[History]
Press Release

A new Cape Town band, named "union," will be releasing its first EP early next year. The EP will consist of five tracks professionally produced and mastered at Hothouse Productions in Cape Town.

Stylistically the band is very diverse. All members come from an alternative rock background but in the arrangement, ska, punk, reggae and hip-hop are incorporated. As well as using the traditional rock instruments, the band also experiments with MIDI instrumentation, drum sequencing and unusual instruments. The result is a sound that is fresh, distinctive, interesting and catchy.

The band aims to produce recorded material that is of an international standard designed to compete in an international market. The live show compliments that pursuit of excellence, with an eccentric, honest and entertaining performance.

The four members have all had classical musical training and have extensive live experience in front of large audiences. They have all been in original gigging bands before ("Virgin Apple Skins", "none of us" and "Frozen Hypnosis") and thus have experience in the South African music scene. The four members had performed together on many occasions before forming "union. "

The band consists of:
Allistair Gardener : Bass guitar, Saxophone, Vocals.
Anthony Martin : Drums, Drum programming.
Noel Ross-Gillespie : Guitar, Keyboards, MIDI programming, Vocals.
Peter Flynn : Guitar, Vocals.

All members are studying or have tertiary qualifications ranging from a BA to an Electrical Engineering student, to a Marketing student to an MCSE with a Sports Management diploma. Although the band's members have studied extensively, they are all still young in age, the oldest being 21 years old.

The band goes to great lengths to ensure that the music is not only entertaining and highly accessible, but also musically intelligent and lyrically thought-provoking. With this Press Release is a copy of the EP set to be released in January 2000. The first track titled "Speed and other things that kill me" is set to be the band's first single. Negotiations are already under way to make a video for "Verisimilitude," the second single to be released.

This EP gives an idea of the diversity of style that the group is capable of, while maintaining a constant standard of quality. Each track is different both in style of writing and performance. The EP thus keeps a vast variety of listeners interested and entertained from its beginning to its end. The EP also has a lasting quality, with effort put into writing songs that could become classics.

A great effort has been put into avoiding the "one hit wonder syndrome" so closely associated to contemporary popular music. The band will be gigging extensively in 2000 and plans are underway for a South African tour. "union" recognises that "entertainment" is what local and international audiences require and they have made it their goal to be highly entertaining.

For a slick, professional, fresh and most importantly, entertaining musical experience, be sure to catch them live when they perform near you.

[Press Release]
History

At the begining of 1998, all four members of "union" were at a cross-roads in their respective musical careers. Noel and Peter had left the recently disbanded "none of us." Allistair and Anthony had been without an original band for a year (since the disbanding of Frozen Hypnosis).

Peter was fed up with the original music scene and the difficulties involved in working with groups of people with conflicting ideas. He joined Allistair in a sixties cover outfit (called "Roger Ramjet and the American Eagles") an endevour which was designed to satisfy the musical desires of the two musicians. Playing songs written by other people however would prove not enough to satisfy the musical desires of Peter and Allistair.

Creative frustration driven by the desire to say what these artists felt needed to be said, would drive them to start a new band with new original material. The one condition that both Allistair and Peter agreed upon, was that it had to be with the right people. Allistair and Peter wanted to work with excellent musicians who had the same vision as they did.

Meanwhile, Noel was involved in a new original project with a band called "Curious." Noel was finding that the musical tastes and direction his new band members were taking was not satisfying his needs. Originally Peter and Allistair had decided to form a trio, but in order to allow the music to follow a more diverse and broad path, it was decided that another lead instrumentalist would be needed. Noel's technical skill, creative thought and diverse musical abilty was exactly what Peter and Allistair felt was needed for a third member.

Noel liked the vision of the band and had worked with both Peter and Allistair on previous occasions (all three attending Bergvliet High School together). Now all that was needed was an excellent drummer to compliment Allistair's bass style and complete the rhythm section.

Anthony and Allistair had always worked together in the past (with Frozen Hypnosis and other original projects) but no one knew whether or not he'd be interested in this particular project. Anthony was approached and accepted the offer gladly.

Since then, the band has been working furiously to create a diverse, destinctive, interesting and catchy repetoire of songs performed with excellence. They have been working on their live performance and have recorded on three seperate occasions. "union" has led several "Praise Parties" and Christian worship sessions at church camps and holiday clubs.

Through all this however, they have not yet performed their original songs to a public audience (they have performed at several closed functions as a form of "dress rehearsal.") The reason for this is that from the bands inception it was agreed that they must release themselves only when they are ready, because this would maximise the impact of realease on the public.

Finally the time has arrived. After two years of intensive practicing, the arrangement of approximately 20 new original songs and a recording that finally satisfies all four members, "union" is set for release. After a month of early mornings and late nights with producer Damion Cross, at Hot House Productions, union finished their debut EP entitled "This Way Up."

The EP was recorded in a month onto a sixteen track analogue machine. It was then mastered onto a two track analogue machine. It was then digitally enhanced on PC using cutting edge technology. The result is a recording that is warm, charcteristic of analogue recording, but also free of tape hiss and crisp, characteristic of digital recording. Much time was spent in the studio experiment with interesting intruments and effects.

At the same time as being highly experimental, a philosophy of "less is more" was adopted so that the songs remain mature and uncluttered. Philosphy of arrangement and production is "all of the best," borrowing ideas from the best producer and arrangers in all sphere's of proffesional music production.

The band will be striving to entertain audiences with excellent musicianship, inspiring and intelligent songs and an eccentric, honest and fresh live performance. The band has its heart set on that ever illusive goal of maintaining excellence and will thus always be improving and changing. Union's vision is not simply for national acclaim but instead international prominence.

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(c) December 1999,

union and philtre productions.