public a. serving the people
symphony n. harmony of sounds
PUBLIC SYMPHONY are an independent British band born from a studio in London with an expansive sound that is beautiful but powerful, drawing references with Pink Floyd, Snow Patrol and Keane.
"Our self-produced and self-released album is a hi-fidelity journey through life's ups and downs. The intention of the songs is to inspire. We hope the music lifts you. We are audiophiles and we wonder if it is eligible for the Guinness Book Of World Records for most time and effort ever spent on crafting an album, all unfunded, at a time when crafted albums seemingly face extinction. Despite great acclaim from the press, we have been labouring again on the mixes towards a 2008 re-release." Public Symphony returns with their full band to the WorldSpace Sessions@Abbey Road and are one of a handful of bands ever to be invited back twice to the global satellite radio, on line and DirecTV broadcasts and sessions from Abbey Road on UPop 29.
ALBUM REVIEWS:
"Lush, uplifting, and self-released." Critics' Choice album of the year in The Times.
"A Pink Floyd for the Coldplay generation...some of the most soothing, beautiful sounds you will ever hear...a stunning piece of work." **** The Works
"Actually bottles human spirit...it should sell millions once it transcends the net, where it is already a phenomenon...a confident accomplished album that finds common ground between Massive Attack, Coldplay and Pink Floyd." The Knowledge ****
"A trip to Dreamworld, amid echoes, hints of choirs and Floydian effects. But what will ultimately make their release worthy of supermarket sales is the songwriting, which seeks to touch hearts and ringtills at the same time. Watch this space." Mojo ****
"It really is a beautiful record...Records this good, this affecting, dont come along very often" 8/10 - Classic Rock
"Expansive, uplifting and totally convincing... we don't offer six star ratings but, my goodness, this one is nudging it and then some. Tremendous." Get Ready To Rock *****
"Winners of Album Of The Year and Group Of The Year." Unsigned Music Mag
"From the delicate to the immense...a voyage". Q sheet
"A corking collection of real songs, arranged with imagination, taste, decent use of synths and above all, HUMAN." Blues Matters
"This album gets better with every listen." Outline
PUBLIC SYMPHONY play live with full band, or reduced and with extraordinary visuals to accompany the set. Gigs include The London Forum, Hammersmith Apollo, Bush Hall.
Message from PUBLIC SYMPHONY:
'It is frustratingly easy to be cynical. It is a challenge to be inspirational, yet we are mellow constructive souls. It inspires us to craft magic and share inspiration.
Rather than instant but disposable recordings, the albums we admire are deeply thoughtful and beautifully crafted with minute attention to detail.
You can hear complex sonic layers and detail in the songs to keep your ears discovering stimulation in a soothing, longer-lasting soundscape.
People tell us our album is a grower and gets better with every listen. That comes from putting in the studio hours (years!)
There is a progressive thread, a conceptual voyage in spite of today’s fragmented listening culture.
We have chosen to craft and release our own product but it can be nothing without you, the listener, choosing the music and sharing your discovery with others.
That is the best chance for our unfunded album to reach people who value new music which might reward them.
Our choice is to be extraordinary, to craft an album as an inspirational hi-fi journey to be discovered.'
Public Symphony are essentially Dobs (vocals, piano, guitar, programming) and James (piano, bass guitar, drum programming and production). Friends guest on the album and make up the band: electric guitar, drums, bass, backing vocals etc., including an appearance on 'Wings' by Natasha Marsh, now Dobs' wife!
Dobs previously managed a recording act James which James produced but the two started writing and clicked. A great understanding emerged.
Aside this project, James is a producer of countless dance and pop records, including twiddling the knobs behind Braund Reynolds, Soul Avengerz, Supermal etc Dobs previously managed recording artists (e.g. DJ Sasha, BT, Dido, Mozez of Zero7) and composes themes for TV.
The extraordinary videos are collaborations fulfilled purely over the internet. The conceptual animations for 'Stronger' and 'White Dove' were created by Canadian animator Theodore Ushev. These inspired US animator Kel Nelson to make a CGI fly through evolution for 'Breakthrough'. 1970's British TV hero, Mr Benn, stars in 'Anything Is Possible', with kind permission of creator David McKee and Rollo Rights.
The debut album has been critically acclaimed and is being further improved by new mixes for a 2008 edition, some of which can be auditioned at www.publicsymphony.com