Cedar
1. Atmospheric drum & bass producer from Leeds.
2. UK band formerly known as Echo.
3. Indie/pop/rock band formerly known as Cedar Avenue, from Minneapolis MN
1. Cedar is the most often used pseudonym for Leeds based drum 'n' bass producer, Jon Schorah. Influenced by '70's soul-jazz/funk and '80's electronica his tracks blend lush pads and jazzy overtones with some of the mellower rhythms from drum and bass.
Jon led a musical childhood, taking lessons on both flute and trumpet at school. Involved as a musician in several live bands Jon also began producing ambient electronica from a small bedroom studio. Inspired by Bliss circa 1989, a hardcore night @ Leeds' Gallery, he promoted Devotion, a deep-house night, (Gat Decor, etc.) at the same venue. Slowly becoming frustrated with the limitations of four-to-the-floor rhythms of the time, Jon's curiosity with the newly-emerging drum and bass scene (via Dream FM - Leeds' pirate) led him to experiment with ambient dub tracks, adding sampled funk breakbeats from obscure Latin records at near double-time.
Beginning as aqueous - using programmed beats only - Jon moved onto manipulating breaks alongside programmed beats incorporating the chilled-out drum and bass vibes of Leeds' legendary d.o.p.e. club. Thus, Cedar was born. Initial dats were picked up by LTJ Bukem, and led to a Japanese release via Sony, and then a UK release on Bukem's own Good Looking label. More recent releases also include hip-hop influenced downbeat tracks on the GLR sub-label Cookin' Records.
2. Watford based indie quartet Cedar are the sort of band who skirt being fashionable and fashionably uncool. Taking influences from proper British roknrol such as Radiohead, Oasis, The Jam, The Who, Doves and Elbow, Cedar don’t sound like many bands in the current scene. What you get with Cedar is straight talking, no nonsense music, positive in outlook and high in energy.
Forming in 2002 as Echo (RIP), the band produced three full length releases and a well received acoustic EP recorded with Smooth One Records. Re-launching themselves in March 2006, the group dynamic has shifted. This is no longer an “I’ll write, you play” mechanism, the band write and develop half written songs together, which so far has wielded the best material the band has produced to date.
After gigging in and around London sporadically over the last four years, playing venues such as the Nambucca, Lark In The Park, the Garage and the Brixton Telegraph, the band are now fully focussed on promoting the name Cedar further afield and getting the recognition they deserve now they have come of age.
3. In their latest project titled Human/Nature, Cedar (formerly Cedar Avenue) has jettisoned their pop songwriting roots, lit them on fire, and thrown them into a back yard Minnesotan snow drift.
Their earliest endeavors aimed to fit an industry formula. It was chock-full of deep production to match the biggest names in top 40. Although largely successful, with major placements on ABC and sold out shows with many national touring acts, they decided they should be writing music for themselves instead of a blog editor or phantom music executive, so they ditched the pop equation for something a bit more primal, and the result is Human/Nature.
To celebrate the new sound, new members, and new approach, they've dropped the "Avenue" from their name. Human/Nature has the same heart that Cedar Avenue once did, but there's a little less suburban Diet Coke and a little more whiskey. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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