Sounds from the Ground

Sounds from the Ground

Nick Woolfson and Elliot Jones in 2009.
Background information
Origin London, United Kingdom
Genres Downtempo, Electronica, Ambient music
Years active 1995-present
Labels Upstream (UK), Waveform Records (US)
Website www.soundsfromtheground.com
Members Nick Woolfson
Elliot Jones

Sounds from the Ground (SFTG) is an English electronic music duo formed in 1995. Both members Nick Woolfson and Elliot Jones met through their involvement with the underground music scene in London. Their style has been described as ambient dub-techno by musical critic Jason Birchmeier. According to Birchmeier, the compositions were "meticulously crafted downtempo (...) with a combination of analog and digital gear".[1]

Career

Elliot Jones's background is in chillout and dub music, from running his own label and performing for clubs and gatherings in the early 1990s.[2] Nick Woolfson has worked in lots of different styles of music, as long as it is innovative and good quality, with downtempo being his comfort zone.[2] Jones had written Triangle as a demo which was introduced to Woolfson; their styles matched and the duo was born.[2]

Woolfson's studio in London is called The Starlight Rooms. Woolfson has been working primarily with Mac and Logic for approximately the last 10 years. He has incorporated older analog and digital synthesizers into his music: Yamaha CS-70, ARP Axxe, Moog Rogue, Yamaha CS30, Roland TB-303, Yamaha DX7, Virus, 2 x Roland JV-1080, 2 x Akai S3000 samplers. A Mackie 32-8 plus extra 24 input mixing desk has been rendered virtually redundant by the Mac.

SFTG have collaborated with various artists over the years, including vocalists Taz, Aine, Colein, Nicola Hitchcock, Dillinger and General Levy. The duo has also worked with pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole, ex Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, as well as Gaudi and Benjamin Zephaniah.

The duo were regular performers and DJs at The Big Chill music festivals,[2] and have played at Glastonbury.

In October 2010 SFTG released their studio album The Maze, which was followed by the release of a remastered version of Mosaic on 28 March 2011. A new EP download only release was offered later that year, as well as Luminal (remastered).

In 2012 the duo released Ready, Steady, Slow (A Chillout Release), and Widerworld which was published on Waveform Records on 11 September.

Discography

Kin (1996)

Kin merged hip hop, dub and jazz, it charted in the top 20 of the CMJ RPM charts.

Track listing:

  1. Gather
  2. Drawn To The Woman
  3. Loaf
  4. Pearl
  5. Triangle
  6. Over There
  7. Where The Wild Things Were
  8. Seven Sisters

Mosaic (1999)

Known as Terra Firma in the U.S.. The album includes drum and bass, jazz and soul influences.[3]

The album charted on the top 20 of the CMJ RPM charts as Terra Firma.

Track listing:

  1. Snow
  2. Treasure
  3. Bodega Bay
  4. Drugstore
  5. The Cut
  6. Marshmello
  7. Rye
  8. Circle & Star
  9. Planted

Track listing for Terra Firma (released in 2000):

  1. Treasure
  2. Shine
  3. Mineral
  4. The Cut
  5. Bodega Bay
  6. Drugstore
  7. Rye
  8. Marshmello
  9. Planted

Natural Selection (2003)

The song New Day was featured on the movie The Guardian[4] soundtrack and the TV series Wonderfalls. Lean On Me was also on Wonderfalls. Gentle Healing was featured in Smallville season 2 soundtrack.

Track listing:

  1. Lean On Me
  2. Moving Into a New Space
  3. Inner World
  4. Gentle Healing (Trust)
  5. The Shepherd
  6. New Day
  7. Whispers
  8. I Forgive Me
  9. Wishing Tree
  10. Pictured

Luminal (2004)

Luminal charted in the top 20 of the CMJ RPM charts.

Track listing:

  1. Razz
  2. As The Day Goes By (written and vocals by Tanya Tagaq[5])
  3. Stampede
  4. Ten Tons of Dope
  5. London Fields
  6. Tumbledown
  7. Move On
  8. Burning Bright
  9. Poems

High Rising (2006)

Features collaborations with Gaudi and UK vocalist Taz.

High Rising charted in the top 20 of the CMJ RPM charts.

Track listing:

  1. White City
  2. Rotorblade
  3. Slate Grey
  4. Viper Style
  5. Beautiful Feeling feat. Taz
  6. Modo
  7. Palmprint feat. Gaudi
  8. Blink
  9. Speedbumps
  10. Allsorts

Brightwhitelight (2008)

Released on Waveform Records. Brightwhitelight charted for three months in the top 20 of the CMJ RPM charts in the USA, peaking at #6 (November 2008 to February 2009).

Track listing:

  1. The Gift
  2. Eclipse on 5th
  3. Restless
  4. Nightshift
  5. Dune
  6. Under the Sun
  7. Elemental
  8. Sweet Confusion
  9. Waves
  10. Mesh

Thru The Ages (2009)

Thru The Ages contains rare and unreleased material. Originally released via download only, it was subsequently available as a limited edition CD including a bonus track.

Track listing:

  1. City Of Dust
  2. Inside Out
  3. Eyes Wide Open Ft Aine
  4. Union Dub
  5. Vessel And The Deep
  6. Shapeshifter
  7. Wicked Flow
  8. Bunches
  9. Al Takure (Bonus Track CD only)

In The Cool Of The Shade EP (2009)

Download only release.

Track listing:

  1. Departures
  2. Molten
  3. First Light

Spectral EP (2010)

Download only release.

Track listing:

  1. Tale Before Time
  2. Crystal Beam
  3. Corran

KIN Remastered (2010)

Released on Upstream Records.

Track listing:

  1. Gather
  2. Drawn to the Woman
  3. Loaf
  4. Pearl
  5. Triangle
  6. Over There
  7. Where The Wild Things Were
  8. Seven Sisters

The Maze (2010)

The Maze charted in the top 20 of the CMJ RPM charts and #2 in Echoes chart.

Track listing

  1. Gap in the Clouds
  2. A Thousand Colours
  3. Delphine
  4. Acid Cornflats
  5. Midnight Crossing
  6. This Land
  7. Subdub'in
  8. The Lenox
  9. Temple Steps
  10. Afterglow

Widerworld (2012)

Released on Waveform Records.

Track listing:

  1. Faraway Star
  2. Ink Spots
  3. Honey Knuckle
  4. Raining Leaves
  5. Step Into Now
  6. Fields Of Green And Yellow
  7. Rolling Dice
  8. Hunters
  9. Darswana

Tribes (2013)

Released on Upstream Records.

Track listing:

  1. Infrared
  2. Carousel
  3. Feels Reel
  4. One and All
  5. Craigie Point
  6. Dimewater
  7. Tending the Vine
  8. Nova Stone
  9. Catching Over Light
  10. Distant Shores

References

  1. ↑ Jason Birchmeier Pandora bio
  2. 1 2 3 4 SFTG's interview at Slackline Radio
  3. ↑ http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=28048
  4. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406816/soundtrack
  5. ↑ Discogs.com
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