These New Puritans are an English music group/band from

Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...

, England. It consists mainly of Jack Barnett (principal songwriter, vocalist, producer, multi-instrumentalist) and his twin brother

George Barnett George Barnett (December 9, 1859April 27, 1930) was the 12th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. He was a pioneer of amphibious warfare and the U.S. Marine Commandant during American involvement in World War I. Early life and educatio ...

(drums, electronics, producer, artwork). Multi-instrumentalist Thomas Hein was an active member of TNP between 2006 and 2016; keyboardist Sophie Sleigh-Johnson was active between 2006 and 2010. They have recorded four studio albums: ''

Beat Pyramid ''Beat Pyramid'' is the debut studio album by British art rock band These New Puritans. It was released on 28 January 2008 in the United Kingdom through Angular and Domino and on 18 March 2008 in the United States through Domino. The album w ...

'' (2008), '' Hidden'' (2010), ''

Field of Reeds ''Field of Reeds'' is the third studio album by British art rock band These New Puritans, released on 10 June 2013 on Infectious Music. Produced by Jack Barnett and Graham Sutton, the album features prominent contributions from over thirty-eigh ...

'' (2013) and '' Inside the Rose'' (2019). Their music has been described as "blurring the distinction between rock, classical, electronic and experimental" and as "strikingly modern yet simultaneously timeless."

History

Formation and early years

The Barnett brothers grew up in the

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

town of Southend-on-Sea. Their father was a builder and their mother was an art teacher. George and Jack made music together as children with "karaoke microphones, old bongos and guitars too large for their tiny hands", later focusing on

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

. They formed the band together with childhood friend Tom Hein, who grew up in nearby

Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon, Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin and constitutes a commuter town east of Central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces. It is ...

. In a 2008 interview, Jack Barnett said that hip hop acts

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

, especially member

RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (born July 5, 1969), better known by his stage name the RZA ( ), is an American rapper, actor, filmmaker, and record producer. He is the ''de facto'' leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums ...

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

and

J Dilla J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...

influenced the first album ''Beat Pyramid''. Other inspirations include the electronic music of

Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), best known as Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born British musician, composer and DJ. He is known for his idiosyncratic work in electronic music, electronic styles such as techno, ambient music, ambient, and jun ...

and the cartoon series ''

The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...

,'' though Jack Barnett later suggested this was not serious. TNP have been described as "falling in the tradition of British outliers that also includes

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is a retired English musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...

Talk Talk Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drummer), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles "Talk Talk (Talk Talk s ...

Bark Psychosis Bark Psychosis are an English post-rock band/musical project from east London formed in 1986. They were one of the bands that Simon Reynolds cited when coining "post-rock" as a musical style in 1994, and are thus considered one of the key ban ...

and Scott Walker." Although unusual for a rock group, the band often incorporates the same section of music into different songs as

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...

''Hidden''

Before their second album ''Hidden'' was released, Barnett revealed that he had been writing music for

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

and stated that the aim was for a final product where "

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

meets

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...

". He taught himself musical notation to score the brass and woodwind elements of the album. In a 2010 interview with Jack Barnett,

Paul Morley Paul Robert Morley is an English music journalist. He wrote for the ''New Musical Express'' from 1977 to 1983 and has since written for a wide range of publications as well as writing his own books. He was a co-founder of the record label ZTT Re ...

described These New Puritans' new material on ''Hidden'' as "very 1970, but also quite 1610, 1950, 1979, 1989, 2005 and 2070". When performing live during the Hidden era they were often accompanied by a five-piece brass-woodwind ensemble. In 2010 they performed a series of full live performances of ''Hidden'' (featuring a brass-woodwind ensemble,

Taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...

drums, children's choir, three vibraphonists and live Foley techniques) entitled ''Hidden Live'', at venues such as the

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...

(featuring the

Britten Sinfonia Britten Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra ensemble based in Cambridge, UK. It was created in 1992, following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognised the need for an orchestra in the ...

