Cocteau Twins
Hailing from Grangemouth, Scotland, the Cocteau Twins are responsible for some of the most unique, and moving contemporary pop music to emerge since the early '80s. An enigmatic collection of musicians, centring on the duo of Elizabeth Fraser (b. 29 August 1958) and Robin Guthrie, they have very few peers in modern popular music. Arguably, the central point of interest in the Cocteau's music lies in the remarkable vocal style of Elizabeth Fraser. This petite figure is able to produce the most astonishing variety of vocal impressions and inflections, using words more for their sound than their meaning. Her vocal style has been viewed with a mixture of bemusement and amusement, yet has made her one of most popular singers of the '80s and '90s. The musical back-drop to all this has been controlled by Fraser's partner Robin Guthrie. As composer (utilizing guitar, tape loops, echo boxes and drum machines) and studio producer, he has been a driving force and artistic controller. Guthrie formed the group in 1982 with his friend, bass player Will Heggie, and had recruited Fraser as a singer reputably after seeing her dancing in a Grangemouth discotheque. Subsequent demo tapes fell into the hands Ivo Watts-Russell, the owner of the 4AD label. His enthusiasm for the Cocteau's music prompted the band's move to London to record for the label. The first album generated enormous interest and airplay from BBC Radio 1 disc jockey, John Peel. Their debut album, GARLANDS, released in 1982, initially encouraged lazy comparisons to the style of Siouxsie And The Banshees, but this was soon erased as the Cocteau Twins began to carve their own niche in modern music. By spring 1983, Heggie had departed (to later re-emerge in Lowlife), leaving Fraser and Guthrie to record the second, transitional album, HEAD OVER HEELS. Having smoothed over the rougher edges of its predecessor with Guthrie adding layers of echo and phased drum effects the album and allowed Fraser's voice full rein to experiment. This resulted in a dreamlike quality that permeated the set. During this period the group were involved in the 4AD label project, This Mortal Coil, for which Fraser and Guthrie's version of the Tim Buckley song, Song To the Siren has since been acknowledged as one of the finest independent label recordings of the '80s. Simon Raymonde had by now been enrolled as bass player, eventually becoming a valuable asset in composing, arranging and production. The release of two superb EP collections, SUNBURST AND SNOWBLIND and PEARLY-DEWDROPS’ DROPS dominated the Independent charts, with the latter broaching the national Top 30. The Cocteau's reluctance to reveal much of their private lives or play the music business ‘games’ won them respect from most quarters and annoyance from others. They have strived to avoid the image imposed upon them by their fans as fey, mystical characters—an image contradicted, notably by Guthrie, in interviews as being earthy, cantankerous and most definitely of this world. One benefit of their refusal to place photos of the group on record sleeves was the superb cover art produced by the 23 Envelope art studio. 
The arrival of TREASURE in 1984 saw the group scaling new heights and remained for some time the Cocteau aficionados’ favourite album. The next couple of years were marked by the release of several EPs, AIKEA-GUINEA, TINY DYNAMITE and ECHOES IN A SHALLOW BAY, each displaying richer, more complex textures than previously heard. VICTORIALAND, featured a lighter, almost acoustic sound, marked by the absence of Raymonde, but included a guesting role for Richard Thomas (saxophone/tablas) of 4AD stablemates Dif Juz. Raymonde returned for the subsequent EP set, LOVE'S EASY TEARS and a not altogether successful collaboration with Harold Budd in late 1986. A hiatus of almost two years ended with the release of BLUE BELL KNOLL showing that they had not lost their touch. The emotional impact of the birth of Fraser and Guthrie's child was reflected in the songs on the stunning HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS. The single Iceblink Luck also saw a return to the UK Top 40 and combined with a renewed urgency to take the music onto the road, including the unlikely setting of Las Vegas. This burst of activity saw the Cocteau's desire to break away from the confines and protective enclaves of 4AD in March 1991. For much of that year Guthrie continued with studio production work, notably with the promising new 4AD group, Lush. The Cocteau Twins eventually signed a new deal with the Fontana label in March 1992. Following lengthy treatment with her speech therapist, Liz Frazer was coaxed back into the recording studio and completed FOUR-CALENDER CAFÉ which was well-received in the autumn of 1993.