - Homelife...
in 2001 and Another Fine Mess : Fila Brazillia in 2002.
Their collaborations include working with Harold Budd
Harold Budd
Harold Budd is an American ambient/avant-garde composer and poet. Born in Los Angeles, he was raised in the Mojave Desert, and was inspired at an early age by the humming tone caused by wind blown across telephone wires....
and Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson (musician)
Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
to release Three White Roses & A Budd (Twentythree Records
Twentythree Records
Twentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, 2002).
They co-produced the first Twilight Singers LP Twilight As Played By The Twilight Singers
Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers
Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers is the first album by The Twilight Singers. It was released by Sony Music Entertainment in 2000.- Track listing :#"The Twilite Kid" - 5:52#"That's Just How That Bird Sings" - 3:52#"Clyde" - 4:40...
with Greg Dulli
Greg Dulli
-Biography:Greg Dulli was born and brought up in the working-class city of Hamilton, Ohio. Although he was raised a Catholic, he is now agnostic. Dulli first came to public attention in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs when he joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky,...
in 2001.
Cobby and McSherry have produced more than 70 remixes for artists including Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru . The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Duckie Simpson always maintaining group control and ownership...
, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, DJ Food
DJ Food
Originally produced by Coldcut on the Ninja Tune independent record label, the DJ Food project started in 1990 on the premise of providing metaphorical "food for DJs". DJ Food released the Jazz Brakes series, with Jazz Brakes Volume 3 being the most successful...
, Lamb
Lamb (band)
Lamb is an electronic music duo from Manchester, England, whose music is influenced by trip hop and drum and bass. The duo consists of producer Andy Barlow, who also produces under the pseudonym Hipoptimist, and singer-songwriter Lou Rhodes...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and The Orb
The Orb
Throughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
.
Bill Hicks
Bill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
, the controversial American stand-up comedian, satirist and social critic 'appears' on Fila Brazillia's album Maim That Tune
Maim That Tune
Maim That Tune is an album released by the British group Fila Brazillia on Pork Recordings in 1995.This album was dedicated to the deceased stand-up comedian, satirist and social critic Bill Hicks....
(1996) and the album is dedicated to Hicks.
Their music has made its mark both on small-screen blockbusters (such as CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
) and cult cinema films such as Dogtown and Z-Boys
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Dogtown and Z-Boys is a 2001 documentary film directed by Stacy Peralta. Using a mix of film the Zephyr skateboard team shot in the 1970s by Craig Stecyk and more recent interviews, the documentary tells the story of a group of teenage surfer/skateboarders and their influence on the history of...
, Riding Giants
Riding Giants
Riding Giants is a 2004 documentary film directed and narrated by Stacy Peralta, a famous skater/surfer who helped define modern skateboarding. The movie traces the origins of surfing and specifically focuses on the art of big wave riding...
and Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos, a 2006 documentary about the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
soccer team.
One of their more well-known songs, A Zed and two L's, appear on Jam
Jam (TV series)
Jam was a postmodern British dark comedy series created, written and directed by Chris Morris, and broadcast on Channel 4 during March and April 2000...
, a black comedy sketch show by British satirist Chris Morris
Chris Morris (satirist)
Christopher Morris is an English satirist, writer, director and actor. A former radio DJ, he is best known for anchoring the spoof news and current affairs television programmes The Day Today and Brass Eye, as well as his frequent engagement with controversial subject matter.In 2010 Morris...
.
Their song Here Comes Pissy Willy from the Power Clown album featured as the theme to the James Whale Show on Talk Radio in the late 1990s.
After releasing their "Retrospective" album in 2006, Cobby and McSherry quietly ended their longtime partnership.
Currently, McSherry is a lecturer in Audio Production at the University of Lincoln
University of Lincoln
The University of Lincoln is an English university founded in 1992, with origins tracing back to the foundation and association with the Hull School of Art 1861....
.
Cobby went on in late 2006 to form Steel Tiger Records
Steel Tiger Records
Steel Tiger Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded in late 2006 by Steve Cobby and Sim Lister.Steve Cobby was formerly half of the iconic electronic music duo Fila Brazillia, in addition to his many other musical aliases, most notably The Solid Doctor - with...
with Sim Lister. Over the course of 2007, the label saw various digital releases by J*S*T*A*R*S (Cobby and Lister), Peacecorps (Cobby and guitarist Rich Arthurs) and by The Cutler
The Cutler
The Cutler is an electronica collaboration from Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. Formed by Steve Cobby, formerly half of Fila Brazillia, and David 'Porky' Brennand, founder of Pork Recordings, they play electronica and dub, and are sometimes described as being left field.Formed in 2006, their debut...
