Duncan Alex
Beyond the Gift
© 2008 Duncan Wheeler (634479808180)
Inventive & fresh pop/rock/blues with poetry & soul. Dylan, Beck & Paul Simon meets Radiohead. Fully self-owned and ready for licensing for radio/films/ads.
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Genre
Pop/rock indie/alternative, blues & country.
On recordings, anything goes. Live, mostly acoustic.
Influences
Include: Radiohead, Nina Simone, Queen, Bob Dylan, Tool, Fiona Apple, Eurythmics, Paul Simon, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Metallica, Bjork, Beck, Led Zeppelin
Duncan Alex Biography
Duncan Alex has been writing and recording for over 10 years and has a catalogue of over 200 songs and instrumentals. His acclaimed music has appeared in independent films and videos, topped online digital pop charts, and aired on radio in Australia and the UK. In 2005 Alex was commissioned to provide the soundtrack for a Screen Tasmania funded short film called Dark Decisions which later toured film festivals internationally, winning several awards.
It began in 1997, quietly, with a haunting self-financed, self-produced EP The Fable. Under the somewhat incongruous pseudonym Stun Gun, Alex released this debut to a handful of street press and radio stations, and it received airplay on the Australian national youth radio network Triple J, as well as a glowing short review in Rolling Stone magazine. The same year Alex was a finalist in the Tasmanian Folk Federation Songwriting Awards and had his first taste of live performance, being supported at the awards ceremony by guitarist friend George Brown. Duncan eventually invited George to join in one of the various line-ups of a band he was in, with members including Adam Frazer, Craig Squires, Dave Furlani and Tara Maloney.
However, after a while, Alex decided to focus on writing and, particularly, properly recording more material rather than developing his band-at-the-time's cover song repertoire. So, after a couple of different line-ups, the concept of a band gradually lost its appeal and, at his brother Nick’s witty suggestion Duncan changed his music project’s name to Imaginary Band. Nick also designed the Imaginary Band logo, which incorporated Duncan’s image.
Meantime, from 1998 to 2000 Alex self-released a string of CDs, calling on some of his musician friends to record with him on some of the tracks, and the results received further positive critiques and radio airplay.
• “Part Radiohead, part Alex Lloyd and part Queen..." (OzMusic Project, Australia, 1999)
• "...One of the most impressive releases perhaps made [this year] thus far...This is one very good album that should get a lot more exposure..." (hEARd Online Magazine, 2000)
• "He has developed his talent... a mix of guitar-driven band performances and moody programmed solo tracks... it is melodic, personal and diverse. Beyond the Gift is a work of a burgeoning talent." (The Mercury, Hobart, 2000)
Throughout 2001 Alex's music was consistently scaling digital mp3 charts in Australia and in July 2001 he came Top 5 in the Kreator Unsigned Airplay Competition. The entry was sent off with the winning entry to receive a month's airplay on radio stations nationally. Interest in his music increased and his official website received more hits than ever. For the first time Duncan found himself occasionally owning a top five or even number one mp3 on the digital pop charts.
In 2002 the writing and recording continued, whilst Alex pursued interest that was initiated by EMI Australia’s A&R Manager. It was an exciting prospect for Duncan, as a huge fan of Radiohead, who were on Parlophone of EMI. Alex later also made contact with Peter Whitehead, the manager said to have first spotted Radiohead. Unfortunately, nothing eventuated from either lead. He kept going, however, and provided some of the music, including the title tune and incidentals, for an independent Tasmanian production, Scott Lawson’s film debut Life Goes On.
In mid-2002 Alex moved to the UK to pursue his musical goals, and after a hiatus of recording he began again on the cusp of 2003. One of the first things to do was incidental material for the second Scott Lawson film, Forced Impressions. Duncan also began looking for interesting collaborative projects and musicians to work with. In late 2003 he joined local rock covers band Bone Idol and over several years was involved in a repertoire of musical projects that included vocal work for a Canadian/Cornwall-based guitarist/songwriter Kevin Taylor (better know as Schmange), and for two UK songwriter/producer duos, lending vocals to an album's worth of material for Devon-based Culm, as well as some arranging work for a producer/collaretura team based in North Cornwall. Alex also lent various vocal tracks to South West's "Best Night Out" winner 2004 DJ Ben Wijay.
In 2005, Alex bought a steel-string acoustic guitar and started playing gigs in the Exeter region with musical pal Keith Woolstenholme in an acoustic duo known as Freewheelin, performing a mix of rock, blues and pop covers and originals. Meanwhile Alex's music was picked up and his progress followed by Exeter-based national digital satellite radio Apple FM (channel 913 on Sky TV) and his track South By West was adopted as the theme tune to the travel show Travel West (before the station went under). The track, described as thrillingly "authentic and heartfelt" by Apple FM, talks about the attractions of Duncan's home region, the counties of Devon, Somerset and Cornwall.
• "A hugely versatile artist... great vocal ability & professional approach... worked on a dance project with me which has been played by some of the highest profile DJ's” (Ben Wijay - DJ/producer, Melbourne/Exeter)
• "Very passionate & moody lead singer adds to this song incredibly...Kicking vox" (reviews for vocal contribution to PhaseIV Chronicles by Schmange, Canada)
• "Very catchy with obvious commerciality while maintaining artistry & originality... we’d definitely recommend Duncan to music hunters." (Neil Eckhart of Culm, Somerset)
In 2006 Alex began developing more as a solo player, venturing to small musical gatherings around Devon, whilst expanding his web presence. In 2007 he featured in the first edition of the magazine Music in Devon, and began writing new film music for the anticipated Scott Lawson film Jimmy's List which was at the time already shooting in Banff, Canada. Alex released the CD Glitch which featured War for the Innocent, a song he made into his first music video. Since then he has added several others, all of which are freely available via his official website.
Beyond the Gift reviews:
"Back in 1999, I first came across the music of Imaginary Band (still love that name), which was impressive enough as it was. Moving on from that though, the single permanent member Duncan has evolved musically & we have one of the most impressive releases perhaps made in 2000 thus far. There's a real depth style wise as well as in each individual song. The opener "I'll Have What He Had" is one of the real standouts, with a very catchy feel… 3rd in the tracklisting is a great electronic pop track called "Faerytale Lessons" which has a Depeche Mode sort of vibe, while "Perfect Spy" also reminded me of that band, more of a softer sort of Personal Jesus vibe. Filling out the rest of the album are some other stunning numbers, such as "A.I.", which has a very cool lead in, as does the title track. Surprising me right at the end of the album is a brilliant unlisted number which is a very well constructed pop song, though others like "You'll Never Know" & "Closer To The Moment" also need mention. This is one very good album that should get a lot more exposure than it probably will - make the effort, the music here is not imaginary." (hEARd online music magazine, October 2000)
"Tasmanian act Imaginary Band has developed his talent through three EPs before his debut album Beyond the Gift. A mix of guitar-driven band performances and moody programmed solo tracks, the album is melodic, personal and diverse. The punchy pop of I'll Have What He Had (featured recently on JJJ) and mix of flute and insistent guitar of I Am Seeing it are strong examples of the band side of the project; the immaculately produced piano and bass groove of You'll Never Know and aching slow beat of Closer to the Moment show Imaginary Band is equally adept when reaching for atmosphere. Beyond the Gift is a work of a burgeoning talent…" (The Mercury, Hobart, October 2000)