Tim Hutton
Tim Huttonʼs musical career began in the early 80ʼs playing drums and bass for two bands on the anarchist punk label Crass Records, the Mob and Zounds, touring Europe and UK several times over.
A burgeoning fascination for all things P-Funk led to him striking out on his own, signing to EMI and recording an album as the Neighbourhood, with a seven piece band (including Dexyʼs Midnight Runners horn section) which he put together. More touring followed, and a spot featuring as a singer on Afrika Bambaataaʼs album The Light.
Two more solo albums and stints working with the Horny Horns, Lee Perry and reggae singer Bob Andy followed before the acid house era took him, along with many others, in a new musical direction.
Several purely electronic albums, twelves and epʼs followed, under various guises, for labels such as Reflex, Germanyʼs Source and San Franciscoʼ Reflective. As a long time singer and player of guitar, bass, drums, brass and keyboards this was a period of stripping back, influenced by such artists as Aphex Twin and labels such as Basic Channel.
Inevitably his interest in more organically made music resurfaced and resulted in Everything (PIAS Recordings, 2000), an album of songs taking in lo-fi, jazz standards and electronic-tinged folkiness) and Variations (on Nuphonic, under the name Soul Ascendants), a mixture of house, jazz and afro-beat, featuring collaborations with Fela Kutiʼs band leader and drummer from the Africa 70, Tony Allen.
At this time Tim contributed as writer and vocalist to Groove Armadaʼs third album, Goodbye Country Hello Nightclub, which led to touring with the band as vocalist with sometime guitar, trumpet and keyboards duties; he also contributed to the next two studio albums, co-writing several of the songs on the album Soundboy Rock (including the hit Song For Mutya) as well as singing and playing in various capacities. This relationship also led to the formation of a side project with Tom Findlay, under the name of Sugardaddy, which yielded an album and more touring.
After joining Paul Oakenfoldʼs band for a tour of the States, Tim wrote a song for Ian Brownʼs album Solarised (Time Is My Everything), which led to a long involvement with Ian involving more writing, playing brass, bass and guitar live and on record as well as drums for his album My Way.
A chance encounter with Liam Howlett of the Prodigy also saw him working extensively on the album Invaders Must Die, co-writing the single Omen and others and contributing vocals and guitar.
Other bands Tim has toured and played with include Hybrid, Bat For Lashes, the View, the Dub Pistols and Plaid.
He continues to write and produce from his own studio.
