Kumo came into existence in 1994 when Jono Podmore began work at Watershed Studios, London, UK and with Plink Plonk records, founding 2 sister labels to Plink Plonk: Autoi and Psychomat. He began to play the Theremin, developing new techniques for live performance of electronic music. After a string of singles and remixes as Kumo, March 1997 saw the release of his first album Kaminari to significant critical acclaim. A series of live dates and international DJ commitments followed
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Kumo came into existence in 1994 when Jono Podmore began work at Watershed Studios, London, UK and with Plink Plonk records, founding 2 sister labels to Plink Plonk: Autoi and Psychomat. He began to play the Theremin, developing new techniques for live performance of electronic music. After a string of singles and remixes as Kumo, March 1997 saw the release of his first album Kaminari to significant critical acclaim. A series of live dates and international DJ commitments followed, including the Essential Music Festival, the Sonar festival, and the Graz Biennale. 1997 was also the year that Jono moved temporarily to France to work as co-producer, sound designer and sound engineer with Irmin Schmidt (of Can) on his opera Gormenghast which premiered in 1998, and was re-staged in 2004. A selection from the opera was released on Spoon/Mute records in 2000 (Spoon 44). October 2000 saw the release of the 2nd Kumo album 1+1=1 on Spoon Records (Spoon 46). In 2001, after extensive touring including the Sonar festival, the London Jazz Festival and the Can Solo Projects tour, the first Irmin Schmidt and Kumo album: Masters of Confusion (Spoon 45) was released worldwide. Later the same year they created the sound installation Flies, Guys and Choirs for the Barbican Centre as part of the Elektronik festival. The installation is now available as a sonic experience for public spaces. The duo continue to perform and give workshops together across Europe and at festivals such as Montreux Jazz, Sonar, Triptych etc. They also work on film and TV music together including award winning German TV series and dramas. In 2002 Jono also worked on new projects in Germany, Switzerland and the U.K (with B.J Cole and Jaki Liebezeit amongst others) and a the track EP Kumo and Friends (e-tones 009) was released on Electric Tones Records in early 2003. A successful collaboration with BJ Cole was released on the album Trouble in Paradise and, after further live appearances together, work began on a 2nd Irmin Schmidt and Kumo album. As this work continued, the duo also made remixes (incl. P.I.L); performed live and gave workshops in Germany and Portugal; and, produced the album dot i/o for Japanese artist Mito Ichikawa released on P-Vine records, December 2006. The 2nd Irmin Schmidt and Kumo album - Axolotl Eyes was released in Spring 2008 on Spoon/Mute/Warners and is set for release in Japan on P-Vine Autumn 2008. The 7 track album will come with a bonus DVD containing the complete sound installation Flies, Guys and Choirs in 5.1, accompanied by a 2 hour film by Jono and Sandra Podmore with Kate Shipp. The DVD was screened at the Sonar festival, Barcelona and Les Chants Mechaniques festival in Lille. A new four track Kumo ep entitled Metapolis has recently become available on iTunes and further releases are planned. http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=260130422&id=260130418&s=143444 Jono lives in London with his wife Sandra and daughter Lara. More info and downloads available here: www.psychomat.com and here: www.myspace.com/kumosolo
