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Miranda Sex Garden
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Miranda Sex Garden
Miranda Sex Garden are an English music group from London. They were originally active from 1990 to 2000, reforming in 2022.
Formed in 1990, Katharine Blake, Kelly McCusker and Jocelyn West were originally a trio of madrigal singers also skilled in the playing of various instruments. They had been educated at the Purcell School for Young Musicians in Bushey. The band's name came from the novel The Ticket That Exploded by William S. Burroughs.
To develop performance experience (and raise spare cash) the trio opted to busk on the streets of London. In an interview with Stubble Magazine, Katharine Blake commented, "Sometimes I think it's better there is a lot less bullshit you just get out there and do it. If people like it they throw money at you if they don't they tell you." Consequently, Miranda Sex Garden were discovered by Barry Adamson while singing three-part harmony Elizabethan madrigals on Portobello Road. Adamson invited them to sing on his Delusion soundtrack, with the song "Il Solitario". After that, Daniel Miller invited them to sign a contract with Mute Records. They recorded their first single "Gush Forth My Tears", in March 1991 - a madrigal with a beat mixed by Danny Rampling.
Their first album, Madra (August 1991), was produced by classical producer Tony Faulkner. Entirely a cappella, with the songs all based on traditional English verse, it took only two days to record. As part of the promotion, Miranda Sex Garden supported Blur in concert at the Astoria in London in April 1991.
Wishing to expand their sound, Miranda Sex Garden left their a-capella approach behind, first by incorporating violins (played by the original three group members) and then recruiting guitarist/keyboardist/bass player Ben Golomstock and drummer Trevor Sharpe. In 1992, Jocelyn West left the group to marry and move to the United States. She was replaced by Donna McKevitt (vocals, violin and viola).
By the time of their second release, Iris (1992), the group's sound had evolved into a blend of their original madrigal-styled vocal harmonies with new elements reminiscent of folk music, gothic rock, dark wave, ethereal wave and industrial music. Some "startling" live shows were played with artists including Curve, Nick Cave and the Balanescu Quartet.
In January 1993, the "Play" single was released, to be followed in March the same year by their third album, Suspiria. Miranda Sex Garden toured with Levitation and Spiritualized and worked on the soundtrack for Derek Jarman's "Blue" in collaboration with Simon Fisher Turner, Brian Eno and others. Kelly McCusker left the group in late 1993 to start a career in classical music, leaving Blake as the only remaining original member. McCusker was replaced by Hepzibah Sessa (vocals, keyboards, violin) for tours with Einstürzende Neubauten and Depeche Mode, whom they opened for on the 1993 leg of their Devotional Tour. During the tour with Depeche Mode, Sessa and Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder started a relationship; following the tour Sessa departed Miranda Sex Garden to join Wilder to work on his Recoil project. The two would marry in 1995 and Sessa worked with Wilder on Recoil albums over the next thirteen years.
With Kim Fahy joining on bass guitar in 1994, Miranda Sex Garden continued to pursue a deeper, darker and more sophisticated sound, including a developing interest in sexual fetishism. Adding to their work at various multi-media events, they hosted the "Lunatic Fringe" nights at Holborn's Leisure Lounge and developed an alter ego band called Waltzing Maggots for gigs at London fetish club Torture Garden.
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Miranda Sex Garden
Miranda Sex Garden are an English music group from London. They were originally active from 1990 to 2000, reforming in 2022.
Formed in 1990, Katharine Blake, Kelly McCusker and Jocelyn West were originally a trio of madrigal singers also skilled in the playing of various instruments. They had been educated at the Purcell School for Young Musicians in Bushey. The band's name came from the novel The Ticket That Exploded by William S. Burroughs.
To develop performance experience (and raise spare cash) the trio opted to busk on the streets of London. In an interview with Stubble Magazine, Katharine Blake commented, "Sometimes I think it's better there is a lot less bullshit you just get out there and do it. If people like it they throw money at you if they don't they tell you." Consequently, Miranda Sex Garden were discovered by Barry Adamson while singing three-part harmony Elizabethan madrigals on Portobello Road. Adamson invited them to sing on his Delusion soundtrack, with the song "Il Solitario". After that, Daniel Miller invited them to sign a contract with Mute Records. They recorded their first single "Gush Forth My Tears", in March 1991 - a madrigal with a beat mixed by Danny Rampling.
Their first album, Madra (August 1991), was produced by classical producer Tony Faulkner. Entirely a cappella, with the songs all based on traditional English verse, it took only two days to record. As part of the promotion, Miranda Sex Garden supported Blur in concert at the Astoria in London in April 1991.
Wishing to expand their sound, Miranda Sex Garden left their a-capella approach behind, first by incorporating violins (played by the original three group members) and then recruiting guitarist/keyboardist/bass player Ben Golomstock and drummer Trevor Sharpe. In 1992, Jocelyn West left the group to marry and move to the United States. She was replaced by Donna McKevitt (vocals, violin and viola).
By the time of their second release, Iris (1992), the group's sound had evolved into a blend of their original madrigal-styled vocal harmonies with new elements reminiscent of folk music, gothic rock, dark wave, ethereal wave and industrial music. Some "startling" live shows were played with artists including Curve, Nick Cave and the Balanescu Quartet.
In January 1993, the "Play" single was released, to be followed in March the same year by their third album, Suspiria. Miranda Sex Garden toured with Levitation and Spiritualized and worked on the soundtrack for Derek Jarman's "Blue" in collaboration with Simon Fisher Turner, Brian Eno and others. Kelly McCusker left the group in late 1993 to start a career in classical music, leaving Blake as the only remaining original member. McCusker was replaced by Hepzibah Sessa (vocals, keyboards, violin) for tours with Einstürzende Neubauten and Depeche Mode, whom they opened for on the 1993 leg of their Devotional Tour. During the tour with Depeche Mode, Sessa and Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder started a relationship; following the tour Sessa departed Miranda Sex Garden to join Wilder to work on his Recoil project. The two would marry in 1995 and Sessa worked with Wilder on Recoil albums over the next thirteen years.
With Kim Fahy joining on bass guitar in 1994, Miranda Sex Garden continued to pursue a deeper, darker and more sophisticated sound, including a developing interest in sexual fetishism. Adding to their work at various multi-media events, they hosted the "Lunatic Fringe" nights at Holborn's Leisure Lounge and developed an alter ego band called Waltzing Maggots for gigs at London fetish club Torture Garden.
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