Galliano

Galliano constructs its sound through an intricate fusion of spoken and sung poetry, spiritual jazz, cosmic funk, socially conscious soul, dub reggae, and EDM. Emerging as the inaugural signing to Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson’s Talkin’ Loud imprint in 1987 at the outset of the acid jazz movement, the collective followed its debut single “Freddie at Rest” with the Chris Bangs-produced studio album In Pursuit of the 13th Note in 1991, which resonated strongly within club environments. The 1992 release A Joyful Noise Unto the Creator reached number 28 on the British album charts, whereas 1994’s The Plot Thickens entered the Top Ten and yielded two Top 40 singles. After issuing :4 in 1996 the group disbanded the following year, only to reconvene twenty-six years later, issue two singles in 2024, and deliver the album Halfway Somewhere on Peterson’s Brownswood label that August.

Formed in 1986 by acid house DJ Rob Gallagher, who performs under the alias Roberto Galliano, the project initially gravitated toward relaxed, jazz-inflected soul while prioritizing live performance and environmental themes. During its early phase as an open collective, the lineup featured Gallagher on raps and turntables alongside vocalist Valerie Étienne (also known as Auntie Val), guitarist Mark Vandergucht, bassist Ernie McKone, drummer Crispin Taylor, keyboardist Mick Talbot (previously of the Style Council), and additional contributors Brother Spry, Daddy Smith, and, at times, Roy Ayers.

The group’s inaugural output arrived as the 1989 single “Frederick Lies Still,” a gentle reinterpretation and sample of Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly track “Freddie’s Dead.” Two years afterward Talkin’ Loud issued the full-length In Pursuit of the 13th Note, again produced by Bangs, which helped cultivate an audience through underground clubs and warehouse parties. A Joyful Noise Unto the Creator, the first album to incorporate former Style Council keyboardist Talbot, attained a peak of number 28 on the U.K. album charts and also registered in Australia. An American deal followed, leading to the compilation What Colour Our Flag as an introductory release that collected highlights from the initial pair of LPs. Although still released via Talkin’ Loud, the Verve distribution arrangement in North America positioned 1995’s The Plot Thickens as the ensemble’s official U.S. introduction; the album climbed to number eight on the British charts, propelled by the singles “Long Time Gone,” a David Crosby cover that reached number 13, and “Twyford Down,” which peaked at 37. Subsequent projects included the remix collection A Thicker Plot: Remixes 93-94 and the BBC live recording In Concert 639.

Galliano resurfaced with :4 the next year. Co-produced by engineer Indian Demus and keyboardist Ski Oakenfull, the album failed to chart, yet the track “Slack Hands” opened Kevin Reynolds’ 1997 film One Eight Seven, which starred Samuel L. Jackson. The band toured Europe and Asia before issuing Live at the Liquid Room (Tokyo) in 1997 and disbanding shortly thereafter.

Gallagher, Étienne, Oakenfull, and Dilip Harris subsequently formed Two Banks of Four, releasing three albums and a remix anthology between 2000 and 2004. Gallagher contributed session work to recordings by Jazzanova, Jazztronik, Quasimode, United Future Organization, Sleep Walker, and Tosca. Alongside Alex Patchwork he also operates as the Diabolical Liberties, while employing the further aliases General Rubbish and Earl Zinger; the latter produced numerous singles and two albums, among them High Protection & The Sportswear Mystics in 2021.

Étienne had already established herself as a session singer, composer, and arranger prior to joining Galliano and continued those roles afterward, amassing credits across hundreds of recordings. Her sole solo album, For What It Is, earned critical praise upon its 1999 release. She later appeared on numerous projects by artists including Koop, Incognito, Shawn Lee, Horsemeat Disco, Haggis Horns, and Matt Johnson of The The.

In 2023 Gallagher and Étienne revealed the reunion of Galliano as both a recording and performing unit, signing to Peterson’s Brownswood label. Returning members encompass bassist Ernie McKone, drummer Crispin Taylor, and Oakenfull on keys. The group unveiled “Cabin Fever” in May 2023, “Circles Going Round the Sun” in May 2024, a cover of Eddie Chacon’s “Pleasure Joy & Happiness” in June, and “In the Breaks” in July. August brought Halfway Somewhere, the first album in twenty-seven years, containing seventeen originals, a reworking of Roy Ayers’ 1975 Mystic Voyage track “The Black Five” (retitled “Dancin’ in Your Own Time”), and Chacon’s composition as the closing cut.