Lightspeed Champion
Encyclopedia
Devonté Hynes better known as Lightspeed Champion or Blood Orange, is a British
composer
, songwriter
, producer
and author
, who has written for artists such as Florence and the Machine
, Diana Vickers
and The Chemical Brothers
on their 2007 Grammy award winning album We Are The Night
. He is currently signed to Domino Records.
Hynes was born in Houston, Texas but was raised in Essex, England from the age of 2. He was educated at the Chadwell Heath Foundation School, now known as Chadwell Heath Academy. He currently resides in New York
. The name 'Lightspeed Champion' comes from a series of comic strips Hynes drew as a teenager in his school mathematics
books. Hynes was voted the 49th 'coolest person in rock' in NME
s 2007 Cool List, jumping to position 20 in the following year's list. From their formation in 2004 until their break-up in 2006, Hynes was a member of the band Test Icicles
, playing guitar
, synth, and occasionally performing vocals. The band were known for their blisteringly crazy and diverse music and for their raucous live performances. They released only one full-length album
(For Screening Purposes Only
) in 2005.
with Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis
, most famous for his involvement with the band Bright Eyes. A number of Omaha-based musicians appear on the record, including Mogis himself, trumpet player and pianist Nate Walcott
(also of Bright Eyes), The Faint
's drummer Clark Baechle
and guest vocalist Emmy The Great
- along with moonlighting members of Cursive
and Tilly And The Wall
.
These recording sessions resulted in the single "Galaxy of the Lost
", released on July 30, 2007, and the album Falling off the Lavender Bridge
, released on January 21, 2008.
Hynes has also recorded a number of bootlegs and unofficial releases, made available to the public through his blog
and MySpace
. These include an album written and recorded entirely in a day and an EP
consisting only of covers of Green Day
songs.
("All Rights Reversed", from 2007's Grammy award winning album We Are The Night
which entered the UK Albums Chart
at #1), Basement Jaxx
(on their album Scars
), as well as Florence and the Machine
for her #1 album Lungs
and Solange Knowles
.
He has co-written and produced songs for Diana Vickers
. on Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree
which debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart
.
He has also produced and written songs for the forthcoming Theophilus London
album including the Lovers Holiday e.p.
Hynes also has contributed music to the film MacGruber
, released summer 2010, including the duet "Rock My Body" with SNL cast member Kristen Wiig
.
He is currently in the studio working on the new Solange Knowles
album.
film Harold And Maude
after a screening of the performance. Hynes then had to cancel this due to an operation he had to undergo on his throat. The event was rescheduled for May 2009. In July 2009 Hynes will reprise the soundtrack and perform at Latitude Festival
.
In June 2009 Hynes performed at The Barbican
in London in commemoration of the composer Moondog
. Singing renditions along with London Saxophonic
of songs from the Moondog
Album "Sax Pax For A Sax". He also sung "Fujiyama part 2" backed by The Britten Sinfonia conducted by André De Ridder and Andi Toma (Mouse On Mars
).
In April 2010 Hynes returned to The Barbican
to perform with The Triffids
for a special concert in honor of their singer Dave McComb along with Warren Ellis
, Tindersticks
and members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre
.
In December an ep titled "Bye Bye" was released in collaboration with composer Van Dyke Parks
.
Currently producing pop duo bleeding knees club.
of Florence and the Machine
, and UK singer-songwriter Emmy the Great
. Mike Siddell, formerly of Hope of the States
, plays violin with the band. He is a prolific musician and a core member of the Brighton based Willkommen Collective, playing with Willkommen bands such as Sons of Noel and Adrian, The Leisure Society
and The Miserable Rich
. He also plays with Troubles
and made a guest appearance on the debut EP by A Genuine Freakshow
.
Anna Prior, formerly of Leeds bands Dead Disco
and The Ivories, played drums for most of the tour. Other guest members to have contributed in live shows include Alex Turner
of the Arctic Monkeys
, Faris Badwan
of The Horrors
, Frederick Blood-Royale of Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
, Jack Peñate
and Eugene McGuinness as well as We Are Scientists
' Keith Murray on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
on June 6, 2009.
