Gareth Hardwick

Based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, Gareth Hardwick creates music that is at once rich and minimalist, dense and subtle. By manipulating the natural tones of his guitar with effects and loops he can deform and reshape the sounds generated by his instrument until you're no longer sure what you're hearing - an organ, a voice, or no recognisable instrument. Between abstract sounds, fragile and delicate melodies reveal themselves to you; finding yourself lost in intricate textures you are suddenly awoken by an absence of structure or sound, of something that one can hold on to. His main influences are drawn equally from the work of fellow ambient composers Stars of the Lid, Growing and Andrew Chalk and the minimalist rock of Bedhead and Codeine. Having played past shows with bands including Charalambides, Birchville Cat Motel, Peter Wright, Auto Da Fe and Hush Arbors, Gareth is rapidly becoming recognised in his field. He writes prolifically, and with each release he garners glowing reviews and the admiration of his peers. During 2006, he released two EPs on the Low Point label, a cd for the Series 52 run of albums on Unlabel and contributed the A side to a split vinyl release with Last of the Real Hardmen, as well as the track There and Back and Back Again for the Feral Debris compilation; between all of this he still somehow found the time to soundtrack a film commissioned by the Trigger Multimedia Festival. 2007 will see releases in the US and Australia, as well as an album which promises to develop and explore his style yet further. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.