Daniel O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1980) is an English musician, composer and producer from

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, best known for playing or having played in experimental

art-rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...

bands Grumbling Fur, Guapo, Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses,

Ulver Ulver (Norwegian for "wolves") is a Norwegian Experimental electronic music, experimental electronica band founded in 1993, by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg. Their early works, such as debut album ''Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler, Bergtatt'', ...

Sunn O))) Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. The band is known for its distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, ...

, Æthenor, Laniakea, Miracle, Mothlite, and This Is Not This Heat. He has also released solo work under his own name. O'Sullivan is recognized for exploring a wide range of styles, including neo-classical composition, progressive/psychedelic rock, free-form improvisation, cosmic jazz, minimalist drone, ethereal synth-pop and outer-limits folk music.

Career

O'Sullivan has collaborated with a number of artists including

Richard Youngs Richard Youngs (born 29 May 1966) is an English musician based in Glasgow 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 choos ...

Charlemagne Palestine Chaim Moshe Tzadik Palestine (born August 15, 1947), known professionally as Charlemagne Palestine, is an American visual artist and musician. He has been described as being one of the founders of New York school of minimalist music, first initia ...

Stephen O'Malley Stephen O'Malley (sometimes referred to as SOMA; born July 15, 1974) is an American guitarist, producer, composer, and visual artist from Seattle, Washington, who has conceptualized and participated in numerous drone metal, doom metal, and expe ...

(also a member of Æthenor), Alexander Tucker, Oren Marshall,

Peter Broderick Peter Broderick (born January 20, 1987) is an American musician and composer from Carlton, Oregon. He has released solo material under his own name, been a member of Efterklang, and played with several ensembles as a session musician. Biography ...

Oren Ambarchi Oren Ambarchi (born 1969) is an Australian musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays mainly electric guitar and percussion. Biography Oren Ambarchi was born in Sydney to an Iraqi Jewish family. Ambarchi has been performing live since ...

, Tim Burgess,

Jarboe Jarboe Devereaux, (born January 30) known mononymously as Jarboe (), is an American singer and musician who came to prominence as a member of the New York City experimental rock band Swans in 1985. Jarboe and Michael Gira, the founder of Swans ...

and

David Tibet David Tibet (born David Michael Bunting; 5 March 1960) is an English poet, artist and musician. He is best known for the musical group Current 93, which he founded and is the only consistent member of, along with his contributions to the b ...

. He has been a live member of

and joined cult Norwegian band Ulver in 2010, as announced by the band on the official Ulver website, "Lastly we would like to welcome Daniel O'Sullivan into the pack. We all know that God exists as three persons, but now is the dawn of the triangular pyramid." O'Sullivan has been performing live with Ulver since the band's first performance in fifteen years at the Norwegian Festival of Literature 2009 in Lillehammer. In 2011, O'Sullivan released an EP with his new ban
Miracle
a synth-pop duo also featuring Steve Moore from Zombi. Their debut full-length album, ''Mercury'', was released in October 2013. Their second album ''The Strife of Love in a Dream'' will be released in February 2018. Another new project, this time with regular collaborator Alexander Tucker, has emerged with the name Grumbling Fur. The debut album ''Furrier'' also features

Jussi Lehtisalo Jussi Lehtisalo (born 1972) is a Finnish musician. In 1991, he founded Circle, a prolific band drawing influences from heavy metal and krautrock to develop a style of repetitive experimental rock. He also runs a record label, Ektro Records, rele ...

from Finnish bands

Circle A circle is a shape consisting of all point (geometry), points in a plane (mathematics), plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the Centre (geometry), centre. The distance between any point of the circle and the centre is cal ...

and

Pharaoh Overlord Pharaoh Overlord is an experimental rock (music), rock music band, initially featuring three members of the Finnish group Circle (Finnish band), Circle, Jussi Lehtisalo, Janne Westerlund and Tomi Leppänen. Originally begun as a vehicle to indulg ...

and David Smith from Guapo. Following the session EP ''Alice'', the duo released their second album ''Glynnaestra'' on the Chicago-based label

Thrill Jockey Thrill Jockey is an American independent record label established by former Atlantic Records A&R representative Bettina Richards and based in Chicago. History Richards started the label in 1992 with $35,000 of family and personal capital, while ...

