Richard Youngs
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Richard Youngs is an English musician based in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
since the early 1990s. His catalogue of solo and collaborative work formally begins with ''Advent'', first issued in 1990. He plays many instruments, most commonly choosing the guitar, but he has been known to use other instruments including the
shakuhachi A is a Japanese and ancient Chinese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .
,
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
,
theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
,
dulcimer The word dulcimer refers to two families of musical string instruments. Hammered dulcimers The word ''dulcimer'' originally referred to a trapezoidal zither similar to a psaltery whose many strings are struck by handheld "hammers". Variants of ...
, a home-made synthesizer (common on early recordings) and even a motorway bridge. He also released an album which was entirely ''
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
''. For many years, live performances were very occasional and almost always in Glasgow; he has stated publicly that he finds live performance "incredibly nerve-racking: stomach cramps, tension headaches...". However, in recent years, he has performed more regularly (including a tour of New Zealand in 2010 and a UK tour in support of
Damon and Naomi Damon & Naomi are an American dream pop/ indie folk duo, formed in 1991 by Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, formerly of Galaxie 500. History After Galaxie 500 completed a tour of the US supporting Cocteau Twins, guitarist and vocalist Dean Wareh ...
in 2011) and many of his recent shows have been predominantly vocal - he told
The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime film, crime drama Television show, television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The ...
(''issue 284'') "I went to a laptop concert and decided I was going to sing".


Style

His music has been noted for its diversity, with Dusted saying that he had been ''"defying strict genre classifications since the early nineties, swapping labels, styles, partners, motifs, and recording techniques as the desire has struck him"''. He has been recording for most of his life, telling Foxy Digitalis that ''"I've made music as long as I can remember - ever since I was a child - and recorded the stuff as long as I've had the technology - I began with a cheap cassette player. So, it's strange to think what it'd be like not to make or record music. It seems unnatural!"''. When reviewing his 1996 CD ''Festival'',
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
described him as ''"grand-meister of contemporary British improv, spiritual son of
Eddie Prevost Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology *Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle *Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Linu ...
and
Maddy Prior Madelaine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. She was born in Blackpool and moved to St Albans in her teens. Her father, Allan Prior, was co-creator of the police dr ...
; gentle manipulator of English hymn-notics and religious incantations; protege, challenger and radicaliser of folk, blues, rock, minimalism and improvisation; translator for the sea and the rain and the sky; ambassador to war and peace, to love and anguish"''. It could be suggested his musical styles range from
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...
to
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
to
improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...
to
electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
. Early works were characterized by a somewhat
minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...
lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...
quality, with Youngs working mostly on a reel-to-reel 4-track machine or recording directly to
minidisc MiniDisc (MD) is an erasable magneto-optical disc-based data storage format offering a capacity of 60, 74, and later, 80 minutes of digitized audio. Sony announced the MiniDisc in September 1992 and released it in November of that year fo ...
. However, he has been using professional standard computer-based recording systems for over a decade.


Collaborations

A keen collaborator, he has released albums with
Matthew Bower Matthew Bower is a British musician, active since the early 1980s, who has done both collaborative and solo work. Skullflower Skullflower was formed when Bower joined up with Stefan Jaworzyn, Gary Mundy and Stuart Dennison in 1987 having prev ...
, Brian Lavelle, Neil Campbell, Stephen Todd,
Makoto Kawabata Kawabata Makoto ( ) is a Japanese musician and founding member of the band Acid Mothers Temple. He was part of one line-up of Gong when Acid Mothers Temple and Gong briefly fused into one group. Band history Kawabata is chiefly famous for his l ...
,
Alex Neilson Alex Neilson (born 22 September 1982) is an English drummer, percussionist and singer who is based in Glasgow but grew up in Leeds. He is a founding member and main songwriter of folk-rock group Trembling Bells (2008-2018). He is also known for ...
, Andrew Paine (under their given names and under the group names ''Ilk'' and ''Urban Parable''),
Telstar Ponies Telstar Ponies are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1994. Their musical style varies considerably but displays influences from Krautrock, folk (especially latterly), and experimental noise. History They were formed in 1994 by David ...
, and his longest standing partner, Simon Wickham-Smith. He has performed live with Heather Leigh Murray,
Vibracathedral Orchestra Vibracathedral Orchestra is an England-based drone ensemble that has been active since 1998. Biography The group were formed in Leeds in 1998 when Mick Flower, Neil Campbell and Julian Bradley, who had released a number of homemade cassettes ...
and also with Matthew Bower's groups Sunroof! and
Skullflower Skullflower is a British noise rock band, formed in 1987 in London, England. Led by guitarist Matthew Bower, the band attained a cult following with a sound based on "sludgy, Black Sabbath-style riffs overlaid with feedback, fuzzed-out guitar ...
. He was also a member of the collective
A Band The A Band are a British musical collective formed in Nottingham in the late 1980s. In 2005, The Wire compared the band's importance to that of AMM and SME, and noted their lack of musical training. The line-up of the group has never been f ...
.


