http://www.facebook.com/Clock-Opera CLOCK OPERA The mind playing tricks. I remember at some point writing about an eclectic four piece avant pop group from various parts of the south of England called Clock Opera. I liked the group, and remember very well the first time that I heard them, when it occurred to me that even though I had never heard them before, they sounded like something I might have heard before, if, say, the first album by The Move was made by a four piece pop group that had been influenced by music not yet recorded. They sounded like The Move if they had come after Sparks, The Associates, 808 State, Yo La Tengo and Keudo. ...show more

http://www.facebook.com/Clock-Opera CLOCK OPERA The mind playing tricks. I remember at some point writing about an eclectic four piece avant pop group from various parts of the south of England called Clock Opera. I liked the group, and remember very well the first time that I heard them, when it occurred to me that even though I had never heard them before, they sounded like something I might have heard before, if, say, the first album by The Move was made by a four piece pop group that had been influenced by music not yet recorded. They sounded like The Move if they had come after Sparks, The Associates, 808 State, Yo La Tengo and Keudo.

As these were among my top sixty favourite pop acts of all time, for their marvellous ways of controlling drama, processing influences and releasing tension, this meant Clock Opera sounded good to me. Good like the Dave Clarke Five as if they were influenced by Fifty Foot Hose, which would give you a sound somewhere amongst Edgard Varese leading The Archies and George Antheill producing XTC. That good. None of this happened yet.

Bob Harris might have introduced Clock Opera on a 1975 edition of the Old Grey Whistle Test by saying they were like a cross between Split Enz, Supertramp and Skrillex. John Peel might have played them on a February show in 1982 between Clock DVA and Nektar. Did Jimmy Webb once sing on an Autechre track? Did Syd Barratt sing a collection of Mission of Burma songs with the Kronos Quartet? I remember writing about Clock Opera and thinking don't mention too many other acts that they do or do not sound like, because even though it is frankly impossible for a 2011 pop group combining laptop programming and traditional pop instruments to sound as if they float free of influences, it's best not to bury a young new group under too much history, just in case it appears that the group are trapped inside their influences, not relishing them. But I couldn't help being carried away with making various connections, because one of the advantages 2011 pop groups have, if they take themselves seriously at the same time as not, is that there are unlimited possibilities in how they place/fold-in one thing/sound/idea with another. ...show less