Guapo (band)


Guapo are a British experimental rock/art rock band formed in 1994 by drummer/percussionist Dave Smith and guitarist/vocalist Matt Thompson, though the band gained a wider audience with the contribution of multi-instrumentalist Daniel O'Sullivan. The lineup as of 2015 consists of Smith, guitarist Kavus Torabi, bassist Sam Warren and keyboardist Emmett Elvin of Chrome Hoof.
WWW guapo.co.ukFB guapoband

Music

Guapo have affiliations with the Rock in Opposition movement, after performing with bands such as Magma and Present at the Rock in Opposition Festival at Carmaux, France in 2007.

The Trilogy

The Guapo album Elixirs concludes a recondite trilogy of recordings initiated by Five Suns and Black Oni, which has been referred to as the "Empire Strikes Back" record. Every record takes on new musical hues and offers disparate ideas and perspectives. However, an upheaval in the line-up, which of recent years had been anchored by the trio of Daniel O'Sullivan, Matthew Thompson, and David Smith, triggered a change in course when Thompson left the band in 2005.

Other projects

Both Smith and O'Sullivan perform in the antique-prog band Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses. Smith created a large scale, multi media installation entitled "The Other Side of the Island" for which he made a soundtrack with O’Sullivan and Antti Uusimaki under The Stargazers Assistant moniker. Smith also plays with members of Coil, Cyclobe and Shock Headed Peters in the Amal Gamal Ensemble. Despite these distractions, Guapo has been maintained as a primary focus and "Elixirs" has been three years in the making.

Line-up

Following the departure of Thompson, O’Sullivan and Smith added two London musicians to the fold, James Sedwards and Kavus Torabi. The line-up toured the US in 2006 with synth-prog band, Zombi. O'Sullivan recently left the band to concentrate on other projects, Mothlite and keyboardist Emmett Elvin recently joined. More recently Sam Warren has joined on bass.
Adapted from AllMusic.
Current members
  • David J. Smith – drums
  • Kavus Torabi – guitar
  • Emmett Elvin – keyboards
  • Sam Warren – bass
Former members
Live members
  • David Ledden – bass

Discography

Albums

EPs and singles

Discography (collaborations)

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  • 2000 Death Seed CD

with [Cerberus Shoal]