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David Wrench (music producer)

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David Wrench
Wrench in 2018
Wrench in 2018
Background information
OriginBryngwran, Isle of Anglesey, Wales
Genres
Occupations
Years active1989–present
Websitedavidwrench.co.uk

David Wrench is a Welsh musician, songwriter, producer and mixer based in London.[1] His work has been nominated for Grammys,[2][3][4][5][6][7] Brit Awards and shortlisted for numerous Mercury Prize nominations including the 2017 winning album Process by Sampha.[8] and Arlo Parks 2021 'Collapsed in Sunbeams’.[9] Wrench has been the recipient of the BBC Radio Cymru C2 Producer of the Year award five times in six years between 2007 and 2012[10] and has received Music Producer Guild Awards (MPGs) including Mix Engineer of the Year 2016 and 2019.[11][12] Credits include, David Byrne, Frank Ocean, The Pretenders, Blur, Caribou, Goldfrapp, Erasure, The xx, Sampha, Jamie xx, Jungle, FKA Twigs, Glass Animals, Florence and the Machine, Arlo Parks, Alma, Hot Chip, Marika Hackman, Honne, Jack Garratt, Manic Street Preachers, Villagers, Courtney Barnett, Austra, Tourist, Richard Russell, Let's Eat Grandma, Young Fathers, Georgia, Bat For Lashes and Race Horses.

David Wrench mixes in Dolby Atmos.[13][14]

Career

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Solo career

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As a musician, Wrench first came to public attention in 1990 with his first group Nid Madagascar who released the first Welsh-language acid house record "Lledrith Lliw" as a 12" single in 1990.[15] This was followed by his first solo album Blow Winds Blow, released via Ankst in 1997. After its release, Wrench began working as an engineer, producer and occasional instrumentalist for artists. His early engineering and production credits from this period include records by British Sea Power, The Good Sons, Jackie Leven and The Blueskins, Zabrinski, MC Mabon, Julian Cope (Brain Donor) and Welsh Music Prize winning album from Georgia Ruth. Mix credits from this time include James Yorkston, Caribou (Albums Andorra and Swim), Week of Pines and Y Niwl.[16]

In 2010 Wrench released the album Spades & Hoes & Plows on Invada records. The album, which was produced by Julian Cope, comprises three re-workings of old revolutionary folk songs and one original instrumental piece based on the Rebecca riots. Writing in the Sunday Times, Stewart Lee described the album thus: "In the face of young people's new enthusiasm for trad-lite, the Welsh weirdo David Wrench threatens to reunpopularise folk music, foregrounding puritanical politics over unpalatable instrumentation at funereal tempos. Fans of Lisbee Stainton are unlikely to enjoy Wrench's punishing, 24-minute rendition of "The Blackleg Miner" despite the invigorating and apocalyptically primitive Mellotron interludes supplied by Julian Cope's Black Sheep band. These weary recitations of traditional protest songs require patience, but by Helyntion Beca, a wordless closing workout inspired by 19th-century black-face transvestites attacking Carmarthenshire toll gates, the LP achieves a tortuous transcendence."[17]

Production, mixing, engineering

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2004–2014

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When not working on his own music, David Wrench is a studio Record Producer and Engineer. Wrench's production and mix credits from 2004 to 2014 include a number of critically acclaimed albums for Bear in Heaven (I Love You, It's Cool), Alessi's Ark (Time Travel), Race Horses (Goodbye Falkenberg), The Lizzies (St. John), Holy Coves (Peruvian Mistake), Zun Zun Egui (Katang), Y Niwl, Gwyneth Glyn, Skinny Lister (Forge & Flagon) and Caribou (Swim). As an Engineer he worked on albums by Bat For Lashes, Everything Everything, Kathryn Williams, Guillemotts, Beth Orton, James Yorkston, Nancy Elizabeth and Fanfarlo.[1]

In 2014 he mixed FKA Twigs’ hugely lauded LP1, and Jungle's self titled debut album, both subsequently nominated for the Mercury Prize.[18]

