Friday 27 November 2009

Napoleon IIIrd



Napoleon IIIrd (Sat)
Holmfirth | Brainlove Records
MYSPACE

After his previous band (Little Japanese Toy) split in 2004, James Mabbett decided to go it alone. Driven by a rediscovered love for the beach boys and a continued love of skewed dance music and loud guitars he became Napoleon IIIrd. Promptly retreating to his newly built home studio in Leeds, Napoleon resurfaced six months later armed with a surround sound system, a 40 year old reel to reel player, an acoustic guitar on a pole with built in strobe light and an battery of new songs.

Recorded after several years of regular live performances and two limited, sold-out EPs (released on Leeds based Dance to the Radio and Brainlove Records), ‘In Debt To:’, Napoleon IIIrd’s debut album, displays a meticulously refined sound, both lo-fi and stunningly complex in its production; behind the ragged vocals and strummed acoustic guitar lie swirling layers of brass and humming organs.

Napoleon has relocated to the Pennines and now resides in Holmfirth where he recorded Hideki Yukawa, a digital only mini album which was released at the beginning of 2009.