Catching Flies (born 1991) is an English musician, DJ and record producer from

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England. His sound has been described as sitting on the "smooth, mellow side of electronic music" somewhere "between

Flying Lotus Steven Ellison (born October 7, 1983), known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, DJ, filmmaker and rapper from Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the record label Brainfeeder. Flying Lotus h ...

and

Bonobo The bonobo (; ''Pan paniscus''), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus '' Pan,'' the other being the co ...

" and "contains shades of everything from hip hop to house, from soul to jazz." He has self-released three EPs and numerous remixes for artists like

Kwabs Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong (born 24 April 1990), better known by his stage name Kwabs, is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known for his international hit "Walk". Early life Born in London, Kwabs was raised in Bermondsey, Southwark ...

and

Wilkinson Wilkinson may refer to: People * Wilkinson (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places in the United States * Wilkinson, Illinois * Wilkinson, Indiana, a town in Hancock County * Wilkinson, Minnesota * Wilkinson, Mi ...

Releases

Catching Flies first came to prominence in October 2012, when his

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

of Mt. Wolf's track "Life Size Ghosts" began to get hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube and he got praise from scores of music blogs. Consequently, the track raced to the number one spot on the

Hype Machine Hype Machine is a music blog aggregator created by Anthony Volodkin. History Hype Machine was originally a music database created in 2005 by Anthony Volodkin, then a sophomore computer science major at Hunter College.Heilemann, JohCapturing th ...

. This was followed by the release of his first EP, ''The Stars'', which included 3 tracks of original music, plus the Mt. Wolf remix. The EP was released by Catching Flies for free on

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

and received thousands of downloads. June 2013 saw the release of ''The Long Journey Home'' EP, again comprising three original tracks and one remix. This was self-released through his own label, Indigo Soul, on

. Both EPs were officially released on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

and iTunes in November 2013. He has since received radio support from

Gilles Peterson Gilles Jérôme Moehrle MBE (; born 28 September 1964), better known as Gilles Peterson (), is a French broadcaster, DJ, and record label owner. He founded the influential labels Acid Jazz and Talkin' Loud, and started his current label Brown ...

Annie Mac Annie Mac (born 18 July 1978), is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP (Annie Mac Presents ...

, Mary Anne Hobbes,

Lauren Laverne Lauren Cecilia Fisher (née Gofton; born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and additional guitarist in the alternative rock ba ...

and

Huw Stephens Huw Meredydd Stephens (born 25 May 1981) is a Welsh radio and television presenter, currently broadcasting on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music. Stephens founded the Sŵn music festival with John Rostron and the yearly s ...

. In 2016, Catching Flies released a mini EP, consisting of two instrumental songs: Komorebi and Mama's Wisdom. ‘Komorebi’ took Catching Flies to #1 on HypeMachine again. The track has subsequently been sampled by US Hip-Hop sensation

Phora Marco Anthony Archer (born October 11, 1994), better known by his stage name Phora, is an American rapper from Anaheim, California. In 2011, he founded his own record label, Yours Truly. In February 2017, Phora announced signed a major label de ...

in R U Still''' on his debut album ‘ Yours Truly Forever’ which debuted at No.1 on the US Hip Hop Charts. Mama's Wisdom was originally premiered in

’s

BBC Radio One BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

Essential Mix The ''Essential Mix'' is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 and 2:00 a.m. UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the ''Essential Mix'' features contemporary Disc jockey, DJs and m ...