), the

Pompidou Centre The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou ( en, National Georges Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of ...

and

Berghain Berghain () is a nightclub in Berlin, Germany. It is named after its location near the border between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain in Berlin, and is a short walk from Berlin Ostbahnhof main line railway station.

. In 2010 the song "We Want War" featured on the Assassin's Creed Brotherhood soundtrack. In October 2020, the band announced a reissue of the album titled ''Hidden MXX' out 4 December via

Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

, which included unreleased songs from the original recording sessions as well as two live recordings. The release was made available on

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

''Field of Reeds''

In a May 2010 interview with C.B.Liddell, Jack Barnett revealed that he was interested in

Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...

n music and that he anticipated that the next TNPS album would be "quieter." Towards the end of 2012 the band remixed "Mutual Core" by

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

, which featured on the remix album '' Bastards''. In June 2013, they released their third album, ''

'', which featured jazz singer Elisa Rodrigues. The video clip for the single Organ Eternal was directed by Willy Vanderperre and featured the acclaimed Belgian actress Line Pillet. Musically ''Field of Reeds'' was described as "uncategorizable" and as drawing heavily on avant-garde classical composition. For the "Fragment Two" video, they reunited with

Daniel Askill Daniel Askill (born 1977) is an Australian filmmaker and artist who uses film, photographs, video installation and sculpture in his work. He has directed short films, music videos, commercials and fashion films. He is currently based between Sydn ...

, who'd previously directed "We Want War". Following ''Field of Reeds'', TNP moved to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and set up in a dilapidated old

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

broadcasting studio in the industrial suburbs. In 2015 Jack collaborated in the studio with

Robert Del Naja Robert Del Naja (; born 21 January 1965), also known as 3D, is a British artist, musician, singer and songwriter. He emerged as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective the Wild Bunch, and later as a founding member and sole consi ...

Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol by Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. The debut Massive Attack album ''Blue Lines'' was release ...

''Inside The Rose''

These New Puritans returned in November 2018 with the song, "Into the Fire", which was released digitally and as a limited edition flame-coloured 7" single. This was followed in January 2019 by an erotic, gender-blurring video for "Inside The Rose", made in collaboration with photographer Harley Weir, and the announcement of a new album of the same name. Recorded in Essex, London and Berlin, and mixed in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, ''Inside the Rose'' was described as "another creative reinvention" and as their most direct and accessible music yet. The album's release was marked with a "

happening A happening is a performance, event, or situation art, usually as performance art. The term was first used by Allan Kaprow during the 1950s to describe a range of art-related events. History Origins Allan Kaprow first coined the term "happen ...

" event at the

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...

, involving a stage set constructed out of slashed silk hung from scaffolding, designed by George Barnett and artist Freya Don. The support act was performance artist Soojin Chang. After the release of ''Inside the Rose'' it was announced that Thomas Hein had departed the group, due to his academic commitments in studying

computational neuroscience Computational neuroscience (also known as theoretical neuroscience or mathematical neuroscience) is a branch of neuroscience which employs mathematical models, computer simulations, theoretical analysis and abstractions of the brain to u ...

. In February 2020, they released ''The Cut (2016-2019)'', a so-called 'sister album' to ''Inside the Rose'', containing new music begun during the album sessions, orchestral interludes and reworkings, and remixes. It was made available via a limited edition CD, each copy containing hand-cut silk artwork. This was followed by The Blue Door, their third performance at the Barbican Centre in London, which featured large-scale video projections and two

scaffold Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. Scaffolds are widely use ...

-tower installations draped in gauze, with a band augmented by sopranos, brass, percussion and special guests. In May 2020 during the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

epidemic, TNP produced two

Jigsaw puzzle A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture. In th ...

s in collaboration with Harley Weir. All profits from the project were donated to the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

. Once completed, the puzzles displayed codewords which led to a download of a new 4-track EP.

