Dark Company

Current Playlist: Dark Company – Album Openers

Sometimes we all need a little company when it’s dark…

Dark Company recorded their first two albums in the early 90s at Silent Running Studios. Since then they have not been able to record anything properly for all manner of reasons – until now!

We are busy working with Dark Company to produce and release all of their albums eventually. Much of their creativity is available to be heard here. Most of it is in its early stages, and their songs are being updated as work is done to their recordings.

Dark Company Albums
Signmaker
Rage in Heaven
Alien Heat
Can of Worms
Ghost of the Art
Drifting Stars
Mind Dance
Old Hands
Benign Inquisition
Bad Habits
Noir
A for Acronym – SNAFU, VSF and FUBAR

Sadly the band’s vocalist, frontman, lyricist and co-founder Speedy Pete Greatorex passed away in May 2016. He left a massive legacy of riches in the form of wonderful songs, co-written with George, his writing partner for nearly 27 years. This leaves a huge hole in the band, as you can imagine. A character like Pete’s is unique and cannot be replaced.

The rest of the band intend to continue recording using the vocal parts that Pete already laid down. Wud Records and its entourage of musicians and staff are in the middle of a change of location and hopefully when that has come about a new singer and some touring will happen.

Dark Company these days is overseen by their co-founder George and his Wud Records co-director Sam. The band’s latest incarnation features Zak Black on guitars and backing vocals, Maxx Damage on bass, Sven Stiglund on drums and Josh Reynes on keys, horns and percussion. Their creativity is studio-based. The music encompasses a great many styles and genres. They have one of the most eclectic sounds in the world of contemporary music. Dark Company’s sound has developed somewhat over the years, although the essences of Pete’s voice and the pure sweet tones of the rocky guitary feel remain mostly the same.

Besides all of the albums published here in their varying stages of finalisation, Dark Company were beginning to make a completely new album of songs when Pete passed away. Provisionally titled A for Acronym, this album would be a triple-CD. Songs were divided into a rock CD (SNAFU), a reggae CD (VSF), and a weird CD (FUBAR) for songs which didn’t fit the two previous categories. This album will remain under wraps until other Dark Company albums are finished and released.

Pete was a truly prolific writer whose extraordinary lyrics cut through life’s bullshit like a shard of flawless obsidian through dead flesh. His words might cause you to think, or to laugh out loud at his dark humour. The band’s beautiful musical evocations may make you tap your toe, nod your head, or perhaps even produce a tear.

Dark Company has a side project called & co, which deals in remixes and club edits. This side project began when Jeff and George made dub mixes of the song Armed & Dangerous from Dark Company’s first album, Signmaker. When it was reissued, these remixes and other & co tracks were added as bonus tracks.

Jeff continued to make various dance remixes and trance anthems out of fragments of Dark Company tunes. George also made a few such things, although his tended to be completely original rather than starting from, for example, a hi-hat and bongo rhythm that had been used in a Dark Company track.

There are many club remixes of Dark Company’s songs. All of the Drifting Stars album from & co was built from small fragments and sounds from Dark Company songs off the albums Rage In Heaven, Alien Heat and Ghost of the Art.

Dark Company music is not often immediately accessible. Most people don’t care for it upon first listen. However, after two or three listens it starts to get inside of you. It might be a lyric or a vocal line, or perhaps a little melodic instrumental hook that finds its way into your head, usually on a repeat cycle. Slowly you become infected and want to listen again. Then more such fragments and eventually whole songs stay with you – for years, and probably for life!

So if you try it you might find yourself liking it. Dark Company have written some of the best songs we’ve ever heard. We hope you will find some favourites of your own among them.

For more Dark Company, check out their Linktree below:
https://linktr.ee/dark.company