(Cobby and ex-head of Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles....
David "Porky" Brennand).
The first formal album by The Cutler
The Cutler
The Cutler is an electronica collaboration from Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. Formed by Steve Cobby, formerly half of Fila Brazillia, and David 'Porky' Brennand, founder of Pork Recordings, they play electronica and dub, and are sometimes described as being left field.Formed in 2006, their debut...
on Steel Tiger Records
Steel Tiger Records
Steel Tiger Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded in late 2006 by Steve Cobby and Sim Lister.Steve Cobby was formerly half of the iconic electronic music duo Fila Brazillia, in addition to his many other musical aliases, most notably The Solid Doctor - with...
was released on July 7, 2008, distributed by Kudos Records Ltd.
Albums
- Old Codes New ChaosOld Codes New ChaosOld Codes New Chaos is the first album by the British group Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings in 1994. The title comes from a line in the 1991 book Lila: An Inquiry into Morals by Robert Pirsig: "Rigel's interpretation of recent moral history is probably a pretty simple one: old codes vs...
(1994) - Maim That TuneMaim That TuneMaim That Tune is an album released by the British group Fila Brazillia on Pork Recordings in 1995.This album was dedicated to the deceased stand-up comedian, satirist and social critic Bill Hicks....
(1995) - MessMess (album)Mess is an album released by the British group Fila Brazillia on Pork Recordings in 1996.-Track listing:# "The Last Of The Red Hot Brethren" - 2:15# "Big Saddle" - 4:58# "Space Hearse" - 6:07# "Half Man Half Granary Thorax" - 1:39...
(1996) - Black Market GardeningBlack Market GardeningBlack Market Gardening is an album by the British electronica group, Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings in 1996.-Track listing:#"Obrigado" – 3:53#"Snake Ranger" – 7:55#"Little Dipper" – 6:01#"Blubber Plinth" – 7:37#"Butter My Mask" – 9:14...
(1996) - Luck Be a Weirdo TonightLuck Be a Weirdo TonightLuck Be a Weirdo Tonight is an album by the British electronica group, Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings in 1997.-Track listing:#"Lieut...
(1997) - Power Clown (1998)
- A Touch of Cloth (1999)
- Jump Leads (2002)
- The Life and Times of Phoebus Brumal (2004)
- DicksDicks (album)Dicks is an album by the British electronica group, Fila Brazillia, released on Twentythree Records in 2004.The album title 'Dicks' refers to the French word for '10': Dix. This is Fila's Brazillia's 10th album in as many years...
(2004)
Singles
- "Mermaids" (Pork RecordingsPork RecordingsPork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles....
, 1991) - "Neanderthal" (Twentythree RecordsTwentythree RecordsTwentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, 2007)
EPs
- Sycot Motion (Mindfood, 1996)
- Three White Roses & A Budd (with Harold BuddHarold BuddHarold Budd is an American ambient/avant-garde composer and poet. Born in Los Angeles, he was raised in the Mojave Desert, and was inspired at an early age by the humming tone caused by wind blown across telephone wires....
and Bill NelsonBill Nelson (musician)Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
) (Twentythree RecordsTwentythree RecordsTwentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, 2002 - recorded 2000) - Saucy Joints (Twentythree RecordsTwentythree RecordsTwentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, 2002) - We Build Arks (Twentythree RecordsTwentythree RecordsTwentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, 2002) - One Track Mind (Twentythree RecordsTwentythree RecordsTwentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, 2007)
Compilations
- Music for Freelance (1999)
- Retrospective (Twentythree RecordsTwentythree RecordsTwentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, 2006)
Remixes
- Brazilification - remixes 95-99 (Kudos, 1999)
- 12 Brazilliant Remixes
- B2 - 21 Brazilliant Remixes (Twentythree RecordsTwentythree RecordsTwentythree Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded by Steve Cobby, David McSherry, and Sim Lister—who are regarded as significant names in the development of the electronica genre in the United Kingdom....
, 2003) - "Soul Sauce" Verve Remixed 2 (Verve Music Group, 2003)
DJ mix albums
- Another Late Night: Fila BrazilliaAnother Late Night: Fila BrazilliaAnother Late Night: Fila Brazillia is a DJ mix album, mixed by Fila Brazillia and is the first release in the Another Late Night / Late Night Tales DJ series.-Track listing:# "The Persuaders Theme" - John Barry# "Firefly" - Homelife...
(2001) - Another Fine Mess: Fila Brazillia (2004)