Urban Myth Club

Not many bands can claim Shrek as a major influence, but for Urban Myth Club, Mike Myer's green ogre changed the course of events which led to North American radio airplay, debut appearances at Glastonbury and the Big Chill main stage as well as the debut single gate-crashing the iTunes Top 30 purely on word-of-mouth. The Club formed in 2003 when electronica artist Dezz met Hollywood film composer Stephen Barton, who had recently returned to the UK having worked on blockbusters such as Gladiator. The duo created the downtempo tracks that plotted the future course of the Club. When LA called with the offer to write the music for Shrek 2 and Narnia, Stephen took a sabbatical from the Club and the idea of a collective was born. Dezz hooked up with enigmatic producer Ian Sanderson (whose infamous Cuckooland samples have been used on film, TV and by hundreds of artists including Massive Attack, Lemon Jelly, the Prodigy and Beastie Boys) and Urban Myth Club's rocket left orbit. Additional members of the collective soon followed including renowned vocalists Clare Szembek (Captain, The Funky Lowlives) and Rowan Godel. Other celebrity members remain confidential. Urban Myth Club was meant to be a secret, but a leaked album sampler found its way to a Canadian DJ who, in an unprecedented move by commercial radio, playlisted all six tracks on his show. Tastemakers in the UK and Europe were not far behind, with airplay including Radio 1, Radio 2, Xfm and a growing army of trend-setting fans such as Big Chill founder Pete Lawrence, Nick Luscombe, Bob Harris and Music Week, who featured the debut single 'I Feel It' on their playlist. The band also hit the No.1 spot MySpace's 'Top Artist' chart. Pioneers in Internet collaboration, Urban Myth Club have crafted an album of beautifully eclectic tunes, fusing organic electronica with anything that tickled their fancy. The results are destined to become personal soundtracks for anyone who indulges. Drawing favourable comparisons from Air to Royksopp, Trevor Shand of Clear FM told listeners, 'Breathtaking stuff - poised to become the hottest downtempo act ever from the UK.' A seven-piece band live, Urban Myth Club are joined by vocalists Clare, Rowan & Niamh, with Louis Thorne (bass), Ben Gurney-Smith (percussion) & Shannon Harris on keys. With their critically-acclaimed debut album 'Helium' already being hailed a classic, Urban Myth Club have appeared mysteriously but are spreading spontaneously. == URBAN MYTH CLUB - PRESS & QUOTES == Reviews of the album confirm it's critical-acclaim: 'Urban Myth Club have produced one of the finest, most complete, most beautiful and truly gorgeous albums my ears have heard for years. When I've first came across 'Helium', I was blown away, just taken aback with the quality of the song-writing and the beauty of their arrangements. It's quite frankly stunning. One of the best downtempo album's ever released. Beautiful, stunning and simply adorable. Flawless. As close to musical perfections as it gets.' Ben Mynott (Blues & Soul Magazine / Fragile State) 'Attention - every now and again you get blown away by someone's music; HELIUM has not only blown me away but knocked me out. Urban Myth Club have arrived and delivered an album which is musically, lyrically and production-wise, right up there with the finest. Whether you're in love, hanging on a beach, lounging, having a run, driving or just entertaining, every track has a story to tell and touches the inner soul, like the tear jerking ‘I Feel It'. Pathaan (DJ Magazine & Ministry of Sound Radio) 'With band members like Andy Dragazis of Blue States, Ian Sanderson and even a Hollywood film composer Stephen Barton, is it any wonder this band are receiving rave reviews from all quarters of the music industry. In terms of musical style on this album, it ranges from downtempo, lounge and chillout with the song writing and production, second to none. In short imagine, a super league of acts like Zero 7, Air, Lemon Jelly and even Portishead, then Urban Myth Club would be a new entry into that league. Wait till you hear tracks like, 'I Feel It' and 'Calling' slowly getting into your subconscious!' Notion Magazine (rating 4/5) 'Urban Myth Club are one of those rare collectives who are not afraid to keep things simple and the volume down to a whisper. Down-tempo trip-hop breaks, epic orchestral soundscapes and haunting female vocals, all layered with sparse electronic flourishes, for a languid and otherworldly sumptuous listen. 'Helium' is reserved for those in a truly sensual and meditative mood. The sounds on offer owe much to the unfolding subtleties of cinema soundtracks (it is no surprise that a Hollywood composer is part of this lot), as in the slow-burning, free-floating 'Spacewalk' and the moving strings of 'Secret'. A lush album' Rocksound (rating 8/10) 'Album of the Month. Editor's Choice. Rating: 5/5' Bent Magazine (Rating 5/5) 'This is the band to watch out for in 2006. Rating 5/5' Update Magazine 'Freshness & originality sets them apart from the rest' Music Week 'Urban Myth Club have created something so special' Eddie Temple-Morris, Xfm 'Poised to become the hottest downtempo act ever out of the UK' Clear FM 'Destined for hugeness' Adam Freeland 'Urban Myth Club could achieve 'Supergroup' status' Whisperin' & Hollerin' 'Amazing. Absolutely gorgeous' Bob Harris, Radio 2 'One day everyone will have this album' Pete More, iTunes 'Beautifully uplifting downtempo' Tunetribe 'The perfect come-down album' New-Noise Magazine 'Fantastic' Pete Lawrence, The Big Chill Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.