Jandek

Youngs has also gained attention from his live performances for the notoriously reclusive
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
avant-folk/blues singer-songwriter
Jandek Jandek is the musical alias of Houston, Texas based lo-fi folk singer Sterling Smith. Since 1978, Jandek has independently released over 45 albums without granting interviews or providing any biographical information, releasing on a self-made lab ...
. Youngs can be heard on the ''
Glasgow Sunday ''Glasgow Sunday'' is the second of four albums released in 2005 by musician Jandek on Corwood Industries, as (0779). His 41st overall, it was recorded live on October 17, 2004 at The Arches, Glasgow, as part of the Instal festival. This was the ...
'', ''
Newcastle Sunday ''Newcastle Sunday'' is the 45th release by avant-folk/blues singer/songwriter Jandek, released by Corwood Industries. It is a recording of his second ever live performance, recorded at The Sage Gateshead, England. Like 2005's ''Glasgow Sunda ...
'' and ''
Glasgow Monday ''Glasgow Monday'' is the 47th release, third live album, and second-ever double album release, from avant-folk/blues singer/songwriter Jandek. It is his fifth release of the year (counting the DVD version of ''Glasgow Sunday'') and features ...
'' albums, which were recorded at Jandek's first 3 (known) live performances. He also appears on ''Glasgow Friday'' and '' Camber Sands Sunday''. There was one further show at which Youngs appeared but drummer Alex Neilson (who completed the line-up on all these shows) has advised the Brainwashed website that this performance - at Mono in Glasgow on 18 May 2006 (the day after the performance released as "Bristol Wednesday") - did not record successfully. For some time, this left no further available live performances with Youngs as a participant available for release. However, the trio reunited in Manchester, UK on 21 April 2012 and again in Glasgow on 6 April 2013. A Jandek studio album was released on Corwood Industries in 2011 titled ''Where Do You Go From Here''. As with all Jandek releases, no performer credits are listed. However, some listeners have claimed that the album was recorded by the trio of Smith, Youngs and Neilson, with Youngs' voice being identified on some tracks.


Labels

He has recorded for over a dozen
independent record labels An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
, with VHF releasing much of his collaborative work and
Jagjaguwar Jagjaguwar is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Jagjaguwar is a label included in Secretly Group, which also includes ...
issuing many of his solo albums, their first being a reissue of ''Sapphie''. Other labels have included Dekorder, Fourth Dimension, Freek, Fusetron, Majora,
Table of the Elements Table of the Elements is an American record label. It concentrates on re-released and specially recorded experimental music, including many avant-garde musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries: such as John Cale, Tony Conrad, La Monte Young, L ...
,
Volcanic Tongue Volcanic Tongue is a record shop, distribution company and record label located in Glasgow, Scotland. It specialises in underground music from the UK, US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. They describe their remit as "free folk, psych, J ...
and his own labels, beginning with Jabberwok in the 1980s, and then the self-deprecatingly named No Fans Records. In December 2015 the Revived Glass label, Glass Redux, released a new Youngs album ''Inside the Future'' on CD & Download.


No Fans Records

Richard founded No Fans Records 1990 and he releases only his own solo and collaborative work through the imprint with some items released in very small numbers. A number of No Fans releases have been reissued in larger editions by other labels. NFR discography *NFR01 - ''Advent'' LP - (300 copies pressed, 1990) *NFR03 - ''New Angloid Sound'' LP (co-release with
Forced Exposure ''Forced Exposure'' was an independent music magazine founded by Jimmy Johnson and Katie The Kleening Lady (Goldman) (zine). It was published sporadically out of Boston from 1982 to 1993, edited by Jimmy Johnson and Byron Coley. It was printed on ...
, 300 copies pressed, 1993) *NFC02 - ''Tape Hiss'' cassette (by Tape Hiss, a trio of Youngs, Neil Campbell and Stewart Walden) (1994) *NFR04 - ''Zenith'' CD (with Ilk, 500 copies pressed, 1998) *NFR05 - ''Nova Scotia Breakout'' CDR (very limited, as few as 5 copies exist, 2005) *NFR06 - ''Summer Wanderer'' CDR (1st edition limited to around 10-20 copies, all given away by Richard - 2005, 2nd edition in alternate packaging available commercially, quantity unknown - 2006) *NFR07 - ''Garden of Stones'' CDR (limited to around 35 copies, sold at concerts in Portugal, 2005) *NFR08 - ''The Wood Is Barren, My Mountain Is Lonely'' CDR (with Andrew Paine, limited to 10 copies, 2005) *NFR09 - ''Multi-Tracked Shakuhachi'' CDR (initially limited to around 30 copies but later repressed with an amended back cover, 2006) *NFR10 - ''No Home Like Place'' CDR (distributor Volcanic Tongue stated that there were just 18 copies, 2006) ''nb - released after NFR11'' *NFR11 - ''(untitled)'' CDR (no formal title, edition unknown, 2006) *NFR12 - ''20th Century Jams'' CDR (disc states ''"recorded during the 1980s and 1990s in Glasgow, Harpenden and St. Albans"'', edition unknown, 2007) *NFR13 - ''21st Century Jams'' CDR (companion volume to the above with material from 2000, 2001 and 2007, c. 60 copies, 2007) *NFR14 - ''Somerled'' CDR (recorded April–May 2007, all copies come with a "No Fans" sew-on patch, edition unknown, 2007) *NFR15 - ''Three Handed Star'' CDR (limited to 50 copies, only available through
Volcanic Tongue Volcanic Tongue is a record shop, distribution company and record label located in Glasgow, Scotland. It specialises in underground music from the UK, US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. They describe their remit as "free folk, psych, J ...
, 2008. Was listed as "Three Headed Star". No information on packaging; titles encoded on disc using CD Text) *NFR16 - ''Nerston Surface/First Voice To Earth'' CDR (limited to 50 copies in hand-painted sleeves, only available through Volcanic Tongue, no information on packaging, 2008) *NFR17 - ''Live in Salford'' CDR (limited to 50 copies, only available through Volcanic Tongue, 2008) *NFR18 - ''Stormcrash'' LP (all copies come in a "No Fans" tote bag, 2012) *NFR19 - ''Library Assistants'' cassette (by Library Assistants - a collaboration between Richard and Liam Stefani, limited to 50 copies, 2012)


