Biography
Louis Elliot and Jonny Bull launched their Brit-pop efforts in autumn 1991 by adopting the name Kinky Machine. Despite attracting only a modest yet devoted cult following, the band reached the U.K. Top Ten in 1992 and added a supporting slot on a Manic Street Preachers tour to their growing list of accomplishments. A debut album arrived in 1993, followed in 1995 by the sophomore release Bent, yet the group’s distinctive approach lost ground once acts such as Elastica achieved widespread international success. Compounded by difficulties with management and their label, these pressures led Kinky Machine to disband.
Early in 1997, Bull and Elliot reunited with Elliot’s longtime friend and bassist Julian Taylor, drummer Pete Cuthbert, and Toby Hounsham—who answered a Melody Maker advertisement—to establish the new project Rialto. The band’s distinctive name originates from a now-defunct local U.K. theater chain, an allusion that aligns with Elliot’s longstanding interest in films, soundtracks, and scores. The members have frequently cited Elvis Costello, Lloyd Cole, Leonard Cohen, Elliot Smith, Brian Wilson, Ennio Morricone, and John Barry among their key influences.
Second drummer Anthony Christmas helped shape the ensemble’s singular sound by echoing the dual-drummer approach associated with Phil Spector and Adam and the Ants. After receiving an eight-track home studio from their label, the group—guided by Bull’s production and Elliot’s songwriting—developed a fresh, inventive style and hook-driven material filled with narrative-driven, emotionally resonant stories. Their initial singles, “When We’re Together” and “Untouchable,” appeared in 1997; the latter was reissued in January 1998, climbed into the Top 20, and was followed by “Dream Another Dream.”
Although the band had demonstrated clear commercial viability ahead of their self-titled debut album, East-West Records dropped them. China Records, the imprint that had propelled Morcheeba to prominence, issued Rialto’s album in July 1998. Two years later the six-track EP Girl on a Train earned praise from both NME and Q. By the time the band reconvened for a second album, Hounsham had departed, leaving Rialto as a four-piece. The remaining members devoted most of 2001 to refining electronic textures for Night on Earth, which was released in March 2002.
Early in 1997, Bull and Elliot reunited with Elliot’s longtime friend and bassist Julian Taylor, drummer Pete Cuthbert, and Toby Hounsham—who answered a Melody Maker advertisement—to establish the new project Rialto. The band’s distinctive name originates from a now-defunct local U.K. theater chain, an allusion that aligns with Elliot’s longstanding interest in films, soundtracks, and scores. The members have frequently cited Elvis Costello, Lloyd Cole, Leonard Cohen, Elliot Smith, Brian Wilson, Ennio Morricone, and John Barry among their key influences.
Second drummer Anthony Christmas helped shape the ensemble’s singular sound by echoing the dual-drummer approach associated with Phil Spector and Adam and the Ants. After receiving an eight-track home studio from their label, the group—guided by Bull’s production and Elliot’s songwriting—developed a fresh, inventive style and hook-driven material filled with narrative-driven, emotionally resonant stories. Their initial singles, “When We’re Together” and “Untouchable,” appeared in 1997; the latter was reissued in January 1998, climbed into the Top 20, and was followed by “Dream Another Dream.”
Although the band had demonstrated clear commercial viability ahead of their self-titled debut album, East-West Records dropped them. China Records, the imprint that had propelled Morcheeba to prominence, issued Rialto’s album in July 1998. Two years later the six-track EP Girl on a Train earned praise from both NME and Q. By the time the band reconvened for a second album, Hounsham had departed, leaving Rialto as a four-piece. The remaining members devoted most of 2001 to refining electronic textures for Night on Earth, which was released in March 2002.
Albums
Singles
