The Gentle People were a band formed in the United States in 1995. Their sound explored "

kitsch ''Kitsch'' ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as Naivety, naïve imitation, overly eccentric, gratuitous or of banal Taste (sociology), taste. The modern avant-garde traditionally opposed kitsch ...

y" 1950s

lounge Lounge may refer to: Architecture * Lounge, the living room of a dwelling * Lounge, a public waiting area in a hotel's lobby * Lounge, a style of commercial alcohol- bar * Airport lounge or train lounge (e.g., Amtrak's Acela Lounge), a premium ...

and

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...

aesthetics in the context of 1990s

club culture Clubbing (also known as club culture, related to raving) is the activity of visiting and gathering socially at nightclubs ( discotheques, discos or just clubs) and festivals. That includes socializing, listening to music, dancing, drinking alcohol ...

. They signed to the UK

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

label

Rephlex Records Rephlex Records was a record label launched in 1991 in Cornwall by Electronic music, electronic musician Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) and Grant Wilson-Claridge. The label coined the term ''braindance'' to describe the output of Aphex Twin ...

in 1995 and released two albums: ''Soundtracks for Living'' (1997) and ''Simply Faboo'' (1999).

Career

The four members of the Gentle People variously came from the US, UK, and France, and performed under the names Dougie Dimensional, Laurie LeMans, Valentine Carnelian, and Honeymink. The group describe themselves as an "audio-visual experience" and labeled their sound "E-Z-Core." They were signed to

(co-run by Richard D. James a/k/a

Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...

), despite the group's "relaxed brand of sugar-coated, vocal-based

" being quite different from the output on that electronic label. The signing occurred after they mailed a demo and postcard. The 1995 track "Journey" was their first release. The released the EP ''Emotion Heater'' in 1996. The group released their 1997 debut album ''Soundtracks for Living'' on the label. The album mixed typical lounge sounds, including strings, harps, and Latin rhythms, with modern dub,

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

, and

ambient techno Ambient techno is a subgenre of techno that incorporates the atmospheric textures of ambient music with the rhythmic elements and production of techno. It was pioneered by 1990s electronic artists such as Aphex Twin, Carl Craig, The Orb, The ...

influences. It received a positive review from '' Select'', which claimed that "just when you thought easy listening was played out in a welter of zany student discos, the elegantly multinational Gentle People come to reaffirm la dolce vita." The group has worked with artists such as

Pizzicato Five Pizzicato Five (formerly typeset as Pizzicato V and sometimes abbreviated to P5)Yang Jeff, Dina Can, Terry Hong, (1997) ''Eastern Standard Time'' pg 277 New York: Mariner Books was a Japanese pop band formed in Tokyo in 1984 by multi-instrum ...

, Fantastic Plastic Machine, and

Deee-Lite Deee-Lite was an American House music, house and Dance music, dance music group formed in New York City. The group's Single (music), single "Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album, ''World Clique'' (19 ...

. They attracted an international following in the UK, Japan, and US, where they appeared on various lounge and

exotica Exotica is a musical genre that was popular during the 1950s to mid-1960s with Americans who came of age during World War II. The term was coined by Simon "Si" Waronker, Liberty Records co-founder and board chairman, named after the 1957 Mart ...

compilations. Their work was also remixed by labelmates such as

and

Luke Vibert Luke Vibert (born 26 January 1973) is a British electronic musician and producer, also known for his work under several aliases such as Plug and Wagon Christ. Raised in Cornwall, Vibert began releasing projects in the 1990s across varied genre ...

. Producer Valentine Carnelian passed away in August 2021.

Discography

Studio Albums

*''Soundtracks for Living'' (1997, Rephlex) *''Simply Faboo'' (1999, Rephlex)

References

{{Reflist Musical groups established in 1995 Rephlex Records artists