Vibracathedral Orchestra

Formed in 1998, British avant-garde collective Vibracathedral Orchestra united Julian Bradley, Neil Campbell, Bridget Hayden, Adam Davenport, and Michael Flower. Their approach draws on extended drones rooted in the 1960s lineage of Eastern-tinged rock and folk, as heard in the explorations of Third Ear Band, Hapsash & the Colored Coat, and Velvet Underground. Incorporating early minimalism from Terry Riley, La Monte Young, and Tony Conrad, the ensemble generates trance music that seems to originate from alternate realities. Every recording documents live playing, whether at home or on stage, captured straight to two-track tape with guitars, violins, cello, banjo, mandolin, tanpura, clarinet, recorders, flute, whistles, trombone, assorted homemade instruments, percussion, organ, toy piano, and numerous Casio toy organs.

Neil Campbell, the group's leader, already carried extensive experience in the U.K. underground drone milieu through membership in the mystical lo-fi act A Band and repeated collaborations with Richard Youngs, along with noise projects Prick Decay, Simon Wickham Smith, Smell and Quim, and the Universal Indians. Julian Bradley had previously formed one half of the ultra-obscure duo the Negative Kite and issued multiple cassettes as Scorch.

The collective began issuing recordings in 1999 through its own CDR label, circulating several obscurities that reached underground noise and avant-garde listeners internationally. By mid-2000, ultra-limited editions surfaced, and albums on the American imprints VHF and Giardia increased availability. Connections to U.K. underground figures including Richard Youngs, Simon Wickham Smith, Skullflower, and Sunroof! prompted college radio and press to revisit inventive free-form music from the British indie sphere, where the group's organic approach countered prevailing electronica trends. Giardia released the CD Lino Hi in 2000, VHF issued Versatile Arab Chord Chart, and Freedom From together with Roaratorio handled limited vinyl pressings of their low-tech sessions.

Although not released under the Vibracathedral Orchestra name, the ultra-obscure self-released 10" EP "Falling Free You and Me"/"Filling Sacks with Colored Scraps" remains one of the outstanding documents of members working in alternate lineups on cosmic improvisations that echo John Cale's early experiments issued on Sunblinded Music.

Admirers of the underground milieu that produced the Dead C., Richard Youngs, Organum, and Nurse with Wound will detect a coherent continuation in Vibracathedral Orchestra's work, which advances the lineage of noise and Minimalism into a new century.