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Draft:Sparky Deathcap


Sparky Deathcap
A picture taken from a performance of Sparky Deathcap's Misty and Canderel.
Sparky Deathcap performing Misty and Canderel.
Background information
Birth nameRobert Nicholas Taylor
Genres
Years activeEarly 2000's-2013, 2022-present
Labels
Member of
Websitesparkydeathcap.com

Sparky Deathcap is the solo project of Los Campesinos! multi-instrumentalist Robert Nicholas Taylor. Active from the early 2000's to the present day, Rob has so far released three EPs and one album, with one more EP and an album both confirmed to be coming.

History

Beginnings and Nosebleed on the 99 (Early 2000's - 2005)

Beginning his music career under the name Sparky Deathcap in the early 2000's, Rob would release many songs to a small audience on Myspace, all of which would be deleted or lost to time, with the exception of the song Cosmic Love Infection.[1] In 2005, he'd release the six song EP Nosebleed on the 99,[2] which has since been lost, with only half of the tracklist being known.

Let's Build A Fire (2006 - 2008)

In 2006, a man by the name of Geoff Mendelson (later known as Kÿmi) would discover Rob's music and invite him to his record label Pulsar Music. Rob would end up sending Kÿmi 23 songs and a sketch for an album cover.[3] On February 6th 2007, Rob and Kÿmi would release the debut Sparky Deathcap album Let's Build A Fire on a limited run of 101 CDs sold on the Pulsar Music website [4] and at Sparky Deathcap live shows. Later in 2023 the 12 leftover songs would be compiled into the Let's Build A Fire Outtracks by fans.

Tear Jerky EP and Los Campesinos! (2009 - 2021)

In early 2009, Rob performed his comedy ukulele rock opera Misty and Canderel under the Sparky Deathcap name,[5] around the same time a demo of "Berlin Syndrome" appeared on the Pulsar Music compilation Tell Me Why.[6] Later in the year, Los Campesinos! would invite Rob to join them as their multi instrumentalist for touring their upcoming third album Romance Is Boring. He would then create the record label Nettlejam, under which he released the Tear Jerky EP on October 19th 2009.[7] Following the release of Romance Is Boring, Rob would officially join Los Campesinos! appearing on the EP, All's Well That Ends and all further releases.

Despite joining Los Campesinos!, Rob would continue to release more music as Sparky Deathcap, beginning with the song Blossomwings, released on his blog Spark Notes.[8] Later the song B-Roads would be uploaded on Myspace[1], with a shortened version later archived by Drowning In Stardust[9] before the full version was eventually rediscovered.[10] For Halloween 2011, the Sparky Deathcap song, The Halloween Song would be posted to the Los Campesinos! Youtube channel,[11] but would later be deleted.

Throughout 2009 - 2013 Sparky Deathcap would perform as an opener for Los Campesinos!, most notably at the Islington Assembly Hall, opening for the show that would later become the live album A Good Night For A Fistfight. In 2013, Rob would put Sparky Deathcap on hold to fully focus on Los Campesinos!

Revival (2022 - Present)

In late 2022 and early 2023, the Sparky Deathcap song September would go viral on Tiktok, resulting in Rob reviving Sparky Deathcap. Midway through January, the Bandcamp page for Tear Jerky would briefly be updated before being taken down, featuring a shortened version of Berlin Syndrome and partially finished remaster of September. On Janaury 27th 2023, under Sony Music Entertainment, Sparky Deathcap would release a remastered version of September, a song from 2009's Tear Jerky EP, followed by announcement of a full remaster of Tear Jerky. A few weeks later, it would be accompanied by a sped up version of September.

On October 19th 2023, the 14th anniversary of the original Tear Jerky, Rob would release a remaster of Tear Jerky's second track Winter City Ghosts and open pre-orders of vinyls for the remastered edition of Tear Jerky under Heart Swells[12]. Finally, on December 1st 2023, the remastered Tear Jerky EP would be released to streaming under Heart Swells.[13]

In an r/indieheads AMA for the seventh Los Campesinos! album All Hell, Rob would reveal that an ep containing the song B-Roads was coming in 2025 with more to come later.[14]

Discography

Albums

  • 2007: Let's Build A Fire Pulsar Music[4]

EPs

  • 2005: Nosebleed on the 99 Self Released[2]
  • 2009: Tear Jerky EP Nettlejam[7]
  • 2023: Tear Jerky Heart Swells[13]

Singles

Live Albums

  • 2009: Misty and Canderel Self Released

Compilation Appearances

  • 2007: A Découvrir Absolument Volume 12 A DECOUVRIR ABSOLUMENT[15]
  • 2009: Tell Me Why Pulsar Music[6]
  • 2009: Fear Of A Wack Planet Brainlove Records[16]

References

  1. ^ a b "Sparky Deathcap | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  2. ^ a b "Nosebleed on the 99 by Sparkydeathcap on DeviantArt". www.deviantart.com. 2005-05-11. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  3. ^ "Sparky Deathcap - Making Of". 2009-05-29. Archived from the original on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  4. ^ a b "Sparky Deathcap - Let's Build A Fire". 2009-05-28. Archived from the original on 28 May 2009. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  5. ^ tomston (2009-02-25). Sparky Deathcap - Live Ukelele Rock Opera Part 1/3. Retrieved 2024-12-11 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ a b "Tell Me Why, by Pulsar Music". Pulsar Music. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  7. ^ a b Nettlejam. "Nettlejam". Nettlejam. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  8. ^ "Spark Notes". Spark Notes. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  9. ^ drowning in stardust (2021-06-16). b-roads - sparky deathcap. Retrieved 2024-12-11 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Kams Music Archive (2024-03-16). Sparky Deathcap - B-Roads. Retrieved 2024-12-11 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ Sparky Deathcap (2011-10-31), The Hallowe'en Song - Sparky Deathcap, retrieved 2024-12-11
  12. ^ A record label created by Los Campesinos!
  13. ^ a b "Tear Jerky, by Sparky Deathcap". Sparky Deathcap. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  14. ^ loscamptheband (2024-07-24). "Haha, yeah I did say…". r/indieheads. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  15. ^ "A DECOUVRIR ABSOLUMENT VOLUME 12, by A DECOUVRIR ABSOLUMENT". A DECOUVRIR ABSOLUMENT. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  16. ^ Various - Fear Of A Wack Planet, 2009, retrieved 2024-12-11