Colorama (band)

Colorama is an alternative music group formed by Welsh singer-songwriter, music producer and multi-instrumentalist Carwyn Ellis. The line-up varies frequently, both in the studio and on stage.[1][2]

Colorama
OriginWales
GenresAlternative rock, Psychedelic pop, Psychedelic soul, fuzz-soul, electropop, Folk, Blues, Baroque pop, Dream pop, Balearic folk, Acid folk, Folktronica
Years active2007–present
LabelsAgati, Banana & Louie Records, Aficionado Recordings, AED Records, See Monkey Do Monkey, Noise McCartney Records / Victor Entertainment, Redbricks Recordings
Websitecolorama.org.uk
MembersCarwyn Ellis
Luca Guernieri
David Page
Shawn Lee
Past membersDavid Fletcher
Matthew Evans, Wendon Davis, Ed Turner, Andrea Garbo, Tom Gardner, Adrian Meehan

History

Colorama was started by Carwyn Ellis in Liverpool in 2007, the first shows being as a duo with David Fletcher, on double bass.[3]
Colorama released their Japan only debut album, Cookie Zoo on Noise McCartney Records / Victor Entertainment in April 2008,[4] and released their debut single, Sound via Redbricks Recordings in UK.[5][6][7]

In 2008, they became a trio with the addition of Luca Guernieri on drums and have since played Glastonbury Festival, Latitude Festival, Home Game, The Sŵn Festival, Port Eliot Festival, Truck Festival, The Apple Cart Festival, National Eisteddfodau, Cloudspotting Festival, Festival N°6, Green Man Festival and more.[8][9][10]

In the summer of 2009, the tragic news was announced that their double bass player, Ellis's best friend David Fletcher had died on 29 June, from a heart attack suffered in his sleep,[11] just days after Colorama’s appearance at Glastonbury Festival.[12][13]

Magic Lantern Show, featuring songs in Welsh and English was released in September 2009 with Dere Mewn becoming a modern classic in Wales and garnering rave reviews and lots of airplay on both sides of the border.[14][15]

In 2010 Colorama released their third album BOX on Noise McCartney Records / Victor Entertainment in Japan and See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings in the UK.[16][17] Shortly afterwards, they released a Christmas single, Cerdyn Nadolig ( Christmas Card ) which garnered them the Welsh Christmas Number 1 on the BBC Radio Cymru chart.[18][19][20][21][22] BOX was also nominated for the inaugural Welsh Music Prize.[23]

In October 2011, Colorama released Llyfr Lliwio ( Colouring Book ), which was their first predominantly Welsh-language collection.[24][25][26]

August 2012 saw their fifth album release - Good Music, produced by Edwyn Collins and Sebastian Lewsley, and featured high in many an end-of year best album list (2012).[27][28] In November 2012 Colorama released a limited edition 12" single, Hapus? ( Happy? ) on Aficionado Recordings.[29]

In 2013, Colorama did remixes for fellow artists, John Stammers and AM & Shawn Lee. They reworked John Stammers's Idle I'm, 'transforming the stripped back acoustic song into a massive Balearic groove that has a John Barry-esque cinematic feel to it'.[30] Two Times by AM & Shawn Lee however, was transformed from its dub reggae roots and given a hard rock treatment.[31] Shawn Lee returned the favour, remixing Good Music for Colorama on their Do The Pump EP, also in 2013.[32]

In 2014, Colorama released a new EP, Heaven's Hotel,[33] a new album TEMARI,[34][35] followed by a split single, Yn Rhydiau'r Afon / Forget Tomorrow with The Joy Formidable.[36]

In November 2014, a compilation of all of Ellis's Welsh songs as Colorama was released on his own, new Agati label, entitled Dere Mewn!.[37]

In 2015, Colorama resumed recording at Toe Rag Studios in London, as well as continuing to perform in the UK and in Spain, including appearances at that year's Green Man Festival [38][39] and Port Eliot Festival.[40]

A new album, Some Things Just Take Time came out in September 2017, and showed the group taking a more acoustic, folk-influenced direction.[41][42][43][44]

2018 saw the tenth anniversary re-issue of Colorama’s debut album, Cookie Zoo, made available for the first time outside of Japan via a new Madrid-based record label, Banana & Louie Records.

Following Some Things Just Take Time , Ellis worked extensively both with Edwyn Collins and with The Pretenders. Whilst on tour in South America, Chrissie Hynde suggested that he make an album in Welsh with Brazilian musicians - this he did in Rio de Janeiro late in 2018, releasing Joia! as the first solo project under his own name, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 in 2019.

During this period, Ellis also recorded intermittently with American producer and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee at his studio in London, which resulted in a Colorama single, And released in June 2020.

