Rothko Biography: Sept 20th 2006


Based in London, Rothko have been in existence since the spring of 1997, playing their first show at The Hope and Anchor in Islington in August the same year.

Their first release was a 7" single, For Danny, on Fierce Panda in the Autumn of '97, followed swiftly by the 7” ‘Seventyseven A’/’Undone’. All three tracks were produced by Julian Standen

Their first album, ‘A Negative for Francis’, was released on Jon Tye’s Lo Recordings in ‘98

The original line up of founder member Mark Beazley, Crawford Blair and Jon Meade, went on to release EP's, singles and three albums, on labels such as Lo Recordings, Bella Union, Foundry, Kraak, Zeal and Narwhal and appeared with exclusive tracks on various compilation albums around the globe.

The original line up disbanded in 2001 and Mark carried on the Rothko name. His first release on his own was the ‘Waters Edge’ 12” EP on Lo Recordings, his collaboration with Japanese ambient master Susumu Yokota. And then in 2002, the album 'A Continual Search For Origins' and 7" single Red Cells on the Too Pure label.

In 2003 Mark started his own label, Trace Recordings, releasing the critically acclaimed ‘Wish For A World Without Hurt’ album, a collaboration with BLK w/BEAR [aka Washington DC based sound and visual artist Jim Adams].

Since 2004, the line up has been Mark, with Michael Donnelly, also on bass, Ben Page on sounds and keyboards and Tom Page, [Bens’ brother] on drums and percussion, who all also played on ‘A Continual Search For Origins’

The band has played festivals and toured in the UK, France and Belgium, and in June 2006 released the EP ‘A Personal Account Of Conflict’ on BadHand Records and have just [September 2006] finished recording their new album, ‘Eleven Stages Of Intervention’