Prolapse were an English indie rock band formed in Leicester, England,[1] originally active from c. 1992 to 2000. The group's sound was a mixture of punk rock, krautrock and shoegazing styles.
Prolapse | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Leicester, England |
Genres | post punk, indie rock |
Years active | 1992–2000, 2015 |
Labels | Cherry Red Lissy's Radar Cooking Vinyl Jetset |
Website | Prolapse on Facebook |
Past members | Mick Derrick Linda Steelyard David Jeffreys Patrick Marsden Mick Harrison Tim Pattison Donald Ross Skinner |
History
Formation
Prolapse formed in the summer of 1991 at Leicester Polytechnic's Friday night disco, "with the aim of being the most depressing band ever". Of the six members—vocalists Mick Derrick and Linda Steelyard, guitarists David Jeffreys and Patrick Marsden, bassist Mick Harrison, and drummer Tim Pattison—only Harrison and Pattison had performed together.
In a 1999 interview, Steelyard stated that the name was chosen "to indicate something undesirable in a miserable sort of way, rather than unsavoury. Unfortunately, we have come to realise that it makes some people think of arses."[2]
Cult following
In 1993 the band released two EPs on Cherry Red Records, Crate and Pull Thru Barker, followed in 1994 by the single "Doorstop Rhythmic Bloc" and album Pointless Walks to Dismal Places, which won critical acclaim.[3] After leaving Cherry Red records, they then went on to release a variety of singles and EPs on a number of different labels.
In 1995, they released their second album, backsaturday, which saw them experimenting with both repetitive grooves and ambient soundscapes.[4] The album was preceded by the single "TCR", which was included on the subsequent U.S. release of backsaturday. A remixed version of the 15-minute lead track "Flex" was also later issued as a limited edition 12-inch titled "Flexed".
Their third album, The Italian Flag (1997), was an eclectic 13-track tour de force which saw Prolapse gain significant radio play for the first time, particularly for the lead single "Killing the Bland" and its follow-up "Autocade", though neither single became a hit. The album returned to the more melodic approach of the first LP, though now with a harder guitar sound, but this time there was also a whole diverse array of styles, earning the band many favourable reviews.[5] The album was produced by Donald Ross Skinner, who was invited to join the band for their subsequent tour on keyboards and guitar.
The final Prolapse LP was Ghosts of Dead Aeroplanes, released in 1999,[6] after which the group drifted apart. As of 2005, Mick Derrick was working as an archaeologist in Norway, Pat Marsden lived in nearby Denmark, drummer Tim played in MJ Hibbett & The Validators, Linda Steelyard was a reporter for the Leicester Mercury and David Jeffreys was a professor of art at Savannah College of Art and Design.
In January 2015, Harrison announced on Twitter that Prolapse would be reforming to play live dates later in the year.
Discography
Albums
- Pointless Walks to Dismal Places (Cherry Red) – 1994
- backsaturday (Lissy's) – 1995
- The Italian Flag (Radar) – 1997
- Ghosts of Dead Aeroplanes – (Cooking Vinyl) – 1999
Singles and EPs
- Crate (Cherry Red)
- Pull Thru Barker (Cherry Red)
- Doorstop Rhythmic Bloc (Cherry Red)
- When Space Invaders Were Big/Love Like Anthrax (Cherry Red)
- Psychotic Now (split-artist Flexi given away free with Warped Reality magazine issue 4)
- TCR (Love Train)
- Flexed – remix EP (Lissy's)
- Killing The Bland (Radar)
- Autocade (Radar)
- Deanshanger (Radar)
- Fob.com (Cooking Vinyl)
References
- ^ "Prolapse | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ Rainey, Nik (1 April 1999). "Prolapse – The Italian Flag – Interview". Lollipop Magazine. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "Prolapse". Trouserpress.com. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ "Backsaturday - Prolapse | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ "The Italian Flag - Prolapse | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ "Ghosts of Dead Aeroplanes - Prolapse | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
External links
- The Palace of Prolapse
- Prolapse myspace page
- Pineapster – Prolapse
- Prolapse discography at MusicBrainz
- Interview on the Leicester Bands website
- Prolapse interview from Delusions of Adequacy (2007)
- Prolapse interview from Warped Reality (originally published in Puncture 1996)