Backed by a full band he appeared at the NME 2008 Awards
, broadcast on Channel 4 on February 29, 2008, dressed as characters from Star Wars
, including Princess Leia on the drums. The band's affinity with Star Wars continued when they played the main theme to the trilogy at O2 Wireless Festival 2008. Hynes and a violinist Mike Siddell began a short U.S. tour in March 2008, ending with an appearance at SXSW 2008. At SXSW they befriended The Wombats
, and ultimately supported them at a Royal Albert Hall
concert. Hynes also performed with We Are Scientists at Glastonbury
2008, with latter's front man Keith Murray joking to Zane Lowe
in a post-show interview that "he owed us a sandwich!". Hynes appeared at Belgian music festival Pukkelpop
in August 2008.
By the end of what became a two year touring period, Hynes had suffered severe damage to his throat, and had to undergo extensive surgery.
He then took a lengthy two and a half year hiatus from touring, popping up occasionally to play shows in New York and a top billed slot at the Carling Festival in 2009. He returned for a 2 week European tour in June 2010. The touring band for that tour consisted of the band Spacekamp who are also the backing band for Adam Green
.
, Faris Badwan
of The Horrors
and Gary Card, and photography by Hynes.
June 2009 saw the release of the book Punk Fiction: An Anthology of Short Stories Inspired by Punk, which featured a short story by Hynes titled "The KKK Took My Baby Away..." (from the Ramones
song of the same name
), described as a "comedy
sci-fi monologue
". Proceeds from the book went to the Teenage Cancer Trust
.
In October 2009 he also contributed two comics and stories to the group CTRL.ALT.SHIFT's comic anthology as well as being a judge with Marjane Satrapi
in judging a national comic competition where winners had to adapt a script written by Hynes.
Hynes contributed the stories "Behold, King Listpin III" and "Juice This!". The anthology is titled "Unmasks Corruption". There was a gallery exhibition at London's Lazerides Gallery to coincide with the event which launched at Comica.
His first collection of short stories titled "Bad Era Of Me : A Collection Of Short Stories by Devonté Hynes" is scheduled to be released by February 2010.
He is currently producing the bleeding knees club, an australian pop/punk band.
Various Blood Orange live performances have taken place in New York and London within November and December 2009, consisting of Hynes, a guitar, and a laptop.
On December 17, 2009, Hynes performed a Blood Orange song titled "Forget It" on the final It's On With Alexa Chung show on MTV. He performed to a backing track dressed in a wizard costume.
Hynes' debut single under the moniker Blood Orange, "Dinner", is being released in January on Terrible records. Following this a full-length record is expected for release in early 2011 on Domino records.
The Blood Orange song "Sutphin Boulevard" featured in the January 17, 2011 premiere episode of the MTV show Skins.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, 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...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, who has written for artists such as Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
, Diana Vickers
Diana Vickers
Diana Vickers is an English singer-songwriter, stage actress and fashion designer who initially came to public attention as a semi-finalist on the fifth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2008...
and The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
on their 2007 Grammy award winning album We Are The Night
We Are the Night
We Are the Night is the sixth studio album by English big beat duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 27 June 2007. The record entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1 and debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 200...
. He is currently signed to Domino Records.
Hynes was born in Houston, Texas but was raised in Essex, England from the age of 2. He was educated at the Chadwell Heath Foundation School, now known as Chadwell Heath Academy. He currently resides in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The name 'Lightspeed Champion' comes from a series of comic strips Hynes drew as a teenager in his school mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
books. Hynes was voted the 49th 'coolest person in rock' in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
s 2007 Cool List, jumping to position 20 in the following year's list. From their formation in 2004 until their break-up in 2006, Hynes was a member of the band Test Icicles
Test Icicles
Test Icicles were a short-lived dance punk band that formed in England, primarily influenced by indie rock but containing musical elements from a variety of genres . The band was formed in 2004 by Rory Attwell and Sam Mehran, who were later joined by Devonte Hynes...
, playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, synth, and occasionally performing vocals. The band were known for their blisteringly crazy and diverse music and for their raucous live performances. They released only one full-length album
Full Length LP
Full Length LP is the debut album by the Huntington Beach, California punk rock band Guttermouth, released in 1991 by Dr. Strange Records. It introduced the band's style of fast, abrasive punk rock with tongue-in-cheek humor and sarcastic lyrics...
(For Screening Purposes Only
For Screening Purposes Only
For Screening Purposes Only is the debut album by UK dance-punk trio Test Icicles. After being released in 2005, the album was critically praised for being unique and compelling in an increasingly homogenous indie music scene...
) in 2005.
Falling off the Lavender Bridge
In early 2007, Hynes recorded his debut album in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
with Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis
Mike Mogis
Mike Mogis is a Nebraskan producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios ....
, most famous for his involvement with the band Bright Eyes. A number of Omaha-based musicians appear on the record, including Mogis himself, trumpet player and pianist Nate Walcott
Nate Walcott
Nate Walcott is a trumpet, flugelhorn and keyboard player who has appeared on several of Saddle Creek Records artists' albums. He is one of three permanent members of Bright Eyes, along with Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, and has toured with Bright Eyes....
(also of Bright Eyes), The Faint
The Faint
The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Jacob Thiele, Dapose, Joel Petersen and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst...
's drummer Clark Baechle
Clark Baechle
Clark Alan Baechle is the drummer in the band The Faint. He also played in another Nebraskan band, Park Ave. He has also played on many releases and tours for Bright Eyes, playing drums and clarinet...
and guest vocalist Emmy The Great
Emmy the Great
Emma-Lee Moss , known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is a London-based singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, First Love and Virtue.-Early life:Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother...
- along with moonlighting members of Cursive
Cursive (band)
Cursive is an American indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, on Saddle Creek Records.-History:The band was formed in 1995 by Tim Kasher, Matt Maginn, Steve Pedersen , and drummer Clint Schnase. In 1997, they released Such Blinding Stars for Starving Eyes. After a couple years of touring, the band...
and Tilly And The Wall
Tilly and the Wall
Tilly and the Wall is an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called Tillie and the Wall, written by Leo Lionni...
.
These recording sessions resulted in the single "Galaxy of the Lost
Galaxy of the Lost
-Second release:-External links:***...
", released on July 30, 2007, and the album Falling off the Lavender Bridge
Falling Off the Lavender Bridge
-Notes:Hynes claims "I Could Have Done This Myself" is "about losing [his] virginity" going on to state, "which is why it's called I Could Have Done This Myself...
, released on January 21, 2008.
Hynes has also recorded a number of bootlegs and unofficial releases, made available to the public through his blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. These include an album written and recorded entirely in a day and an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
consisting only of covers of Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
songs.
Writing and Producing for other artists
Hynes has also written and contributed songs to a number of other acts. His arrangements and vocals have appeared on songs by The Chemical BrothersThe Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
("All Rights Reversed", from 2007's Grammy award winning album We Are The Night
We Are the Night
We Are the Night is the sixth studio album by English big beat duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 27 June 2007. The record entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1 and debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 200...
which entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at #1), Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
(on their album Scars
Scars (Basement Jaxx album)
Scars is the fifth studio album by British electronic dance music duo Basement Jaxx, released on 21 September 2009. It was preceded by the first single "Raindrops", released on 21 June, while the second single, "Feelings Gone", was also released in the United Kingdom on 21 September...
), as well as Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
for her #1 album Lungs
Lungs (album)
Lungs is the debut album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released 6 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release, behind The Essential Michael Jackson compilation. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to...
and Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
.
He has co-written and produced songs for Diana Vickers
Diana Vickers
Diana Vickers is an English singer-songwriter, stage actress and fashion designer who initially came to public attention as a semi-finalist on the fifth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2008...
