Steve Mason (musician)

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This article is about the Scottish musician. For the former Gene guitarist and XFM DJ, see Gene (band). For American musician, see Stephen Mason (musician). For other people with the same name, see Steven Mason (disambiguation).

Steve Mason
Performing at the Summer Sundae festival, Leicester, August 2010
Performing at the Summer Sundae festival, Leicester, August 2010
Background information
Also known asKing Biscuit Time (1998–2006)
Black Affair (2007–2008)
OriginEdinburgh, Scotland
GenresFolk, electronic, rock, trip hop, experimental jamming
Years active1996–present
LabelsRegal, Poptones, V2, Double Six
Associated actsThe Beta Band, King Biscuit Time, Black Affair
Websitehttp://www.stevemasontheartist.com/

Steve Mason is a Scottish musician, best known as the lead singer and one of the founding members of The Beta Band. He has also been a member of Black Affair with Jimmy Edgar.

History[]

Mason started his music career as the lead singer and one of the founding members of The Beta Band. According to Q magazine, after leaving the band Mason was so deep in debt at one point that he was forced to take a second job on a building site. The singer was also crippled by a depression that only recently lifted.[1]

During the Beta Band era, Steve appeared on TV shows including The Adam & Joe Show (2001) and Never Mind the Buzzcocks (2005).[2][3]

Mason released solo material as King Biscuit Time, including two EPs on Regal Records and one album on No Style Records, an imprint of Alan McGee's Poptones record label. Mason has also worked under the name Black Affair, and has released one album under this pseudonym on V2 Records.

On 19 April 2009, The Sunday Times reported that Mason was working on a new album with the record producer, Richard X.[4] This album, Boys Outside, was released in March 2010 and is the first album under Mason's own name. The first single, "All Come Down", was released as a download at the end of November 2009. Q gave the album a 4/5 rating. According to Rob Fearn, the album "relocates Mason in a grand tradition of indie boys doing idiosyncratic electronic pop, a line stretching back through Hot Chip, New Order, Talk Talk and Brian Eno". Fearn argued that the album, "totally different from what he did in King Biscuit Time and Black Affair", might be seen as a "welcome return to a stripped-down songcraft". It is "...not just a work that can finally measure up to [Beta Band's] The Three EPs, but is a sign of a "bold new start",[1] according to the critic.

In 2013, Mason released Monkey Minds in the Devil's Time. The album covers topics as diverse as his recent struggles with depression and loneliness, the suicide of David Kelly (former weapons inspector in Iraq) and the London riots. The Independent called it "his most rewarding release since the Beta Band".

Discography[]

The Beta Band[]

see The Beta Band Discography

King Biscuit Time[]

EPs[]

Sings Nelly Foggits Blues in "Me and the Pharaohs" (7 December 1998, Regal)
No Style (19 June 2000, Regal)

Singles[]

"C I AM 15" (26 September 2005, Poptones) – reached No. 67 on the UK Singles Chart[5]
"Kwangchow" (24 April 2006, Poptones) – reached No. 84 on the singles chart

Albums[]

Black Gold (15 May 2006, Poptones) – reached No. 143 on the UK Albums Chart

Black Affair[]

Singles[]

"Tak! Attack!" (22 October 2007, V2)
"It's Real" (16 June 2008, V2)
"Japanese Happening" (6 October 2008, V2)

Albums[]

Pleasure Pressure Point (4 August 2008, V2)

Steve Mason[]

Singles[]

"All Come Down" (23 November 2009, Black Melody)
"Lost & Found" (19 April 2010, Double Six)
"Am I Just a Man" (16 August 2010, Double Six)
"Fight Them Back" (12 December 2012, Double Six)

Studio albums[]

Boys Outside (3 May 2010, Double Six – UK chart peak: No. 82)
Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time (11 March 2013, Double Six – UK chart peak: No. 34)
Meet The Humans (26 February 2016, Double Six – UK chart peak: No. 28)
About the Light (18 January 2019, Domino)

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Rob Fearn. Q. June 2010. Albums review. p. 126
  2. ^ "British Comedy: The Adam and Joe Show". Listal.com. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Steve Mason". IMDb.com. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  4. ^ Alexis Giles (19 April 2009). "Time and Place: Steve Mason". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  5. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 302. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. ^ "CHART LOG UK: NEW ENTRIES UPDATE : COMBINED SINGLES (200)" (TXT). Zobbel.de. 6 August 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2019.

External links[]

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