Projects

''TNPS'' worked with designer

Hedi Slimane Hedi Slimane (; born July 5, 1968) is a French photographer and grand couturier. From 2000 to 2007, he held the position of creative director for Dior Homme (the menswear line of Christian Dior). From 2012 to 2016, he was the creative director fo ...

and recorded the song "Navigate, Navigate" for the ''

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds ...

Homme Hiver 2007'' show. Both the music and the collection received positive reviews. The band members also took part in an art/dance performance at the

Palais de Tokyo The Palais de Tokyo (''Tokyo Palace'') is a building dedicated to modern and contemporary art, located at 13 avenue du Président-Wilson, facing the Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The eastern wing of the building belongs to ...

in Paris for the after-show of the Stage of the Art. In 2013 Jack Barnett contributed to the

Current 93 Current 93 are an English experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet, who has been Current 93's only constant member. Background Tibet has been the only const ...

album '' I Am the Last of All the Field That Fell: A Channel'' alongside

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ca ...

and Anohni. The next year, TNP soundtracked the first authorised theatrical production of

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxley ...

's novel ''

Brave New World ''Brave New World'' is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarch ...

''. In 2017 they were commissioned to write a piece to mark the 70th anniversary of Indian independence from the British Empire. The band collaborated again with

for the launch of the new Celine campaign in February 2021, with music released under the artist name THE LOOM soundtracking the brand's new collection launch.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (2008) No. 188 UK * '' Hidden'' (2010) No. 100 UK; No. 10 UK Indie * ''

'' (2013) No. 90 UK; No. 17 UK Indie * '' Inside the Rose'' (2019)

Live albums

* ''EXPANDED (Live at the Barbican)'' (2014)

Compilation albums

* ''The Cut (2016-2019)'' (2020)

Singles and EPs

* "

Now Pluvial ''Now Pluvial'' is an EP released in October 2006 by the British band These New Puritans These New Puritans are an English music group/band from Southend-on-Sea, England. It consists mainly of Jack Barnett (principal songwriter, vocalist, ...

" (30 October 2006) – 7" * "Navigate, Navigate" (21 May 2007) – 12"/ Digital download * "Numbers"/"Colours" (5 November 2007) – 7" * "Elvis" (21 January 2008) – 7"/CD * "Swords of Truth" (5 May 2008) – 7"/12"/Digital Download * "We Want War" (11 January 2010) – 10"/Digital Download * "Attack Music" (12 April 2010) – Digital Download * "Hologram" (26 July 2010) *"White Chords" (2010) *"Fragment Two" (2013) – CD, Single, Promo *"Organ Eternal" (2013) – CD, Single, Promo *"V (Island Song)" (2013) – CD, Single, Promo *"Magnetic Field" (2013) – 12", Ltd, Num *"Into the Fire" (2018) - 7"

Music videos

* Elvis (2008) * Swords of Truth (2008) * We Want War (2010) * Attack Music (2010) * Hologram (2010) *Fragment Two (2012) * Organ Eternal (2013) * V (Island Song) (2013) * Inside the Rose (2019) * Where the Trees Are on Fire (2019) *Six (2019) *Beyond Black Suns (2019)

Contributions to other works

These New Puritans have contributed songs to the following CD compilations: * "Chamber" – ''Digital Penetration'' (September 2006) * "I Want to Be

Tracey Emin Tracey Karima Emin, Order of the British Empire, CBE, Associate of the Royal Academy, RA (; born 3 July 1963) is a British artist known for her autobiographical and confessional artwork. Emin produces work in a variety of media including drawi ...

" – ''Future Love Songs'' (December 2006) * "Elvis" (demo) – ''Dance Floor Distortion'' (December 2006) * "Colours" – ''2000 Trees: Cider Smiles Vol. 1'' (Hide and Seek Records, June 2008) * Music from Aldous Huxley's ''Brave New World'' – ''Incidental: Music for the Stage'' (Filmtrax, October 2021)

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control English rock music groups English art rock groups Musical groups established in 2006 Music in Southend-on-Sea Infectious Music artists English post-rock groups