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Martin Swan

January 01, 1970

Martin Swan (born Sheffield, England) is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, record producer, recording engineer and instrument designer.

Swan is best known as the leader of the Mouth Music project, whose combination of traditional Gaelic songs and music with contemporary instrumental and technological settings led them to international fame and number 1 placings in world music sales charts in the early 1990s. His multi-instrumental skills and his approach towards the making of folk music (eclectic, restless and frequently non-purist) has seen him compared to a folk music version of Prince.[1]

Swan is also involved in the restoration, manufacture and design of string instruments.

Though born in England, Swan is of Scottish descent and identifies as Scottish.

Musical abilities edit

Martin Swan is known to play the following instruments:

Swan also sings (mostly backing vocals, but more recently lead vocals) and whistles, and is a skilled musical arranger.

Musical projects edit

Mouth Music edit

Swan has been the only consistent member of the musical project Mouth Music since its inception in 1988. Initially an equal partner with singer Talitha MacKenzie, he asserted control over the project following disagreements with MacKenzie and her subsequent departure in 1991 (MacKenzie has continued to challenge Swan's view of the "Mouth Music" concept).[2][3] Since then Swan has presided over a variety of line-ups, working with musicians including Capercaillie/Shooglenifty drummer James Mackintosh, pipe/flute/fiddle player Martyn Bennett,[4] fiddler Alison Crawford and singers Jackie Joyce (aka Helicopter Girl), Martin Furey, Mairi McInnes, Ishbel MacAskill and Michaela Rowan. Over the course of six albums and one EP, Mouth Music's music has spanned a wide variety of styles from traditional Celtic music to worldbeat, funk, electronic dance, "fiddle fusion" and more.

Ambisonic edit

Swan was half of the electronic pop duo Ambisonic (alongside singer Jackie Joyce), who released one album, Ecohero on Nation Records in 1997. The project was a spin-off from the third Mouth Music line-up, in which Joyce was lead singer and Swan's main co-writer and creative foil.

Kries edit

Swan plays fiddle for the Croatian band Kries (led by ex-Legen frontman Mojmir Novakovic). He appears on the band's second album Kocijani (which he also produced and mixed).

Stobo Village Band edit

In 2008, Swan began working with the Stobo Village Band, which is described as playing "fast hypnotic acoustic dance music with fiddle, pipes, accordion, tapan and darabuka, mashing up Scottish/Irish tune playing with the virtuoso traditions of eastern Europe and the Balkans." The band's line-up is Martin Swan (fiddle), Lewis Powell-Reid (accordion, guitar), Ross Ainslie (whistle, pipes, cittern), James Mackintosh (percussion) and Fraser Watson (percussion), Mackintosh has previously worked with Swan in Mouth Music.

The band made their public debut on 16 January 2008 (at the Celtic Connections concert series in Glasgow) and have continued to play ceilidhs around the Scottish Borders region.

Zykopops edit

In 2010, Martin Swan started a "trash folk" band called Zykopops, based in Croatia. Their first live performance was in Zagreb, in October 2010. The band's slogan ("Zykopops... worse than Turbofolk!") is apparently already gaining them notoriety throughout the Balkans. Zykopops rework classic and obscure traditional songs from Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Hungary using a punk- and hip-hop-inflected style which they call "rakija music" and which includes "Ramones tempos and Hajduk virtuoso nonsense." The group's stated aim is to "achieve a state of rabbit-ness and to infect others with equal rabbit-ness." Swan plays violin in the band, which is fronted by Lidija Dokuzovic and also features hip-hoppers Erol Zejnilovic and Konrad Lovrencic, along with "a random crew of percussionists, beatboxers and physical therapists" including Nenad Kovacic and Ante Prgin-Surka.[5]

Selected work as producer and engineer edit

In 1998, Swan remixed Martyn Bennett's Bothy Culture album.

In 2003, Swan produced and engineered Martin Furey's debut solo album Howl (on which he also played guitar using Furey's invention, the ).

In 2006, Swan produced and engineered Nuru Kane's widely admired Sigil album (on which he also played violin and accordion).

In 2007, Swan produced and mixed the second Kries album Kocijani (released in 2008).

