In the summer of 2016 FITKIN recorded the albums VAMP and VENEER at Peter Gabriel’s beautiful Real World Studios near Bath. We toured and released the new CDs in 2017.
The music mixes minimalism and contemporary musics in Fitkin’s irreverential and exuberant fashion. Combining piano, percussion, guitar, harps (bray, lever and concert harps), and brass section with Bee-Gees style countertenors, the new albums are characterised by infectious rhythms and intricate grooves. The music for VENEER celebrates the emancipation of dance and social freedom in the disco era but from the twisted perspective of our current celebrity icon-tumbling era, featuring the wonderful Melanie Pappenheim. VAMP focuses on the high energy instrumental works for the band written by Graham over the last 7 years. Listen to extracts from both albums here:
MACGUFFIN is a presentation book with Graham’s writings on his approach to music, lyrics from all the Veneer songs, compositional sketches and photos by National Portrait Gallery Award winner Lottie Davies, with design by Ed Wall.
FITKIN gratefully acknowledges support from Arts Council England.
Image: Lottie Davies. Video: Ryan Sharpe.