Datblygu ( meaning "develop" or "developing") were a Welsh

experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...

group formed in 1982. They are regarded as a catalyst of the new wave of Welsh rock in the early 1980s.

History

The band was formed by vocalist David R. Edwards and instrumentalist T. Wyn Davies in 1982 while they were at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi in Cardigan, with instrumentalist Patricia Morgan joining in 1984.Strong, Martin C. (2003) "The Great Indie Discography", Canongate, Hill, Sarah (2012)
Datblygu Trideg
, Wales Arts Review. Retrieved 18 June 2014Wales' poet laureate of doubt who made perfect sense to a generation
,

Wales Online Media Wales Ltd. is a publishing company based in Cardiff, Wales. As of 2009 it was owned by Reach plc (formerly known as the Trinity Mirror Group). It was previously known as the Western Mail & Echo Ltd. History The ''Western Mail'' was fou ...

, 17 February 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2014 Edwards' lyrics were almost entirely in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

, the subject matter reflecting his "extreme disillusionment" with life in Wales in the early 1980s era under

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

. After four cassette-only releases on Casetiau Neon, the band had their first vinyl release in 1987 on Anhrefn Records, with the ''Hwgr-Grawth-Og'' EP featuring just Edwards and Morgan, which was picked up by

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

and led to a session being recorded for 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 Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

show (the first of five such sessions).Datblygu biography
,

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. Retrieved 18 June 2014 While Welsh radio gave the band little airplay, they also found an outlet through

Geraint Jarman Geraint Jarman (17 August 1950 – 2 March 2025) was a Welsh musician, poet and television producer whose career dates back to the early years of Welsh popular music. He recorded many albums as a solo artist and with his band Geraint Jarman a'r ...

's ''Fideo 9'' television show on

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speakin ...

.Hill, Sarah (2007) Blerwytirhwng?' The Place of Welsh Pop Music'', Ashgate, , p. 87 The band's first album, ''Wyau'' (''Eggs''), was released in 1988, and was followed two years later with ''Pyst'' (''Posts'') on the Ofn label. Davies left in 1990 and the group continued as a duo for a while, before being augmented by a series of musicians, notably drummer Al Edwards. Moving to Ankst Records, the Christmas-themed ''Blwch Tymer Tymor'' cassette was issued in 1991. Edwards collaborated with Tŷ Gwydr and Llwybr Llaethog on the 1992 album ''LL.LL v T.G. MC DRE'', before releasing a final Datblygu album in 1993 with ''Libertino''. After a single, "Alcohol"/"Amnesia" in 1995, the band split up. In August 2008 a new 7-inch single "Can y Mynach Modern" (The Song of the Modern Monk) was released. The song recounts (over its brief ninety seconds) the turmoil and madness that engulfed Edwards as the band fell apart in the mid nineties and the long road to recovery that resulted from the fallout. The track is intended as a full stop on their legacy rather than a brand new start. Datblygu have been cited as a major influence on the generation of Welsh bands that followed, including

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci Gorky's Zygotic Mynci () were a psychedelic folk and alternative rock band which formed in Carmarthen, Wales, in 1991. The group performed music in both Welsh and English, and they had eight Top 75 singles on the UK Singles Chart during their ...

and

Super Furry Animals Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1993. For the duration of their professional career, the band consisted of Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar), Huw Bunford (lead guitar, vocals), Guto Pryce (bass guitar), Cian C ...

(who covered Datblygu's "Y Teimlad" on their ''

Mwng ''Mwng'' (; English: ''Mane'') is the fourth studio album by Welsh rock band the Super Furry Animals, and the first by the group to have lyrics written entirely in the Welsh language. ''Mwng'' was released on 15 May 2000 on the band's own record ...

'' album). In a rare TV appearance, Edwards featured on

documentary programme ''O Flaen dy Lygaid'' in 2009, presented by

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

-based broadcaster and friend of Edwards's, Ali Yassine, which followed Edwards and his efforts to recover from mental illness. The programme also featured Datblygu bandmember and former

Pobol y Cwm ''Pobol y Cwm'' (''People of the Valley''; ) is a Welsh-language soap opera produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, ''Pobol y Cwm'' was originally transmitted on BBC Cymru (now B ...

actress Ree Davies and her own battle against mental illness. In 2012 an exhibition celebrating the band's history was held in a Cardiff coffee shop. Edwards and Morgan reunited in 2012 for the EP ''Darluniau'r Ogof Unfed Ganrif ar Hugain''. A new mini-album, ''Erbyn Hyn'', was released in June 2014. In 2020, an album ''Cwm Gwagle'', was released. It was No. 2 in

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

' list of 2020's Best of Weird Britain – "Another crucial document of a brilliant band". Edwards died 22 June 2021.

Discography

*Casetiau Neon **''Amheuon Corfforol'' ''('Body doubts')'' – cassette EP; c. 1982 **''Trosglwyddo'r Gwirionedd'' ''('Transferring the truth')'' – cassette EP; c. 1983 **''Fi Du'' ''('Black Me')'' – cassette EP; c. 1984 **''Caneuon Serch i Bobl Serchog'' ''('Love songs for lovers')'' – cassette EP; c. 1985 * Anhrefn Records **''Hwgr Grawth-Og'' – 7-inch EP; 1986 **''Wyau'' ''('Eggs')'' – LP; 1988 *Ofn Records **''Pyst'' ''('Posts')'' – LP; 1990 *

Ankst Ankst was a Welsh independent record label formed in 1988 at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth by Alun Llwyd, Gruffudd Jones and Emyr Glyn Williams. After a handful of low key cassette releases, the label relocated to Cardiff and became a ...

Records **''Blwch Tymer Tymor'' ''('Season mood box')'' – cassette LP; 1991 **''Peel Sessions: No AIDS, No Salmonella, and No Gulf War Respectively'' – LP; 1992 (''

compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products, such as video game co ...

of the first 3 of the band's 5

Peel Sessions John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

'') **''Libertino'' – CD; 1993 **"Alcohol" / "Amnesia" – single; 1995 **''Wyau / Pyst'' – CD; 1995 (''composed of the two earlier albums of the same names'') *

Ankstmusik Ankst was a Welsh independent record label formed in 1988 at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth by Alun Llwyd, Gruffudd Jones and Emyr Glyn Williams. After a handful of low key cassette releases, the label relocated to Cardiff and became a m ...

Records **''Datblygu 1985–1995'' – CD; 1999 (''collection of previously released singles, compilation tracks and EPs'') **''Wyau, Pyst a Libertino'' – double CD; 2004 (''the three previous albums reissued as a double CD'') **''Can Y Mynach Modern'' – 7-inch single; 2008 **''The Peel Sessions 1987–1993'' – CD; 2008 (all five Peel sessions) **''Darluniau'r Ogof Unfed Ganrif ar Hugain'' – 7-inch vinyl EP; 2012 **''Erbyn Hyn'' – CD mini-album; 2014 **''Porwr Trallod'' – LP, CD; 2015 **''Cwm Gwagle'' – LP; 2020 **''Terfysgiaith'' - 1982-2022- LP; 2023

References

External links

Peel Sessions by Datblygu
* {{Authority control 1982 establishments in Wales 2021 disestablishments in Wales Welsh musical trios Welsh rock music groups Welsh-language bands Welsh-speaking musicians Welsh post-punk music groups Minimal wave groups Musical groups established in 1982 Musical groups disestablished in 1995 Musical groups reestablished in 2012 Musical groups disestablished in 2021