. It was ranked No. 1 album of 2013 by

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

and featured in the Top 50 of several magazines including ''

Wire file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...

'' and ''

Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...

''. Grumbling Fur released their third album, ''Preternaturals'', on The Quietus's Phonographic Corporation imprint in August 2014. Their fourth album, ''Furfour'', was released in 2016 on Thrill Jockey. Under the name Grumbling Fur Time Machine Orchestra, the duo has also released two collaborative recordings with

in 2015 and 2017, both being limited vinyl editions. O'Sullivan released a solo album titled ''VELD'' in June 2017 on O Genesis Recordings. It was written and recorded between 2010 and 2016. His second solo album ''Folly'' appeared in 2019, followed by 2023's ''Rosarium'', which was mixed by

Thighpaulsandra Timothy Lewis – best known by the stage name Thighpaulsandra – is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist, known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. He began his career working with Julian Cope in the late ...

. His first book of visual artworks, ''The Shell is A Cell'', was released in 2024. O’Sullivan has also notably produced the last two solo albums for The Charlatans frontman, Tim Burgess,

Discography

Guapo

*2003 ''The Ducks and Drakes of Guapo and Cerberus Shoal'' CD (North East Indie) *2004 ''

Five Suns In creation myths, the term "Five Suns" refers to the belief of certain Nahua cultures and Aztec peoples that the world has gone through five distinct cycles of creation and destruction, with the current era being the fifth. It is primarily de ...

'' CD (

Cuneiform Records Cuneiform Records is a record label in Silver Spring, Maryland. Founded in 1984, the label releases a mixture of musical styles, all with a Rock in Opposition aesthetic, including progressive jazz, jazz fusion, the Canterbury scene, and electron ...

) *2005 '' Black Oni'' CD (

Ipecac Records Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999, by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles, ex-lead singer of DUH (band), DUH, ex-employee of Mercury Records) and Mike Patton ...

) *2006 ''

Twisted Stems Guapo is a British experimental rock/art rock band formed in 1994 by drummer/percussionist Dave Smith and guitarist/vocalist Matt Thompson, though the band gained a wider audience with the contribution of multi-instrumentalist Daniel O'Sullivan ...

'' Limited Edition 7" (Dot Dot Dot Music) *2006 ''

'' CDEP (Aurora Borealis) *2007 '' Black Oni'' Limited Edition LP (Hlava Records) *2008 ''

Elixirs An elixir is a sweet liquid used for medical purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's illness. When used as a pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orally. Etymolog ...

'' CD (

Neurot Recordings Neurot Recordings is an American independent record label founded by members of avant-garde metal band Neurosis in 1999. Gradually expanding, it has showcased a variety of artists including a number of sludge metal, post-rock, and noise bands. ...

)

Miasma & The Carousel of Headless Horses

*2005 ''Perils'' CD ( Web of Mimicry) *2007 ''Perils'' LP (

Rise Above Records Rise Above Records is a London-based independent record label owned by Lee Dorrian, former member of Cathedral and Napalm Death. Founding Lee Dorrian started Rise Above Records in 1988 without the intention of the label being an ongoing pos ...

) *2007 ''Manfauna'' CDEP (

Southern Records Founded 1992 by John Loder, Southern Records is an independent record label (Loder also ran the recording facility Southern Studios). It is based in London and until 2008 had offices in the United States, France and Berlin. The label is clos ...

/Latitudes) *2008 ''Manfauna'' 12"EP (Southern Records/Latitudes)

Æthenor

*2006 ''Deep in Ocean Sunk the Lamp of Light'' CD/LP (

VHF Records VHF Records is an American record label, known for their extensive work with several major experimental artists. The label is based in the Washington, DC suburb of Fairfax, Va., and it initially focused on indie and experimental bands from that reg ...

