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Concept
These New Puritans
Summary
These New Puritans are an English music group/band from Southend-on-Sea, England. It consists mainly of Jack Barnett (principal songwriter, vocalist, producer, multi-instrumentalist) and his twin brother George Barnett (drums, electronics, producer, artwork). Multi-instrumentalist Thomas Hein was an active member of TNP between 2006 and 2016; keyboardist Sophie Sleigh-Johnson was active between 2006 and 2010. They have recorded four studio albums: Beat Pyramid (2008), Hidden (2010), Field of Reeds (2013) and Inside the Rose (2019).
Their music has been described as "blurring the distinction between rock, classical, electronic and experimental" and as "strikingly modern yet simultaneously timeless."
The Barnett brothers grew up in the Essex town of Southend-on-Sea. Their father was a builder and their mother was an art teacher. George and Jack made music together as children with "karaoke microphones, old bongos and guitars too large for their tiny hands", later focusing on electronic music. They formed the band together with childhood friend Tom Hein, who grew up in nearby Billericay.
In a 2008 interview, Jack Barnett said that hip hop acts Wu-Tang Clan, especially member RZA, Timbaland and J Dilla influenced the first album Beat Pyramid. Other inspirations include the electronic music of Aphex Twin and the cartoon series The Smurfs, though Jack Barnett later suggested this was not serious.
TNP have been described as "falling in the tradition of British outliers that also includes Robert Wyatt, Talk Talk, Bark Psychosis and Scott Walker." Although unusual for a rock group, the band often incorporates the same section of music into different songs as refrains.
Before their second album Hidden was released, Barnett revealed that he had been writing music for bassoon and stated that the aim was for a final product where "dancehall meets Steve Reich". He taught himself musical notation to score the brass and woodwind elements of the album.
Official source
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