Enfant Bastard

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Enfant Bastard
Birth nameCameron Watt
Born1980 (age 43–44)
Cleethorpes, England
GenresIndie rock, alt-folk, lo-fi, chip tune, house
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, artist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, game boy, synthesizer
Years active2006–present
LabelsSL Records
Websiteenfantbastard.bandcamp.com

Enfant Bastard (also known as Les Enfant Bastard) is the performing name for Cameron 'Cammy' Watt, a musician and artist formerly based in Edinburgh, Scotland who has released albums spanning a number of genres including indie, alt-folk, Lo-fi, Chip music and House.[1] He now resides in Gothenburg, Sweden where we works as an artist.[2]

Enfant Bastard was a prominent member of Edinburgh's alternative music scene of the 2000s alongside artists such as Meursault and Withered Hand.[3][4] His work has been critically acclaimed in the Scottish music press,[5][6] and he has been described by The Scotsman as 'Edinburgh's most beguiling musical innovator'[7] and as a 'lo-fi genius' by The Skinny.[8] He was also important in introducing Chip Music to Scotland.[9]

Biography[edit]

Watt was born in Cleethorpes in the North-East of England in 1980. He moved to Edinburgh in 2001 to study painting at the Edinburgh College of Art.[2] In Edinburgh he became involved in the city's alternative music scene alongside acts such as Meursault, Withered Hand, Eagleowl and Rob St. John,[10] first as a member of the anti-folk band The Love Gestures (which also featured Dan Willson of Withered Hand and Neil Pennycook of Meursault).[11] He subsequently performed as 'Enfant Bastard' and was closely involved in the Bear Scotland collective, alongside the Foundling Wheel, Dead Boy Robotics and Meursault and Withered Hand.[12]

He moved to Gothenburg in 2012, where he now works as an artist.[2] He held his first solo exhibition in Spring 2014 at the Lilla Galeriet.[13] His artwork has appeared on the cover of releases by Wet Paint and Meursault.[1][14]

Music[edit]

Much of Enfant Bastard's work is lo-fi being recorded in accordance with what he has called the 'bedroom recordist manifesto'.[5][15] This approach led to the NME describing his work as 'snobby art-school jazz pish'.[16][17] Much of his output was released in small runs of hand-made CD-R's, before later being given wider release by independent Edinburgh label SL Records.[18] His often chaotic live shows have also been highly praised, with The Scotsman naming his EP launch for Master Dude as one of their gigs of 2010.[19][20]

His early releases were largely guitar based songs described variously as indie, folk, and anti-folk.[15][21] He later began releasing music in the chip tune genre, recorded mostly using a game boy, and he became influential in introducing the genre to Scotland, paving the way for artists such as Unicorn Kid.[9]

Watt has enjoyed a close musical relationship with Dan Willson of Withered Hand. As well as performing together in the band Love Gestures, Watt helped write the song Oldsmobile Car along with Neil Pennycook of Meursault which appeared on Withered Hand's You're Not Alone EP (a version of the song was also released by Meursault as Red Candle Bulb).[22] Enfant Bastard also released a chip-tune version of Withered Hand's For the Maudlin on his Master Dude album,[23] while Walls by Enfant Bastard was covered by Withered Hand on his Inbetweens EP.[24] In 2014 Watt animated the video to the Withered Hand single 'Black Tambourine'.[25]

Discography[edit]

  • Bambi (2006)[26]
  • I Wish I Was A Dead Fast Car (2007)[26]
  • Best of Les Enfant Bastard (2009)[1]
  • Hunks Killing Arm (2009)[1]
  • Accelerated Donkey Song (Leaf style)[1]
  • Master Dude (2010)[1]
  • Apple Tits for Destruction (2011)[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Enfant Bastard biography". SL Records. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "About". Cameron Watt Paintings. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  3. ^ "How the capital sound of Edinburgh's music scene is rising". The Skinny. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Music Guide 2010". The List. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Best of Enfant Bastard review". The Skinny. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Hunks Killing Arm review". The Skinny. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Live Review and pictures: Dead Boy Robotics, Vasquez, Esperi, Enfant Bastard". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  8. ^ "I Hear A New World". The Skinny. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Clubbers Dictionary: Chiptune". The List. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Withered Hand: Beginning to flourish". The Skinny. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Interview with Withered Hand". Plentyside. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  12. ^ "Capital Records: Edinburgh's music scene is thriving". The Scotsman. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  13. ^ "CV". Cameron Watt Paintings. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  14. ^ "Meursault 'Dull Spark' – Release Notes". Song, by Toad Records. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  15. ^ a b c "Enfant Bastard". Bandcamp. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  16. ^ "Drowned in Edinburgh #1". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  17. ^ "Edinburgh Fucking Rocks, Bitches". Song, by Toad. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  18. ^ "Review: The Best of Enfant Bastard". Song, by Toad. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  19. ^ "Gigs of 2010: Enfant Bastard, Roxy Art House, 2 October". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  20. ^ "Live Review: Enfant Bastard, The Leg, Bit Face, Wounded Knee". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  21. ^ "Review of Retreat festival". The Skinny. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  22. ^ "Withered Hand – You're Not Alone review". Song, by Toad. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  23. ^ "Enfant Bastard – For the Maudlin". SL Records. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  24. ^ "Withered Hand – Inbetweens EP". Withered Hand Official Website. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  25. ^ Murray, Robin (9 September 2014). "Premiere: Withered Hand – 'Black Tambourine'". Clash. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  26. ^ a b "Enfant Bastard". Rate Your Music. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
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