Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
“Beautiful ambient soundscapes, mellow electronica, indie fuzzy guitars and slow building angular rock” - Road Records
“Enda Bates aka Fairlights moves from full on rock to atmospheric ambient alectronica with ease. His songs are contemporary and underpinned by forward thinking production yet holding a pop sensibility. Live Fairlights has been known to perform solo guitar and laptop sets, surround sound ambient experiments and most recently Fairlights has grown to a full on rock band, blowing the cobwebs off the most dusty of chin strokers!” - - Allen Blythe (The Ballroom of Romance, Holy Ghost Fathers)
Fairlights create an intriguing blend of melodic rock and fuzzy electronica that manages to be both experimental and accessable. The album features heartfelt vocal driven tunes and lush ambient soundscapes, often within the same track. One to watch!” - John McEvoy (Presenter, Anna livia FM)
Discography
The Deadweight E.P. (2003, independent release)
Wooden Educational (Alphabet Set compilation, 2003)
Scraps (debut album, released by the Alphabet Set, 2005)
The Quarterworks Series (ongoing online electronica release)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Fairlights' primary musical motivation is to combine sophisticated electronic drones and lush ambient textures with plaintive vocal melodies and alternative rock arrangements. Principle songwriter Enda Bates studies electro-acoustic composition with renowned Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy and also plays with acts as diverse as the Holy Ghost Fathers, Miriam Ingram, Daniel Figgis and the Spook of the 13th Lock. Fairlights consistently ignores the divisions between electronica and rock, and their live performances reflect this. This year, some of Fairlights live performances included the Mother of all parties event in London's Beaconsfield Gallery and the well known Lazybird night in the International bar. Other performances have included the 2005 D.E.A.F. festival and the Ballroom of Romance live music night.
Fairlights originally came to life in 2003 when Enda Bates began performing live as a solo act utilising live guitars/vocals and a laptop. Their debut release, the Deadweight E.P. came to the attention of the Dublin electronica collective, the Alphabet Set, and a track from this E.P. was included in their 2003 compilation, Wooden Educational. The debut Fairlights album, entitled Scraps, was released in 2005 and featured a collection of vocal driven rock songs with dense electronic textures and layered processed guitars. At the same time, the live line-up expanded to include guitarist/producer Liam Caffrey (alias glee, Pier 19) and bassist Oisin Robinson.
Since then, they have been working hard developing both sides of their music. The Quarterworks Series is collection of ambient electronica which is available online at www.fairlights.net and is due for release as an album at the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Fairlights line-up has again expanded to include drummer Brian O'Higgens (Steerage, Holy Ghost Fathers, Groom) and guitarist Donnchadh Hoey (Steerage, Spook of the 13th Lock). Fairlights are currently demoing new material for their second album of rock/electronica, due to be completed in early 2007.
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