Hula where unreal live and where named after the house the Cabs lived
in...
Hula
Biography
Based in Sheffield, England, Hula were one of the city's most prominent
exponents of the independent music scene, churning out numerous albums
and 12-inch singles of funky, synthesized pop for Yorkshire's Red Rhino
label. Hula hinged around Mark Albrow (keyboards, tapes), Alan Fish
(drums, percussion; later replaced by Nort) and Ron Wright (vocals,
guitar, tapes, clarinet), helped at first by Chakk's Mark Brydon (bass,
percussion).
Their debut EP, 1982's Back Pop Workout, was well received, but it was
a year before their debut album, Cut From Inside, was released. 1984
brought perhaps their best-known single, "The Fever Car", in September,
alongside a second album, Murmur In November. "Get The Habit" and "Walk
On Stalks Of Shattered Glass" (for which Hula was joined by John Avery)
were followed early in the new year by One Thousand Years and then
Freeze Out, taken from sessions for BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel.
For Shadowland, Hula were aided by Adam Barnes and sleeve designer
Simon Crump. This preceded "Black Wall Blue" in November and "Poison"
in March 1987, produced by Daniel Miller. In May, Hula unleashed Voice,
again enlisting outside help from Alan Fisch, Justin Bennett and
Darrell D'Silva, to add a wider instrumental range. "Cut Me Loose" in
August and Threshold in November meant that 1987 was Hula's busiest
year; but strangely, it turned out to be their last. Red Rhino went
bankrupt soon after and without the freedom the label had given them,
Hula as a band disappeared, although members continued to work within
Sheffield's active music scene.
Discography:
Cut From Inside (Red Rhino 1983)***, Murmur (Red Rhino 1984)***, One
Thousand Hours (Red Rhino 1986)**, Shadowland (Red Rhino 1986)**, Voice
(Red Rhino 1987)***.
Solo: John Avery Jessica In The Room Of Lights (Technical 1986)***.
Compilations:
Threshold (Red Rhino 1987)***.
On 18 Oct 2004, at 15:34, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Found a number of Hula records recently - got a bit of background info
on
them via allmusic.com but can anyone (Martin?) shed any light on them?
Or are they pretty much a 2nd rate CV?
I found their music is compelling and seems less pop oriented than
Cabaret
Voltaire. Sounds like their live shows were quite a sensory assault.
MEK