Discography

Albums
  • Cookie Zoo (2018, Spain); Banana & Louie Records
  • Some Things Just Take Time (2017, UK); Agati
  • Dere Mewn! (2015, UK); Agati
  • TEMARI (2014, UK); AED Records
  • Good Music (2012, UK); AED Records
  • Llyfr Lliwio / Colouring Book (2011, UK); See Monkey Do Monkey
  • BOX (2010, UK); See Monkey Do Monkey (2010, Japan); Noise McCartney Records (Victor Entertainment)
  • Magic Lantern Show (2009, UK); Redbricks Recordings
  • Cookie Zoo (2008, Japan); NOISE McCARTNEY RECORDS (Victor Entertainment)

Singles
  • And (2020, UK); Agati
  • Forget Tomorrow (2014, UK); Aruthrol
  • Hapus? (2012, UK); Aficionado Recordings
  • Cerdyn Nadolig / Christmas Card (2010, UK); See Monkey Do Monkey
  • Sound (2007, UK); Redbricks Recordings

EPs
  • Heaven's Hotel (2014, UK); AED Records
  • Do the Pump (2013, UK); AED Records

Compilation albums
  • #40 Mawr Radio Cymru (2015, UK); Sain
  • Mannequins (2009, UK); Kartel
  • The Music Sounds Better With Huw: Vol. 1 (2009, UK); Wichita Recordings

Remixes

References
  1. "datatransmission.co.uk ARTIST COLORAMA".
  2. "Western Mail-The changing man - Carwyn Ellis".
  3. "Getintothis : Interviews : Carwyn Ellis talks new Colorama album Some Things Just Take Time, songwriting, and Wales".
  4. "Bad News Records ARTIST COLORAMA". Archived from the original on 9 April 2014.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  5. "BESIDE THE B-SIDE Colorama: 'Turnham Green'".
  6. "Commuter Love: Colorama's Turnham Green and the romance of the suburban tube station".
  7. "An ode to the joy and madness of the B-side".
  8. "Who to watch at SWN Festival 2010 via Your Cardiff - Wales Online".
  9. "Port Eliot Festival:ARTIST:COLORAMA".
  10. "Green Man Festival : ARTIST COLORAMA". Archived from the original on 21 June 2015.
  11. "David Fletcher Obituary - Musicians' Union Website".
  12. "Glastonbury 2009 - Colorama".
  13. "Western Mail-The changing man - Carwyn Ellis".
  14. "datatransmission.co.uk ARTIST COLORAMA".
  15. "The Digital Fix - Magic Lantern Show".
  16. "THE INDEPENDENT Peer to peer: The stars' albums of the year COLORAMA:BOX". London. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014.
  17. "Shindig! No.20". Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  18. "BBC Cymru Artistiaid COLORAMA".
  19. "BBC Cymru Deg Nadolig Lisa Gwilym".
  20. "Wonderfulsound COLORAMA 'Cerdyn Nadolig' (or 'Christmas Card' in English)".
  21. "The top Welsh sounds of 2010 -Wales Online".
  22. "Interview – Colorama". Themmp.tv. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011.
  23. "Welsh Music Prize Nominees". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  24. "BBC Radio Wales - Bethan Elfyn - Colorama Llyfr Llywio/Colouring Book". Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  25. "Folk Radio UK - Introducing : Colorama".
  26. "Beat City: Magic Lantern Show/Colouring Book".
  27. "eMusic : Colorama, Good Music". Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  28. "Louder Than War : Colorama - Good Music".
  29. "Phonica Records-HAPUS? COLORAMA AFICIONADO RECORDINGS".
  30. "Idle I'm (Colorama Coloured In Remix : Piccadilly Records".
  31. "Under the Radar Magazine: Premiere: AM & Shawn Lee - Two Times (Colorama Remix)".
  32. "iTunes: Do the Pump - EP".
  33. "The nearest faraway place : BBC Kent:Sean Rowley - New Release : Colorama – Heaven's Hotel".
  34. "Colorama-Temari".
  35. "BBC Radio Wales - Glittering, soulful music from Colorama".
  36. "Double A-sides : Welsh singles club via Wales Online".
  37. "Sound of Brit: Review : Colorama – Dere Mewn".
  38. "BBC News : Green Man festival 2015".
  39. "The Line of Best Fit : Green Man Festival".
  40. "The Quietus : News : Port Eliot Festival".
  41. "From The Margins : Review : Some Things Just Take Time".
  42. "music won't save you : Review : Some Things Just Take Time".
  43. "Getintothis : Interviews : Carwyn Ellis talks new Colorama album Some Things Just Take Time, songwriting, and Wales".
  44. "El País : Live Reviews : Las cristalinas canciones del galés Carwyn Ellis propician una de las noches más hermosas en la vida del Café Berlín".
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