Kelli Ali Biography by ONE LITTLE INDIAN RECORDs (www.indian.co.uk/kelliali)
Kelli Ali's musical career began with the iconic 90's trip hop band Sneaker Pimps . With Kelli the lead singer of the unforgettable 'Becoming X ' album, Sneaker Pimps enjoyed instant fame and their hits '6 Underground' and 'Spin Spin Sugar' graced the airwaves to worldwide critical acclaim.
In 2001 Kelli signed a solo recording deal with One Little Indian Records , her debut solo album, 'Tiger Mouth (which Kelli co-produced with legendary producers, Rick Nowels and Marius De Vries ) featured 'The Doors' drummer John Densmore on the Armand Van Helden remixed 'Kids' . Kelli's follow up album 'Psychic Cat' (produced by Dave McCracken ) featured Primal Scream guitarist Andrew Innes .
Diverse and original, Kelli Ali's list of collaborations is impressive and this illusive artist has continued to strive and succeed in making innovative and powerful records. Kelli's voice is unmistakably unique and her song writing so fluent and stylish that she has been sought by many respected artists to add her remarkable talent to their songs and albums. ( Paul Oakenfold, Marylin Manson, Bryan Ferry, Bootsy Collins, Satoshi Tomiie )
In 2005 , Kelli left London in order to travel around Mexico and California and write new songs for her 'Rocking Horse album'. She finished writing the album in 2007 and asked Max Richter (Producer of folk legend, Vashti Bunyan's recent album,' Look Aftering' and composer of 'Memory House' , 'Songs From Before' and 'The Blue Notebooks ,') to produce 'Rocking Horse'
Max Richter and Kelli Ali recorded the album in Edinburgh over a three-month period in Spring 2008.
http://www.kelliali.com
- Do you Like/Write Weird Music ?
I do both like and write weird music! To me it's not weird though, it's all very natural. It's cool the way you've used the word weird as a positive here. Good to be weird!
- When and where did your experience in music start?
Music has been with me from as long as I can remember, after all we are musical creatures. Life without music would make no sense to me.
The first time I heard my mother sing to me. Joan Baez in concert is the first album I remember. At my first school we sang a lot and I really enjoyed singing at the morning assembly, it was a beautiful way to start the day. I also joined the school choir to escape the more tedious lessons such as maths and R.E.! Later, when I was a teenager, I used to go and watch a lot of bands in Birmingham, where I grew up.
Sonic Youth made a big impact on me the first time I ever saw them, I was about 16 years old. They inspired me to buy my first electric guitar and join my first band, which is where my musical career began.
- What are you currently working on and what are your plans for the rest of the year?
I plan to release The Savages as a single from my new Rocking Horse album in February and to play the Rocking Horse set live a lot more in 2009. I am collaborating with an animator right now who is making an animation piece to The Savages. I am also working on a couple of new musical projects which are too fresh to write about just yet.
- What do you consider your greatest inspirational sources in music?
There are so many influential and inspirational artists who have made an impact on me. I suppose my friends are the best source of finding out about new music but also sites such as myspace, terrascope.co.uk and Last FM and blogs and sites such as your own, have been amazing for finding out about new music.
- What are your favorite readings?
Here are some of my favorite authors and novels:
Tony O'Neill - Digging The Vein, Down and Out on Murder Mile, Knut Hamsun - Hunger, John Stenbeck - The Grapes of Wrath, Cannery Row, Sweet thursday, Yukio Mishima - The Sailor Who Fell from Grace With The Sea, Death in Midsummer and other stories, The Temple of The Golden Pavillion, Kafka - The Trial, Coming to America, Alexander Solzhenitsyn- Cancer Ward, The First Circle.
- In your opinion, what role does the third sector, public and non- profit entities; have for music on the Internet?
The wonderful thing about the internet is that it thrives on people's creative input, therefore all of the above mentioned have an incredibly important role for music and the arts. The internet is such a powerful and accessible platform and it's crucial that the commercial/corporate presence does not out weigh the voice of the people/creatives.
- Anything else ?
The Savages download single will include an acoustic version of Rocking Horse and an original cover of Willow's Song from the film The Wicker Man.
Please visit my website http://www.kelliali.com and http://www.myspace.com/kelliali for tour dates and to join my mailing list
"Spin Spin Sugar" Music Video by KELLI ALI - Sneaker Pimps
"Butterfly" - KElli Ali
Butterfly is a Limited Edition acoustic album containing 10 songs Including the brand new ‘Butterfly', ‘Throw it to The Dogs', an acoustic versions of ‘Wings in Motion' from Tigermouth and a cover of ‘Willow's Song' from ‘The Wicker Man' soundtrack as well as reworked songs from the Rocking Horse album.
WeirdMusic.net Magazine - Butterfly CD Review:
... Aptly named Butterfly , Kelli Ali's fifth and all-acoustic album
departs considerably from her previous work. Her music has undergone a
metamorphosis, so to speak, since her days with the Sneaker Pimps ,
culminating in this landmark record, which contains both new songs and
new versions of previously released songs dating back to Becoming X
(1997).
The medieval harmonies and folk-influenced sounds on these tracks as
well as the wry and often tragic lyrics capture the imagination,
evoking images of far-off lands and fairy-tales. Backing Ali's
enchanting vocals are the winsome fluttering of flutes (Jane South),
the subtle bowing of cello and violin (Alex Beaumont and Stef
Pilcher), and the gentle finger picking of guitars (Pete Shoulder).
This line-up of acoustic instruments creates a delicate tapestry of
sound that is remarkably versatile the instruments blend to capture
moods of helplessness, isolation, and frailty in tracks like Butterfly and Throw It To The Dogs , but also work to complement perfectly a sense of levity, in Urique , in all, producing
interweaving melodies of raw and utterly haunting beauty (see Willows
Song , Wings in Motion )...
( http://www.kelliali.com/index.php/shop/shopItem/butterfly_album_pre-order/ )
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Butterfly Album Official Release
In November 2008, Kelli Ali brought us her beautiful third solo album, Rocking Horse which was produced by composer Max Richter.
Kelli's companion piece, acoustic album ‘Butterfly' is a charming collection of delicate renditions of her songs old and new.
Acoustic guitar and flutes flutter daintily between cello and violin and Kelli's unique, pure voice to interpret songs from her Rocking Horse album as well as new songs such as title track ‘Butterfly' and a haunting original cover version of ‘Willow's Song' from the cult classic film soundtrack ‘The Wicker Man'.
At the heart of the record is the simplicity and transformation that songs go through when being interpreted for the live acoustic stage.
Lovers of Kelli's Rocking Horse album and her live performance will no doubt revel in the simple beauty of Butterfly, which is in many ways a development of Kelli's relationship with her band, and live audience.
Listeners of Kelli Ali should not miss this opportunity to buy the Butterfly album directly from Kelli. This album is Kelli's first independent release and is only available as a physical CD from the KelliAli.com shop and myspace.com/kelliali page.
The album comes in a beautifully artworked digi pack.
Kelli will also be happy to sign copies of the album!
If you do want your album signed, please send us instructions with your order on the PayPal - check out page by clicking on the link “ Add special instructions to merchant ” letting us know who you would like the album signed to. ( Albums will only be personalized if they are to be signed to someone )
All proceeds from sales go directly towards making the next album.
Thank you for your support.
price does not include VAT (if applicable) and delivery
http://www.kelliali.com/index.php/shop/shopItem/butterfly_album_pre-order/
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