spoilers of utopia

Spoilers Of Utopia

Project 2012-05-13 07:16:14 +1200

Recording this most apocalyptic of brass bands for posterity. The Spoilers are at the peak of their powers and want to leave their growing elect of followers a recording of the finest quality in case they are spirited away to blast those trumpets in another realm. The Spoilers are: John Bell, Kingsley Melhuish, Don McGlashan, Chris O"Connor, Finn Scholes, Owen Melhuish, Ben Zilber, Darren Hannah and Neil Watson.

The Spoilers hope to raise indulgences of around $1800 as a seeding grant toward a recording production, and album release of the highest quality. The Spoilers were formed in August of 2011, initially to perform the music of Albert Ayler, and other band composers of an evangelist and apocalyptic bent - performing them with a good dose of armageddon- style improvisation. The S.O.U. want to record some of the most successful arrangements of those works as well as some modernist- brass band originals by members John Bell, Don McGlashan and Kingsley Melhuish. The video clip is of John Bell"s arrangement of "O Boundless Salvation".

Of the Spoilers line up; John Bell, Kingsley Melhuish, Don McGlashan and Owen Melhuish all started their musical journies in municipal brass bands. Chris O"Connor served his municipal band apprenticeship in the NZDCCB (with John and Kingsley), Darren Hannah is a long time collabrator in the context of free improvisation with the key bandsmen, Neil Watson provides the cutting electric guitar sound essential to the apocalyptic fanfare, and Ben Zilber and Finn Scholes provide the brassy  bugle sounds like heraldic angels.

 The Spoilers have performed in various locations around Auckland, including the Auckland museum (Anzac Day), and otside the Aotea centre (pick n mix series) The S.O.U. recorded some of Don McGlashan"s compositions for the soon to be released children"s film "Kiwi Flyer" ( not their usual repertoire

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