a.P.A.t.T.

Exploring similar landscapes to Frank Zappa - minus the virtuoso elements - Liverpool-based a.P.A.t.T. are a bewildering and completely original two to seven piece band, utilising all available genres to create a daft and beautiful music. 'Black and White Mass' sets a new standard in home entertainment, featuring some of a.P.A.t.T.'s most accessible compositions to date, whilst still retaining an element of surprise.

Some bands are just damned impossible to classify: a.P.A.t.T. are a (usually) 6-peice amalgamation of all that has come before & all that will slowly catch up in the end. Beyond genre defying: every instrument and style you can think of, mashed up together in jaw-dropping live performances. The experimental and chaotic beeps, buzzes and blips of a.P.A.t.T., (described on the BBC Merseyside website as sounding like Frank Zappa having a fist fight with Mighty Mouse) have steadily built up a growing army of admirers. They were featured on the promotional video for Liverpool's Capital of Culture bid, and have recently staged a multi-media installation called 'Quartet', featuring four films projected whilst the band performed inside. As if this wasn't enough, they even found time to compose the incidental music for the BBC Radio Merseyside alternative music show, PMS.

Current line up:
Field Marshall Stack - department of synthetic guitars/ monosynth/ percussion/ melodica/ bass/ vox
General MIDI - task force co-ordinator/ administration/ desk control/ drums/ bass/ percussion/ guitar/ keys/ monosynth/ glockenspiel/ cello/ vox
The Master Fader - bass/ keys/ monosynth/ drums/ glockenspiel/ percussion/ accordion/ vox
Dorothy Wave - cello/ violin/ keys/ monosynth/ guitar/ recorder/ tin whistle/ percussion/ shells/ vox
The Count In - drums/ monosynth/ keys/ bass/ percussion/ accordion/ violin/ glockenspiel/ vox

a.P.A.t.T. officially began with the completion of a C90 cassette tape in 1998. It was decided from the offset that the way the music was formed on this tape (disjointed, non-specific, omni-style) was to influence the revolving multi-instrumentalist approach, and dictate the 'anti-hierarchical' line-up of the act. It was not until 2002 and the introduction of digital recording techniques that a.P.A.t.T. were to make an 'official' release. Following several line-up changes, software changes, hardware changes, various support slots and a Dutch tour, a.P.A.t.T. teamed up with London label, Lowsley Sounds, to release their first full album, (L.P.) in 2004. Although hopes were high for this release and it sold well, a.P.A.t.T. were never satisfied with the final outcome, wanting to push things further musically. 2006 saw more line-up changes and the continuation of the recordings for that "perfect album". Which brings us to "Black and White Mass".

a.P.A.t.T. have some live shows coming up. Check the live page for details.

Discography

Black & White Mass CD
(Pickled Egg Records, Egg68CD)

'Black and White Mass' sets a new standard in home entertainment, featuring some of a.P.A.t.T.'s most accessible compositions to date, whilst still retaining an element of surprise.

"aPAtT are the Willy Wonka of the musical world: part Gene Wilder, part Johnny Depp. And I am Veruca Salt, selfishly cramming every note into my brain as hard as possible, headphones stuck so far down my ear canal I'll have to crawl in to open the lock soon. There is no frequency left unturned, no genre left unwrapped or ignored. A confident, twisted skip through all that is good and fun, like an end-of-century review that leaves out all the crap bits. And so wondrously crafted! Each tinkling, each scrape of a cymbal, each deathly metal blast is crystallised and seemingly separated to ease the aural digestion. Indeed, to labour a lame analogy, they could well be the Heston Blumenthal of the modern music world, boiling down the elements and presenting us with twenty-seven small but exquisitely sensational courses to feast upon. a.P.A.t.T. is deft and skilful; talented and precocious. a.P.A.t.T. is Fun. Fun. Fun!" [Plan B]

"Apatt engage in moments of freeform jazz assaults, light-hearted ritualistic wig flippers, mini progressive operas, music hall oddness, acid dipped shanties, sand dusted serenades, Soviet regality, noire-ish folk standards from the dark side, and white hot sonic meltdowns - the sounds trip out in unrelated fashion, causing you to teeter on the back foot, an impish lucky bag of sorts with the band doling out the occasional curveball just when you are beginning to think you have their measure. 'Black and White Mass' is THE first crucial full length of the year. Somehow I don't reckon it'll be topped in our affections - though be warned, it'll do your f**kin head in" [Mark Barton, Losing Today]

"The ridiculously schizophrenic aPAtT manage to squeeze 27 songs into an hour. After a while you will find it best just to lie back and enjoy the ride - jazz, tapes going backwards, woozy dub skronking, electro funk circus music, Cozy Powell drum riffs, 70’s porn music, phones, and the spirit of Zappa stoned for the first time in his life. All in all it is magnificent stuff, play it to your friend and watch them reel about in confusion" [Ptolemaic Terrascope]

"Oh I don't know, there are no words for this. a.P.A.t.T are so easy to listen to when they really shouldn't be; it should just be a mess. They're a band - don't go thinking this is some wise-ass cut-up studio nerd; a whole gang of them in masks and anti-radiation suits or something like that. Hey look, if you want something challenging, something beautiful, something different, something violent, something soothing, something like you never heard before then this is where you need to go this week" [Sean Organ, organ.com - Eclectic Music Magazine/webzine]

"a.P.A.t.T. are a motherfucking experience. Probably the only UK band i can think of to come up with their vision of the dark, vicious and fuck me, rather scary vision of the ACID PUNK dropped onto us from the visions of Gibby from the Butthole Surfers. We love them. You need to hear this. It's insane" [Alan Mcgee - Creation/Poptones]

'Avajibber' (MP3)
'The Holy Toad' (MP3)

Listen to Black and White Mass on Last.fm

'The Stars Spell out your Name' video
'And She Wanted to Look at the Swan' video

UK: £10.00

EU: €15.00

US: $18.00

Reviews

Pennyblackmusic Ptolemaic Terrascope
Losing Today
Vanity Project interview
BBC Liverpool feature
Cult Cargo interview

Links

'The Stars Spell out your Name' video (You Tube)
'And She Wanted to Look at the Swan' video (You Tube)
a.P.A.t.T. website
a.P.A.t.T. myspace
Wikipedia entry

Adverts

Make Pickled Egg some extra cash by following the Egg credit card link

If you want to find the best music lessons, the internet is your number one source for all of your music resources. Ever wanted to take vocal lessons? What about guitar education lessons? No matter what type of music you want to learn, a musical education is important. Sign online today and take piano lessons or other music lessons!