Scala

Beginning as a temporary collaboration that united most of Seefeel with Mark Van Hoen (performing as Locust), Scala slowly assumed the character of a primary endeavor once Seefeel appeared to dissolve in 1997. The initial configuration placed vocalist Sarah Peacock, percussionist Justin Fletcher, and bassist Daren Seymour—all from Seefeel—alongside Van Hoen, who occupied the producer role. During 1996-1997 Scala issued both an EP and a full-length album while Mark Clifford, Seefeel’s nominal frontman and the sole member absent from the new group, concentrated on his separate Disjecta work. The quartet drew more heavily from noise and trip-hop than from the looped sound-wash long associated with Seefeel, adopting tighter song structures and placing greater weight on Peacock’s vocals. Early in 1996 the band put out the Lips & Heaven EP; the following year Touch Records in Britain released the debut album Beauty Nowhere. Although Seefeel had delivered its third record, Ch-Vox, in late 1996, that release marked the group’s conclusion. Scala followed with two further albums issued nearly at once in 1998: To You in Alpha and Compass Heart.