Arbelos

Bio:

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Portraits in Stone
Arbelos

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Songs of Apollo's Children
Arbelos

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The Band

Arbelos was born on Tuesday 16th January 2007, a fusion of musical ideas brought by Ayesongs and Quasar One. By Wednesday it had a MySpace profile and a song posted: Portraits in Stone. This birth was somewhat obscured by a couple of name-clashes, but the dust settled and the air cleared and music began to play.

The name is derived from a shape beloved by mathematicians, especially Archimedes, for its elegant properties. The shape is named after an ancient Greek shoemaker’s knife.

αρβηλος pronounced “ahr-bey-loss”

Arbelos as a band name is nice as it comes with its own logo. We also hope that there aren’t too many mathematicians out there who want to start a band and also like the arbelos.

Order our CDs from our website: www.arbelos.eu.

Member Since:

Members:

Arbelos wielders

Noel Chidwick: vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboard, percussion, midi sax

Mark Toner: vocals, electric and midi guitar, bass and 12-string acoustic guitar

Jenny Johnson: piano, keyboards, vocals and oboe

Alex Cook: djembe, bodhran, washboard, rainmaker and other percussion.

Apprentice shoemakers

Paul Holmes: lyrics for Portraits in Stone and Upon the Collapse of Civilisation.

Lucy Toner: synth bass, narration on Portraits in Stone CD.

Alison Chidwick and Andrew Chidwick: narration on Portraits in Stone CD.

Ken Grubb: lead guitar on Songs of Apollo's Children CD.

Influences:

Folk

Andrew Robertson (a fine fiddler and one-time shoemaker), Dougie McLean

Prog

Yes, The Flower Kings, Rush, Spock's Beard, Tangerine Dream, Strawbs, King Crimson

Other

The Cthulhu Brothers, The Beatles

Sounds Like:

Get our music and tell us what you think.

Arbelos' CDs "Portraits In Stone" and "Songs Of Apollo's Children" can be bought at our website and from your favourite download store.

"Slade eat your heart out!"
Hugh Dailly

"It reminded me of The Othello Syndrome"
Normal Reaction

"Jesus! That's great!"
Simon Chate

"Indeed, charming, quirky and a special sense of beauty. A tad of Van Morrison, Jon Anderson and Klaatu (or at least Dee Long). And I love the lyrics – what else to expect from two astronomers? But then again, I’m a science fiction buff, so something like Sunjammer hits the sweet spot with me. And of course Fahrenheit 451 (my favourite track, and also one of my favourite books and movies). Waiting for that e-jamming world tour now."
Fred Lessing

"I totally agree with Fred. The music is very engaging and sweet. I'm liking it very much! A few more listens are definitely on order!"
Angie Shulz

"I'm enjoying Arbelos, too. It sounds like a lost "proto-prog" relic, c.1970. Kind of somewhere between Syd-era Floyd and the folk-jazz Canterbury vibe, with a dash Trespass thrown in (one of my favorite prog eras, actually). I also like the overall lo-fi, reverby-ness of the recording, too."
Pete Prown

"This album reaches my hands at a time when i have taken a keen interest in "psych-folk-prog" (which is, i suppose, one way of describing the music herein). Full of quirky charm, i am forced to imagine a mad amalgam of Jon Anderson, Syd Barrett, Roy Harper, Peter Gabriel, and perhaps even Leonard Cohen. This is the polar opposite of a "chop-fest". (a "chop-less"?) Atmosphere and a sense of the "off-kilter" are the order of the day here. (with a dash of mellotron) Perhaps not everyone's cup....but i like it just fine. (or is that just because i got a mention in the liner notes?) "
Robert Marone

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