The Montgolfier Brothers | Mark Tranmer | Official website
Official news, discography, live gigs, downloads, shop about The Montgolfier Brothers featuring musician and multi-instrumentalist Mark Tranmer and Roger Quigley
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The Montgolfier Brothers Biography
The Montgolfier Brothers recorded the first album 'Seventeen Stars' in 1998, and released it in Spring 1999 on Vespertine records. Touring in Europe followed.
Seventeen Stars was re-released on Alan McGee's post-Creation label Poptones in 2000. Gigs in the UK, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Japan followed, now featuring Otto Smart as an extra guitarist. A second album, 'The World is Flat' was recorded in 2001, and released on CD via Poptones in 2002.
A third album was written and recorded in late 2004/early 2005. Its release was preceded by the 'Journey's end' EP in October 2005 on Vespertine & son. This is an enhanced cd with 4 songs and 2 videos; one for 'Journey's End' and another for the instrumental 'Operation Faff', which appeared as an extra track on the Japanese CD release of the second Montgolfier Brothers album, 'The World is Flat'. The third album 'All My Bad Thoughts' appeared as a CD release on Vespertine & son later in 2005. Gigs and tours followed including an extensive tour of Spain, as well as appearances on Spanish radio and television, and dates in Denmark and Sweden. Gigs have continued sporadically ever since and the band were invited to play the Moscow International Book Festival in June 2009, for which they performed as a 4-piece with Sophia Lockwood on cello.
As well as working together in the Montgolfier brothers, Roger and Mark both have solo projects. Roger initially released records as Quigley, before adopting the new name 'At swim two birds'. The new At Swim Two Birds album 'Before You Left' will be released on Vespertine & Son on September 14th 2009, featuring contributions by Sophia and Otto alongside Roger.
Mark used to record as gnac, and has released several albums under this name. In 2010 mark went to Rome to record a new album with Italian classical pianist, Alessandra Celletti. The album, Mark Tranmer & Alessandra Celletti, 'The Red Pages' is now available in a variety of formats, including a double CD with follow up album How Scarlet The Leaves (2012).
Otto Smart has recorded as 'The Otto Show', and has released albums on Vespertine & son and Annika records of Spain.
Discography
The Montgolfier Brothers
- All My Bad Thoughts (Album, 2005, Vespertine & Son, five)
- The Montgolfier Brothers - Journey's End (Single, 2005, Vespertine & Son, four)
- The World Is Flat (Album, 2002, Epic Records International)
- Pro-Celebrity Standing Around / Between Two Points (Single, 2001, Poptones, mc5001s)
- Seventeen Stars (Album, 1999, Vespertine)
Related discography
Mark Tranmer
- Mark Tranmer - Claviature (VF1079)
- Mark Tranmer - Further Woodland (VF050)
- Mark Tranmer - How Scarlet The Leaves (VF007, 12"+ CD)
- Mark Tranmer and Alessandra Celletti - 'The Red Pages' / 'How Scarlet The Leaves' special 2 CD package [VF017]
- Mark Tranmer and Alessandra Celletti - The Red Pages (Album, 2010, Vertical Features, VF 001)
- Mark Tranmer - Scoop Of Ice-Cream Moon (Album, 2009 reissue) Vertical Features, VF 010 D
- Mark Tranmer - Scoop Of Ice-Cream Moon (Album, 2004) Kooky Records, kookydisc 017
- VF007X (Album compilation, 2012, Vertical Features, VF007X)
gnac
- The Unread Pages (MP3 Album, 2012, Vertical Features)
- Three Long Pieces (MP3 Album, 2012, Vertical Features)
- Gnac With Alessandra Celletti - The Red Pages (Album, 2010, Vertical Features, VF 001)
- The Arrival Of The Fog (Album, 2007, LTM, LTMCD 2491)
- Sevens (Compilation album, 2007, LTM)
- Twelve Sidelong Glances (Album, 2006, LTM, LTMCD 2446)
- Soviet Bureau (1997-2003) (Compilation album, 2004, Zakat, Soyuz Music, ZAKCD003)
- Biscuit Barrel Fashion (Album, 2001, Poptones)
- Gnac / (Smooth) Operator - In The Bumpy Air / Alaska (Split 7" single, 2001, Octane Grammophon, oct-2)
- Gnac - Friend Sleeping (Album, 1999, Vespertine, ves 010)
- Sevens (Compilation album, 1999, Rocket Girl)
- Eighteenth Century Quiz Show (7" single, 1999, Acetone Records, Solve 010 SC IV)
- Hennebert Sleeve (7" single, 1999, Liquefaction Empire, DUSKE 9)
- Matchmaker (Via Remixology) #2 (12" single, 1999, Fuzzy Box, Darla Records, FUZ-016, DRL-079)
- The Moustache / Armchair Thriller (7" single, 1998, Earworm, WORM 29)
- In Mauve EP (7" single, 1998, Amberley, amy 007)
- A Tangle With... (7" single, 1998, Kooky Records, kookydisc 007)
Vertical Features Catalogue
- VF001: The Red Pages (2XCD)
- VF001D: gnac with Alessandra Celletti - 'The Red Pages' (digital download)
- VF002 & VF003: Bad Dancers Collide - 'Glimpses' EP parts 1 & 2 (digital download)
- VF002+VF003: GLIMPSES: (2 X colour 7")
- VF004D: gnac - 'Three Long Pieces'(digital download: DELETED)
- VF005D: wingdisk - 'Time Is Running Out +' (11-track album; digital download: DELETED)
- VF006D: gnac - 'Second Scoop of Ice-Cream Moon' (2-track digital download: DELETED)
- VF007: Mark Tranmer - How Scarlet The Leaves (12"+ CD)
- VF007CD: Mark Tranmer - How Scarlet The Leaves (CD only in a clear plastic wallet with hand-written track listing on a locally-sourced postcard. 25 copies)
- VF007SE: Mark Tranmer - How Scarlet The Leaves (12" + 2XCD + Postcard. Special edition of 60. First CD is the album tracks on CD. Second CD (VF007X) contains 8 rare and unreleased guitar-based tracks)
- VF008D gnac - 'Mark Tranmer and Alessandra Celletti Live in Rome (2-track digital download: DELETED)
- VF009D gnac - 'The Unread Pages' (10-track digital album. Physical version available on CD2 of VF001)
- VF010D Mark Tranmer - 'Scoop of Ice-Cream Moon' (20-track digital download album)
- VF011D Mark Tranmer and Alessandra Celletti - 'The Red Pages' (25-track digital download album. Physical version available on CD1 of VF001)
- VF012D: Mark Tranmer - 'How Scarlet The Leaves (IV)' (1-track digital download single).
- VF017: Mark Tranmer & Alessandra Celletti / Mark Tranmer - 'The Red Pages' / 'How Scarlet The Leaves' (special 2CD packaging; 100 hand-numbered copies).
Fully-illustrated discography coming soon!
