Biography
This Portuguese psych folk ensemble blends vintage synths and samples with acoustic instruments, forging an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere shaped by early-'70s British folk traditions, contemporaneous German electronic experimentation, and '60s Brazilian Tropicalia. Their initial outing arrived via a 2013 self-titled collection of covers, followed two years later by the debut set of original compositions, The Beast Shouted Love. Discovery of that album by Ghost Box founders Jim Jupp and Julian House sparked an enduring partnership with the British imprint, yielding subsequent releases such as 2018's The Invisible World of Beautify Junkyards and 2024's Nova.
Beautify Junkyards emerged from the remnants of João Branco Kyron's Lisbon-based project Hipnótica. The group's earliest recording, a 2012 Fruits de Mer single, presented covers of Nick Drake's "From the Morning" and Os Mutantes' "Fuga No.2." Kyron handled vocals and keyboards, supported by João Moreira on acoustic guitar and synth, while bassist Sergue Ra and drummer/percussionist Antonio Watts formed the rhythm section. In interviews Kyron noted that Rob Young's Electric Eden, a detailed survey of British folk, directly informed his conception of the band. Accordingly, the 2013 Beautify Junkyards album functioned almost as a companion piece, spotlighting material by Bridget St. John, Vashti Bunyan, and Heron.
During sessions for 2015's The Beast Shouted Love the musicians began incorporating more vintage synths, subtly evoking library music. After Kyron gifted the finished record to Jupp and House, the pair recognized an act that matched the Ghost Box sensibility while expanding their predominantly British roster of retro-electronic artists. The band's first Ghost Box output, a June 2016 contribution to the Other Voices 7" series, preceded the sample-heavy 2018 debut for the label, The Invisible World of Beautify Junkyards, which significantly elevated their visibility. Ahead of those sessions cellist and acoustic guitarist Helena Espvall and vocalist Martinez joined permanently; Espvall had earlier played with the Philadelphia group Espers, whose twenty-first-century work most closely anticipated Beautify Junkyards' aesthetic.
Cosmorama, issued in 2021, included guest vocals from Nina Miranda and Allison Brice of the Eighteenth Day of May, and was soon followed by a cover of the Incredible String Band's "Painting Box" recorded with Ghost Box act Belbury Poly. The 2022 single "Verde Pino" reinterpreted a 1971 track by Portuguese singer Daphne. In 2024 Beautify Junkyards delivered Nova, their fifth album and third for Ghost Box, featuring appearances by Paul Weller, Dorothy Moskowitz of the United States of America, and Jesse Chandler of Mercury Rev and Midlake.
Beautify Junkyards emerged from the remnants of João Branco Kyron's Lisbon-based project Hipnótica. The group's earliest recording, a 2012 Fruits de Mer single, presented covers of Nick Drake's "From the Morning" and Os Mutantes' "Fuga No.2." Kyron handled vocals and keyboards, supported by João Moreira on acoustic guitar and synth, while bassist Sergue Ra and drummer/percussionist Antonio Watts formed the rhythm section. In interviews Kyron noted that Rob Young's Electric Eden, a detailed survey of British folk, directly informed his conception of the band. Accordingly, the 2013 Beautify Junkyards album functioned almost as a companion piece, spotlighting material by Bridget St. John, Vashti Bunyan, and Heron.
During sessions for 2015's The Beast Shouted Love the musicians began incorporating more vintage synths, subtly evoking library music. After Kyron gifted the finished record to Jupp and House, the pair recognized an act that matched the Ghost Box sensibility while expanding their predominantly British roster of retro-electronic artists. The band's first Ghost Box output, a June 2016 contribution to the Other Voices 7" series, preceded the sample-heavy 2018 debut for the label, The Invisible World of Beautify Junkyards, which significantly elevated their visibility. Ahead of those sessions cellist and acoustic guitarist Helena Espvall and vocalist Martinez joined permanently; Espvall had earlier played with the Philadelphia group Espers, whose twenty-first-century work most closely anticipated Beautify Junkyards' aesthetic.
Cosmorama, issued in 2021, included guest vocals from Nina Miranda and Allison Brice of the Eighteenth Day of May, and was soon followed by a cover of the Incredible String Band's "Painting Box" recorded with Ghost Box act Belbury Poly. The 2022 single "Verde Pino" reinterpreted a 1971 track by Portuguese singer Daphne. In 2024 Beautify Junkyards delivered Nova, their fifth album and third for Ghost Box, featuring appearances by Paul Weller, Dorothy Moskowitz of the United States of America, and Jesse Chandler of Mercury Rev and Midlake.
Albums
Nova
2024
The Invisible World of Beautify Junkyards
2018
The Beast Shouted Love
2015
Beautify Junkyards
2013
Singles
