cosmicorus
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cosmicorus

London, England, United Kingdom | SELF

London, England, United Kingdom | SELF
Band Folk Soul

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Ballad of Britain"

“Cosmicorus are like a church choir that has been listening to Pink Floyd & forgetting its holy purpose”
- Will Hodgkinson, The Ballad of Britain


"The Independent"

Cosmicorus are masters of the possibilities of the human voice - Simon Hardeman


"BBC World Service and Women’s Hour, BBC Radio 4"

'I struggle to think of anything I’ve heard like it, it was deeply original and the composition brought magic back to life for me. Reminded me of the few unforgettable children’s authors who find the tender part of the child’s imagination and play with it' - Georgina Hewes


Discography

The Ballad of Britain, Heron Recordings
Adrift '09

Photos

Bio

“Cosmicorus are like a church choir that has been listening to Pink Floyd & forgetting its holy purpose”
Will Hodgkinson, The Ballad of Britain and The Guardian.

“Cosmicorus are masters of the possibilities of the human voice"
Simon Hardeman, The Independent.

“Floaty, Gossamer Choral Pop, something like the opening scene of 2001”
Mike Flynn, Time Out.

“I struggle to think of anything I’ve heard like it, it was deeply original and the composition brought magic back to life for me. Reminded me of the few unforgettable children’s authors who find the tender part of the child’s imagination and play with it”
Georgina Hewes, BBC World Service and Women’s Hour, BBC Radio 4.

Cosmicorus are writing duo; ildikó kerék and Jon staples. They collaborate with exceptional jazz and folk musicians hand picked from what was originally a 20 strong space, art choir. Their eclectic music is welcoming, yet otherworldly. They have a knack for gorgeous, slow motion build-ups and shimmering harmonies, telling stories of dying moons and frosty mornings. Cosmicorus’ early material has longer structural forms with inspirations like Arvö Part and Pink Floyd but their current set incorporates more traditional story telling through honest songs and folk arrangements. Cosmicorus’s music conjure’s cinematic ambience without further embellishment, and makes everyday moments and earthly experiences beautiful and intoxicating.

Ildikó Kerék drives a strong concept for Cosmicorus with influences ranging from Rotary Connection to The Beach Boys. Her earliest musical memories include being sung to sleep by her father with soft Hungarian lullaby’s, then as a teenager raiding his vinyl collection of gypsy folk, psychedelic soul and Bartok. She studied classical piano and jazz composition but graduated in experimental sound alongside contemporaries; Alice Russell and Bonobo. Her collaboration credits as both composer and arranger include: Paloma Faith and Mercury Award nominated Jazz group, Led Bib. Most recently working as vocal arranger and director with Mojo award winning folk singer, Lisa Knapp. Ildikó started the Cosmicorus as a 20 strong folk choir which featured on the BBC's Last Choir Standing and in Will Hodgkinsons book and accompanying CD on contemporary British folk, but she eventually returned to her roots of singing and performing her own arrangements with a select few of the original members of the choir. Ildikó’s voice has the honest wisdom and heartfelt quality of singers such as Karen Carpenter delivering a rich warmth when using her lower range. She has a passion for intelligent, soulful music, with a hint of the mathematical and the outer dimensions that bewilder the greatest minds; time travel, black holes, multi-verses and borrowed forces.

Jon Staples, son of a tailor, sweet-faced, country choirboy but with a rebelious air. Inspired by the luscious melodies of 40's jazz song writers and the hits of Burt Bacharach, began scribbling his first lyrics whilst working as a local farm hand, on the back of a feeding rota during tea breaks tending two hundred cows. He was soon playing guitar and singing at nearby open-mic nights, on the rural folk scene. A move to the city found Jon busking in Leicester Square with a skiffle band and tea chest bass. He later sang for his cousin Christine Leach, (co-writer with William Orbit on ‘Madonnas’ Ray of Light). Whilst working as a promoter for Irish Travellers and Roma singers a chance encounter with ildikó occured when singing with a fiery flamenco act in a dingy club under the arches in East London. As a three octave ranged tenor he was snapped up to join Cosmicorus, who at that time were a 20 strong resident secular, space, art choir for Shoreditch Church. His first outing was at Glastonbury’s legendary Lost Vagueness, in a glittery boiler suit, with mud-clad wellies. From then on he was choir guitarist as well as singer and eventually started co-writing with ildikó. Jon’s own style is driven by emotive melodic stories, nearest in style to Harry Nilsson but with the rich harmonies of Crosby Stills and Nash and the soulful delivery of Terry Callier.

Following in the tradition of so many best loved writers; Lennon and McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Jon and ildikó put two heads together to create a highly original writing partnership, that is cinematic yet incredibly intimate.