The band
Githead are Colin Newman (of Wire), Malka Spigel and Max Franken (of Minimal Compact), and Robin Rimbaud (Scanner). But who they are is far less important than what they are: a band, rather than just a collaboration of individuals.
The band started in 2004, initially to play as a one-off at the Swim record label's 10th anniversary event at the ICA. It soon became obvious that there was a natural and rare chemistry that could enable real organic development over time.
Progression was swift. A solid base was fashioned with the band's 2004 debut, the 'self titling' EP Headgit. Written, recorded and mixed in fervent, whirlwind fashion, all in Swim's London studio, the band used Headgit as a platform on which to build. Its signature hypnotic motorik combined with a fresh, almost raw approach resulted in a set of exciting tracks, some of which remain stage favourites.
The following year, Githead's debut album Profile brought a bigger, lusher sound, with richer songwriting, and several songs that were taken on the road during the band's first European tour. As Githead developed as a live entity, the importance of recording live with the whole band became paramount. 2006 saw Githead move to augment Swim's small studio with Rotterdam's Metropolis 22 studio for recording endeavours. Employing classic 'old skool' recording techniques and songwriting craft, Art Pop was born, and subsequently well received on its 2007 release. More European live dates followed and the band made its North American debut in Canada in June 2009.
The combination of Githead's growing power as a live band, and the development of work in Swim's studio and during trips to Rotterdam, has led naturally to its third and best album, Landing, released in November 2009.
Watch this space.
Githead are...
Malka Spigel
Malka Spigel fell into the music and art world as a Tel-Aviv exile in early 1980s Amsterdam. Minimal Compact, which she co-founded with Berry Sakharof and Samy Birnbach, and in which she played bass and contributed occasional vocals, pioneered a minimal post-punk/ punk-funk sound that over seven years attracted a large, enthusiastic audience in continental Europe and beyond...
Robin Rimbaud
British artist Robin Rimbaud, also known as Scanner, traverses the experimental terrain between sound, space, image and form, creating absorbing, multi-layered sound pieces that twist technology in unconventional ways. Curiously, having played guitar since he was a teenager, Githead is his first opportunity to voice this unrecognised talent in the public sphere, eschewing electronics for six strings and an amp...
Colin Newman
Colin Newman is probably most widely known as the frontman/tunesmith of the art/rock band Wire, who through various incarnations in the 1970s, 1980s and 2000s have trashed as many genres as they have created, ranging from the austere future punk of their 1977 debut Pink Flag to the "intelligent, adventurous, 21st century rock n roll" of their most recent opus Object 47 (2008), passing through many colours of twisted pop, avant psychedelia and techno throb along the way...
Max Franken
Minimal Compact (like Githead) started life as a trio without a drummer but also (like Githead) needed a live drummer for the ever-increasing number of gigs they were being asked to play. Max Franken, introduced to the band by Mecano's legendary Dick Polak, promised to fill the drum stool 'until they could find a proper drummer'!