Ela Orleans (vocals, violin, guitar, keyboards, toy instruments)
Tony Swain (guitar, bass, samples, loops, keyboards)
Mark Vernon (computer, samples, loops, keyboards)
Influences
Captain Beefheart, Syd Barret, CAN, Brian Eno, Faust, Serge Gainsbourg, Spike Jones, Joy Division, Matmos, Moondog, Negativland, Harry Partch, People Like Us, Pere Ubu, Terry Riley, Roxy Music, Nancy Sinatra, Sonic Youth, Suicide, Sun Ra, Yma Sumac, Steve Reich, Solex, Tuxedomoon, Robert Wyatt, Velvet Underground, found tapes, radio, talking books, children's toys, television, films and more...
Sounds Like
Hassle Hound's eclecticism has invited comparisons to artists as diverse as The Books, The Durutti Column, This Heat and soundtracks to films such as the Wickerman, Midnight Cowboy and the work of Ennio Morricone.
"...Seemingly undeterred by usual considerations of what does and doesn't go together, 'Limelight Cordial' opens through the Goons Show-meets-Four Tet of 'Anvil Stamping Stallion' - a song that somehow fuses the sound of horses hooves, delicate guitar and telephone chatter into an emotionally rich four minutes. From this, the mood is immediately flipped for the string-lashed 'The Night Of The Great Season (a song which flirts a bit too heavily in Lemon Jelly territory), before the fabulously odd 'Farce Of Dusty Knee' massages Brazilian percussion, mournful swipes, surf guitar and 'ye-haw' vocal samples into a gleeful flash of expertly balanced joy. Elsewhere, 'Star Lantern And Two Mice' is a brittle coalition of fizzing electronics and mealy instrumentation, 'White Roads' points to where Air might be had they discovered Vasti Bunyan, whilst 'Primrose' takes The Avalanches only good idea and makes it better..."
"Hassle Hound are a benign tornado, roaring and twisting through the best and most eclectic of record collections, ripping out and tearing off ideas and samples. They plunder for a reason -- to make fragile and lovely music, often charmingly odd but with a gleeful melancholy, off-kilter but on the ball. There is a childlike quality to their music, but the child in question must be a musical prodigy with a wry sense of humour and a maturity beyond his years. They are not afraid to be beautiful. Machines and beats are caressed into soft humanity by delicate vocals, the boisterous cuddle of eccentrically-played instruments and ingenious guitar patterns. Here are wistful love songs which also sound like the greatest James Bond theme ever (if those films had ever been made by a 60's new wave Czech director). Cartoon oneirics slapstick their way across lush countryside and toddle through town, favourite-uncle drunk and beaming expansively. Trying to pin them down is like drinking beer with a fork. They coin new genres like other bands do sound checks -- too much funky not enough, crofter dub, genial noise, surf and turf guitar, carousel gothic, collagetronica. If Harry Partch had made music for ice-cream vans it might have been like some of these affable inventions" [Forced Exposure]
Hassle Hound started recording together in 2001 and have played extensively in the U.K., Germany, Netherlands, Poland and France.
When does your second album will be out? Limelight Cordial is definetely one of my favorite record ever. Your music makes me feel sad and happy at the same time. Thank you for making such beautiful songs.
Finally got your album "Limelite Cordial" recently - it's a peach! We love you, Hassle Hound.
One track has the most incredible, haunting female vocals that sound like they're from a different world - please put me out of my misery and tell me - who is that?