Recent work

In recent years, Youngs has performed live more often, including shows in the UK, Canada and Italy. He toured New Zealand in late 2010 and the US in 2013. His release schedule is as prolific as ever, releasing 5 new albums in 2013. He now records for
Ba Da Bing Records Ba Da Bing Records is an American record label based in Brooklyn, New York. The name is derived from the saying "ba da bing, ba da boom", common among Italian-Americans, especially in New Jersey. The label was founded in Leonia, New Jersey in 1 ...
, his first album for the label being ''Summer Through My Mind'', and Glass Records Redux in the UK, the first Glass release being ''Inside the Future'' in December 2015.


Discography


Early recordings

Youngs's 1980s recordings were mostly as Omming For Woks - principally Youngs and Andrew Trussler with
Barry Lamb Barry Lamb (born 9 May 1963 in South Shields, England) is an English experimental musician. Biography Barry Lamb is an English composer, author and musician. He was born in South Shields, but lived in Holland-on-Sea during his secondary scho ...
joining them for the ''Show Me A Sane Man'' EP. Several privately issued cassettes on their own Jabberwok label exist, including ''Living in Harmony'' (1984) and ''Shouting The Silent Slogan'' (1986) and a clutch of compilation appearances including ''Sympathy'' on "Time And Time Again" with Assorted Artists (Fragment 1985) and ''Marjorie Daw'' on ''Sensationnel N°5 - All with voices'' (Illusion Productions 1987). Jabberwok issued several cassette compilations which featured OFW material including ''Fugitive Pieces'' (1984), ''The Great Difficult Music Swindle'' (1985), and ''Cars and T-Shirts'' (1985). There was also a 1985 collaboration - ''Rock and Roll Should Have Stopped With Bill Haley'' - with The Strolling Ones. Two further cassettes came to light through being offered on eBay. Both are primarily solo Youngs and appear under the artist name The Creation Room - ''Dark Shadow Breath b/w Roog Confetti'' and ''Apricot Tree'' & ''Will To Tedium b/w 19 Used Postage Stamps'' (the latter being explicitly referred to by Youngs in ''The Wire'', issue 259 and reissued on the limited edition ''20th Century Jams'' CDR in 2007). The former features a number of collaborators, including Trussler. A further Creation Room cassette ''Music that Undid Him in a Japanese Minute'' (1985) has been listed on Discogs; again, this is primarily solo Youngs with a contribution from Simon Batley on two tracks. Other recordings issued under this name include the cassette ''Music From the Creation Room'' (1984) and a compilation song entitled "Sometimes For Him".


