Wednesday 6 June 2012

MUSIC@LXG: Jack Steadman_Mong Kok

Musical proteges... Don't you just hate them? Mere mortals like us spend weeks just trying to master the chords to "(your choice of anthemic rock tune to impress friends with)" - and then along comes some early twenty-something genius who composes an entire album in the same amount of time.

Jack Steadman is the frontman of UK popsters, the Bombay Bicycle Club - who, in just a few short years conquered Europe and have now set their sights on the rest of the world.


How to describe their music... Indie Rock? Pop? Folksy? Well yes, all of them actually, and a little bit of Dance thrown into the mix as well. They are hard to categorize, and that's what makes them so interesting in a time of otherwise Tried and Tested, Copycat, Formulaic music...

But young Mr. Steadman (the rascal is just 22 years old) obviously has an Electronica itch that he has felt compelled to scratch - resulting in a string of solo tracks that just ooze ambient synth-pop sensibilities.

When a musician experiments outside of their comfort zone and takes their sound into new territories, either something magical happens, or it falls flat on its face. Thom Yorke of Radiohead did it wonderfully with his solo album, The Eraser - which had echoes of classic Radiohead atmospheres, with the added fragility of Yorke's stripped down electronica and bittersweet lyricism. Highly recommended by the way...

But with his solo efforts (album yet to be released), Jack Steadman seems to have jumped head-first into the realms of trip-hop, ambient dance and it quite honestly seems to have been an effortless transition. His rhythms, beats, samples and loops all gel to create a unique but instantly recognizable sound.

And for those closet human beatboxes in all of us (come on, own up) its almost impossible not to bust out a kick drum beat to some of his tunes... Check out "Mong Kok":   


When you listen to BBC's latest singles there is a definite electronic edge to their sound, so perhaps Steadman's influence is gradually steering them in that direction...

Meanwhile we wait with interest to see what the man himself will come up with next... If this is what he's producing in his twenties, God only knows how he'll be sounding in his thirties...

Sounds definitely worth adding to a Gentleman's playlist.  

Catch more of his tunes here:
Jack Steadman@soundcloud

- Breaker Red

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