Biography
Founded in Sheffield, UK in 2011
REGAL WORM is a progressive rock project by Jarrod GOSLING of Sheffield, England based electronic pop psych outfit I MONSTER and maverick Jazz influenced proggers HENRY FOOL, which includes NO-MAN's Tim BOWNESS. The first musical scene that he got into was the Two--Tone movement/reggae after which he grew hair (everywhere) and got into hard rock/metal… IRON MAIDEN, RAINBOW, JUDAS PRIEST, DEEP PURPLE etc. The rest of the 80s was spent listening to mainly hair metal, melodic poodle perm metal and drifting through a number of bands as a bass player.
After getting bored of metal he switched to keyboards (a Korg DW600) and went off to college at which he became interested in indie and dance stuff. The early WARP label (from Sheffield) was a big influence and around 1990, Jarrod met Dean HONER who was also into the same vibe. Together they decide to get together and make some noise. Electronic noise. I MONSTER was born.
The next 8 years were spent making long bleepy experimental electronic music, similar to APHEX TWIN, AUTECHRE and BLACK DOG. Around 1998, they decided to add weird samples and use them in a different way. Most of this from old charity shop easy listening vinyl. They added lyrics and started making a sort of weird electronic/60s sounding pop hybrid and also sampled prog stuff (CMU, Manfred MANN, CHAPTER 3…). GOSLING and HONER co--produced two tracks on MOBY's 'Play' album and then made their first album, which included the original version of hit--single Daydream In Blue'.
Following the intervention of Jonathan DICKINS (now ADELE's manager) a reworked Daydream in Blue hit the UK Top 20 in 2001. GOSLING and HONER went on to remix artists such as THE DIVINE COMEDY, PULP, FEEDER and GOLDFRAPP. One track from the second I MONSTER album 'Neveroddoreven' was used as the main title theme to 'Shaun Of The Dead' and at this time their music was being used all over TV in shows, films and adverts. 'Daydream In Blue' was sampled in its entirety by US rapper Lupe FIASCO, which GOSLING and HONER also co--produced and which went on to win a Grammy.
In 2005, Jarrod purchased a Mellotron M400 plus further cool instruments like a Rhodes, analogue synths, Rickenbacker 4001 bass, early 70s Rogers jazz kit and a Hammond organ. I MONSTER made a further album 'A Dense Swarm Of Ancient Stars', the cover of which, designed by GOSLING, featured in the Storm Thorgerson book 'Classic Album Covers Of The 60s'.
Around 2010, GOSLING and HONER started a side project called SKYWATCHERS, which featured Colchester based singer songwriter Kevin PEARCE, the music being a little folkier and proggy than I MONSTER. In 2011 GOSLING co--produced the HUMAN LEAGUE album 'Credo' with HONER, managing to get his old DW6000 synth on there, plus his Mellotron!
Finally later in 2001, GOSLING decided to take the plunge and make a prog album. Progressive rock, since the early 90s had become his absolute passion and so one--man band REGAL WORM was born and made the first album Use and Ornament which was recorded in Jarrod's Pig View studio utilising dangerous vintage machinery (including his prized Mellotron M400), to bring Prog Fans a highly detailed but accessible and colourful music, mixing prog, jazz, and folk genres with an anarchic post--punk strand and sensibility.
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