Edward Ka Spel

Biography

Edward Ka-Spel is best known as the lead singer, keyboard and electronics player, songwriter and co-founder of the band The Legendary Pink Dots, in which he was initially known as D'Archangel, Prophet Q'Sepel and other pseudonyms. He has also released numerous solo albums (initially featuring other members of the Legendary Pink Dots, and including contributions from Steven Stapleton), and has worked in various side projects, including The Tear Garden (with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy), and Mimir (with Phil Knight, Christoph Heemann, Jim O'Rourke and others).

Ka-Spel's solo albums range from abstract electronic noise to more traditional pop songs, incorporating diverse elements of psychedelia, industrial, avant garde, experimental electronic, art pop, classical music, folk (nursery songs), sampling, noise, collage, music concrete, etc. His lyrics have been described as mystically bizarre and ambiguous, showing the fragility of the human condition, and incorporating recurrent themes from his own personal mythos. Ka-Spel's songwriting has been compared (usually extremely favourably) to that of Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd, though the artist describes the comparison as being a coincidence, not a direct influence. Ka-Spel has cited Iannis Xenakis, The Beatles, Nurse With Wound, David Bowie, Brainticket, Can, The Residents, Magma, and Throbbing Gristle as significant influences.

Ka-Spel often appears on stage barefoot, wearing a long scarf and either pink or black optic glasses. Early in his career, he drew black lines on his face and arms, which Phil Knight has referred to as "his cracks", presumably as they resemble the cracked lines of a china doll, an image very present in his early albums.

Albums

Singles and EPs

Collections

Live albums

Compilation appearances