. on Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree
Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree
Upon its release, Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree generated mixed reviews from music critics. Mayer Nissim of Digital Spy awarded the album five out of five stars, stating that Vickers and her collaborators "have crafted an album that's drenched in accessible pop melodies while never sacrificing...
which debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
.
He has also produced and written songs for the forthcoming Theophilus London
Theophilus London
Theophilus London is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York City.-Early life:London was born on the island Trinidad, on February 23 of 1987 and was raised in Brooklyn briefly, then moved to the suburbs of the Poconos.-Records:...
album including the Lovers Holiday e.p.
Hynes also has contributed music to the film MacGruber
MacGruber (film)
MacGruber is a 2010 American action comedy film based on the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name, itself a parody of action-adventure television series MacGyver. The film stars Will Forte in the title role; Kristen Wiig as his love interest/partner, Vicki St...
, released summer 2010, including the duet "Rock My Body" with SNL cast member Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
.
He is currently in the studio working on the new Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
album.
Soundtrack and classical performances
In December 2008, Hynes was asked on behalf of The British Film Institute to perform the Soundtrack of the cult Hal AshbyHal Ashby
Hal Ashby was an American film director and film editor.-Birth and early years:Born William Hal Ashby in Ogden, Utah, Ashby grew up in a Mormon household and had a tumultuous childhood as part of a dysfunctional family which included the divorce of his parents, his father's suicide and his...
film Harold And Maude
Harold and Maude
Harold and Maude is a 1971 American dark comedy film directed by Hal Ashby and released by Paramount Pictures. It incorporates elements of dark humor and existentialist drama, with a plot that revolves around the exploits of a young man intrigued with death, Harold...
after a screening of the performance. Hynes then had to cancel this due to an operation he had to undergo on his throat. The event was rescheduled for May 2009. In July 2009 Hynes will reprise the soundtrack and perform at Latitude Festival
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
.
In June 2009 Hynes performed at The Barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
in London in commemoration of the composer Moondog
Moondog
Moondog, born Louis Thomas Hardin , was a blind American composer, musician, poet and inventor of several musical instruments. Moving to New York as a young man, Moondog made a deliberate decision to make his home on the streets there, where he spent approximately twenty of the thirty years he...
. Singing renditions along with London Saxophonic
London Saxophonic
London Saxophonic is a saxophone ensemble begun by Gareth Brady, Will Gregory and Simon Haram, while they were studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. They made their debut in 1994 on Atlantic Records with Sax Pax for a Sax, a collaboration with Moondog, who composed all of the works...
of songs from the Moondog
Moondog
Moondog, born Louis Thomas Hardin , was a blind American composer, musician, poet and inventor of several musical instruments. Moving to New York as a young man, Moondog made a deliberate decision to make his home on the streets there, where he spent approximately twenty of the thirty years he...
Album "Sax Pax For A Sax". He also sung "Fujiyama part 2" backed by The Britten Sinfonia conducted by André De Ridder and Andi Toma (Mouse On Mars
Mouse on Mars
Mouse on Mars is a duo from Germany who have been making electronic music since 1993. Their music is a sometimes quirky blend of IDM, krautrock, disco, and ambient with a heavy dollop of analog synth sounds and cross-frequency modulation...
).
In April 2010 Hynes returned to The Barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
to perform with The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
for a special concert in honor of their singer Dave McComb along with Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
, Tindersticks
Tindersticks
Tindersticks are an Indie rock band from Nottingham, England formed in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples took on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006, but more permanently the following year...
and members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American eclectic musical group led by Anton Newcombe, whose music spans multiple genres including psychedelia, electronica, folk music, blues, experimental music, and many others....
.
In December an ep titled "Bye Bye" was released in collaboration with composer Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
.
Currently producing pop duo bleeding knees club.