Solo recordings

* ''Advent'' - LP (No Fans, 1990), CD (Table of the Elements 1997), CD reissue (Jagjaguwar 2004), LP reissue (Jagjaguwar 2006) * ''Mundanity'' - cassette - ''one side only, other side by Neil Campbell'' (Cakehole 1993) * ''New Angloid Sound'' - LP (Forced Exposure/No Fans, 1993) * ''Motorway'' - cassette (Chocolate Monk 1995 - some copies run out during the final track) * ''Festival'' - CD (Table of the Elements 1996) * ''Sapphie'' - CD (Oblique 1998) CD reissue (Jagjaguwar 2000), LP (Jagjaguwar 2006) * ''House Music'' - CD (Meme 1998) * ''Making Paper'' - CD (Jagjaguwar 2001) * ''May'' - CD (Jagjaguwar 2002) * ''Airs of the Ear'' CD (Jagjaguwar 2003) * ''171 Used Train Tickets'' - one sided 10"; a spoken word piece from 1990 (Fusetron 2004) * ''River Through Howling Sky'' - CD (Jagjaguwar 2004) * ''The Naïve Shaman'' - LP/CD (Jagjaguwar 2005) * ''Nova Scotia Breakout'' CDR (No Fans 2005) * ''Summer Wanderer'' - CDR (private edition - No Fans 2005), CDR reissue (No Fans 2006), LP (Gipsy Sphinx 2007) * ''Garden of Stones''- CDR (No Fans 2005, reissued as a download by
The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime film, crime drama Television show, television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The ...
to coincide with their cover story on Youngs later the same year) * ''Multi-Tracked Shakuhachi'' - CDR (No Fans 2006) * ''(Untitled)'' - CDR (No Fans 2006) * ''No Home Like Place'' - CDR (No Fans 2006) * ''20th Century Jams'' - CDR (No Fans 2007) * ''21st Century Jams'' - CDR (No Fans 2007) * ''Somerled'' - CDR (No Fans 2007) * ''Autumn Response'' - LP/CD (Jagjaguwar 2007) * ''Three Handed Star'' - CDR (No Fans 2008) * ''Nerston Surface/First Voice To Earth'' - CDR (No Fans 2008) * ''Live in Salford'' - CDR (No Fans 2008) * ''High Sun Energy/States of Time'' - 7", limited to 300 (Dull Knife 2009) * ''Sleep Deprivation Single'' - lathe cut 7" in deluxe packaging, limited to 100 (Five Minute Association 2009) * ''Beyond the Valley of Ultrahits '' - CDR (2 editions, each of 100 numbered copies - Sonic Oyster Records 2009), LP (Jagjaguwar 2010) * ''Like A Neuron'' - LP (Dekorder 2009) * ''Under Stellar Stream'' - LP (Jagjaguwar 2009) * ''Fen Flowers'' - 7" - split with Valet, part of the 4 single "Tsuki No Seika" series (Root Strata 2010) * ''Inceptor'' - LP (300 copies, "art edition" of 10 with additional packaging and handwritten message from Richard - Volcanic Tongue 2010) * ''Atlas of Hearts'' - LP (Apollolaan 2011) * ''Be Brave, This World'' - 10" (Split with Annelies Monseré - Three:four Records 2011) * ''I Dream of Mezzanine/Cloudplanes'' - LP (The Spring Press 2011) * ''Amplifying Host'' - LP (Jagjaguwar 2011) * ''Long White Cloud'' - LP (Grapefruit 2011) * ''Amaranthine'' - LP (MIE Music, 2012) * ''Core to the Brave'' - LP (Root Strata, 2012) * ''Rurtain'' - LP (Alter, 2012 - original material by Youngs on Side 1, remixes by others on Side 2) * ''Chasing the Apocalypse/Quiet the Loud World''- lathe cut 7", limited to 40. (MIE Music, 2013) * ''Barbed Wire Explosion in the Kingdom of Atlantis'' - LP (Sonic Oyster Vinyl, 2013) * ''Summer Through My Mind'' - LP/CD (Ba Da Bing!, 2013) * ''No Retreat in Comfort'' CD (Ba Da Bing!, 2013 - sold on his 2013 US Tour) * ''Calmont Breakdown'' CD (Fourth Dimension Records, 2013) * ''Regions of the Old School'' 2LP (MIE Music, 2013) * ''South Voyager'' LP (Atonal Industries, 2013) * ''S/T'' - 10" (The Spring Press 2014) * ''Red Alphabet in the Snow'' - LP (Preserved Sound, October 2014) * ''Unicorns Everywhere'' - LP (Sonic Oyster, 2015) * ''Inside the Future'' - CD/DL (Glass Redux, December 2015)


With Simon Wickham-Smith

* ''Lake'' - credited to R!!!S!!! - 2-LP set (No Fans, 1990), CD (VHF, 2000) * ''Ceaucescu'' LP (Forced Exposure 1992) * ''Asthma And Diabetes'' LP (Majora 1994) * ''Kretinmuzak'' CD (Slask 1994) * ''Worried About Heaven'' 7" (Fourth Dimension 1994) * ''444D'' 10" (Fourth Dimension 1995) * ''Enedkeg'' LP (Majora 1996) * ''Knish'' LP (Ignivomous 1996) * ''Veil (For Greg)'' CD (Insignificant 1997), CD reissue (Jagjaguwar 2008) * ''Red And Blue Bear'' CD (VHF 1997 - credited to R!!!S!!! on CD spine) * ''Pulse of the Rooster'' CD (VHF 1998) * ''The Enigma of Rotons'' - lathe cut 7", only 50 copies exist (Hell's Half Halo 1998) * ''Metallic Sonatas'' - CD (VHF 1999) * ''LAmmERGEIER'' CD (VHF 2001) * ''5 Years'' CD (VHF 2006) * ''20 Years'' 1 LP & 3-CD set (VHF 2010 - contained an LP reworking their first ever recording and 3 previously unreleased albums - see below) *''The Random Sailor'' (NFR 2016) *''Parrots'' (NFR 2016) *''Caro-Kann'' (NFR 2016)