) *2008 ''Betimes Black Cloudmasses'' CD/LP (VHF Records) *2009 ''Faking Gold & Murder'' CD/LP (VHF Records) *2011 ''En Form for Blå'' CD/2xLP (VHF Records)

Mothlite

*2008 ''The Flax of Reverie'' CD/LP (

) *2012 ''Dark Age'' CD/LP (

Kscope Kscope is an independent record label that is part of Snapper Music, and a sister-label of Peaceville. It is dedicated to artists in the progressive rock genre. The label has released albums by Steven Wilson and his projects Porcupine Tree (mo ...

) *2013 ''Mathair'' 10"EP (Kscope)

Ulver

*2011 ''

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...

'' CD/LP (

) *2012 '' The Norwegian National Opera'' DVD/Blu-Ray (Kscope) *2012 ''

Childhood's End ''Childhood's End'' is a 1953 science fiction novel by the British author Arthur C. Clarke. The story follows the peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indi ...

'' CD/LP (Kscope) *2016 '' ATGCLVLSSCAP'' CD/LP (House of Mythology)

Sunn O))) & Ulver

*2014 '' Terrestrials'' CD/LP (

Southern Lord Southern Lord is an American heavy metal record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson. It initially specialized in experimental metal: particularly doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal. The label later expanded its line-up to i ...

)

Miracle

*2011 ''Fluid Window'' CDEP/12" (House Anxiety Records) *2011 ''The Visitors'' 2x12"EP (House Anxiety Records) *2012 ''Good Love/Veteran of the Psychic Wars'' 7" (House Anxiety Records) *2013 ''Mercury'' (Planet Mu) *2018 ''The Strife of Love in a Dream'' (Relapse Records)

Grumbling Fur

*2011 ''Furrier'' CD/LP (Aurora Borealis) *2012 ''Alice'' CDEP/LP (

/Latitudes) *2013 ''Glynnaestra'' CD/LP (

) *2014 ''Preternaturals'' CD/LP (Phonographic Corporation) *2016 ''Furfour'' CD/LP (Thrill Jockey)

Charlemagne Palestine and Grumbling Fur Time Machine Orchestra

*2015 ''Ggrrreeebbbaaammmnnnuuuccckkkaaaiiioooww!!!'' LP (

Important Records Important Records is an American independent record label based in Groveland, Massachusetts. History John Brien started Important Records in 2001 out of his Newburyport, Massachusetts apartment, initially as an online store. Important's first tw ...

) *2017 ''Omminggg and Schlomminggg'' LP (Important Records)

Daniel O'Sullivan and Serena Korda

*2011 ''Laid to Rest: The Brick Keepers'' LP (UP Projects/Wellcome Collection) *2012 ''W.A.M.A: The Work as Movement Archive'' CD (Field Art Projects)

Daniel O'Sullivan

*2017 ''VELD'' (O Genesis) *2018 ''The Physic Garden'' (KPM 2059) *2019 ''Folly'' (O Genesis) *2020 ''Electric Māyā: Dream Flotsam and Astral Hinterlands'' (VHF Records) *2021 ''Fourth Density'' (VHF Records) *2023 ''Rosarium'' (House of Mythology)

Guest appearances

The Big Pink

*2009 '' A Brief History of Love'' CD/LP (

4AD 4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name Axis Records by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of th ...

) *2012 '' Future This'' CD/LP (4AD)

Alexander Tucker

*2011 ''Dorwytch'' CD/LP (

) *2012 ''Third Mouth'' CD/LP (Thrill Jockey)

Chrome Hoof

*2007 '' Pre-Emptive False Rapture'' CD/LP (

) *2010 ''Crush Depth'' CD/LP (Southern Records) *2013 ''Chrome Black Gold'' CD/LP (

)

The Stargazer's Assistant

*2007 ''The Other Side of the Island'' CD (Aurora Borealis)

Dam

*2007 ''The Difference Engine'' CD (

Candlelight Records Candlelight Records is a British record label based in London, founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bass guitarist Lee Barrett in 1993. The record label originally specialized in black metal, but quickly expanded to various other forms of hea ...

)

References

External links

Daniel O'Sullivan official blog

Daniel O'Sullivan Discogs entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:OSullivan, Daniel 1980 births Living people English experimental musicians English male songwriters English composers Psychedelic rock musicians Ulver members Guapo (band) members Musicians from Manchester