2015 saw Wrench work again with Dan Snaith aka Caribou on the album Our Love[19] which went on to be nominated in the Best Dance/Electronic album at the 2015 Grammy Awards.[20]

In 2016 Wrench mixed "Self Control" on Frank Ocean's second studio album Blonde.[21]

In 2017, he mixed Sampha’s Mercury Prize and Brit Award winning album Process, and the following year he mixed David Byrne’s American Utopia,[22] which was subsequently nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 61st Grammy Awards.[23] Wrench’s other mix and producing credits from 2017/2018 include Goldfrapp Silver Eye,[24] The xx’s I See You, Gwenno’s Le Kov[25] (Cornish language album), tracks from Richard Russell’s EP Everything Is Recorded,[26]Honne Love Me/Love Me Not, Lo Moon, For Me It’s You, Blossoms album Cool Like You and Let’s Eat Grandma I’m All Ears.[21]

Wrench mixed Erasure's The Neon,[27] the band's eighteenth studio album released in August 2020 by Mute Records. The album debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart with 8,394 copies sold in its first week, the duo's highest-charting album since I Say I Say I Say (1994).[28] In 2020 David also worked with Arlo Parks on tracks "Black Dog", "Eugene" and "Hurt". The latter two have been BBC Radio 1’s Tune of the Week and Annie’s Mac’s Hottest Record. Parks won the AIM Independent Music Awards 2020 ‘One To Watch', was included in The NME 100,[29] longlisted for BBC Sound of 2020[30] and went on to win a Brit Award for Breakthrough Artist, the Mercury Music Prize and was nominated for a Grammy.

Other releases of 2020 include Ellie Goulding's track "New Heights" from new album Brightest Blue,[31] Jamie xx single "idontknow",[21] Caribou album Suddenly[32] and recent Frank Ocean tracks.[33]

Other mixing and producing projects during this period include "Gosh" from Jamie xx’s In Colour (2015);[34] tracks from Glass Animals’ How To Be A Human Being (2016),[35] their debut Zaba (2014) and also their most recent release Dreamland (2020);[36] Marika Hackman Any Human Friend (2019);[37] Alma Bad News Baby (2019),[21] Manic Street Preachers The Ultra Livid Lament (2021)[38] Villagers Fever Dreams (2021), Courtney Barnett Things Take Time, Take Time (2022).[39] More recent projects include production and mix on Let’s Eat Grandma Two Ribbons (2022), mix on Lil Silva Yesterday Is Heavy (2022),[40] mix on Hercules and Love affair In Amber (2022),[41] mix on Oliver Sim Hideous Bastard (2022)[42] mix on Shygirls Nymph (2023),[43] production and mix Bombino Sahel (2023)[44], production and mix The Pretenders Relentless (2023)[45], mix Blur The Ballad of Darren (2023)[46], mix Sampha Lahai (2023)[47], mix Arlo Parks My Soft Machine (2023)[48], mix Declan McKenna What Happend To The Beach?[49][circular reference](2024), Co-production and mix porij album Teething (2024).[50]

Other projects

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Audiobooks performing at Cambridge Junction in 2022

In 2015, Wrench provided surround sound mixing of Wayne McGregor’s ballet Tree of Codes for its debut at the Manchester Opera House for the Manchester International Festival.[51] The ballet features music by Jamie xx, and visual design by Olafur Eliasson. The ballet was highly acclaimed, and continues to tour.