Touring
The touring band for the Falling off the Lavender Bridge album at various points consisted of friends of Hynes' from other bands, including Florence WelchFlorence Welch
Florence Leontine Mary Welch is an English singer-songwriter, best known worldwide as the lead singer of Florence and the Machine...
of Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
, and UK singer-songwriter Emmy the Great
Emmy the Great
Emma-Lee Moss , known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is a London-based singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, First Love and Virtue.-Early life:Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother...
. Mike Siddell, formerly of Hope of the States
Hope of the States
Hope of the States were an English post rock-influenced indie band from Chichester.-Members:* Sam Herlihy - vocals, guitar, piano, music boxes, glockenspiels, mellotron, sampler, celeste, harmonium* Michael Hibbert - guitar, harmonica, backing vocals...
, plays violin with the band. He is a prolific musician and a core member of the Brighton based Willkommen Collective, playing with Willkommen bands such as Sons of Noel and Adrian, The Leisure Society
The Leisure Society
The Leisure Society is a band formed by Nick Hemming, formerly of early 1990s indie band She Talks To Angels which included actor Paddy Considine, film director Shane Meadows and bassist Richard Eaton. Hemming wrote and performed music for the films A Room for Romeo Brass and Dead Man's Shoes...
and The Miserable Rich
The Miserable Rich
The Miserable Rich are a chamber pop band, formed in 2007 and based in Brighton, England. The band is known for its distinctive, chamber orchestra sound, created using cello and violin as the primary lead instruments, augmented by double bass, acoustic guitar and occasionally piano...
. He also plays with Troubles
Troubles (band)
Troubles is a UK-based ambient post-rock instrumental band formed in 2005. The members of the band are Joel Clifford, Sam Herlihy, Michael Hibbert, Simon Jones, Mike Siddell and Jon Winter.-History:...
and made a guest appearance on the debut EP by A Genuine Freakshow
A Genuine Freakshow
A Genuine Freakshow are a baroque pop band originating from Reading in the United Kingdom. They were formed in 2005, settling on their current 7-piece permanent line-up in 2008...
.
Anna Prior, formerly of Leeds bands Dead Disco
Dead Disco
Dead Disco were an English electronic/indie pop musical group formed in 2005 by Lucy Catherwood, Marie France and Victoria Hesketh .-Biography:The trio met in August 2005 at the University of Leeds...
and The Ivories, played drums for most of the tour. Other guest members to have contributed in live shows include Alex Turner
Alex Turner (musician)
Alexander David Turner is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter of the English rock band Arctic Monkeys...
of the Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
, Faris Badwan
Faris Badwan
Faris Badwan is a British musician, best known for being the lead vocalist for the English Alternative Rock band The Horrors, and more recently one half of his side project Cat's Eyes with Rachel Zeffira.-Early life:...
of The Horrors
The Horrors
The Horrors are an English band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart, their second album Primary Colours was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK...
, Frederick Blood-Royale of Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. are a British band, comprising elements of prog rock, folk and post punk.-History:...
, Jack Peñate
Jack Peñate
Jack Fabian Peñate is an English musician and singer-songwriter signed to XL Recordings.-Early life:Jack Peñate attended St. Olave's Preparatory School, New Eltham until he left to attend Alleyn's School when he was 18 years of age...
and Eugene McGuinness as well as We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists is a New York-based indie rock band that formed in Berkeley, California in 2000. Originally formed of Keith Murray on drums, Chris Cain playing bass guitar and Scott Lamb providing vocals and guitar, before Michael Tapper became drummer and Keith became vocalist and guitarist...
' Keith Murray on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
on June 6, 2009.
Backed by a full band he appeared at the NME 2008 Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
, broadcast on Channel 4 on February 29, 2008, dressed as characters from Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, including Princess Leia on the drums. The band's affinity with Star Wars continued when they played the main theme to the trilogy at O2 Wireless Festival 2008. Hynes and a violinist Mike Siddell began a short U.S. tour in March 2008, ending with an appearance at SXSW 2008. At SXSW they befriended The Wombats
The Wombats
The Wombats are an indie rock band formed in Liverpool, England. The band comprises native Liverpudlians Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis , alongside Norwegian-born Tord Øverland-Knudsen...
