More on HAPPY FAMILY

The Happy Family review is proving a popular read so I thought I would present a brief potted history of Happy Family, recently interviewed by THE WIRE magazine. Named after a track on King Crimson’s “Lizard” album, their influences include Frank Zappa, Henry Cow, Jaga Jazzist and Tigran Hamasyan, the jazz pianist. In the interview they also cite Meshuggah’s “Destroy, Erase, Improve” as a leftfield inspiration.

First came their eponymous 1995 album with comparisons to National Health and Red era King Crimson. “Toscco” followed in 1997 which fitted in well with the prog revival fuelled by Scandinavian progsters like Anekdoten and Ånglagard. Happy Family split in 1998 but reformed and released “Minimal Clouds” in 2014, a jazzier, funkier album. Please see PROG ARCHIVES for more information and reviews.