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Swell Maps were a British experimental rock group of the 1970s from Birmingham.
Influenced by the disparate likes of T-rex and the German progressive outfit Can, they created a new soundscape that
would be heavily mined by others in the post-punk era. Despite existing in various forms since 1972, Swell Maps only
really came together as a musical entity after the birth of British punk rock.
Consisting of brothers Epic Soundtracks (real name Kevin Godfrey) and Nikki Sudden (real name Nicholas Godfrey) two
Solihull based teenagers, plus Richard Earl, David Barring ...read more
Swell Maps were a British experimental rock group of the 1970s from Birmingham.
Influenced by the disparate likes of T-rex and the German progressive outfit Can, they created a new soundscape that
would be heavily mined by others in the post-punk era. Despite existing in various forms since 1972, Swell Maps only
really came together as a musical entity after the birth of British punk rock.
Consisting of brothers Epic Soundtracks (real name Kevin Godfrey) and Nikki Sudden (real name Nicholas Godfrey) two
Solihull based teenagers, plus Richard Earl, David Barrington, John Cockrill and Jowe Head, the band cut the single
“PlayRead About Seymour” as their debut in 1977, soon after the brothers left Solihull School (also home of
Spizzenergi). It is widely considered one of the classic punk era singles. Epic’s drumming mixed with Nikki’s unique
melodies crafted over the assorted threads cast by the six musicians set the band apart from the others. After
recording their first John Peel session Swell Maps went into WMRS studio to record their first album A Trip To
Marineville, which was released in 1979. With hard rocking punk numbers like “h.s. art” interspersed by ambient
instrumentals and other experimental interludes like “Gunboats”, the album marked the band out as innovative non.
musicians. The album went #1 on the new Independent chart.
The band cut one more album, The Swell Maps in ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’, in 1980, which pushed further into
post-punk territory. They displayed their ingenuity for creating everything from industrial surf instrumentals like the
opener “Robot Factory” to perverse ballads like “Cake Shop Girl”. Even while they were falling apart during these
sessions they were pushing the musical boundaries beyond what punk originally had to offer. They sought to release
much of their early forays in lo-fi experimenation in the compilation, whatever happens next…, before splitting up.
Since their split the legend of the Swell Maps has grown, through their influence on the C86 bands, lo-fi, and other
pioneers like Sonic Youth and Pavement. Individual members of the band (especially Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks
and Jowe Head) went on to solo careers. The band’s catalogue has recently been remastered and reissued and further
dips into their archives can be expected. An EP of especially zany tracks was released under the name of the Phones
Sportsman Band in 1980. After an interval of over 25 years away from music, the Phones Sportsman Band has now
reformed in January 2008.
Epic Soundtracks died of unknown causes at the age of 37 in 1997 and Nikki Sudden died in March 2006. « hide |
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