British Sea Power is a British indie rock band, formed in 2000 in Brighton. According to critics, since its inception it has stood out with its own original style, distinct from other manifestations of contemporary music. The artists of BSP are being inspired by diverse music, nature, English landscapes, literature and politics but, most and for all, by life with all its complexities. Their music comments on the present times, not shunning irony and bold formal experiments. It is a successful combination of post-punk and new wave with alternative rock. The echoes of the output of The Cure, Joy Division, Pixies or The Flaming Lips can be noticed in their music. Critics say that the band not only has the best name in history but, first of all, fully deserves to be called the most interesting British band of the last decade.
Their (fifth) album Machineries of Joy released in April this year is, as the musicians say, a turn into a new direction. The previous, a bit sombre, music of British Sea Power has changed into more open, energetic rock. As Yan Scott Wilkinson, BSP vocalist, says: “Nowadays the world seems ever more often a crazy, hysterical place. We would like the record to be an antidote to it, so to say - a pleasant card game in nice company.” Machineries of Joy was mixed by Ken Thomas, who had collaborated with such artists as David Bowie, Queen or Sigur Ros. British Sea Power have also an exceptionally faithful group of fans. In the BBC6 top 100 most important songs Remember Me was ranked ninth by the listeners - among the songs of Radiohead and Johnny Cash.
The band members are:
vocals, guitar: Yan Scott Wilkinson
vocal, bass, guitar: Neil Hamilton Wilkinson
guitar, keyboards: Martin Noble
drums: Matthew Wood
viola, keyboards: Abi Fry
keyboards, cornet, guitar: Phil Sumner