Stu Rowe and a lot of other people:Cinzano Taylor, Ali Maundrell, Julianne Bastock,Rebecca Harrison, Gillian Stokes, Gemma Whitmarsh, Pete Rowe, Polly Strange,Mikey Rowe, Jay Ganberg, Natasha Whitmarsh,Charlie Rowe,Carrie Rossiter, Merv Carswell, Billy Jones, Sam Bates, Barry Ganberg, Nick Warr, Bozley, Pete Cousins,Andy Partridge, Matt Kilford, Para,Brendan Hamley, Barry Andrews, Richard Pryn
Influences
Cannonball Adderley, The Advocates, Aerosmith, Afro,Eboniq,Anaphase,Carleen Anderson,Adam and the Ants,The Aphex Twin,Louis Armstrong,Dave Angel,Burt Bacharach,Nick Baker,Baluji,Lord Bamford,Band 6,Iain Banks,Basement Jaxx,Count Basie,The Beastie Boys,Beatbullyz,The Beatles,Beck,Beethoven,Big Bandit,Blondie,David Bowie,Bob Bowles,James Brown,The Carpenters,Chalk Circle,Ray Charles,The Clash,Gaz Cobain,The Commodores,Norman Cook,Alice Cooper,Sheryl Crow,Dacoit Studios,Leonardo da Vinci,Salvadore Dali,The Damned,Miles Davis,Debussy,Delta 9,Kev Dixon,The Dirty Feel,DJ Shadow,Double Six,Brian Dougans,The Edge,Duke Ellington,Brian Eno
The Escapees,Esquimaw,Bill Evans,Gil Evans,Ella Fitzgerald,The Foo Fighters,Aretha Franklin,From Eden,The Future Sound of London,Barry Gamberg,JasonGamberg,Generation X,Al Green,Peter Green,Johnny Greenwood,Hanoi Rocks,Wild Willy Harris,Bob Heath
Bernard Hermann,Jimi Hendrix,Elvis Hitler,Billie Holiday,Charlie Hunter,Iggy and the Stooges,The Isley Brothers,The Jam,Etta James,Jellyfish,Paul Jobson,Robert Johnson,Jimmy Jones,Sam Kelly,Alicia Keys,Killing Joke,The Kinks,Lenny Kravitz,Led Zeppelin,The Lipstick Killers, Liquid Stone,Gary Lucas,Massive Attack,Curtis Mayfield,Medeski Martin and Wood,The Meters,The Meteors,Charlie Mingus,Mikey Rowe,Thelonius Monk,Mott The Hoople,Mud,Sandy Nelson,The New York Dolls,Nilsson,999,Nirvana,Noma,Oasis,Ogheno,William Orbit,Charlie Parker,Joe Pass,Portishead,Prince,Queens of the Stone Age,Radiohead,Rage Against The Machine,The Ramones,The Red Hot Chilli Peppers,Lou Reed,The Rezillos,Keith Richards,Max Richter,Mick Ronson,The Ruts,Gidd Sanchez,Toots Santini,Jill Scott,The Sex Pistols
Sham 69,The Shangri-las,Siouxsie and The Banshees,RoniSize,TheSkids,Slade,Slash,Sleepcycle,Sister Beck,Phil Spector,The Sore Willies,Sparks,The Spikes,Spittin Image,Harry Stephenson,Stevie Stevens,Stiff Little Fingers,Sly Stone,Stravinsky,The Style Council,The Sweet,Cinzano Taylor,Television,Johnny Thunders,Tower of Power,T Bone Travis,Curtis Tweed,United Future Organisation,The Vindaloo Brothers
The Who,Stevie Ray Vaughan,Muddy Waters,Tim Weller
Paul Weller,Kenny Werner,The Wild Bikinis,Sonny Boy Williamson,Brian Wilson,Cassandra Wilson,Stevie Wonder,XTC,Lester Young,Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction, Barry Andrews, Amorphous Androgynous,
Sounds Like
"Everything blown apart and then put together in ways that you haven’t heard before" Dave Franklin
Lighterthief is a Swindon based music collective formed in the late 1990s by musician/producer Stuart Rowe. It operates somewhere between a band , a record label and a production company and it is an output for the work of a continually evolving group of musicians ,singers and producers.
Lighterthief’s album “Incubation” was released in 2007. It features performances by several musicians and singers and incorporates influences from electronica, trip-hop, rock, downtempo, ambient, jazz, blues, soul, punk, folk, classical, gospel and funk.
