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'BIG WHITE STAIRS' 1990-96

Music...

Big White Stairs formed in 1990 and built up a large live following in the north of England with their heavily psychedelic sound and mesmerising and light show. The band formed their own label Perscope Records in 1992 and released two 4 track cds, two EPs and three singles, building a large fanbase accross the country.

Big White Stairs records records were released in the UK only and bootlegged as far and wide as Japan! John Peel played the Big White Stairs b-side 'Over and over' on his evening show. The band's ever evolving sound became a favourite on the Mark Radcliffe show on Radio One and they played three live radio sessions during the 'Brit Pop' era of the mid nineties as well as touring nationwide.

The band split in 1996 prior to releasing a planned debut album.

Download the songs:
'Let's Make This Home'
'Memory Lane'
'Screaming'
'Non Star'
'Electric Music'

BIG WHITE STAIRS DISCOGRAPHY:

'Big White Stairs' (4 track cd)

1992 'Black Spider' (4 track cd)

1993 'EP No1' (cd & 12" vinyl) Periscope Records 1993
Let's Make This Home
Under The Fur
The Numbers
Screaming

'EP No2' (cd & 12" vinyl) Periscope Records 1994
Memory Lane
Spilling The Ink
In My Sleep
Nowhere Forever

'Non Star' (cd & 7" vinyl) Periscope Records 1994
Non Star
Live The Life
Electric Music

'Help Me Out!' (cd & 7" vinyl) Periscope Records 1995
Help Me Out
Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind
Over And Over

'So Long' (cd & 7" vinyl) Periscope Records 1995
So Long
Think It Over
Country Life

'SYLVAIN' 1997

Sylvain was formed in 1997 with band members Steven Young (vocals), Andrew Young (guitar & vocals), Alan Lee (bass), Paul Morris (guitar), and Dayle Halman (drums). The band released one fan only single 'D.N.A' and regularly appeared live in London and Manchester before they came to a sudden end in early 1998 with an album's worth of unreleased material recorded.

Download the singles:

'D.N.A'
'Emotional Breakdown'

Please click on the images to see a larger version

'THE MAGIC OTTERS'

THE BAND
Joe Kover (vocals & guitar), Steven Young (drums), Fil Hill (guitar), Dave Pooh (bass).
















The Magic Otters are a psychedelic rock group from Macclesfield, Cheshire. The band was formed in 1990 by founder members Steven Young and Joe Kover, and performed their first ever full length live show in December 2007 in their hometown of Macclesfield. During the Otters' long period in hiding they recorded over 150 songs with varying line-ups. Their self-named 'Dreamrock' style has evolved over the years but has always tasted unmistakably of the Magic Otters. When the current band members came together in the summer of 2007 the Otters decided to transform themselves into a live band and perform songs old and new. The band's live show features projected visuals created for each song by Steven Young.

Two Otters albums 'Earth Army' and 'Pleasing The Whale' will be available to download soon on this site.

DOWNLOAD CONCERT POSTERS
"Cat Attack 2007"
"They Mean It This Time" (March 2008)
"Mind Games For May" (May 2008)
"Foam Henge Gathering" (Aug 2008)

Watch or download the music videos:
"The Crystal Mystics" (2008)
"Darkening Cloud" (2008)

Click here to go to filhill.net, to hear the latest live recordings by the Magic Otters

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MAGIC OTTERS

The Magic Otters formed in 1990 with founder members Steven Young (drums), Joe Kover (bass & guitar), and Stephen Malkin (keyboards). The band recorded five cassette 'mini albums' - 'Rocket Trout Farm' (1990), 'Wrath Of The Fox' (1991) 'Solid College' (1991), 'Dinosaur Information Centre' (1992) and 'Beach Pigs' (1992) - each containing five songs. The Otters were joined by guitarist Dayle Halman (singer/guitarist in the band Forcis) and recorded another five song epic, 'The Doberman Token' (1993) This line-up played one brief live performance in at the Bull & Gate Macclesfield in December 1993.

With the departure of keyboard player Stephen Malkin in 1994 the band had a long break of silence before regrouping as a three piece to record 'Earth Army' (1997), a 12 song album with a chaotic, feedback-fused sound driven by the guitar stylings of Dayle Halman. This line-up played another brief performance upstairs at the Nag's Head Macclesfield in 1995. The Magic Otters next recordings took on an electronic sound with their next 14 song CD 'The Shock Machine' (1998). - soon to be available for download on this site. Plans for a live performance of this electro/rock material had to be scrapped after the live backing tracks were lost. Steven Young relocated to Vancouver Canada in 2000 - 2003, returning to Macclesfield for three weeks to record 'Cromwell's Beans' (2002).

The Magic Otters were joined by guitarist Fil Hill (founder member of The Hot Bananas) in 2005. This new line-up recorded 'Pleasing The Whale' (2006) and decided to transform themselves into a live band, having only played three live performances over several years. New members Andrew Young (guitar) and Dave Poo (bass) joined the band and their first full length live performance took place at the Swan With Two Necks in Macclesfield in December 2007. Each song was accompanied by psychedelic films created by Steven Young. The band returned to the Swan in March 2008 and performed an invite only show at Bollington Arts Centre in May.

The Magic Otters are currently recording new material for their next underground album provisionally titled 'The Crystal Mystics'. Their next live performance is planned for December 20th 2008 at the Swan With Two Necks, Macclesfield.

"The Magic Otters have spent a lot of time in the studio - 17 years in fact! I've been involved in quite a few bands over the years, but The Otters has always remained my favourite. Its a very creative collection of characters, and the songs are conjured up from frantic improvisations in the studio, so everyone involved has a free creative input into the music - unlike the more traditional bands I've been involved in where there is a 'songwriter'. Joe Kover has an amazing way of tapping into his subconscious and improvising lyrics on the spot, which is the method we've deployed with most of the songs we've created. The Otters' studio, Periscope, has been our base from 1990 to the present day and it holds a lot of creative energy which can be felt when we're in there. We started recording on 4-track cassette in 1990, and as time has passed our studio has evolved through 8-track, 16 track 2" reel to reel, PCs, and now digital hard drive recording. It's an experiment in sound recording as much as an experiment in music and film!"
STEVEN YOUNG (drums/production/filmshow)

"The Magic Otters is a wild, maverick psychedelic stallion - ridden by many and tamed by none. Cantering into the dark, greeny forest of secret rock with the Rocket Trout Farm project nearly two decades ago, it has proved sage, seer and equine prophet through sturdy gems such as Beach Pigs and Dinosaur Information Centre. Always beguiling, yet wryly smiling, The Magic Otters galloped to furious pace psychedelic improv epic Earth Army, leaving even its jockeys trembling in the worm-ridden dirt. A brief intersteller interlude dabbling in electro pop and concept psych found the Otters trotting out a B-movie for your ears with their truly cosmic The Shock Machine. And the deep oceanic musings of Pleasing The Whale have given the Otters musical legacy great big hooves of gold. The Magic Otters means so much to so few. Until now.. This is every open-minded souls journey too - with no intentional direction you MUST follow. So saddle up, and ride this magestic beast with us to the edge of the world. Giddy up!
JOE KOVER (vocals/guitar)

'BREAKING'

'Breaking' is the new band where I currently play the drums.
More details of this new veture will appear on this website very soon...

Listen to the singles:

"Your Coming On"
"Hollywood And Vine"
"09 New Stars"

The Band:











 

Ben Wayman Lead Guitar

Che Hargrieves
Bass

Steven Young
Drums/Backing Vocals

Pete Moore
Vocals

Goodie
Rhythm Guitar