In 2018, he formed the band audiobooks alongside singer, artist and model Evangeline Ling.[52] The band signed to Heavenly Recordings and released their debut album Now! (in a minute) in November 2018.[53] In 2021 audiobooks released their second LP ‘Astro Tough’[54] followed in 2023 by ‘Gulliver’ EP.[55]

Discography

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Albums

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  • 1997: Blow Winds Blow (vinyl LP/audio CD)
  • 1999: You Have Just been Poisened by The Serpents (audio CD with The Serpents)
  • 2001 "Happiness", (Cherry Red Records), The Good Sons.
  • 2005: The Atomic World of Tomorrow (audio CD)
  • 2010: Spades & Hoes & Plows (audio CD)

Singles and EPs

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  • 1990: "Lledrith Lliw" (12" vinyl EP with Nid Madagascar)
  • 1997: "Black Roses" (7" vinyl)
  • 1997: "The Ballad of the Christmas Tree and the Silver Birch" (7" vinyl)
  • 1998: "No Mask, No Cloak, Dim Gobaith" (7" vinyl with The Serpents)
  • 1998: "Sings the Songs of the Shangri Las" (7" vinyl EP)
  • 2004: "Superhorny" / "Fuck You And Your War on Terror" (12" vinyl & CD EP)
  • 2004: "World War IV" (CD EP)

