Circulus (band)

Circulus are a psychedelic/progressive folk band from South London, England, founded by guitarist and singer Michael Tyack.^[15]

Circulus
Circulus at Green Man Festival, 2017
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Psychedelic folk progressive folk
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Instant Farma Rise Above Mythical Cake
Members	Michael Tyack[1] Jennifer Bennett[2] Oliver Parfitt[1] George Parfitt[1]
Past members	Will Summers[3] Lo Polidoro[4] Sam Kelly[5] Victor Hugo[6] Eric Anholm[7] Jason Hobart[8] Emma Steele[9] Robin Cieslak[10] Tom Goldsmith[11] Holly-Jane Shears[12] Anthony Elvin[13] Alan French[14]

The band uses a mix of modern and medieval instruments, such as the lute, cittern, crumhorn and rauschpfeife, along with the Moog synthesizer, bass and electric guitars.

Circulus were featured in a two-page spread of an NME issue in 2005,^[16] also appearing that year in a Sveriges Television music documentary called This Is Our Music in 2005^[17]. They were interviewed on BBC2's The Culture Show on 3 February 2007, as part of an item on the 'new folk'.^[18]

Mojo magazine chose Circulus to cover Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds for their 40th anniversary Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band tribute album, Sgt. Pepper... With a Little Help from His Friends, given away with their March 2007 issue^[19].

The band performed on the 'Meltdown on the Thames' stage, at Meltdown Festival on 17th June, 2007,^[20] one week later playing on the Park Stage at Glastonbury Festival.^[21] They performed at Green Man Festival in 2006^[22] and 2017^[23].

In 2013, they provivded an original music soundtrack for the short film Eilmer The Flying Monk^[24], which is based on the story of Eilmer of Malmesbury. In 2014 their music was used in the soundtrack of the documentary The Truth Behind the Dash For Gas.^[25]

Discography

EPs

• Giantism (1999, Instant Farma)

Albums

• The Lick on the Tip of an Envelope Yet to Be Sent (2005, Rise Above Records)
• Clocks Are Like People (2006, Rise Above Records)
• Thought Becomes Reality (2009, Mythical Cake)
• Birth (2018, Mythical Cake)
• Gate 47 (2018, Mythical Cake)
• Live at Dingwalls 2005 (2019, Mythical Cake)

Singles

• "Everyone" / "Ring o' Roses" / "Gently Johnny Pt 1" (1997, Instant Farma)
• "Little More Time" / "Happen Away" (1998, Instant Farma)
• "Wouldn't Dream of Sleeping Now" / "Same Way From the Sun" (2000, Instant Farma)
• "Swallow" / "My Body is Made of Sunlight" / "La Rotta°" (2005, Rise Above Records))
• "Song of Our Despair" / "Honeycomb" / "Tapestry°" (2006, Rise Above Records)

(° on CD version only)

Other releases

• Music Plays in the Air (on Get Yer Pots Out with the fanzine Ptolemaic Terrascope, 2001)
• Split 7" – Miri It Is (Moog-up Mix) by Circulus / Chylde of Fire by Witchcraft (2005, Rise Above Records)
• La Rotta (2005) (on The Crow Club compilation, 2008 People Tree Records)
• Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (Mojo Presents Sgt. Pepper... With A Little Help From My Friends, 2007, Mojo Magazine)
• The Unquiet Grave (on Old Wine, New Skins compilation, 2007, Market Square Music)
• Till We Merry Meet Again (on A Psychedelic Guide to Monsterism Island compilation, 2009, Lo Recordings)

Releases with Circulus members

• Lo Polidoro – Lo Polidoro (2005)
• Lo Polidoro – Le Carrousel Des Jours (2009, Marboz Records)
• Marianne Segal – The Gathering (2007, Snow Beach Records) produced by Michael Tyack and featuring Circulus
• Thistletown – Rosemarie (2008, Big Bertha Records) produced by Michael Tyack

Band members

Current members

• Michael Tyack – vocals, guitars, saz, cittern
• Jenny Bliss Bennett – violin, viola da gamba, flute, vocals
• George Parfitt – bass guitar, drums, percussion
• Oliver Parfitt – keyboards, synthesizers

Former members

• Lo Polidoro – vocals
• Will Summers – flute, recorder, crumhorn, shawm
• Sam Kelly – drums, vocals
• Victor Hugo Llamas – bongos, percussion
• Eric Anholm – guitar, vocals
• Jason Hobart – bass, vocals
• Emma Steele – vocals, flute
• Robin Cieslak – guitar, vocals, percussion

Mythical Cake label

In 2008, the band started its own record label, Mythical Cake, using donations solicited from fans and the public at large. A donation of 50 British pounds or more secured a photograph in the Thought Becomes Reality album liner notes. This alternative appeal is part of a growing trend of bands attempting to create a distribution infrastructure outside the traditional music industry.