Super Furry Animals were formed as a techno outfit after members of noise rock combo ffa coffi pawb got together for a new project. Adding Acid Casuals DJ Cian Ciaran and guitarist Huw Bunford to the lineup, singer Gruff Rhys, bassist Guto Price and drummer Daffyd Ieuan signed to the Welsh independent Ankst and released two eps in Welsh. Having decided to be an indie group, they first released Llanfairpwllgwyngwllgogerychwndrobwllantysiliogogogochynygofod(In Space) ep. It was so titled purely to get into the Guiness book of records for the longest name for a single ever. It was followed by Moog Droog ep, before Alan Mcgee signed them to Creation Records. The conditions were that the army couldn't buy SFA reocrds any cheaper, and that they didn't have to work on Saint David's day (the Welsh national holiday). They then set about recording their debut album, Fuzzy Logic, which was a huge success, and went to number 1 in the independent charts and featured hit singles such as Hometown Unicorn and God Show me
Magic. Themes on the album were drug dealers, alien abduction, and Nintendo games, as well as Stavros the hamster (deceased). In the summer of '96 they took the major festivals by storm by appearing in a huge tank armed with ghetto blasters playing techno music at full volume. The tank was later sold to Don henley of the Eagles. The follow up to Fuzzy Logic was equally good, it was titled Radiator and saw a more electronic side to their music. However, the characteristicly infectious melodies and Beach Boys harmonies were still their, especially in the single Hermann Loves Pauline, which was about Einstein's parents and Radiation. Welsh identity was also covered in Mountain People, a melancholic epic which ends in bizarre techno bleeping and scraping. The album was ground breaking, and confirmed their position as one of the best and most innovative bands in the country. The following year, 1998, saw them release the massive hit Ice Hockey Hair ep, a song about mullet haircuts. As well as that, a b-sides compilation featuring their notorious hit The Man Don't Give A F**K was released. It was followed in the summer of 1999 by Guerrilla, an uplifting album of joyous pop music, drum'n'bass, and Carribean calypsos. It featured the now legendary techno anthem Wherever I lay my Phone (that's my home). This year saw the release of their first Welsh album, Mwng....
Bio written by: anon |
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