Circulus (band)

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Circulus
Circulus at Green Man Festival, 2017
Circulus at Green Man Festival, 2017
Background information
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Years active1997–present
Labels
MembersMichael Tyack[1]
Jennifer Bennett[2]
Oliver Parfitt[1]
George Parfitt[1]
Past membersWill Summers[3]
Lo Polidoro[4]
Sam Kelly[5]
Victor Hugo[6]
Eric Anholm[7]
Jason Hobart[8]
Emma Steele[9]
Robin Cieslak[10]
Tom Goldsmith[11]
Holly-Jane Shears[12]
Anthony Elvin[13]
Alan French[14]

Circulus are a psychedelic/progressive folk band from South London, England, founded by guitarist and singer Michael Tyack.[15]

The band uses a mix of modern and medieval instruments, such as the lute, cittern, crumhorn and rauschpfeife, along with the Moog synthesizer, bass and electric guitars.

Circulus were featured in a two-page spread of an NME issue in 2005,[16] also appearing that year in a Sveriges Television music documentary called This Is Our Music in 2005[17]. They were interviewed on BBC2's The Culture Show on 3 February 2007, as part of an item on the 'new folk'.[18]

Mojo magazine chose Circulus to cover Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds for their 40th anniversary Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band tribute album, Sgt. Pepper... With a Little Help from His Friends, given away with their March 2007 issue[19].

The band performed on the 'Meltdown on the Thames' stage, at Meltdown Festival on 17th June, 2007,[20] one week later playing on the Park Stage at Glastonbury Festival.[21] They performed at Green Man Festival in 2006[22] and 2017[23].

In 2013, they provivded an original music soundtrack for the short film Eilmer The Flying Monk[24], which is based on the story of Eilmer of Malmesbury. In 2014 their music was used in the soundtrack of the documentary The Truth Behind the Dash For Gas.[25]

Discography

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EPs

  • Giantism (1999, Instant Farma)

Albums

Singles

  • "Everyone" / "Ring o' Roses" / "Gently Johnny Pt 1" (1997, Instant Farma)
  • "Little More Time" / "Happen Away" (1998, Instant Farma)
  • "Wouldn't Dream of Sleeping Now" / "Same Way From the Sun" (2000, Instant Farma)
  • "Swallow" / "My Body is Made of Sunlight" / "La Rotta°" (2005, Rise Above Records))
  • "Song of Our Despair" / "Honeycomb" / "Tapestry°" (2006, Rise Above Records)

(° on CD version only)

Other releases

  • Music Plays in the Air (on Get Yer Pots Out with the fanzine Ptolemaic Terrascope, 2001)
  • Split 7" – Miri It Is (Moog-up Mix) by Circulus / Chylde of Fire by Witchcraft (2005, Rise Above Records)
  • La Rotta (2005) (on The Crow Club compilation, 2008 People Tree Records)
  • Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (Mojo Presents Sgt. Pepper... With A Little Help From My Friends, 2007, Mojo Magazine)
  • The Unquiet Grave (on Old Wine, New Skins compilation, 2007, Market Square Music)
  • Till We Merry Meet Again (on A Psychedelic Guide to Monsterism Island compilation, 2009, Lo Recordings)

Releases with Circulus members

  • Lo Polidoro – Lo Polidoro (2005)
  • Lo Polidoro – Le Carrousel Des Jours (2009, Marboz Records)
  • Marianne Segal – The Gathering (2007, Snow Beach Records) produced by Michael Tyack and featuring Circulus
  • Thistletown – Rosemarie (2008, Big Bertha Records) produced by Michael Tyack

Band members

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Current members

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  • Michael Tyack – vocals, guitars, saz, cittern
  • Jenny Bliss Bennett – violin, viola da gamba, flute, vocals
  • George Parfitt – bass guitar, drums, percussion
  • Oliver Parfitt – keyboards, synthesizers

Former members

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  • Lo Polidoro – vocals
  • Will Summers – flute, recorder, crumhorn, shawm
  • Sam Kelly – drums, vocals
  • Victor Hugo Llamas – bongos, percussion
  • Eric Anholm – guitar, vocals
  • Jason Hobart – bass, vocals
  • Emma Steele – vocals, flute
  • Robin Cieslak – guitar, vocals, percussion

Mythical Cake label

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In 2008, the band started its own record label, Mythical Cake, using donations solicited from fans and the public at large. A donation of 50 British pounds or more secured a photograph in the Thought Becomes Reality album liner notes. This alternative appeal is part of a growing trend of bands attempting to create a distribution infrastructure outside the traditional music industry.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Circulus - Birth". 9 September 2018 – via www.discogs.com.
  2. ^ "Jenny Bliss Bennett". Discogs.
  3. ^ "Will Summers". Discogs.
  4. ^ "Lo Polidoro". Discogs.
  5. ^ "Sam Kelly (2)". Discogs.
  6. ^ "Victor Hugo (2)". Discogs.
  7. ^ "Eric Anholm". Discogs.
  8. ^ "Jason Hobart". Discogs.
  9. ^ "Emma Steele". Discogs.
  10. ^ "Robin Cieslak". Discogs.
  11. ^ "Tom Goldsmith". Discogs.
  12. ^ "Holly-Jane Shears". Discogs.
  13. ^ "Antony Elvin". Discogs.
  14. ^ "Alan French". Discogs.
  15. ^ "Michael Tyack". Discogs.
  16. ^ "Progressive Ears". www.progressiveears.org.
  17. ^ "Michael Tyack Circulus". 31 October 2005 – via IMDb.
  18. ^ "Culture Show "New Folk" - Circulus Tunng Bunyan Vetiver". 21 July 2007 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ "Various - Sgt. Pepper ...With A Little Help From His Friends". 8 September 2007 – via www.discogs.com.
  20. ^ "PulpWiki - Jarvis: Meltdown 2007". pulpwiki.net.
  21. ^ "A Few Disappointments: Glastonbury Sunday". 12 July 2007.
  22. ^ "Circulus - 'Willow Tree' (Live at Green Man Festival 2006)". 3 February 2018 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "Circulus Green Man 2017". 13 November 2017 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ "British Council UK Films Database: Eilmer the Flying Monk". filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org.
  25. ^ "Circulus | Composer". IMDb.
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