. Ahead of his debut album scheduled for release in 2019, Catching Flies released a new single in September 2018 featuring Oscar Jerome and Jay Prince. It was described as a 'jazz-soul-infused electro lullaby' by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' and awarded their 'Hot Tracks' pick. This was followed by "Satisfied" in November 2018, ‘an intoxicating slice of dance music that gets a big boost from euphoric, gospel-y vocal samples’ (

– New & Notable releases). ‘Satisfied’ has been supported and celebrated by the likes of

and George Fitzgerald (on his

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

Residency show). The release was accompanied by a short film about Catching Flies and his creative process, shot on 16mm film. It premiered on

Nowness Nowness (stylized NOWNESS) is a digital video channel that was launched in 2010 by its founder Jefferson Hack as a brand of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE.

and received their pick of the day. Catching Flies' debut album ''Silver Linings'' was released on 5 July 2019. ''

Future Music ''Future Music'' (stylised as ''FutureMusic'') is a monthly magazine published by Future plc in the UK. It was founded in 1992 and is aimed primarily at record producers working in the electronic music field. ''Future Music'' includes hardware a ...

'' called it ‘a brilliantly eclectic record… a moving journey that will last long in the memory.’

Earmilk ''EARMILK'', sometimes stylized in all caps, is a North American online music publication. Launched in the late 2000s by Montrey Whittaker, Blake Edwards and Eric DeFazio, ''Earmilk'' publishes on a variety of music genres, often covering hip h ...

gave the album 8.5/10 stars and dubbed it ‘A soundtrack to summertime…' and

Clash (magazine) ''Clash'' is a music and fashion magazine and website based in the United Kingdom. It is published four times a year by Music Republic Ltd, whose predecessor Clash Music Ltd went into liquidation. The magazine won the Best New Magazine award in ...

summarised: ‘Killer beats, a dreamy, atmospheric sound, and artfully orchestrated introspection.’ Catching Flies released 'Silver Linings Remixed' on 17 April 2020. It features remixes of tracks from his debut album, from , , , Soundbwoy Killah, Ron Basejam of Crazy P, and more. The album also includes a new track 'Daymarks' and a version of 'Yu' featuring

Jehst William G. Shields (born 1979), better known by his stage name Jehst, is an English rapper and co-founder of hip hop label YNR Productions. Biography Born in Kent in 1979, Jehst spent his early childhood in Crowborough in Sussex before moving ...

and Blu. He appeared on

Mary Anne Hobbs Mary Anne Hobbs (born 16 May 1964) is an English DJ and music journalist from Lancashire, England. She currently hosts the BBC Radio 6 Music weekday mid-morning show, Monday to Friday, 10:30am1pm, and her ''6 Music Recommends'' show, Wednesday ...

BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available on ...

show on 17 April 2020 to speak about the release. In March 2021, he was nominated for a BAFTA for his soundtrack work on the Playstation game 'Sackboy.'

Performances

Catching Flies has performed both DJ and Live shows at venues and festivals throughout the UK, Europe, and Asia. In 2017, he toured Asia for the first time, playing gigs in India, China and Singapore. He has done online mixes for

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or Habit (psychology), habit generally considered immorality, immoral, sinful, crime, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refe ...

, Oki-Ni and

Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and Nightclub, clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' ...

. His mix for the

Solid Steel ''Solid Steel'' are a series of DJ mix albums issued on Ninja Tune, an independent record label in the UK. ''Solid Steel'' also has a radio station webcast and related live concerts which further showcase the DJing talents of such artists. In ...

series was awarded second prize for 'Mix of The Year.' He also recorded a mix entitled 'The Soundtrack To The Film Of Your Imaginary Life' for

ID Magazine ''I.D.'' (''The International Design Magazine'') was a magazine covering the art, business, and culture of design. It was published eight times a year by F+W Media. History ''I.D.'' was founded in 1954 as ''Industrial Design''. The name was late ...

and gave an interview. In March 2014 he debuted his solo live show as the support act on

's European Tour. He has also appeared on bills with

Four Tet Kieran Hebden (born September 1977), known as Four Tet, is an English electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of the post-rock band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist with charting UK albums such as '' Rounds'' ( ...

Jon Hopkins Jonathan Julian Hopkins (born 15 August 1979) is an English musician and producer who writes and performs electronic music. He began his career playing keyboards for Imogen Heap, and has produced but also contributed to albums by Brian Eno, C ...

Little Dragon Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic music band from Gothenburg, Sweden, formed in 1996. The band consists of Yukimi Nagano (vocals, percussion), Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards). Little Dragon' ...

