Marcus Hamblett creates music that feels like a beautiful, slightly unsettling collage of the last fifty years of experimental sound. It is a world where vintage analog synthesizers hum with a life of their own, intermingling with trumpet flares and guitar melodies that feel intentionally 'awkward' or off-kilter. There is a deep sense of space and mystery here, often echoing the eerie, atmospheric tension of 1970s Italian horror soundtracks.
What truly sets Hamblett apart is his ability to bridge the gap between structured composition and free improvisation. His background as a prolific session musician for folk and pop acts gives him a melodic sensibility that he then proceeds to deconstruct using modular synths and avant-garde techniques. The result is a sound that is dense and layered but never feels cluttered, maintaining a tactile, organic quality even at its most electronic.
Start with the album 'Concrete' to experience his most definitive statement. It is a record that rewards deep, focused listening, revealing new textures and ghostly vocal fragments with every spin. It is perfect for those moments when you want music that challenges your expectations while providing a rich, cinematic atmosphere to inhabit.
Marcus Hamblett is an English musician and record producer. Music from his solo album, Concrete, has been played on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction shows by Mara Carlyle, Nick Luscombe and Max Reinhardt and on BBC 6 Music by Tom Robinson. The Quietus said his album, "could be called post-rock if it didn't also sound pre-rock, or maybe as if rock had never happened and folk, modern jazz and the classical avant-garde had merged into a stream of hip, innovative music to soundtrack the changes and discontents of the second half of the twentieth century instead, and Joe Meek had dug John Cage." He is also a session musician, receiving credit for playing a variety of instruments (double bass, synthesizers, guitar, trumpet etc.) on albums by Laura Marling, The Staves, Lucy Rose, Villagers, Fear of Men, Peggy Sue, Bear's Den, Woodpecker Wooliams, Rachael Dadd, Landshapes and Rozi Plain. His live session work has involved touring with Sarah Blasko, Broken Social Scene, Olympia and James Holden. He is a member of the Willkommen Collective and the bands Sons of Noel and Adrian and Eyes & No Eyes. In June 2015, Hamblett collaborated with modular synthesist James Holden and jazz drummer Mark Holub. The project was recorded at Maida Vale Studios for BBC Radio 3. Hamblett performed at Latitude Festival in July 2015 with drummer Thomas Heather, which was also recorded and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In February 2016, Hamblett announced a European tour in support of LNZNDRF, featuring Scott and Bryan Devendorf of The National and Ben Lanz of Beirut. Hamblett joined the band on stage for their lengthy improvised encores. In April 2017, Hamblett toured Europe in support of Timber Timbre and joined them on cornet. In a June 2017 interview with Record Collector magazine Hamblett revealed that his second solo LP features guest contributions from Colin Stetson, Mathieu Charbonneau (of Timber Timbre), Ben Lanz (of Beirut and The National), Kate Stables (of This Is The Kit), James Holden, Etienne Jaumet (of Zombie Zombie) and Colin Webster (of Sex Swing).
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