With Andrew Paine

* ''Zenith'' - as Ilk CD (No Fans 1998) * ''Canticle'' - as Ilk - CD (VHF 2005) * ''Mauve Dawn'' LP (Fusetron 2005) * ''The Wood Is Barren, My Mountain Is Lonely'' CDR (No Fans 2005) * ''Collodion Positives : Volume 1'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2006) * ''Santos'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2006) * ''1958'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2006) * ''Forest of Swords'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2006) * ''The Memory Plain'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2006) * ''Roman Concrete - Volume 1'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2007) * ''Rock Traveller'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2007) * ''Collodion Positives : Volume 2'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2007) * ''Collodion Positives : Volume 3'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2008) * ''The Language of the Court'' - as Ilk CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2008) * ''Hot Canyon Butter'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2008) * ''Snapshots of Rural England'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2008) * ''English Channel'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2008) * ''Collodion Positives : Volume 4'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2008) * ''Panegyric Territories : Volume 1'' - as Ilk CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2009) * ''The Great Level'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2009) * ''Earth Rod'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2009) * ''Tokyo Garden Suite'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2009) * ''Guide To Music'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2010) * ''The Horizon Project'' 3" CDR (La Station Radar 2010) * ''Robot'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2010) * ''Urban Parable'' - as Urban Parable CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2010) * ''4trackcassettemachine'' cassette (Sonic Oyster Cassettes 2010) * ''Rotten Masters'' 7" EP (Sonic Oyster Vinyl 2012)


With the A Band

* ''Untitled'' - 7" (Any Old Records 1991) * ''Anusol'' - cassette (1992) and CDR reissue (year unknown) (Chocolate Monk) * ''Artex/A Lot'' - LP, Youngs on Side 2 only (Siltbreeze 1993) * ''A Band'' - CD (private pressing- 1997. Hand-painted sleeves, Youngs part of the 18-piece line-up, recorded in Nottingham in 1991. 547 copies pressed.) * ''A Band'' - LP - some copies featured a bonus CDR entitled ''TV Set For Winter'' ''(note - the discs read "TV Sets From Winter" - the former title is correct)'', LP contains some material also found on the 1997 CD release. Youngs edited the music together for this edition (Qbico 2002) * There are several other
A Band The A Band are a British musical collective formed in Nottingham in the late 1980s. In 2005, The Wire compared the band's importance to that of AMM and SME, and noted their lack of musical training. The line-up of the group has never been f ...
releases but only those which are confirmed to feature Richard have been included here. A discography for the A Band is included in their article.


With Neil Campbell

* ''Tape Hiss'' - with Tape Hiss - Youngs, Stewart Walden and Neil Campbell - cassette (No Fans 1994) * ''How The Garden Is'' - with Neil Campbell LP (HP Cycle 2001) * ''Astral Social Club #10: Live at Subcurrent'' - with Neil Campbell and Tirath Singh Nirmala as Astral Social Club - CD-R (Astral Social Club 2006). Documents a live Astral Social Club performance at Subcurrent 2006, Glasgow, Scotland, with Youngs guesting on sound effects and electronics. * ''Skelp/Ginnel'' - by Astral Social Club. A 7" by Neil Campbell coupled with a CDR of remixes including one by Youngs (Trensmat Records 2008) * ''Octuplex'' - by Astral Social Club - Youngs appears on Track 5 - CD (VHF 2009)


With Matthew Bower

* ''Site/Realm'' - with
Matthew Bower Matthew Bower is a British musician, active since the early 1980s, who has done both collaborative and solo work. Skullflower Skullflower was formed when Bower joined up with Stefan Jaworzyn, Gary Mundy and Stuart Dennison in 1987 having prev ...
LP (VHF/Insample 1995) - has been listed as a split album with a side from each, in fact, all the music is collaborative. * ''Adieu, All You Judges'' - with Skullflower, CD is split with Ramleh (Broken Flag, 1995) * ''Sorties'' - with Skullflower cassette, Youngs appears on some tracks (Broken Flag 1996) * ''This is Skullflower'' - with Skullflower, Youngs plays guitar on ''The Pirate Ship of Reality Is Moving Out'' CD (VHF 1996) * ''Delicate Autobahn Under Construction'' - with Sunroof!, Youngs appears on some tracks 2CD (VHF 1997) * ''Slipstream'' - with Sunroof!, Youngs appears on some tracks CDR (Rural Electrification Program 1999) * ''Mountain Tasting'' - with Total, Youngs appears on side one 7" (lathe-cut, edition of 50, self-released by Bower, circa 1999) * ''Bliss'' - with Sunroof! - Youngs plays guitar on ''Distoria'' CD (VHF 2001) * ''Relayer'' - with Youngsbower CD (VHF 2002)