, and ultimately supported them at a Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
concert. Hynes also performed with We Are Scientists at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
2008, with latter's front man Keith Murray joking to Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
in a post-show interview that "he owed us a sandwich!". Hynes appeared at Belgian music festival Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop is an annual music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid-to-late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—between a dual carriageway called Kempische Steenweg—in the village of Kiewit, approximately 7 km north of Hasselt...
in August 2008.
By the end of what became a two year touring period, Hynes had suffered severe damage to his throat, and had to undergo extensive surgery.
He then took a lengthy two and a half year hiatus from touring, popping up occasionally to play shows in New York and a top billed slot at the Carling Festival in 2009. He returned for a 2 week European tour in June 2010. The touring band for that tour consisted of the band Spacekamp who are also the backing band for Adam Green
Adam Green
Adam Green may refer to:*Adam Green , writer/director of Hatchet*Adam Green , staff cartoonist for the New Art Examiner, early 1990s...
.
Books
In March 2008 Hynes self-published a small comic book titled I'm Asleep - Comics, Photographs and Illustrations to mark the release of Falling off the Lavender Bridge. It featured comics by himself, Ferry GouwSemifinalists
-History:Adriana Alba , Ferry Gouw and Chris Steele-Nicholson met at film school, the group attempted to create a soundtrack for a friend's film...
, Faris Badwan
Faris Badwan
Faris Badwan is a British musician, best known for being the lead vocalist for the English Alternative Rock band The Horrors, and more recently one half of his side project Cat's Eyes with Rachel Zeffira.-Early life:...
of The Horrors
The Horrors
The Horrors are an English band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart, their second album Primary Colours was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK...
and Gary Card, and photography by Hynes.
June 2009 saw the release of the book Punk Fiction: An Anthology of Short Stories Inspired by Punk, which featured a short story by Hynes titled "The KKK Took My Baby Away..." (from the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
song of the same name
The KKK Took My Baby Away
"The KKK Took My Baby Away" is a song written by Joey Ramone. It appears on the Ramones' 1981 album Pleasant Dreams.It has been speculated that Joey wrote the song as a reference to Johnny Ramone "stealing" away his girlfriend Linda, though Joey's brother Mickey Leigh has said that the song was...
), described as a "comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
sci-fi monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
". Proceeds from the book went to the Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity that focuses on the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer, leukaemia, Hodgkin’s and related diseases by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. The units are dedicated areas for teenage patients, who are involved in their concept and creation...
.
In October 2009 he also contributed two comics and stories to the group CTRL.ALT.SHIFT's comic anthology as well as being a judge with Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian-born French contemporary graphic novelist, illustrator, animated film director, and children's book author...
in judging a national comic competition where winners had to adapt a script written by Hynes.
Hynes contributed the stories "Behold, King Listpin III" and "Juice This!". The anthology is titled "Unmasks Corruption". There was a gallery exhibition at London's Lazerides Gallery to coincide with the event which launched at Comica.
His first collection of short stories titled "Bad Era Of Me : A Collection Of Short Stories by Devonté Hynes" is scheduled to be released by February 2010.
He is currently producing the bleeding knees club, an australian pop/punk band.
Blood Orange
Various home made and edited music videos have been posted on Hynes' YouTube channel, mostly from 80's movie clips to accompany the songs of choice.Various Blood Orange live performances have taken place in New York and London within November and December 2009, consisting of Hynes, a guitar, and a laptop.
On December 17, 2009, Hynes performed a Blood Orange song titled "Forget It" on the final It's On With Alexa Chung show on MTV. He performed to a backing track dressed in a wizard costume.
Hynes' debut single under the moniker Blood Orange, "Dinner", is being released in January on Terrible records. Following this a full-length record is expected for release in early 2011 on Domino records.
The Blood Orange song "Sutphin Boulevard" featured in the January 17, 2011 premiere episode of the MTV show Skins.
