Random Elements

THE BAND:

Paul Roberts - Vocals, guitars
Les Davidson - Guitars
Nick South - Bass
Robin Langridge - Keyboards
Paul Robinson - Drums

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS:

Dean Ross - Keyboards
Richard Moore - Violin
Helen Hardy - Backing Vocals
 

Produced - Paul Roberts

2017

The story

In 2012 I was contacted by a couple of Australians calling themselves Canyons with a request for me to supply a top line melody, some lyrics and vocal to an idea they had for a song. I was second choice for this after Robert Smith of The Cure, who was otherwise engaged. They seemed like nice guys and I liked the vaguely surreal lyric that they had and the general approach they were attempting. So through the wonders of the Internet I ended up singing and co writing When I See You Again for Canyons.

I think they did a pretty good job. Around this time I had an accident and cracked my skull. While in the process of recovery they contacted me to ask if I would be in the video for the song. I agreed even though I was not at my best. The outcome was an excellent video with a rather haggard me singing. The doctors had estimated at least six months to recover. Curiously they weren't wrong. During this time I was very uncreative and entirely unproductive.

Then my old friend and partner in crime keyboard player Robin Langridge, who had worked with me on my two solo albums as well as No Damage Done, Underground and Downstream started sending me tracks, mostly insane but evocative grooves. Having done the Canyons thing it seemed a natural process to try and shape these things into something with a little more structure and coherence and not forgetting, something to sing. I have very seldom collaborated with songwriting but this method seemed to work. Thus Random Elements was born. Les Davidson sent me a lovely instrumental piece that became We Find A Way. The only conventional collaboration was perhaps Let's Make Time For Love, when I sent a complete lyric to Robin and he supplied the tune. There are a few songs that are just mine but overall I think this new approach has lead to some unexpected and fruitful outcomes.

Lyrically there are love songs, perhaps less concerned with young love than would be realistic but then love does not end with youth. But as implied in the name, Random Elements, the main lyrical concern is the bizarre state of the world in the twenty first century. More connected than at any time in history we crave the certainties of bygone eras. Spoiled for choice, we search desperately for identity in a world where everything is just out of reach. The nutters are having a field day. A lot of the more political numbers were written 2012- 2013 so actually Bring Out The Dead was not about Donald Trump, as he was not yet running for President and even Brexit was not on the cards but something was happening. The global economy was creating huge wealth for the few who were creating their own parallel universe where fine dining and fine art had been commandeered to exclude us as anything other than bystanders. The last days of the Roman Empire revisited. I don't think it's possible to ignore all this so I won't. Random Elements.

Paul Roberts