Work in instrument restoration and design edit

In the mid-1990s Swan moved to the Scottish Borders and developed a second career as a woodworker (carpenter, cabinet maker and violin restorer).[6][7] After cutting off the top of a finger with a woodworking machine in 2008, he decided to give up the large-scale carpentry and concentrate on restoring old violins. He soon became fascinated and exasperated by the variations in tonal quality of old violins and started researching the methods of Eastern European violin makers. This led to him designing a range of handmade violins, violas and cellos, travelling to Transylvania to choose tonewood and developing friendships with the Hungarian luthiers who now make the instruments for him.

Discography (excluding compilations) edit

with Mouth Music edit

  • Mouth Music (1991) 1990 Triple Earth/Rykodisc
  • Blue Door Green Sea EP (1992)
  • Mo-Di (1993) Triple Earth/Rykodisc
  • Move On EP (1994)
  • Shorelife (1995) Triple Earth
  • Seafaring Man (2001) (Meta 4/Nettwerk)
  • The Scrape (2003) (Skitteesh)
  • The Order of Things (2005) (Skitteesh)

with Ambisonic edit

  • Ecohero (1997, Nation Records)

with Kries edit

  • Kocijani (2008, Kopito Records)

References edit

  1. ^ “Mouise Mujic Out Of Scotland, Africa” – 4th Door Review interview with Mouth Music circa 1996, retrieved 7 December 2008
  2. ^ Talitha MacKenzie biography on homepage 28 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 6 December 2008
  3. ^ Mouth Music "official" Myspace page (Talitha MacKenzie version), retrieved 7 December 2008
  4. ^ "Paying musical respects to the memory of Martyn Bennett". The Scotsman. 4 January 2006. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  5. ^ Zykopops homepage, accessed 21 November 2010
  6. ^ World Beat Music interview with Martin Swan (2001) 21 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 7 December 2008
  7. ^ Hinges pop-up on Mouth Music homepage, retrieved 7 December 2008