Production and mixing credits

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Year Artist Release Credit
2000 Jackie Leven Defending Ancient Springs Co-Production & Mix
2001 Julian Cope / Brian Donor Tracks from Love Peace & Fuck Recording & Mix
2002 Zabrinski Koala Ko-ordination Additional Production
2005 Jackie Leven & Ian Rankin Jackie Leven Said Co-Production & Mix
2007 Jackie Leven Oh What a Blow That Phantom Dealt Me! Co-Production & Mix
Caribou Andorra Mix
2009 Holy Coves The Lizzies Ynys Môn Co-Production & Mix
Bat for Lashes Two Suns Engineer
2010 Race Horses Goodbye Falkenburg Production & Mix
Y Niwl Y Niwl Production & Mix
Jackie Leven Gothic Road Co-Production & Mix
Everything Everything Man Alive Engineer
Caribou Swim Mix
Mizan Dark Blue (EP) Mix
2011 Zun Zun Egui Katang Production & Mix
2012 Skinny Lister Forge and Flagon Co-Production & Mix
2012 Race Horses Furniture Mix
Holy Coves Peruvian Mistake Co-Production & Mix
James Yorkston I Was a Cat from a Book Co-Production & Mix
2013 Georgia Ruth Week of the Pines Production & Mix
2014 Philip Selway Weatherhouse Mix
Jungle Jungle Mix
Caribou Our Love Mix
FKA Twigs LP1 Mix
Owen Pallett Tracks from In Conflict Mix
Glass Animals Tracks from Zaba Mix
2015 Erasure Sometimes 2015 Mix
Empress Of Me Mix
LA Priest Inji Mix
Bob Moses Tracks from Days Gone By Mix
Hot Chip Tracks from Why Make Sense? Mix
FKA Twigs Tracks from M3LL155X Mix
Jamie xx "Gosh" Mix
2016 Bombino Azel Mix
Bloc Party Hymns Mix
Factory Floor 25 25 Mix
Beth Orton Kidsticks Mix
Blossoms Blossoms Mix & Additional Keys
Jagwar Ma So Ordinary Mix
Shura Tracks from Nothing's Real Mix
Manic Street Preachers "A Design for Life (David Wrench Remix)" Remix
Rihanna "Kiss It Better (Four Tet Remix)" Mix
Glass Animals Tracks from How to Be a Human Being Mix
Frank Ocean Self Control Mix
2017 Sampha Process Mix
Goldfrapp Silver Eye Mix
Tei Shi Crawl Space Mix
The xx I See You Mix
2018 Gwenno Le Kov Mix
Blossoms Cool Like You Additional Production & Mix
Honne Love Me/Love Me Not Mix
Let's Eat Grandma I'm All Ears Production & Mix
David Byrne American Utopia Mix
Jungle For Ever Mix
The Charlatans "Totally Eclipsing" Production & Mix
Lo Moon For Me, It's You Mix
Young Fathers "Cocoa Sugar" / "Boarder Girls" Mix
Richard Russell "Everything Is Recorded" / "Be My Friend" Mix
2019 James Yorkston Route to Harmonium Co-Production & Mix
Tourist Wild Mix
Marika Hackman Any Human Friend Co-Production & Mix
Alma "When I Die" / "Bad News Baby" Mix
Benee Fire on Marzz (EP) Mix
Frank Ocean "In My Room" Mix
2020 Marika Hackman Covers Mix
Jack Garratt Love, Death & Dancing Mix
Austra Hirudin Mix
Elderbrook Why Do We Shake in the Cold? Mix
Honne No Song Without You Mix
Erasure The Neon Mix
Caribou Suddenly Mix
Jamie xx In Colour (2020 reissue) Mix
Georgia "Mellow", "Honey Dripping Sky", and "Ultimate Sailor" Mix
Jealous of the Birds "Young Neanderthal" / "Always Going" Production & Mix
Mustafa "Air Forces" / "Stay Alive" Mix
Tourist Siren Mix
Tourist Last Mix
Khushi Hotter Than Your Instincts Mix
Crooked Colours "Love Language" / "Falling" Mix
Grand Pax "Wavey" / "ATV" Mix
Ruel "As Long as You Care" Mix
Mai Kino "Dopamine" / "Lungs" Mix
Ellie Goulding "New Heights" Mix
Glass Animals Tracks from Dreamland Mix
HAAi Put Your Head Above The Parakeets (EP) Mix
Jamie xx "Idontknow" Mix
2021 Arlo Parks Collapsed in Sunbeams Mix
Manic Street Preachers The Ultra Vivid Lament Production & Mix
Villagers Fever Dreams Mix
2022 Courtney Barnett Things Take Time, Take Time Mix
Let's Eat Grandma Two Ribbons Production & Mix
Just Mustard Heart Under Additional Production & Mix
Lil Silva Yesterday Is Heavy Mix
Hercules and Love Affair In Amber Mix
Oliver Sim Hideous Bastard Mix
Shygirl Nymph Mix
Florence and the Machine "Mermaids" Mix
2023 Royel Otis "Going Kokomo" / "I Wanna Dance With You" Mix
Overmono "Good Lies" / "Calling Out" Mix
Poolside Track from Blame It All on Love Mix
Arlo Parks My Soft Machine Mix
Bombino Sahel Production & Mix
Blur The Ballad of Darren Mix
Baxter Dury I Thought I Was Better Than You Mix
Carly Rae Jepsen "So Right" Mix
Hot Chip "Fire of Mercy" Mix
Elmiene "Mama" Mix
TSHA, Ellie Goulding, and Gregory Porter "Somebody" Mix
Ben Böhmer "One Last Time" Mix
V Layover Mix
Sampha Lahai Mix
The Pretenders Relentless Production & Mix
2024 His Lordship Tracks from His Lordship Production & Mix
Caribou Honey Mix
The Zone of Interest Film score Mix
Declan McKenna What Happened to the Beach? Mix
Porij Teething Co-production & Mix
RM “Nuts” / “Heaven” / “Lost!” Mix
Ezra Collective Dance, No One's Watching Mix
Blossoms Gary Mix
Jamie xx Album tracks In Waves Mix
Fcukers Baggy$$ Mix
Yannis & The Yaw Lagos Paris London Mix
Washed Out "Got Your Back" / "The Hardest Part" Mix
Picture Parlour "Face in the Picture" Mix
Jeshi "HURRICANE" / "DISCONNECT!" / "Total 90" Mix
Primal Scream Come Ahead Mix
Rex Orange County The Alexander Technique Mix
Kelly Lee Owens Dreamstate Mix
Sampha "Satellite Business 2.0" Mix
Tourist "Protector" Mix
George Daniels "Screen Cleaner" Mix
Sophie Ellis-Bextor "Freedom Of The Night" Additional Production & Mix
Romy, Sampha "I'm On Your Team" Mix

