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a.P.A.t.T.

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 takes us to "Black and White Mass".

a.P.A.t.T. 2016 is/was: General MIDI, Col Legno, Dorothy Wave, Boss A Nova, Oscar Later, Mr Phil Harmonic, Empress Play D.C Offset,





Discography

Fun with Music LP
(Pickled Egg Records, Egg81LP)

'a.P.A.t.T.'s fourth LP release, Fun with Music, invites us to mingle with all manner of rogue characters, clothed in their trademark exploratory zeal. Revelling in the opportunities of time and sound, developed in oodles of places with ten musical personalities and 42 instruments, Fun with Music sees the band more refined and focussed than ever. Consider it their White Album.

Some say that a.P.A.t.T.'s sound is something of a moving target. This is, after all, the band that swaps instruments mid-song, starred in a TV sitcom, and has even run its own small country for an evening: a restless, relentless take on 21st century music and performance through a lens of knowing, winking, quintessentially British humour. French fans liken the band to Monty Python sketches being played by 'le Floyd'...or something.

Over the past ten years a.P.A.t.T. has inspired comparisons with Devo, Metronomy, Frank Zappa, The Residents and Cardiacs, without actually sounding like any of them. In Fun with Music, “Liverpool's multi-genre veterans” (The Skinny) have condensed their vision-quest into 45 minutes of hooky, style-busting material.

"When Liverpool’s own a.P.A.t.T. step on stage, it feels as if this might be a contender for gig of the year. Total sensory bamboozlement. They play like the band in Jabba the Hutt’s cave from Star Wars, and we’re not even sure if that’s a compliment or not." [Get Into This]"When Liverpool’s own a.P.A.t.T. step on stage, it feels as if this might be a contender for gig of the year. Total sensory bamboozlement. They play like the band in Jabba the Hutt’s cave from Star Wars, and we’re not even sure if that’s a compliment or not." [Get Into This]



UK: £17.00


EU: €24.00


US: $35.00

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

Now back in stock!

'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


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