Geoffrey Paul Barrow(born 9 December 1971)[1]is an Englishmusic producer,composer, and DJ. He is a member of the bandsPortishead,Beak,andQuakers,and he has scored several films.
Geoff Barrow | |
|---|---|
 Barrow mixing at State of Art Studio, Bristol | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Geoffrey Paul Barrow |
| Born | 9 December 1971 |
| Origin | Portishead,North Somerset, England |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Turntables,samples, keyboards, drums |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | Invada Records |
Portishead was formed in 1991. He named the band afterthe small coastal townnearBristolwhere Barrow grew up.[2]On his intentions in forming Portishead, he has stated, "I just wanted to make interesting music, proper songs with a proper life span and a decent place in people's record collections."[3]Barrow and Portishead became major figures in theBristol underground scene,which gave rise to many artists with whom Barrow came to work in different capacities.
Life and career
editPortishead
editBorn inWalton in Gordano,Somerset, Geoff moved with his mother to the townPortisheadwhen he was 11, after his parents divorced. After being involved in many local rock bands, playing drums and DJing in hip-hop groups, Barrow got his first job at the Coach House Studios as a tape operator soon after it opened in 1989.[2]In 1991, while he was assisting onMassive Attack's breakthrough albumBlue Lines,the band allowed him spare studio time to get his own ideas on tape. Soon after, Barrow metBeth Gibbonsduring a coffee break at anEnterprise Allowancecourse. They formed the bandPortishead,later adding third memberAdrian Utley,releasing their debut albumDummyin 1994 to critical acclaim. The group have since produced two more studio albums, a live album, and various singles in the years since. Their most recent album,Third,was released in April 2008. The group performed for the first time in seven years on 2 May 2022, as part of aWar Childconcert benefitting refugees and children affected by theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[4]
Invada
editIn 2001, Barrow formed the Australianrecord labelInvada, whose artist roster includes acts such as RuC.L andARIA-award-winning groupKoolism), together with Katalyst's Ashley Anderson.[2]In 2003 he set up the UK arm of Invada, a more experimental music label with partner Fat Paul. Bands who released work through Invada included Gonga, Team Brick, Atavist,Joe Volk,malakai andCrippled Black Phoenix.Barrow co-produced and co-wroteStephanie McKay's 2003 debut album,McKay,under the pseudonym Fuzzface. The album featuring songs co-penned by Tim Saul andCarl Hancock Rux.
Side-projects, producing and collaborations
editAt the dawn of the '90s, Barrow was making a name for himself as a remixer, working with such artists asPrimal Scream,Paul Weller,GabrielleandDepeche Mode.He produced a track forTrickyand wrote songs forNeneh Cherry,both of whom were based in Bristol and also worked with Massive Attack. He has remixed songs for bothGravediggazandthe Pharcyde.In 2005, Barrow and Portishead collaboratorAdrian Utleyproducedthe Coral's third album,The Invisible Invasion.In 2009, Barrow producedthe Horrors' second albumPrimary Colourswith Craig Silvey. He mixed theself-titled debut albumbyBilly Nomates,as well as her EPEmergency Telephone.
In 2009 he formedBeakwith Billy Fuller (Fuzz Against Junk) and Matt Williams (Team Brick).[5]Their self-titled album was released in 2009. In 2010 the group performed as the backing band forAnika'sself-titled debut album.Barrow had met Anika, a political journalist, and proposed recording material together. The album was produced over twelve days, using one room, no overdubs or repair, and only edits to create arrangements.[6]The album's lead single, "Yang Yang",was released on 17 November 2009 through Invada andStones Throw Records[7]in the USA and Japan.
In early 2012, Barrow's newhip hopprojectQuakerswas announced to be releasing an album on Stones Throw.[8]He also formed the musical project Drokk with TV composerBen Salisburyand released the albumDrokk: Music inspired by Mega-City One,with songs inspired by the comic book characterJudge Dredd.[9]On 2 July Barrow, Billy Fuller and Matt Williams released their second Beak album through Invada. On 20 September 2018 the band, with Will Young replacing Williams, released their third album on Invada.
Film work
editBarrow was the music supervisor for theBanksyfilmExit Through the Gift Shop,which premièred at theSundance Film Festivalon 24 January 2010, and was released in April 2010.[10]
In 2013, Barrow collaborated again withBen Salisburyon the score for theAlex GarlandfilmEx Machina.The pair also worked together on a 2018 filmAnnihilation,2020 miniseriesDevsand 2022 filmMen.The duo also collaborated on the scores for theBlack Mirrorepisode "Men Against Fire"and theNetflixseriesArchive 81.Barrow, Salisbury and Simon Ashdown produced the score for thePrime VideoseriesHanna.
