User:Archie Grappa

Primarily the brainchild of musician Matt Winn (aka Wienevski), (20th September, 1965) the British experimental dance act D*Note originally emerged out of London’s rare groove scene, with the 1993 debut LP Babel reflecting a strong acid-jazz background.

The highlight from Babel and also included in the second Café Del Mar compilation, "D*Votion", a collaboration with Ceri Evans, is still regarded as a classic of the ambient music style. Though part of the acid jazz scene of the early 1990s, D*Note was always far influenced by the complex harmonies of twentieth century French and English classical music and modal jazz. Key influences from the jazz world include Miles Davis, the polytonalities of Bill Evans, and the cool European harmony of Keith Jarrett, John Taylor and Lyle Mays, exemplified by the ECM label. Classical influences range from Maurice Ravel who’s polytonalities can be clearly heard in D*Note use of Lydian modes (what are known in the jazz world as “sharp elevens”.), and Debussy, Vaughn Williams, and Aaron Copeland. Another key influence who can be clearly heard on D*Votion and “Deep Water” (another collaboration with Ceri Evans) on the second album “Criminal Justice”, is the American minimalist composer Steve Reich. D*Note contributed the Phased and Konfused remix to Steve Reich composition Piano Phase, featured on the 1999 Reich Remixed album.

The second D*Note album, “Criminal Justice” was released in 1995 on Dorado Records and features their most famous track, “The Garden of Earthly Delights” featuring the vocals of PY Anderson. Like D*Votion, the track is noteworthy of its use of ambient drum patterns rather than drums and its length, clocking in at just under ten minutes.

Drum and Bass was also a feature of D*Note music since “Criminal Justice”, where Matt Winn mixed drum and bass rhythms with Jazz harmonies, notably in “Iniquity Worker” and “Criminal Justice” – remixed by Roni Size and A Guy Called Gerald. “Iniquity Worker” was the first record to be released in America featuring Jazz and Drum and Bass influences, in 1995 on TVT records.

After two albums on Dorado, 1997 saw the release of the eponymous “D*Note” album on Virgin dance imprint VC (Virgin Club). Featured tracks include “Lost and Found” and “Waiting Hopefully”, which just clipped the top 50’s single charts in the UK that year, whilst coming number one in numerous dance music charts. The soundtrack to “Coming Down” the short film was released in the same year.

In 2001, ‘Fuchsia Dog’, the fifth D*Note album was released on Channel 4 records, along with another film, “Out Of The Game”, which it accompanied as a soundtrack. Much of the album displayed house influences, but also deeper use of ambient layering of sound. Shed My Skin, a co-composition with Anita Kelsey and featuring her vocals was a big hit in Europe in 2002 and appeared on over a 100 compilations.

The sixth D*Note album, Laguna, featuring Beth Hirsch, was released in 2006 on New World Music. Hirsch is well known for her vocals on the first Air album Moon Safari. Laguna features cover versions of songs that figured as key parts of Winn and Hirsch’s musical influences, including Guinevere by David Crosby, Edith and The Kingpin by Joni Mitchell and Being Alive by Stephen Sondheim.

Winn has also been a film writer/director and director of 50 television commercials. “Round The Block” featured Jason Isaacs and Jimmy Nesbit and the seminal “Coming Down” (1997) was regarded as the first film that captured the flavour of the Briitish dance and clubbing scene of the 90’s. In 2007 Winn finished his first feature, “January 2nd”.

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http://www.discogs.com/artist/D*Note http://www.last.fm/music/D*Note http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/d-note/id3301922

Releases:

Albums

Babel: 1993 (Dorado) Criminal Justice 1995 (Dorado) D*Note (1997 Virgin Records) Coming Down (1997) Fuchsia Dog (2002 Channel 4 Music) Laguna (2006 New World Music)

Singles

Now’s The Time (Baseline Records 1991) Rain (Dorado 1992) Scheme of Things (Dorado 1992) The More I See (Dorado 1993) The Garden Of Earthly Delights (Dorado 1995) Kite Hill (VC Recordings 1997) Waiting Hopefully (VC Recordings 1997) Say What You Mean (VC Recordings 1998) D*Votion 2000 (VC Recordings 2000) Shed My Skin (NEWS 2002)