The Science Group
| Company type | Collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Chris Cutler, Stevan Tickmayer |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Avant-rock music albums |
The Science Group was an avant-rock collective from France, established in 1997 by English drummer Chris Cutler (previously with Henry Cow) and Yugoslav-born contemporary classical composer and keyboardist Stevan Tickmayer. Their discography includes two albums: A Mere Coincidence (1999), which features compositions inspired by scientific themes, and the fully instrumental Spoors (2003).
Their sound merged avant-rock with influences from avant-garde jazz, contemporary classical music, ambient, electronic, and avant-garde styles, catering to a specialized avant-prog audience.
History
The initial encounter between Cutler and Tickmayer took place in 1981 in Novi Sad, then part of Yugoslavia, during a tour with Geoff Leigh’s ensemble Black Sheep. Their partnership was revived in the early 1990s when Cutler’s Recommended Records began distributing Tickmayer’s works. Following Tickmayer’s move to France in 1991, they collaborated on compositions for dance choreography. In 1996, Cutler suggested creating an album centered on his science-related texts written since 1992.
Tickmayer set these texts to music, culminating in A Mere Coincidence. Recording sessions started in May 1997 at Studio Midi Pyrenees in France. Contributions came from Fred Frith (former Henry Cow member) on guitar; Claudio Puntin supplied bass clarinet parts remotely; Amy Denio performed vocals; and Bob Drake (from Thinking Plague) took charge of production, mixing, bass guitar, vocals, and additional instrumentation. The album was finalized by January 1999 and released via Recommended Records, credited to Cutler (texts), Tickmayer (composition), Drake (production), alongside Frith, Puntin, and Denio.
After a break, the ensemble reassembled in 2002 as a quartet consisting of Cutler, Tickmayer, Drake, and Mike Johnson (also from Thinking Plague) to produce Spoors, which comprises four instrumental suites composed by Tickmayer. Issued in 2003 by Recommended Records, it further explored their experimental sound fusion.
Although invited to perform live at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Canada, conflicting schedules prevented their participation. Throughout their existence, The Science Group remained exclusively a studio-based project.
Name
The ensemble’s name originates from the scientific subject matter present in Chris Cutler’s lyrics on their debut album, addressing fields such as theoretical physics, cosmology, and genetic engineering. Despite their second release being purely instrumental, they maintained the original name.
Members
- Chris Cutler – drums, electronics, lyricist
- Stevan Tickmayer – keyboards, samples, piano variations including prepared piano and piano strings, electric organ, violin, electric guitar, double bass, Hungarian zither, composer
- Bob Drake – bass guitar, guitar, percussion, vocals, producer
- Fred Frith – guitars
- Claudio Puntin – clarinet, bass clarinet
- Amy Denio – vocals
- Mike Johnson – guitars
Albums
- A Mere Coincidence (1999, CD, Recommended Records, UK)
- Spoors (2003, CD, Recommended Records, UK)
External links
- Works by The Science Group – Stevan Tickmayer official website
- Stevan Tickmayer – Chris Cutler official website
- Conversations with Chris Cutler about The Science Group – Chris Cutler official website