Patrick, now age 23, grew up in South London and began refining his precocious talents at the age of eleven when he escaped from school troubles by late night experimentation in the corners of his bedroom with his violin, voice and car boot sale organs on a four-track tape recorder. Although beginning his musical education a few years before with rigorous violin lessons and church choirs, it wasn't until Patrick's obsession for early twentieth-century electronics - which lead to a study and construction of a Theremin - that Patrick really developed a strong ambition to create new and innovative music and that has power and emotion enough to communicate directly to the heart.
Further fueled by a turbulent teenage period that included changing schools due to bullying and performing with pop-art collective Minty at the age of fourteen, Patrick began writing and recording with an urgency that caught the attention of Fat Cat Records, who donated Patrick an Atari computer and a mixing desk - tools that helped further Patricks unique production and programming. Stumbling across his mother's Joni Mitchell records led to a further epiphany to the art of songwriting and empty books were steadily filled up with poems, lyrics and short stories.
At 16, Patrick left home and spent the next few years wild and free around London making money from, amongst other things, busking in a string quartet and forming a group called "Maison Crimineaux", a noisy and rude duo that built its destructive ethics around white noise, pop music and a kick up the stagnant London music scene. All the time still writing and recording his own material with an almost diary-like diligence, Maison Crimineaux were asked to perform in Paris, a chaotic show which was attended by Capitol K, the man who went on to release the debut album, "Lycanthropy" the chronicle of Patrick's teenage triumphs and disasters.
While "Lycanthropy" was being recorded and prepared, Patrick studied one year of a degree in composition at Trinity College music conservatoire, the fruits of which can really began to be heard on this second album. His vocal chords have also began to be open up to an almost supernatural range for a boy, inspired by the extended vocal techniques of Meredith Monk.
"Lycanthropy" was released in the Summer of 2003 and was met to much critical acclaim, reaching no. 39 in the NME's top LPs of the year, no.39 in Logo Magazine's top LPs of the year, 41 in playlouder.com's LPs of the year, and with The Independent naming him one of the acts to watch in 2004 (along with Franz Ferdinand). Patrick was also making guest appearances as a Viola player with Chicks on Speed and The Hidden Cameras. Cologne-based label Tomlab picked up the album for America and Europe, which led to successful tours and an ever-growing fan base in these territories.
His second LP "Wind in the Wires" received even more acclaim (including a 2 page 8/10 lead NME review, 8.2 review on Pitchfork and no 4 in playlouder.com's top 50), and Patrick toured extensively in the UK and throughout Europe, culminating in supporting Bloc Party on their autumn 2005 sold out tour, his own sell-out show at London's Scala, and signing his first major record deal.
Patrick finished his third album "The Magic Position" on the 30th of June this year on his 23rd birthday to be released by UK indie label Loog, in cooperation with a worldwide deal through Polydor/Universal in the February of 2007, preceded by the release of two singles, the first recently announced as "Accident & Emergency" that has been slated for release on October 9th this year
The roots of Patrick Wolf's music seem to be stretch far, wide and beyond, from PJ Harvey to Stockhausen, English folk music to the grand old Chet Baker.It seems the diversity and turbulence of his life experience to date have done nothing but add to the depth and passion of his creation. There is no doubt that he will continue to produce such ground-breaking work and steadily gather the attention of more listeners across the world with his music, performance and communication. Stay tuned for many many more surprises and adventures to come.
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