Instrumental

Instrumental is a sextet of strings that focuses on doing covers of electronic acts such as Orbital, Brian Eno, and Moby. The sextet consists of Everton Nelson (violin), Catherine Brownin (violin), Brian Wright (violin), Sally Ward (viola), Andrew Nice (cello), and Andrew Waterworth (double bass). All the players have trained at very reputable colleges and have recorded or toured with popular musicians and worked on major film scores. Instrumental’s story began when the seasoned musicians had a desire to combine their weekend club life with their professional training. Unlike those who argue that electronic music is not “real” music, the connection between accoustic and electronic were clear to these six musicians. The first public attempt was when the ensemble did their own rendition of the Orb’s popular single “Little Fluffy Clouds.” The cover resulted in Instrumental being invited to open for the Orb’s last show in London, in addition to subsequent covers of the Orb’s work. The ensemble has also done studio work for Andrea Parker, Toshihiko Mori, and 4 Hero. In 1999, Instrumental released their debut full-length album Acoustek on Bill Chill, UK records. Acoustek supplies stringed covers of the Orb, Orbital, and Plastikman’s minimal anthem “Consume.” ~ Diana Potts