Volcano The Bear

Were formed in may 1995 in Leicester, England by Aaron Moore and Nick Mott as an antidote to playing in conventional bands. An “anti-group” as they thought it at the time. They were swiftly joined by Clarence Manuelo and Daniel Padden to make the quartet which is still together today.

Early 4 track home recordings led to vtb releasing some of their ideas on 3 cassette tapes on their own label “volucan” in very limited runs of 20–50 copies. One of these tapes caught the ear of Nurse With Wound's Steven Stapleton and he contacted the group and offered to release an album on his United Dairies label.

By this time, 1997, the group were gaining a reputation locally as a fascinating live act and had begun releasing cdrs of these performances on volucan. These releases led to reviews in publications like Wire magazine.

In 1998 they were invited as the “local act” to perform at “rethinking the avant garde” an international avant garde symposium held in Leicester, where they performed with Canadian avant garde film maker Michael Snow.

Their first “proper studio” recording session led to their first 2 releases — the 2nd being “the inhazer decline” for United Dairies, released in 1999.

In 2000 they toured the usa to promote their American released cd “the one burned ma”".

2002 saw their 2nd release on United Dairies. “Five Hundred Boy Piano” was an attempt to capture their hectic/eclectic live shows in the studio and received much critical acclaim.

In 2004 the French label, Textile Records released “the idea of wood” described by Wire magazine as “a ten-part suite of alarming freshness and originality”. A successful European tour quickly followed.

A number of releases over the next few years appeared on the American label, Beta Lactam Ring Records. The highpoint being the double album “Classic Erasmus Fusion” released in 2006. Released to universally high critical acclaim it stands as the best introduction to this groups sound(s).

Their last studio album “amidst the noise and twigs” released in 2007 saw them undertake a mammoth 5 week euro tour as a trio (minus Mott) which was extremely successful.

Volcano the Bear are a unique band, they use a wide array of conventional and unconventional instruments. They make music that has been described as “spacey avant chamber music”, “electronic art rock”, “primitive folk”, “filmic sound sculpting”, “modal English folk”, “sprawling improv” and so on.

It is meant to enchant and surprise, question and confound.

It is unlike anything else.

Discography:
2009 “That People Don't Know They Are Monsters” (7", Quasi Pop)
2008 “The Mountains Among Us”  (CD, Beta Lactam Ring)
2007 “Amidst The Noise And Twigs” (CD, Beta Lactam Ring)
2006 “Volfurten” (LP, Volucan)
2006 “The Birth Of Streissand” (7", No-Fi)
2006 “Egg And Two Books” (CD, Vivo)
2006 “Classic Erasmus Fusion” (2CD, Beta Lactam Ring)
2006 “Classic Erasmus Fusion” (2LP, Beta Lactam Ring)
2006 “Catonapotato” (CD, Broken Face)
2004 “Tunnels And Wheels” (7", Gold Soundz)
2004 “All The Paint I Can Breathe” (10", Beta Lactam Ring)
2002 “The Mountains Among Us” (LP,  Beta Lactam Ring)
2003 “The Idea Of Wood” (LP, Textile Records)
2002 “The Idea Of Wood” (CD, Textile Records)
2001 “Guess The Birds” (10", Beta Lactam Ring)
2001 “Five Hundred Boy Piano” (CD, United Dairies)
2000 “The One Burned Ma” (CD,  Misra)
1999 “The Inhazer Decline” (CD, United Dairies)
1999 “Volwheat” (CD-R, Volucan)
1999 “Vol Fur” (CD-R, Volucan)
1999 “Volseptor” (CD-R, Volucan)
1999 “Volve” (CD-R, Volucan)

Web:
http://www.brainwashed.com/vtb/

Photographs by:
Vinciane Verguethen