A sonic emporium of traditional English folk, Asian percussion, dubstep, drum and bass and John Barry-esque 70's film soundtracks, 'Bending The Dark' is The Imagined Village's most thrilling, dynamic album to date. Pooling their vast experience and individual musical approaches, this collective - amongst them former members of Afro Celt Sound System, Transglobal Underground and Red Snapper plus folk luminaries Martin & Eliza Carthy and Jackie Oates - produce a jaw-dropping ride across genres and continents in a way few "conventional" groups can only dream of.
The Imagined Village is a folk musical project founded by Simon Emmerson of the Afro Celt Sound System, its intention to produce modern folk music that represents modern multiculturalism in the United Kingdom and as such, features musicians from a wide variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
The project started in 2004, and led to the release of an eponymous album in 2007 by a collective of artists on Real World Records. Original contributors included Billy Bragg, Paul Weller, Tunng, Sheila Chandra, Martin and Eliza Carthy. In 2009, the project moved to a new record label, ECC Records, and a second album, 'Empire & Love' was released in January 2010. After extensive touring and different TV appearances they won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards on Jool Holland's show.
About their newest release Bending The Dark they said:
"It's a daring mix of tradition and modernity but the group's skill and organic approach pull it off." – The Observer
"At their best – they are glorious." – Songlines
"A slow-burn success" – Uncut
This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.