External links edit

  • Martin Swan Violins homepage

January 01, 1970
martin, swan, born, sheffield, england, scottish, multi, instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, record, producer, recording, engineer, instrument, designer, swan, best, known, leader, mouth, music, project, whose, combination, traditional, gaelic, songs, music. Martin Swan born Sheffield England is a Scottish multi instrumentalist songwriter composer record producer recording engineer and instrument designer Swan is best known as the leader of the Mouth Music project whose combination of traditional Gaelic songs and music with contemporary instrumental and technological settings led them to international fame and number 1 placings in world music sales charts in the early 1990s His multi instrumental skills and his approach towards the making of folk music eclectic restless and frequently non purist has seen him compared to a folk music version of Prince 1 Swan is also involved in the restoration manufacture and design of string instruments Though born in England Swan is of Scottish descent and identifies as Scottish Contents 1 Musical abilities 2 Musical projects 2 1 Mouth Music 2 2 Ambisonic 2 3 Kries 2 4 Stobo Village Band 2 5 Zykopops 3 Selected work as producer and engineer 4 Work in instrument restoration and design 5 Discography excluding compilations 5 1 with Mouth Music 5 2 with Ambisonic 5 3 with Kries 6 References 7 External linksMusical abilities editMartin Swan is known to play the following instruments Stringed instruments fiddle acoustic and electric guitars bass guitar dulcimer hammered dulcimer bowed psaltery berimbau erhu Keyboard instruments keyboards synthesizers accordion Wind instruments concert flute low whistle block flute bamboo flute shawm Acoustic percussion drum kit bass drum tambourine maracas conga tabla timbales triangle darbouka djembe cowbell xylophone bells calabash mbira shaker cabassa cuica Electronics electronic percussion synthesizer programming rhythm programming Swan also sings mostly backing vocals but more recently lead vocals and whistles and is a skilled musical arranger Musical projects editMouth Music edit Swan has been the only consistent member of the musical project Mouth Music since its inception in 1988 Initially an equal partner with singer Talitha MacKenzie he asserted control over the project following disagreements with MacKenzie and her subsequent departure in 1991 MacKenzie has continued to challenge Swan s view of the Mouth Music concept 2 3 Since then Swan has presided over a variety of line ups working with musicians including Capercaillie Shooglenifty drummer James Mackintosh pipe flute fiddle player Martyn Bennett 4 fiddler Alison Crawford and singers Jackie Joyce aka Helicopter Girl Martin Furey Mairi McInnes Ishbel MacAskill and Michaela Rowan Over the course of six albums and one EP Mouth Music s music has spanned a wide variety of styles from traditional Celtic music to worldbeat funk electronic dance fiddle fusion and more Ambisonic edit Swan was half of the electronic pop duo Ambisonic alongside singer Jackie Joyce who released one album Ecohero on Nation Records in 1997 The project was a spin off from the third Mouth Music line up in which Joyce was lead singer and Swan s main co writer and creative foil Kries edit Swan plays fiddle for the Croatian band Kries led by ex Legen frontman Mojmir Novakovic He appears on the band s second album Kocijani which he also produced and mixed Stobo Village Band edit In 2008 Swan began working with the Stobo Village Band which is described as playing fast hypnotic acoustic dance music with fiddle pipes accordion tapan and darabuka mashing up Scottish Irish tune playing with the virtuoso traditions of eastern Europe and the Balkans The band s line up is Martin Swan fiddle Lewis Powell Reid accordion guitar Ross Ainslie whistle pipes cittern James Mackintosh percussion and Fraser Watson percussion Mackintosh has previously worked with Swan in Mouth Music The band made their public debut on 16 January 2008 at the Celtic Connections concert series in Glasgow and have continued to play ceilidhs around the Scottish Borders region Zykopops edit In 2010 Martin Swan started a trash folk band called Zykopops based in Croatia Their first live performance was in Zagreb in October 2010 The band s slogan Zykopops worse than Turbofolk is apparently already gaining them notoriety throughout the Balkans Zykopops rework classic and obscure traditional songs from Croatia Serbia Macedonia and Hungary using a punk and hip hop inflected style which they call rakija music and which includes Ramones tempos and Hajduk virtuoso nonsense The group s stated aim is to achieve a state of rabbit ness and to infect others with equal rabbit ness Swan plays violin in the band which is fronted by Lidija Dokuzovic and also features hip hoppers Erol Zejnilovic and Konrad Lovrencic along with a random crew of percussionists beatboxers and physical therapists including Nenad Kovacic and Ante Prgin Surka 5 Selected work as producer and engineer editIn 1998 Swan remixed Martyn Bennett s Bothy Culture album In 2003 Swan produced and engineered Martin Furey s debut solo album Howl on which he also played guitar using Furey s invention the Varichord capo In 2006 Swan produced and engineered Nuru Kane s widely admired Sigil album on which he also played violin and accordion In 2007 Swan produced and mixed the second Kries album Kocijani released in 2008 Work in instrument restoration and design editIn the mid 1990s Swan moved to the Scottish Borders and developed a second career as a woodworker carpenter cabinet maker and violin restorer 6 7 After cutting off the top of a finger with a woodworking machine in 2008 he decided to give up the large scale carpentry and concentrate on restoring old violins He soon became fascinated and exasperated by the variations in tonal quality of old violins and started researching the methods of Eastern European violin makers This led to him designing a range of handmade violins violas and cellos travelling to Transylvania to choose tonewood and developing friendships with the Hungarian luthiers who now make the instruments for him Discography excluding compilations editwith Mouth Music edit Mouth Music 1991 1990 Triple Earth Rykodisc Blue Door Green Sea EP 1992 Mo Di 1993 Triple Earth Rykodisc Move On EP 1994 Shorelife 1995 Triple Earth Seafaring Man 2001 Meta 4 Nettwerk The Scrape 2003 Skitteesh The Order of Things 2005 Skitteesh with Ambisonic edit Ecohero 1997 Nation Records with Kries edit Kocijani 2008 Kopito Records References edit Mouise Mujic Out Of Scotland Africa 4th Door Review interview with Mouth Music circa 1996 retrieved 7 December 2008 Talitha MacKenzie biography on homepage Archived 28 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 6 December 2008 Mouth Music official Myspace page Talitha MacKenzie version retrieved 7 December 2008 Paying musical respects to the memory of Martyn Bennett The Scotsman 4 January 2006 Retrieved 5 July 2016 Zykopops homepage accessed 21 November 2010 World Beat Music interview with Martin Swan 2001 Archived 21 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 7 December 2008 Hinges pop up on Mouth Music homepage retrieved 7 December 2008External links editMartin Swan Violins homepage Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Martin Swan amp oldid 1190750619, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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