As well as Lighterthief ,Rowe is involved in many other projects.In 2007 he co-produced the Shriekback album “Glory Bumps” released on Malicious Damage Records alongside Barry Andrews. He also remixed the “Sleep” single for Swindon band Buswell.
He mixed the improvised album “Monstrance “ featuring Andy Partridge (XTC) and Barry Andrews and Martyn Barker(Shriekback) . The album was awarded “Album of the Month” status in the Independent newspaper.
In 1998 he met Gary Cobain and Brian Dougans from the Future Sound of London and played guitar and bass on their album “Translations” (2001), ‘The Isness’(2002) , “Alice in Ultraland”(2005) and ‘Teachings from the Electronic Brain’(2006)
He also played with their Psychedelic live band ‘the Amorphous Androgynous’ in Sweden ,Russia and Australia alongside sitar player Baluji Shrivasta ,Gary Lucas(guitarist with Capatin Beefhart and Jeff Buckley) ,Tim Weller(The Divine Comedy) Mikey Rowe (Oasis, Sheryl Crow), Virgil Howe (The Dirty Feel) and Dave Sanderson (the Hat/ Hoof).
In 2005 he developed, in conjunction with Midigun designer Christopher Bauder, the “Parasite” which is a controller for computer sequencers mounted on a modified Fender Telecaster known as the “Cybercaster”. This was used on the Amorphous Androgynous tour of Australia in December 2005.
Also in 2005 he played at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House improvising blues guitar with Pianist /Singer Barry Ganberg accompanying dancers from the Rambert School of dance.
In 2000 he started work part time as a lecturer in Music Technology and Jazz Studies at New College Swindon and a tutor at Swindon Contemporary school of Music.
In 1990 he settled in Swindon and opened a record shop- selling rare punk, funk and jazz music at The Rockin Emporium. Whilst continuing to play guitar in local bands such as The Wild Bikinis, The Vindaloo Brothers, Cosmic Rays, and the Advocates with whom he played at Glastonbury Festival in 1994. He also taught guitar privately and started to develop his production ideas.
Lighterthief was set up to be a creative output for Rowe’s productions and musical ideas. The band's sound, in both live and studio contexts, employs live musicians and singers who improvise alongside electronic elements such as samples provided by Rowe. In studio recordings Rowe will often remix and re arrange the live source material to produce a finished product that is combination of live improvisation with electronica.
Live performances are very rare due to the logistical difficulties of a large line up on stage and Rowe prefers to work in his studio.
Other current projects that he is involved in are:
The Alfonz- debut ep (production)
Rag Doll Girl –Blood and bones EP (production)
Bob Bowles Band( bass )
Ogheno( guitar)
Seven Years On (mixing)
Rocket Box (guitar/production)
Charlie Bath (bass/production)
Arc (production)
Julianne Bastock (writing/production)
Carrie Rossiter and the Dacoits (bass/mixing)
Shriekback (guitar/production)
The Stonepoem Project (bass/guitar)
Anita Masri (production/bass)
Cinzano Taylor (bass/production)
Nick Baker (guitar/bass/production)
Incubation is available for purchase through I- tunes www.lighterthiefshop.com, or www.lighterthiefproductions.com.
What do you mean you prefer John Trowbridge? Aw, shucks.
Hey today I met a guy called Richard who's apparently been working with you on some stuff for use in tv, adverts etc? Nice guy. Swindon's busiest musician living up to his title there I see.
HEy! Recieved CD in the mail today, love it! Just in time for my roadtrip to DC this weekend! Thanks so much for taking the time to send it. I will be sure to let everyone hear it!
I am really enjoying your album. I have put Caroline's copy onto my iPod! The variety is refreshing and I keep hearing new bits in the tracks each time I relisten I'm a big fan of Portishead, Massive Attack and there are pieces in your music which remind me of them. By the way, the new Portishead album, Third is stunning!!
morning Stu, I saw that TripDress are out and about tonight (young Hamley is always on the case with advertising on the forum)unfortunatley I can't make it. Rehearsing with a new outfit with some gigs coming up far too soon so gotta put some work in.Looks like we have both been very busy. Just on the off chance that you are about me and the purple headed one will be in the 'hive later Friday night if you are free and fancy a pint. Just a thought. If not see you around soon no doubt.
We've got a new arcoustic version of the rave song up at the moment. I think you'll like it - it's got some interesting harmonies and the worst trumpet solo in history. Think Bitches Brew but unintentional. Have a listen. T
hey stu, great to meet up with u last nite!... & yer boys' band were great!...good energy.. good luck to em! lets keep in touch, eh? were in Swindon do u think we'd be best received?... reckon we should play there sometime.. cheers, dS
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