Music like Swimming

Swimming is an art rock band formed in Nottingham, UK known for their genre-straddling output that unites a fluid and experimental sonic approach into a sound which is uniformly uplifting. They have releases on their own Colourschool Records, EVR Records and are currently signed to Tummy Touch Records

Swimming as a coherent experimental project emerged in 2004 as a result of previous years of dedicated writing sessions between John Sampson and Benjamin Hallatt. The duo developed the band's fluid and diverse conceptual style in writing and producing the material heard on debut E.P, Pacific Title. The E.P. was completed with John's brother, Peter, on drums and minor input from live band member Andrew Wright. Pacific Title was released on Izumi Records in 2006 without explicit writing credits on the CD sleeve. Hallatt was ejected from a newly recruited 'live' band line up shortly after the E.P.'s completion but had already developed further electronic and composed material in 2006 which was subsequently incorporated into Swimming's 'Primary' EP in 2008 and debut album, 'The Fireflow Trade' in 2009. These developments, alongside a misleading early Wikipedia entry on the band's origin, may have led to the commonly mistaken press assumptions regarding the band's original creative inspiration. The new incarnation of Swimming as a 'band', set about developing the fluid conceptual groundwork in an increasingly 'song based', indie pop direction, gaining praise in the popular indie music and mainstream press for their original approach. The second E.P. Primary was released, again through Izumi Records, in 2008 as well as two singles, Panthalassa and Tigershark that got their first national airplay on BBC Radio1, XFM and heavy rotation on NME Radio. The band recruited a second guitarist, Jonathon "Joff" Spittlehouse and bass player Blake Pearson (aka G KOKO) and supported Chairlift, Pivot (PVT), Shearwater as well as their first festival appearances at Glastonbury and a world first fully binaural, headphone only gig with sonic artist Dallas Simpson at Dot to Dot Festival 2008.