The band

It's been a bit quiet. I've been asked what we've been up to for the last few years and whether we have any more gigs coming. First a bit of history…

Cadre was a loose group of people playing around with guitars and sequencers and samples (and other stuff) to make music. Hence the name. From 2000 to 2002 we were taking breakbeats, funk, dub, blues and techno and welding it into a dark and down beat sound, with no two gigs ever the same! I'm now working on a funk/breaks set for a bit of fun, more details later, possibly starting to act my age and get back into traditional English music as well.

Ian started the whole Cadre thing many years ago, re-launching the live band after a cracking solo set at the junction in March 2000. In the audience were James and Phil, and through mutual friends (mark the broker) we put the band together over a long summer. A couple of gigs followed with just Ian and James before Phil joined on bass in September 2000. A string of gigs around Cambridge and intense writing sessions produced the sound we were looking for – thanks to all those who came out to see us! Thanks to all the people who helped out and played with us during this time: Abby, Joel, Mark, Steve and all the rest. Den, master of vinyl, joined us for the back end of 2001 for the excellent boat race gig.

Just at the time we thought things would really pick up, we stopped it dead. Don't ask me why, it was just going that way.

Since then many new songs have been worked on, and a lot of effort has gone into building a little studio. We have been working on two very different projects, one a funk/breakbeat live set, and a long term song based set. None of this ever came to light, and when Phil moved to Wales last year it looks like that really is that!

The originator – samples, programming, production and live mix.

I've played in many bands over the years, a key moment coming when the indie band - The Six Napoleons - I played bass in split up in 1988 at the same time that sampling and house hit the UK. The end of this band combined with the end of the infamous Shepherd and Dog scene to force a change of direction. I recorded some songs with Neil Taylor (Neil - where are you?) from TSN before starting full time on electronic stuff as Beat Cadre in 1989. I worked with my brother Martin sending each other ST disks by post! The internet would have been handy... I've been working quietly on loads of electronic and dance tracks over the years before deciding to get a live band going again – see above!

A fan of ska, dub, english folk music, funk, big beat, breaks and good techno (as opposed to bad techno!). Some favourite artists include Coldcut, the Wedding Present, Jah Wobble, the Albion Band and Billy Bragg (now that would be an interesting gig).

I'm always moaning I'm tired and hate rehearsals. Like drums and bass too much and is a stranger to melody.

Guitar and vocals

James is a very prolific songwriter and a fine blues guitarist. Welding blues guitar to dance beats has been a bit of a challenge at times! He likes to sing and we triedworking on some ‘proper’ songs. James has been playing for several years, and as well as Cadre worked on solo songs and material with his other project with Nick.

He likes a bit of guitar, and wouldn’t sue me if I said he liked the strokes, beatles, white stripes, that sort of thing. Has been known to have a pint and go out from time to time.

Bass and guitar

Despite being clinically lazy some of the time, Phil likes his music to move, and he’s the only one in the band to get stuck in and jump around on stage. Phil can play too, which has to be a good thing.

A certified musicologist, Phil can identify the artist, song, producer, tape op, etc, for any one of the ‘original’ ideas we come up with. This can be good and bad at the same time. Has now moved back to the ancestral homelands of North Wales. 

Decks and synth

Den joined us for the last gig of 2001, and really pushed the show along. While we went to ground in 2002 he has carried on with his DJing – see www.quarantine.0catch.com and www.breakage.co.uk

PS. For the record, my dictionary gives the english pronouciation as Kah-Der. Not Shardrey, or anything like that.

Some sounds and images. Click on the images for a random treat, with more files added when I find them!

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