John Twells, known by the alias Xela, is a British

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 ...

artist, from

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is th ...

, who currently lives in

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 ...

. They run the

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

''Type Records''. Their earlier music combines constructed beats, smart melodies and brittle electronica, which is supplemented by guitar and other instrumentation in later recordings. An obsession with horror soundtracks, particularly from the films of Dario Argento,

Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unr ...

and

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he ga ...

and the music of

Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on ...

and

Fabio Frizzi Fabio Frizzi (born 2 July 1951) is an Italian musician and composer. Born in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, he is best known for his film scores and was a frequent collaborator with horror director Lucio Fulci. Frizzi is the older brother of th ...

, has influenced them to produce more atmospheric soundscapes encompassing folk, drone, and psychedelia. Their album ''In Bocca Al Lupo'' fused this style with the doom and noise of

Wolf Eyes __NOTOC__ Wolf Eyes is an American experimental music group from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1996 by Nate Young. Currently a duo, Wolf Eyes are a prominent act within contemporary noise music. They have collaborated with a variety of artists from ...

and Sunn O))) to produce discomforting and loud funereal music. This album, composed of four long tracks, was originally conceived as a single piece, and is inspired by darker themes from Christian dogma and mythology. Since their transition away from IDM, beat driven electronics, beginning with ''The Dead Sea'', Xela's rate of release has increased significantly.

Albums

* ''For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights'' (2003) * '' Tangled Wool'' (2004) * ''The Dead Sea'' (2006) * ''Heirs of the Fire'' (2008) * ''In Bocca al Lupo'' (2008) * ''Never, Better'' (2008) * ''The Illuminated'' (2008) (as "Χελα") * ''The Divine'' (2009) * ''The Sublime'' (2010) * ''My Memories of Gallifrey'' (2011) * ''Exorcism'' (2011) * ''Twells and Christensen'' (CD and LP collaboration with Matt Christiansen of Zelienople) ;Xela has contributed remixes to: * Gareth Hardwick - ''Aversions'' (CD) * Yellow Moon Band - ''Remixes'' (LP) * Soccer Committee + Machinefabriek - ''Remixes'' (CD)

References

External links

* * Year of birth missing (living people) Living people British electronic musicians {{UK-music-bio-stub