Studio albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Falling Off the Lavender Bridge Falling Off the Lavender Bridge -Notes:Hynes claims "I Could Have Done This Myself" is "about losing [his] virginity" going on to state, "which is why it's called I Could Have Done This Myself...
|
| 2010 | Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You -Release history:-Personnel:* Devonté Hynes – vocals, main instrumentation, composition, arrangement* Spacecamp – additional instrumentation, group male vocals* Michael Siddel – violin, additional strings... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... , digital download Digital distribution Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,... |
EPs
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Lightspeed Heat Lightspeed Heat Lightspeed Heat is a collaboration between Dev Hynes , also known as Lightspeed Champion, and Chicago three piece Whirlwind Heat.On 26 October 2007 they released a 7" EP consisting of A side "How Do You Do", and B side "In My Dreams"....
|
| 2010 | Bye Bye
Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile.... |
Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Galaxy of the Lost Galaxy of the Lost -Second release:-External links:***... "
|
Lavender Bridge Falling Off the Lavender Bridge -Notes:Hynes claims "I Could Have Done This Myself" is "about losing [his] virginity" going on to state, "which is why it's called I Could Have Done This Myself... |
| "Midnight Surprise Midnight Surprise -External links:****... " Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , 10" Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... , digital download Digital distribution Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,... |
||
| 2008 | "Tell Me What It's Worth Tell Me What It's Worth -External links:***... " Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , 7" Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... , digital download Digital distribution Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,... |
|
| "Galaxy of the Lost Galaxy of the Lost -Second release:-External links:***... " (re-release) Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , 7" Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... , digital download Digital distribution Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,... |
||
| "My Turn Scars (Basement Jaxx album) Scars is the fifth studio album by British electronic dance music duo Basement Jaxx, released on 21 September 2009. It was preceded by the first single "Raindrops", released on 21 June, while the second single, "Feelings Gone", was also released in the United Kingdom on 21 September... " (with Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s... ) |
Scars (Basement Jaxx album) Scars is the fifth studio album by British electronic dance music duo Basement Jaxx, released on 21 September 2009. It was preceded by the first single "Raindrops", released on 21 June, while the second single, "Feelings Gone", was also released in the United Kingdom on 21 September... |
|
| 2010 | "Marlene Marlene (song) -External links:*... " Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... , digital download Digital distribution Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,... |
Nice to Meet You Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You -Release history:-Personnel:* Devonté Hynes – vocals, main instrumentation, composition, arrangement* Spacecamp – additional instrumentation, group male vocals* Michael Siddel – violin, additional strings... |
| "Madame Van Damme"
|
Official bootlegs
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Bad Covers EP
|
| Team Perfect presents: Green Day's 'Nimrod'
|
|
| I Wrote And Recorded This In Less Than Five Hours I Wrote And Recorded This In Less Than Five Hours I Wrote And Recorded This In Less Than Five Hours is an official bootleg album by UK based artist Lightspeed Champion and, as the title says, was written and recorded in less than five hours... |
|
| Garageband Xmas EP Garageband Xmas EP Garageband Xmas EP is a Christmas EP by British artist Lightspeed Champion, released for free on the internet on 8 December 2007.-Track listing:... |
|
| 2008 | Album In A Day 2 Album in a Day 2 Album In A Day 2 is an EP by British artist Lightspeed Champion written and recorded in a day, as a follow-up to his 2007 EP, I Wrote And Recorded This In Less Than Five Hours.... |
| 2009 | House-Sitting Songs House-Sitting Songs House-Sitting Songs is an album of demos released by British artist Lightspeed Champion onto the internet via his MySpace account... |
| "Heavy Purple"
Lightspeed Champion website |
|
| 2010 | Icky Pasta
|
Studio albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Coastal Grooves
|
Remix albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Remixes Part I
|
| Remixes Part II
|
Singles
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Dinner Dinner Dinner is usually the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon culture, dinner may be the second, third or fourth meal of the day. Originally, though, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still occasionally used for a noontime meal, if it is a large or main...
|
| Sutphin Boulevard
Digital distribution Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,... |