The Angel Range

From Made Of Facts

"If watching television doesn't hasten death, it surely makes death very inviting; for television so shamelessly sentimentalises and romantises death that it makes the living feel they have missed something - just by staying alive" - John Irving, 'A Prayer For Owen Meany'.

Bloc Party had the name The Angel Range mostly in 2002. At that time, the drummer was Liam, but he left the band. On 02. December, 2002, they recruited Matt Tong as a drummer. On 19. February, 2003, they changed the name to Union.

Until they were called The Angel Range, they played shows across London, and recorded a few demos. The old mp3 samples are dating back to this time.

You can watch an archive version of www.theangelrange.com here:[1]

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Band

The Angel Range is an automous unit of unextraordinary kids reared on pop culture between the years of 1976 and the present day. Like many such kids, between them they eventually concluded that their own attempts to imitate what had informed them could be construed as a worthy variation on the many forms that preceded. They do everything that's required to conform to the currently received ideas of what a band is: ostensibly to play instruments at the same time, but also have a title for the work created.

Kele picked up a guitar when his hands enabled him to do so and his brain gave him the inclination. Russell had already done as much beforehand when they met in 1998. In the fine print of music papers and in telephone conversations they enabled meetings with Gordon and Matt who also had ideas of some relevance to bring to the collective effort. In this sense a band was created.

Henceforth should follow a list of auteurs and musicians that figured in the formative minds of the four as they went about their work. But to do as much seems churlish in an already self-referential world. Suffice to say there would be no band without the efforts of guitar bands formed in British and American towns in the 70s, 80s and 90s, aswell as visionary writers and artists of various kinds whose work has informed the world and culture itself as it stands. The precise names are as good as any you can come up with, in fact probably much, much better.

Kele Okereke - D.O.B 13.10.81 - Instrument: Voice and guitar - Informed by "The Cure, The Pixies, Basement Jaxx, Alan Bennett, Billy Mahonie, Hanif Kureishi, Bret Easton Ellis"

Russell Lissack - D.O.B 11.03.81 - Instrument: Guitar - Informed by "Bernard Butler, Jonny Greenwood, James Iha"

Gordon Moakes - D.O.B 22.06.76 - Instrument: Bass and voice - Informed by "Anne Sexton, JG Ballard, Joy Division, melodic hardcore, Kubrick, the Gang Of Four, British post-punk, Sonic Youth."

Matt Tong - D.O.B 29.04.79 - Instrument: Drums - Informed by "Neil Young, Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac, Supertramp, Dinosaur Jr, pitch 'n' putt, International Superstar Soccer 64, coats, AFC Bournemouth, curry, driving, winter, rocking and tennis"

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