Denis Jones - Red + Yellow = (2010)

A second album from Manchester's improvising electronic/folk auteur Denis Jones, Red + Yellow = aims to transfer al the ingenuity of his renowned live shows into a studio environment, recruiting a host of additional personnel from across Manchester's live scene. Luke Flowers (Cinematic Orchestra, Corinne Bailey-Rae), Paddy Steer (Homelife), trumpet player and Gondwana Records label boss Matt Halsal, Jon Thorne (Lamb, Lou Rhodes) and fellow local songwriting hero Aidan Smith are all involved in the record, but naturally it's Jones' own multifaceted performances that occupy the limelight. From the bluesy, beatboxing opener 'Clap Hands' through to more widescreen productions like centre-piece 'New Note' Jones marks himself out as a unique performer, reinforcing his distinctive take on experimental acoustic songwriting with an array of spluttering, loop-based electronics that soon turn out to be every bit as integral to the construction of these songs as Jones' voice and guitar.

Denis Jones is a self-taught guitarist and songwriter from Lancashire, UK. Having begun his musical life as a singer-songwriter in the classic UK mould of the likes of John Martyn, he has over the last three years developed a show-stopping live performance based around the core of his exceptional and unique guitar-playing style and rich, soulful voice. Utilising a loop station and all manner of samplers and effects, Denis creates vast, complex orchestrations of beat-box rhythms, multi-layered vocals and other-wordly sounds which veer from subtle heart-wrenching folk and blues to heavy bass-driven electronica.