Beak performed the soundtrack for Tom Geens' 2015 filmCouple in a Hole,drawing largely on the band's earlier material.[11]In 2016, Barrow scored theBen WheatleyfilmFree Fire.
Barrow & Salisbury collaborated again for Alex Garland's Civil War.https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/civil-war-soundtrack/
Credits
editProduction and guest appearances
edit| Year | Album | Artist | Details | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Homebrew | Neneh Cherry | Co-writer and co-producer of "Somedays" | |
| 1994 | Dummy | Portishead | As band member; co-producer, composer, drums, keyboards, string arrangements,programming | |
| 1995 | Radar | Earthling | Turntables | |
| 1997 | Portishead | Portishead | As band member; co-producer, composer, drums,turntables,programming,sampling | |
| 1998 | Roseland NYC Live | Portishead | As band member; co-producer, composer, drums, turntables, musical director | |
| 1999 | Reload | Tom Jones | Producer "Motherless Child"(as Portishead) | |
| 2002 | Len Parrot's Memorial Lift | Baxter Dury | Co-producer and drums | |
| 2002 | Gonga | Gonga | Mixing | |
| 2003 | McKay | Stephanie McKay | Producer | |
| 2005 | The Invisible Invasion | The Coral | Co-producer and mixing withAdrian Utley | |
| 2007 | A Love of Shared Disasters | Crippled Black Phoenix | Producer | |
| 2008 | Third | Portishead | As band member; co-producer, composer, drums, keyboards, synthesizer, bass, percussion, programming | |
| 2009 | Ugly Side of Love | Malachai | Executive producer | |
| Primary Colours | The Horrors | Co-producer, mixing, engineering | ||
| BEAK> | Beak> | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | ||
| 2010 | Anika | Anika | Producer | |
| 2012 | Drokk: Music inspired by Mega-City One | Geoff Barrow andBen Salisbury | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | |
| Quakers | Quakers | Producer | ||
| >> | Beak> | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | ||
| 2014 | Beyond Ugly | Malachai | Drums | |
| 2015 | Ex Machina (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | |
| Meow the Jewels | Run the Jewels | Remixingof "Close Your Eyes and Meow to Fluff" | ||
| Split | Beak> and <Kaeb | Extended play;co-producer, composer, instrumentation | ||
| 2016 | Couple in a Hole (Original Soundtrack) | Beak> | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | |
| Black Mirror: Men Against Fire (Original Score) | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | ||
| 2017 | Everything Now | Arcade Fire | Additional production, synthesizer on "Creature Comfort" | |
| Free Fire (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | ||
| 2018 | Annihilation (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | |
| >>> | Beak> | Co-producer, composer, instrumentation | ||
| 2019 | Hanna | Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury and Simon Ashdown | Composer | |
| 2019 | Luce (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Composer | |
| 2020 | Devs | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Composer | |
| 2020 | Billy Nomates | Billy Nomates | Mixer[12] | |
| 2020 | Emergency Telephone EP | Billy Nomates | Mixer[13] | |
| 2022 | Archive 81 | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Composer | |
| 2022 | Men | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Composer | |
| 2024 | Civil War | Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury | Composer |
References
edit- ^"You Say It's Your Birthday: Geoff Barrow of Portishead".MTV.Archived fromthe originalon 3 April 2022.
- ^abcSimpson, Dave (11 April 2008)."Profile: Geoff Barrow".The Guardian.Retrieved23 August2009.
- ^"Portishead Biography".NME.Retrieved23 August2009.
- ^Young, Alex (7 April 2022)."Portishead to Reunite for Ukraine Benefit Concert".Consequence of Sound.Retrieved9 April2022.
- ^"Geoff Barrow forms new band".Line of Best Fit. Archived fromthe originalon 25 August 2009.Retrieved23 August2009.
- ^Phares, Heather."Anika".Allmusic.Rovi Corporation.Retrieved5 March2011.
- ^"Stones Throw Records".Stonesthrow.com.
- ^"Announcing: Quakers".Stonesthrow.com.Retrieved20 February2012.
- ^"Drokk: Music inspired by Mega-City One, by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury".Drokk.bandcampo.com.
- ^"Bullet Film: Exit Through the Gift Shop".Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2016.Retrieved25 January2010.
- ^"Couple in a Hole – Original Soundtrack".Drowned in Sound.Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2017.Retrieved6 July2017.
- ^"One to watch: Billy Nomates".the Guardian.1 August 2020.Retrieved24 May2022.
- ^"Emergency Telephone, by Billy Nomates".Billy Nomates.Retrieved24 May2022.
External links
edit- Geoff BarrowatIMDb
- Invada Records
- Geoff BarrowonMySpace(as noted in the Portishead's MySpace blog)
- BeakonMySpace
- Interview with 3news.co.nz[permanent dead link]