Synanthesia were a hybrid of The Incredible String Band , acid folk, Comus-esque darkness and jazz. These styles/genres combined to make for quite an original sound with sax and haunting flute to the fore.
Formed in London, England in 1968 by guitarist, Les Cook, Synanthesia were a trio with an 18 year old, ex-soul bassist, Dennis Holmes, who switched to guitar and vibes. The trio was completed by jazz sax and flautist, Jim Fraser. They performed in and around the London area and garnered interest from the newly formed Chrysalis record label. One of the venues that they would frequent was the infamous Three Tuns in Kent, home to David Bowie’s Arts Lab. It is rumored that Synanthesia were briefly Bowie’s backing band, before he recruited the Hype and, subsequently, Hull’s Rats, who became the Spiders from Mars.
Synanthesia recorded their sole, eponymous album Synanthesia in 1969 for RCA. Unfortunately, RCA weren’t interested enough to promote the band. Without RCA’s backing and the lack of airplay on the radio, Synanthesia split and the threesome went their separate ways.
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