Little Sparta, the band, is the concept of writer and producer Alan Boyd; as a band they have released albums independently and on Fire Records while also having produced songs for film & television. The most recent projects include an LP with a poet, a collaboration with Sally Timms of the Mekons and music for the National Film Board of Canada.
The band’s sound brings to mind artists such as the Dirty Three, The Rachels and Ennio Morricone. The influences range from American country-blues to avant-garde minimalist composers; post-rock to kraut-rock; Bach to the Beatles. The instrumentation includes guitar, violin, harmonium, drums, mandolin and glockenspiel The core members of the band are Alan, Susie Honeyman & Scott Skinner.
Discography:
The Adventures of Prince Achmed EP: Self Release 2008
Chamber Music, A James Joyce Compilation (With Gerry Mitchell) LP: Fire Records 2008
Little Sparta & Sally Timms (Single): Grey Gallery Records 2008
The Ragged Garden (w/ Gerry Mitchell) LP: Fire Records 2008
Feasting On My Heart (w/ Gerry Mitchell) 7” – Various Production remix: Fire Records 2007
Feasting On My Heart (w/ Gerry Mitchell) 10”: Fire Records 2006
Scalpel Slice (With Gerry Mitchell) EP: Fire Records 2005
Dead to the World CDR: Self Release 2004
SELECTION OF REVIEWS
The Adventures of Prince Achmed:
“... a perfect marriage of music and film. Rather than trying to distract the crowd with complicated, changing music Little Sparta instead worked with simple motifs, building up these threads into a rising crescendo during key scenes in the film. The effect was a little like watching the tide rise and fall, a slow, subtle feeling that held the audience’s attention.”
Latitude Festival Reviews 2007
Ragged Garden LP, Gerry Mitchell & Little Sparta:
Released February 2008 on Fire Records
“The Ragged Garden weaves a hypnotic, beautifully dramatised tapestry of post-rock textures, string-led romanticism and Mitchell's absorbing spoken texts.”
boomkat
Feasting On My Heart 10”, Gerry Mitchell & Little Sparta:
Released August 2006 on Fire Records as Keep Mother G &H
“…a beautiful melancholy piece of blackened future folk. Intermittently revealing a torn, twisted soul full of pain and anger, this is not music for the faint hearted, what with it’s stained teeth and bloodshot eyes. Brilliant stuff!”
Norman Records (Leeds): Single of the Week (October 3rd 2006)
Scalpel Slice EP, Gerry Mitchell & Little Sparta:
Released February 2005 on Fire Records
“Little Sparta weaves some of the most powerful, moving pieces of music…"
Gigwise
Carts of Darkness
Now you can watch the entire film by Murray Siple online. Little Sparta contributes three tracks to this incredible documentary of life on the streets in Vancouver.
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