References

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  1. ^ a b "David Wrench". Solar Management. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Best Dance/Electronic Album: 58th GRAMMY Nominees". GRAMMY.com. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  3. ^ William Doyle (27 February 2018). "The Strange World Of... David Byrne". The Quietus. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  4. ^ Evan Minsker (7 December 2018). "Grammy Nominations 2019: See The Full List Here". The Quietus. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Arlo Parks". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Glass Animals". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Caribou". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Mercury Prize 2017: The nominees". BBC Music. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Music world reacts to Arlo Parks' Mercury Prize victory: "A worthy winner"". NME. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Yr Ods scoop Welsh music gong". North Wales Live. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  11. ^ "MPG 2016 Award Winners". The Music Producers Guild. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  12. ^ "The Music Producers Guild Announces its 2019 Awards Winners". The Music Producers Guild. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Dolby Atmos Music Studios". professional.dolby.com. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  14. ^ "David Wrench Atmos". Solar Management. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  15. ^ "David Wrench biography". BBC Wales. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  16. ^ "David Wench". Sound on Sound. January 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  17. ^ Lee, Stewart (4 July 2010). "Spades & Hoes & Plows review". Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Mercury Prize 2014: Producer David Wrench's split loyalties". BBC News Online. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Caribou opens up on Our Love". Crack Magazine. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  20. ^ "Hamilton's Caribou gets Grammy nomination for 'Our Love'". CBC News. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d "Producer / Mixers". Solar Management. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  22. ^ "Mixing David Byrne's American Utopia with David Wrench". Waves Audio. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Artist - David Byrne". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  24. ^ "Goldfrapp announce new album Silver Eye, share lead single "Anymore" -- listen". Consequence of Sound. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Gwenno Announces New Album, Le Kov". XLR8R. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  26. ^ "Everything Is Recorded: Close but Not Quite EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  27. ^ The Neon - Erasure | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 20 January 2021
  28. ^ "Charts analysis: Brandon Flowers lands eighth chart-topping album | Analysis | Music Week". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  29. ^ "The NME 100: Essential new artists for 2020 | NME". NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Yungblud, Georgia and Celeste make the BBC Sound of 2020 longlist". BBC News. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  31. ^ Brightest Blue - Ellie Goulding | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 20 January 2021
  32. ^ Suddenly - Caribou | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 20 January 2021
  33. ^ "David Wrench". Solar Management. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  34. ^ In Colour - Jamie xx | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 20 January 2021
  35. ^ How to Be a Human Being - Glass Animals | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 20 January 2021
  36. ^ Dreamland - Glass Animals | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 20 January 2021
  37. ^ "Bringing sexy back: Marika Hackman". diymag.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  38. ^ "Manic Street Preachers announce new album The Ultra Vivid Lament, share "Orwellian"". Consequence. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  39. ^ "Courtney Barnett shares online 'interactive stem mixer' for fans to 'play around' with 'Things Take Time, Take Time' songs". Indie88. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  40. ^ "Lil Silva's debut album, Yesterday Is Heavy, released in a special edition version via The Vinyl Factory". Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  41. ^ "Hercules & Love Affair's 'In Amber' Expands To Sonic Extremes". Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  42. ^ "David Wrench". Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  43. ^ "Discogs - Shygirl - Nymph". Discogs. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  44. ^ "Bombino - "Sahel"". Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  45. ^ "Discogs - Pretenders - Relentless". Discogs.
  46. ^ "Discogs - Blur - The Ballad Of Darren". Discogs.
  47. ^ "Discogs - Sampha - Lahai". Discogs.
  48. ^ "Discogs - Arlo Parks - My Soft Machine". Discogs.
  49. ^ "Wikipedia - What Happened to the Beach - Declan McKenna".
  50. ^ "Porij - Teething".
  51. ^ "Tree of Codes show program". Issuu. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  52. ^ "David Wrench: 'I was determined that my work was going to be as good as the biggest records out there' | Gigwise". www.gigwise.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  53. ^ "Now! (in a minute)". heavenlyrecordings.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  54. ^ "audiobooks - Astro Tough A remarkable second album..." Clash Music. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  55. ^ Quietus, The (21 February 2023). "Audiobooks Announce New EP, 'Gulliver'". The Quietus. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
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