With Brian Lavelle

* ''Radios'' CD (Freek 1996) * ''Radios 2'' CD (Freek 1997) * ''Radios 3,4,5'' 3-CD set (Freek 1997) * ''Radios 6'' CDR (Bake Records 1998) * ''Radios 7'' CDR (Bake Records 2000) * ''Radios 8'' CDR (Bake Records 2000)


With Alex Neilson

* ''Ourselves'' CD (VHF 2004) * ''Beating Stars'' LP (HP Cycle 2004) * ''Partick Raindance'' CD (VHF 2005) * ''Belsayer Time'' - with Neilson and Alastair Galbraith - LP, numbered edition of 900 (Time-Lag 2006) * ''Road Is Open Life'' CD (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon 2006) * ''Electric Lotus/Lotus Edition'' - LP & CD set (VHF 2007)


With Jandek

* ''
Glasgow Sunday ''Glasgow Sunday'' is the second of four albums released in 2005 by musician Jandek on Corwood Industries, as (0779). His 41st overall, it was recorded live on October 17, 2004 at The Arches, Glasgow, as part of the Instal festival. This was the ...
'' - CD and
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
(Corwood Industries 2005) * ''
Newcastle Sunday ''Newcastle Sunday'' is the 45th release by avant-folk/blues singer/songwriter Jandek, released by Corwood Industries. It is a recording of his second ever live performance, recorded at The Sage Gateshead, England. Like 2005's ''Glasgow Sunda ...
'' - 2CD and
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
(Corwood Industries 2006) * ''
Glasgow Monday ''Glasgow Monday'' is the 47th release, third live album, and second-ever double album release, from avant-folk/blues singer/songwriter Jandek. It is his fifth release of the year (counting the DVD version of ''Glasgow Sunday'') and features ...
: The Cell'' - 2CD (2006) and DVD (2007) (Corwood Industries) * ''Glasgow Friday'' - CD (2008) and DVD (2009) (Corwood Industries) * '' Camber Sands Sunday'' - CD (2010) (Corwood Industries) * '' Where Do You Go From Here'' - CD (2011) (Corwood Industries) (''uncredited - see above'')


Other collaborations

* ''St Helena/Juniper'' - 7" single, ''Juniper'' with Stephen Todd (Insample 1994) * ''Denny/Twechar'' - with Leather Mole 7" (Crank Automotive 1995) * ''Georgians'' - with Stephen Todd CD (VHF 1996) *''Big Band Xerox'' - with PD cassette (Chocolate Monk, 1996) - a ten piece live incarnation of Blackburn, West Lothian-based improv/noise group Prick Decay featuring Youngs, Neil Campbell, Dylan Nyoukis, Sticky Foster and Tim Moulder amongst others. Nyoukis is the co-founder of the Chocolate Monk imprint and runs it to this day. * ''Brewery of Eggshells'' - with
Telstar Ponies Telstar Ponies are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1994. Their musical style varies considerably but displays influences from Krautrock, folk (especially latterly), and experimental noise. History They were formed in 1994 by David ...
12" single/CD (Fire 1996) * ''Voices From The New Music'' - with
Telstar Ponies Telstar Ponies are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1994. Their musical style varies considerably but displays influences from Krautrock, folk (especially latterly), and experimental noise. History They were formed in 1994 by David ...
LP/CD (Fire 1996) - note that Youngs only appears on this Telstar Ponies album and the above tie-in single. He is credited throughout as a member of the band rather than as a guest artist. * ''
Protection Spells ''Protection Spells'' is a tour-only album by Songs: Ohia. It is a collection of 9 improvised pieces recorded by Jason Molina whilst on tour in 1999. It was limited to 500 copies and released by Secretly Canadian in 2000. Track listing All songs ...
'' - with Songs: Ohia CD (Secretly Canadian, 2000) - a limited edition album of improvised material recorded in various cities during a European tour in 1999. Youngs is one of the guest musicians. * ''eponymous'' - with
Kawabata Makoto Kawabata Makoto ( ) is a Japanese musician and founding member of the band Acid Mothers Temple. He was part of one line-up of Gong when Acid Mothers Temple and Gong briefly fused into one group. Band history Kawabata is chiefly famous for his l ...
(of
Acid Mothers Temple Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O., commonly shortened to Acid Mothers Temple or AMT, is a Japanese psychedelic rock band, the core of which formed in 1995. The band is led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto and early in their career feat ...
) CD (VHF 2001) * ''Bluster, Cragg, & Awe'' - with Tirath Singh Nirmala - Youngs appears on one track - CD (Digitalis 2006) * ''Richard Youngs & Tirath Singh Nirmala'' - with Tirath Singh Nirmala LP (HP Cycle 2007) * ''Yellow Gardens/Energy Pond'' - with Luke Fowler 7" (Fourth Dimension Records, 2012) *''Electric Cactus of Mind'' - with Stephen Todd (NFR 2016) *''All Hands Around the Moment'' with Raül Refree (Soft Abuse, 2021)


