Ectogram

Part of the thriving underground Welsh rock music scene that gained international attention in the 1990s, Ectogram stands out as one of the best groups from that fertile musical ground. This is thanks to the sheer inventiveness and abilities of its three members, guitarist/vocalist Ann Matthews, guitarist Alan Holmes, and drummer Maeyc Hewitt, each of whom plays a variety of instruments on the group's varied studio recordings. Based out of the Bangor area of North Wales, its members played in a variety of local acts, most notably Fflaps, the direct forebear of Ectogram, with both Matthews and Holmes leading it. Hewitt joined as a replacement drummer on a 1993 tour, while the group chanced on its live musical setup when on that tour, Holmes' bass amp broke, leading him to switch to guitar solely. Renamed to reflect the group's new direction, Ectogram then began work on a blizzard of singles and other releases, creating a post-psych/art rock sound as indebted to Yoko Ono and Faust as to the usual garage rock roots and culminating in its expansive debut album I Can't Believe It's Not Reggae! in 1996. Winning praise for its varied, striking sound, the band continued touring and recording, often contributing to the Ochre label as well as its home company, the legendary Welsh-language label Ankst. After a seeming disappearance for some years, the band returned with another full-length winner, All Along the Wichtower, in 2000.