Cocteau Twins - Discography 1982-2005 [FLAC]
A group whose distinctly ethereal and gossamer sound virtually defined the enigmatic image of the record label 4AD, Cocteau Twins were founded in Grangemouth, Scotland, in 1979. Taking their name from an obscure song from fellow Scots Simple Minds, the Cocteaus were originally formed by guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie and later rounded out by Guthrie's girlfriend Elizabeth Fraser, an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions.
In 1982, the trio signed to 4AD, the arty British label then best known as the home of the Birthday Party, whose members helped the Cocteaus win a contract. The group debuted with Garlands, which offered an embryonic taste of their rapidly developing, atmospheric sound, crafted around Guthrie's creative use of distorted guitars, tape loops, and echo boxes and anchored in Heggie's rhythmic bass as well as an omnipresent Roland 808 drum machine. Shortly after the release of the Peppermint Pig EP, Heggie left the group, and Guthrie and Fraser cut 1983's Head Over Heels as a duo; nonetheless, the album largely perfected the Cocteaus' gauzy formula, and established the foundation from which the group would continue to work for the duration of its career.
In late 1983, ex-Drowning Craze bassist Simon Raymonde joined the band to record the EP The Spangle Maker; as time wore on, Raymonde became an increasingly essential component of Cocteau Twins, gradually assuming an active role as a writer, arranger, and producer. With their lineup firmly solidified, they issued The Spangle Maker, followed by the LP Treasure, their most mature and consistent work yet. A burst of creativity followed, as the Twins issued three separate EPs -- Aikea-Guinea, Tiny Dynamine, and Echoes in a Shallow Bay -- in 1985, trailed a year later by the acoustic Victorialand album, the Love's Easy Tears EP, and The Moon and the Melodies, a collaborative effort with minimalist composer Harold Budd.
With 1988's sophisticated Blue Bell Knoll, the trio signed an international contract with Capitol Records, which greatly elevated their commercial visibility. After 1990's Heaven or Las Vegas, the Cocteaus severed their long-standing relationship with 4AD; notably, the album also found Fraser's vocals offering the occasional comprehensible turn of phrase, a trend continued on 1993's Four-Calendar Cafe. In 1995, they explored a pair of differing musical approaches on simultaneously released EPs: while Twinlights offered subtle acoustic sounds, Otherness tackled ambient grooves, remixed by Seefeel's Mark Clifford. On the other hand, 1996's Milk & Kisses LP marked a return to the band's archetypal style. Cocteau Twins quietly disbanded while working on an uncompleted follow-up. Posthumous releases followed, such as 1999's BBC Sessions, 2000's Stars and Topsoil, and 2005's Lullabies to Violaine.
1982 - Garlands
1982 - Garlands [2003 Remaster]
1983 - Head Over Heels/Sunburst and Snowblind
1983 - Head Over Heels [2003 Remaster]
1984 - Treasure
1984 - Treasure [2003 Remaster]
1985 - Tiny Dynamine/Echoes in a Shallow Bay
1985 - The Pink Opaque
1986 - Victorialand]
1986 - Victorialand [2003 Remaster]
1986 - The Moon and the Melodies (with Harold Budd)
1988 - Blue Bell Knoll
1988 - Blue Bell Knoll [2004 Remaster]
1990 - Heaven or Las Vegas [Promotional CD-Single]
1990 - Heaven or Las Vegas
1990 - Heaven or Las Vegas [2003 Remaster]
1991 - The Box Set [Singles Collection]
1992 - Athol-Brose [CD-Single]
1993 - Evangeline [CD-Single]
1993 - Four-Calendar Café
1993 - Four-Calendar Café [2006 Remaster]
1993 - Snow [EP]
1994 - Bluebeard [CD-Single]
1995 - Twinlights [EP]
1995 - Otherness [EP]
1996 - Milk & Kisses
1996 - Milk & Kisses [2006 Remaster]
1996 - Tishbite [CD-Single 1]
1996 - Tishbite [CD-Single 2]
1996 - Violaine [CD-Single 1]
1996 - Violaine [CD-Single 2]
1999 - BBC Sessions
2000 - Stars and Topsoil: A Collection (1982–1990)
2005 - Lullabies to Violaine: Singles and Extended Plays 1982-1996 [Box Set]
Plus surprise extras! (Digital Downloads, HD Audio, Music Videos, Desktop Wallpaper and more)
Enjoy and please SEED!!!!!!