, George Fitzgerald,

Actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

& more. He concluded 'The Long Journey Home' tour with a sold out show with

Submotion Orchestra Submotion Orchestra are a seven piece band formed in 2009 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. They are influenced by dubstep, soul, ambient electronica, jazz and dub. Their debut LP ''Finest Hour'' was released on Ranking Records. They have perform ...

at London's Barbican Centre in the

Barbican Hall The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exh ...

, helping to close the

London Jazz Festival The London Jazz Festival is a music festival held every November. It takes place in London venues such as the Barbican and the Royal Festival Hall and in smaller jazz clubs, such as Ronnie Scott's and the Vortex Jazz Club. It is produced by Ser ...

. In 2018, he was nominated for a UMA in the 'Best Electronic Act' category.

Discography

Albums

* ''Silver Linings'' (Indigo Soul, 2019) * ''Silver Linings Remixed'' (Indigo Soul, 2020)

EPs

* ''The Stars'' (Indigo Soul, 2012) * ''The Long Journey Home'' (Indigo Soul, 2013) * ''Komorebi/Mama's Wisdom'' (Indigo Soul, 2016) *''New Gods'' (Indigo Soul, 2018) *''Satisfied'' (Indigo Soul, 2018)

Collaborations

* Catching Flies & Ifan Dafydd – 'Don't Know How' (Push & Run, 2013) * Submotion Orchestra ft. Catching Flies - 'Ao' (Counter Records/

Ninja Tune Ninja Tune is an English independent record label based in London. It has a satellite office in Los Angeles. It was founded by Matt Black and Jonathan More (better known as Coldcut) and managed by Peter Quicke and others. Inspired by a visit ...

, 2016) *Catching Flies ft. Jay Prince & Oscar Jerome - New Gods (Indigo Soul, 2018)

Remixes

* Mt. Wolf – "Life Size Ghosts" (Indigo Soul, 2012) *

Jill Scott Jill Scott may refer to: * Jill Scott (singer) (born 1972), American soul singer and songwriter. * Jill Scott (racing driver) (1902–1974), English racing driver * Jill Scott (media artist) (born 1952), Australian media artist * Jill Scott (footba ...

– "Golden" (White Label, 2012) *

Louis M^ttrs "Lost & Not Found" is a song by British record production duo Chase & Status, featuring vocals from British singer Louis M^ttrs. It was released on 26 June 2013 as the lead single from their third studio album ''Brand New Machine''. The song was ...

– "War With Heaven" (

Virgin EMI Records Virgin EMI Records was a British record label owned by the Universal Music Group that was formed in 2013. In June 2020, the label was rebranded as EMI Records, and operates Virgin Records as an imprint of the new EMI Records. History Virgin ...

, 2013) *

Rainy Milo Rainy Milo is a British recording artist, born in south-east London; she began her career singing with local musicians and arts collectives when she was 14. In 2012 Milo released her debut mixtape "Limey" which contained "jazz-inspired hip-hop" ...

– "Rats" (

, 2013) *

– " Too Close" (

RAM Records RAM Records is an independent record label established in 1992 by Andy C with the help of his friend Ant Miles. It specialises in drum and bass. The label and business is run by Andy C and business partner Scott Bourne (Red One). Ram Records ...

, 2013) *

- Perfect Ruin (

Warner Music Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...

, 2015) * Instupendo - Save (Instupendo, 2017) *

Klangstof Klangstof is a Dutch indie rock band composed of Koen van de Wardt, Wannes Salome and Erik Buschmann. The band is based in Amsterdam and signed to Mind of a Genius. History Koen van de Wardt (born 30 May 1992) grew up in a remote area in Norwa ...

- Hostage (Mind Of A Genius/

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

, 2017) * Yoste - Chihiro (2018)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flies, Catching 1991 births English electronic musicians English record producers English DJs Living people British trip hop musicians Downtempo musicians Electronic dance music DJs