Miscellaneous

* ''String Quartets, Loops, Garden Talk'' - by Neil Campbell - the 6-part track ''Garden Talk'' (for found tape and synthesizer) is credited as having been composed by Campbell and ''"assembled"'' by Youngs (self-released CDR - material from between 1994 and 1997). * ''Psychiatric Underground'' - by Ceramic Hobs - the track ''Meeting The Summertime'' has the credit ''"score by Richard Youngs"'' - he provided an 11 note handwritten score for the keyboard part, which spells out "ceramichobs" if you move the musical notation up the alphabet. Neil Campbell is one of 4 people credited as having provided tapes for the same track. (Pumf/Mental Guru CD, c. 1999) * Richard has also published a recipe book. ''Cook Vegan'' (Ashgrove Press) was printed in 1996 and reprinted in 2001, receiving favourable reviews.


Unreleased material

Youngs records prolifically and there are many unreleased projects. *A 10" record split between Wickham-Smith and Youngs (contributing "Papa Deo Bilong Mipela" and "Wynding Fall of Mind" respectively) was announced but has yet to be released. *Other items known to exist or to be in limited circulation include ''Festival of Carols'', a cassette of Christmas songs from around 1990/1, given to friends in lieu of Christmas cards (
The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime film, crime drama Television show, television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The ...
, issue 236 reports that a total of 11 copies were made). Tracks included readings of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", "The Boar's Head Carol" and "Jesus Born Today". Four other tracks from this cassette were remastered and included on the ''A Glasgow Wassail'' CDR in 2007, a compilation of Christmas songs curated by Andrew Paine (see ''Compilations'' entry). *In addition, there is a cassette of the music Richard composed for Niall Ashdown's play ''Hungarian Bird Festival'', also featured in a later BBC radio adaption and a shelved Ilk album titled ''Herald'', a track from which, "Carillon", was made available for download via the Sonic Oyster Records Myspace page over Christmas 2008 before appearing on the 2009 compilation ''The Continuing Saga of the Visiting Kitten''. Richard recorded a contribution for a Resonance FM series called ''No Place Like Home'' - this formed the basis of the very limited ''No Home Like Place'' album issued in 2006. There were 2 radio sessions with Brian Lavelle; one piece from four recorded for radiotuesday has been issued (see below) and a live recording for Radio 3 made at the Purcell Room in London in 1996 remains unreleased. The ''Mauve Dawn'' album with Andrew Paine is part of a proposed trilogy but the other 2 albums have yet to appear. The website of US label
Siltbreeze Siltbreeze is an American independent record label based in Philadelphia. It is known for its eclectic roster of artists and releases of experimental, noise, folk, and rock-based music. Founded in 1989 by Ohio native Tom Lax, the label evolved ou ...
sees them claiming to have rejected a Youngs album (catalogued as SB-7

but, as no title is listed, it is not known if this was released elsewhere.


