Thomas Rhys Bellamy is a British musician. He is the multi-instrumentalist responsible for contributing guitar, bass, synthesizer, keyboards, trumpet, programming, samples, melodica, harmonica, percussion, toy piano, bowed guitar, decks, FX/beats, vocals and lyrics in the band
the Cooper Temple Clause
The Cooper Temple Clause was an English alternative rock band, formed in Wokingham, Berkshire in 1998. The band released three albums before announcing their split on 24 April 2007, following the departure of Daniel Fisher.
After signing a re ...
.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 684 He is also a keen DJ and has remixed several songs by the Cooper Temple Clause as part of his side project, Rhysmix. Following the split of the band, Bellamy has turned his full attention to remixing and DJing under the Rhysmix alias. He is currently collaborating with DJ
Eddy Temple-Morris
Edward Owen Kayvan Temple-Morris (born 26 April 1965 in Cardiff) is a British DJ, record producer and TV presenter. He hosted London radio station XFM's specialist show ''The Remix'' for 15 years,Kick Up the Fire, and Let the Flames Break Loose''.
Prior to the release of 2007's '' Make This Your Own'', songs featuring Bellamy on lead vocals tended to be B-sides; however the band's third album saw an increase in the number of tracks he contributed lead vocals to.
Rhysmix
Rhysmix (pronounced "Reesemix") is Bellamy's
DJing
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
alias. The name is a pun on the word "remix" and Bellamy's Welsh middle name, Rhys.
Bellamy's origins as a guitar player led to his growing interest in the potential of guitar pedals in developing sound and distortion. Bellamy eventually expanded into keyboards and synthesisers, gradually beginning to represent The Cooper Temple Clause as a DJ at post-gig slots (with bandmate
Jon Harper
Jonathan Daniel Harper (born 15 February 1978) is an English session musician and started his musical career as the drummer for Reading-based British alternative rock band, The Cooper Temple Clause. He filled-in the vacancy for drummer in the B ...
) and other events offered to him. Regular sets allowed Bellamy an insight into dance/rock remixes, progressing from the electro-based contributions he continued to contribute to The Cooper Temple Clause, alongside guitar and vocals.
Throughout the period prior to the release of the band's third studio album '' Make This Your Own'', Bellamy was influenced by the music of acts such as
Soulwax
Soulwax are an electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Centred around brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, other current members include Igor Cavalera and Stefaan Van Leuven. They were first noticed after the release of their album '' Much Against Ev ...
and
Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco are an English electronic music duo and production team, formed in 2003 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production. Ford is also known for his production work.
...
to further pursue remixing. Bellamy remixed the band's first single from the new album,
Homo Sapiens
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
, calling his production a "rhysmix". The track came to the attention of radio DJ
Eddy Temple-Morris
Edward Owen Kayvan Temple-Morris (born 26 April 1965 in Cardiff) is a British DJ, record producer and TV presenter. He hosted London radio station XFM's specialist show ''The Remix'' for 15 years,XFM.
These early successes inspired Bellamy to remix some of the band's other singles, including " Waiting Game" and " Head", the latter remix being released as an official track on the Cooper Temple Clause's ''Head'' EP in 2007.
In January 2007, Temple-Morris collaborated with Bellamy in the studio to remix "Check" by Belgian band
Goose
A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...
. The partnership mixed Bellamy's love of electro music with Temple-Morris's passion for
Pendulum
A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward th ...
-esque hooks. The "rhysmix" of "Head" prompted Temple-Morris to invite Bellamy to do a half-hour Superchunk mix on London-based radio station XFM, which comprised a selection of Bellamy's favourite influences. These included artists such as Teenage Badgirl and newcomers
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Does It Offend You, Yeah? are a British dance-punk band from Reading, Berkshire. They played what was to be their final show on 12 December 2015 at the Electric Ballroom, Camden Town. In September 2021, they announced a new album, titled ''We ...
.
Following the split of the Cooper Temple Clause in April 2007, Bellamy began writing original material under the alias of Rhysmix, including the track "Feared by the Other Children". The demise of his old band prompted Bellamy to continue to pursue his musical interests through the medium of Rhysmix, a premise supported by an increasing number of DJ sets under his new alias. Early Rhysmix sets included a slot in The Remix night at London's Cargo club in May 2007, as well as the launch night of Reading's "neOn" club night in early June. Bellamy continued to collaborate with Temple-Morris on several more remix tracks, including Alex Gopher's "The Game", "Listen Up!" by
the Gossip
Gossip (or The Gossip) was an American indie rock band formed in Searcy, Arkansas, originally active from 1999 until 2016. For most of their career, the band consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Brace Paine, and drummer Hanna ...
and "The Sound of Music" by My Luminaries.
Other work
Bellamy worked with
Jon Courtney
Jon Courtney is a British singer, guitarist, and keyboard player, of the rock band Pure Reason Revolution. He was also the sole songwriter (except " The Bright Ambassadors of Morning" credited to Courtney/Jong) on their first two albums. Out ...
writing and producing the 2010
Pure Reason Revolution
Pure Reason Revolution (PRR) is a British rock group formed at the University of Westminster in 2003. Their music incorporates elements of progressive rock and electronic. Their music has been variously described as 'Astral Folk' and 'Progress ...
album ''
Hammer and Anvil
The hammer and anvil is a military tactic involving the use of two primary forces, one to pin down an enemy, and the other to smash or defeat the opponent with an encirclement maneuver. It may involve a frontal assault by one part of the force, p ...
''.
In September 2012, he worked on a project called Mutation on the album ''Error 500'' with Ginger Wildheart, and is credited with contributions to four tracks, namely "Bracken" (backing vocals), "White Leg" (backing vocals), "Mutation" (guitar, programming & keys, backing vocals), and "Benzo Fury" (programming & keys).