The Rapture
The Rapture’s formation was that of a musical-creation from the minds of guitarist/vocalist, Luke Jenner, and drummer Vico Roccoforte – the whole endeavour spawned originally in 1998.
After just a few months working together, the pair’s original early recordings found their way to West Coast labels Gravity and GSL, both of which were keen to release some of the band’s material – resulting in the early-1999 unleashing of ‘The Chair That Squeaks’/’Dumb Waiter’ 7” and ‘Mirror’ full-length release. Heavy touring ensued, as did several band-members getting lost along the way, leading to frustration into the duo’s set-up, their decision to decamp to NYC marking not just a new start, but an evolution in the group’s sound.
And, soon after, here comes Matt Safer, a bass-player and music-student possessive of a deep interest in ‘early disco and Philadelphia soul’. A flourish of creativity and new songs amass, and a relationship is formed in 2000 with the DFA production-team of Tim Goldsworthy and James Murphy, two characters with big pasts in the business (the former having worked with Mo’Wax and UNKLE, and the latter running the Plantain Recording-Studio). The pairing off resulted in two releases – Sub Pop’s ‘Out Of The Races & On To The Tracks’ EP, and Insound’s ‘Tour Support’ EP – and the band landing themselves on the DFA’s new recording-label, as managed by Jonathan Galkin.
A further recording partnership for the ‘House Of Jealous Lovers’ 12” is the turning-point. Prompting offers from European destinations and the UK for the band to play in overseas shores, the single soon fled from shops and became an underground sensation. The band’s next effort, ‘Olio’, as distributed in the UK by Output Recordings, had a similar impact, enabling the band’s debut-British shows to sell out immediately, and initiating support-appearances with Sex Pistols and Doves.
With the first album now finished, too, all that’s needed is a release-date. And then The Rapture can come and conquer the rest of the world.