Compilations, etc

* (untitled) - on ''In God We Trust'' a/k/a ''Nickel'', a promotional 7" single also featuring Jim O'Rourke (musician), Jim O'Rourke,
Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...
,
Tony Conrad Anthony Schmalz Conrad (March 7, 1940 – April 9, 2016) was an American video artist, experimental filmmaker, musician, composer, sound artist, teacher, and writer. Active in a variety of media since the early 1960s, he was a pioneer of both ...
and
Keith Rowe Keith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Keith (surname) * Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949) * Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons ...
( AMM). 250 copies only (Table of the Elements 1995) * ''Oh Father Soil'' - on '' Waiting To Be Old'' CD (Opprobrium 1997) * ''Wofer'' - with Brian Lavelle on ''e.g. Sometime Instant'', a compilation documenting a short lived Glasgow radio station radiotuesday. Lavelle & Youngs recorded 4 tracks for their session of which this is one. The remainder have not been issued. (radiotuesday, 2000) * ''1966'' - on ''I Am A Photographer'', a tribute album to the film "Blow Up" (Plain Recordings 2000) * ''The Sea Is Madness'' - on VPRO De Avonden XMAS 2000 CDR (VPRO 2000). A brief version recorded for the "De Avonden" programme. * ''Come Hear Us Now'' - on ''Festivalsampler 2001'', a promotional CD for the 2001 KRAAK festival (not commercially released) * ''Worse Than Pug'' - on ''Freak On!'', also featuring
Vibracathedral Orchestra Vibracathedral Orchestra is an England-based drone ensemble that has been active since 1998. Biography The group were formed in Leeds in 1998 when Mick Flower, Neil Campbell and Julian Bradley, who had released a number of homemade cassettes ...
and Sunroof! CDR (VHF 2001) * ''Like Tigers Now'' - on ''Back into The Shadows'' CD - free with ''Comes with a Smile'' magazine 2002 (Volume 7 of their compilation series) * ''The World Is Silence in Your Head'' - on ''Song to the Siren'' DVD by ''
Damon & Naomi Damon & Naomi are an American dream pop/indie folk duo, formed in 1991 by Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, formerly of Galaxie 500. History After Galaxie 500 completed a tour of the US supporting Cocteau Twins, guitarist and vocalist Dean Wareha ...
on tour with Kurihara''. Youngs supported
Damon & Naomi Damon & Naomi are an American dream pop/indie folk duo, formed in 1991 by Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, formerly of Galaxie 500. History After Galaxie 500 completed a tour of the US supporting Cocteau Twins, guitarist and vocalist Dean Wareha ...
at
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, also known as King Tut's, is a live music venue and bar on St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland. It is owned and managed by Glasgow-based gig promoters DF Concerts. The Glasgow live music venue takes its name from a ...
in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and is shown both backstage and performing. This is an alternate, more developed version of the song to that found on ''Making Paper'' and is performed on acoustic guitar rather than piano. He does not appear on the CD part of the package (
Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...
2002) * ''Oceanic Days'' - on CD given away with issue 13 of ''Fanzine Overdub'' 2003 * ''Time of Tomorrow'' - on ''Guitars Undressed'' CD Marrakech Recordings 2003 * ''The World Is Silence in Your Head'' - on the ''Routine Jazz #2'' DJ mix compilation CD by Kei Kobayashi. JVC (Japan) 2003. Same version as appears on ''Making Paper'' * ''New Morning'' - on ''* (There Is No Hidden Meaning) - A Compilation'' 2CDR Kabuki Kore c. 2004 * ''Sonar in My Soul'' - on ''Mind The Gap Volume 59'', given with ''Gonzo Circus'' magazine issue dated December 2005/January 2006. Same version as appears on ''The Naive Shaman'' * ''House of Constant Song'' - with
Alex Neilson Alex Neilson (born 22 September 1982) is an English drummer, percussionist and singer who is based in Glasgow but grew up in Leeds. He is a founding member and main songwriter of folk-rock group Trembling Bells (2008-2018). He is also known for ...
- on '' Not Alone'', a 5-CD benefit album on Jnana Records, with all proceeds donated to Médecins Sans Frontierès specifically to target their work on the AIDS epidemic in Africa - 2006 *''Soon It Will Be Fire'' - on ''Motion, Heat, Noise and Waste'', given with
Plan B Plan B typically refers to a contingency plan, a plan devised for an outcome other than in the expected plan. Plan B may also refer to: * Plan B, a brand name of levonorgestrel, an emergency contraception drug Film and television * Plan B En ...
issue 18, February 2007. Same version as appears on ''Sapphie'' *''The Welcome Sailor'' - on ''Migrating Bird: The Songs of Lal Waterson'' LP/CD (Honest Jon's 2007). *''Angels From The Realms'', ''The Holly and the Ivy'', ''A Gloucestershire Wassail'', ''There Is A Path'' and ''Corner of the Season'' - on ''A Glasgow Wassail'' CDR (Sonic Oyster Records 2007 - ''Corner of the Season'' is an original composition written and performed by Youngs and Andrew Paine, all other tracks come from the ''Festival of Carols'' tape noted above). * ''It's All Waves'' - with
Alex Neilson Alex Neilson (born 22 September 1982) is an English drummer, percussionist and singer who is based in Glasgow but grew up in Leeds. He is a founding member and main songwriter of folk-rock group Trembling Bells (2008-2018). He is also known for ...
- on ''George Ferguson McKeating'', a 2-CDR compilation by British journalist and writer Scott McKeating with all proceeds going to the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (Bells Hill 2009). *''Boughs (For The Trees)'' olo recordingand ''Carillon'' ith Andrew Paine as Ilk- on ''The Continuing Saga of the Visiting Kitten'' a CDR compilation with all proceeds going to Cats Protection (Sonic Dust Recordings 2009). *''Broke Up By Night'' on ''Heart And Soul'' a Jagjaguwar compilation CD given away free with Uncut Magazine (issue dated March 2010). Same version as appears on ''Under Stellar Stream''. *''Save The Happy People'' olo recordingand ''Another Great Burst of Popular Enthusiasm'' ith Andrew Paine- on ''SOR 50'', the 50th (and, to date, last) CDR on Sonic Oyster Records (Sonic Oyster Records 2011)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Youngs, Richard 1966 births Living people English male singers English songwriters English experimental musicians British male songwriters