Parasite (band)
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Surrey , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
| Website | official%20website |
Parasite was a musical group originating from Surrey, England, established in 1998 and active throughout the early 2000s.
1998–2003: Formation and Early Development
Parasite was created in December 1998 by Adam Scanlon and Deok-jin Joo, who had previously been part of Rapid Fire. The original lineup also included drummer Murray Boyton and keyboardist Patrick Martin; however, this formation disbanded when Joo returned to South Korea in 1999. By 2000 or 2001, Boyton and other members had departed, leaving Scanlon as the sole member continuing the project.
Scanlon produced Parasite’s initial demo, the Seismic Activity EP, which comprised dark, experimental compositions developed over several years. Subsequently, he teamed up with bassist Iain Ballantine and utilized a drum machine to fill the role of percussion. This partnership released multiple self-produced singles and EPs, such as Seismic Activity and the Infrared singles.
After five years of progression, Parasite finalized their first full-length album, The Infection, in 2003, accompanied by the third iteration of the single Infrared.
2004–2006: The Scanlon & Saunders Era
In early 2004, the That's Our Name... EP was issued, featuring tracks from the previous year. Following Ballantine’s exit in March due to other commitments, the band underwent several lineup changes: drummer Marcus Belassie joined briefly before bassist/guitarist/vocalist Will Saunders came on board in September. Upon Saunders’ recommendation, rehearsals were relocated to Shalford's Scout Hut, a venue with historical ties to The Stranglers. Belassie’s tenure was short-lived as he soon departed again.
By late 2004, Parasite independently released the That's Our Game... EP—which included another version of Infrared—alongside the single You Wouldn't Believe Me... If It Wasn't True.
In January 2005, Parasite became a duo consisting of Scanlon and Saunders. Their sophomore album, The Ancient Modern, was completed by February and featured singles such as Shoulder to Cry On. The duo increased their live performances to promote this new material. Later that year, they released their third album, The Spring Collection. Saunders took a break to travel in Cambodia until early 2006 while Scanlon pursued a four-year Chemistry degree at the University of East Anglia. In November, they released the single Bright and Bubbly.
Between mid-2006 and mid-2007, Parasite worked alongside producer Ben Turk to polish new compositions and revisit previous tracks. This collaboration culminated in the limited-edition Selection Pack EP, which was exclusively sold at live shows during Christmas 2006.
2007–2008: Release of Out with the New and Lineup Changes
During summer 2007, Parasite ventured into digital music sales with the iTunes-exclusive single Master Yoga. Following this release, they issued You Wouldn't Believe Me... If It Wasn't True on 29 October 2007; this track was characterized as "sardonic, doom laden and mesmerising." Both songs were included on their debut full-length album for commercial release, Out with the New, which became available on CD and digital platforms from 19 May 2008. On 9 January 2008, after more than three years with the band, Will Saunders amicably departed and was succeeded by Dan Stobbart. A third single from the album, Infrared, was launched through their own label Parasite Stuff Recordings Ltd on 4 February 2008.
2008–2010: Second Sight and Tensies
On 24 March 2008, Kevin Lennon became the new bassist, while Stobbart exited three days afterward. To make the most of fresh compositions, Scanlon independently produced and recorded the sophomore album, Second Sight, from September through December 2008, handling nearly every instrument except for a reversed guitar chord contributed by Bob Williams (guitarist from November 2008 to July 2009). The album was launched on 7 July 2009, coinciding with a headline performance in Camden. It included singles such as Deja Vu—which was accompanied by a music video and received favorable coverage in Artrocker—along with My Reunion and the crowd-pleaser Machine. Concurrently, Scanlon also played bass for the band No Superhero.
Motivated by positive live reception, Scanlon embarked on solo performances in late 2009 despite limited proficiency on guitar. The single Tensies, which he performed, produced, and mixed himself, was released on 1 January 2010.
2010–2012: Scanlon & Banks, and breakup
By spring 2010, Scanlon brought on Dan Banks, his bandmate from No Superhero, as guitarist to elevate live show quality. Banks’ expertise in production facilitated studio recordings of their live repertoire. In August 2011, they issued the standalone single The People Aren't Going to Stand for This, a swift reaction to the 2011 England Riots, although the band expressed dissatisfaction with the final mix. Despite having completed a third album along with its artwork, internal musical disagreements and personality conflicts led to the group's disbandment during the mixing phase. Scanlon continues to develop new material independently.
Personnel
- Adam Scanlon (lead vocalist) (1998–2020) – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, electronic equipment
- Deok-jin Joo (1998–1999) – keyboards, vocals, software programming
- Iain Ballantine (2001–2004) – guitar, bass
- Will Saunders (Everything Else) (2004–2020) – guitar, bass guitar, vocals, synthesizers
- Dan Banks (2010–2012) – guitar, vocals, software
Albums
- Out with the New (2008)
- Second Sight (2009)
- Strawberry Fuel (unreleased 2012; mixing incomplete)
Singles and EPs
- Master Yoga (2007)
- You Wouldn't Believe Me... If It Wasn't True (2007)
- Infrared (2008)
- Deja Vu (2009)
- My Reunion (2009)
- Machine (2009)
- Tensies (2010)
- The People Aren't Going to Stand for This (2011)
Demo albums
- The Infection (2003)
- The Ancient Modern (2005)
- The Spring Collection (2005)
Demo singles and EPs
- The Seismic Activity EP (2001)
- Infrared (2002)
- Infrared Remix (2002)
- Infrared (re-recorded version) (2003)
- That's Our Name... EP (2004)
- ...That's Our Game EP (2004)
- You Wouldn't Believe Me... If It Wasn't True (2004)
- Shoulder to Cry On (2005)
- Bright and Bubbly (2005)
- Selection Pack EP (limited edition) (2006)