John Metcalfe, who arranges songs for big names such as Coldplay, Simple Minds and The Pretenders, has produced albums with Peter Gabriel and has been touring for decades as a member of the Duke Quartet. Now he releases his debut album on the Neue Meister label. Metcalfe has always been surrounded by music. As a child, he would listen to his father sing opera, before a love of Kraftwerk and Joy Division led to a stint as a drummer in a high school band. But it was a move to Manchester that really accelerated his development as an artist, and led to him finding his true calling. Joining cult band The Durutti Column, then signed to legendary label Factory Records, brought him into the orbit of Tony Wilson and the Haçienda, formative events that would help foster his renegade spirit. Unimpressed with the strictures demanded by the classical recording industry, Metcalfe persuaded Wilson to launch the ground-breaking Factory Classical Label, aimed at unearthing exciting - and unconventional - new British talent. It was here that Metcalfe found a home, and the group that would come to define his musical career; the Duke Quartet. For nearly 30 years, they've existed at the vanguard of contemporary British music, innovating and delighting in equal measure. As a solo artist, Metcalfe explores electro-classical soundscapes and the boundaries between genres. His finely tuned compositions are neat yet grand in scale, both in terms of sound and the conceptual ideas underpinning them. Absence, the fifth record to bear his own name, is something of a departure for Metcalfe, framing bold images and themes with some of the most conventional song structures he's ever employed. But it's also his most affecting, deconstructing a subject he's been interested in since his childhood in New Zealand: Dealing with loss.
Release date:
November 16, 2018
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
-
Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers
Combining classic design with modern Bluetooth connectivity, built-in amplification and versatile inputs, these speakers deliver rich, balanced sound.
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Lord Huron The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 (Red Swirl) [2xLP]
Mercury Records/Republic
July 18, 2025 -
Bad Suns Accelerator
Epitaph
August 8, 2025 -
Emma Smith Bitter Orange
La Reserve Records
July 18, 2025 -
Before The Dawn Cold Flare Eternal (Blue Splatter)
Reaper Entertainment
September 5, 2025 -
Bleary Eyed Easy
Born Losers Records
July 25, 2025 -
Teethe Magic of the Sale
Winspear
August 8, 2025 -
Tatsuro Yamashita Big Wave 2025 Edition
Wea Japan
July 4, 2025 -
The Band CAMINO NeverAlways (Amazon Exclusive; Apple Red)
Atlantic
July 25, 2025 -
Wytch Hazel V: Lamentations
Bad Omen Records
July 4, 2025 -
Rival Consoles Landscape from Memory [2xLP]
Erased Tapes
July 4, 2025 -
Renee Rapp Bite Me
Interscope
August 1, 2025 -
Alina Bzhezhinska & Tulshi Whispers of Rain
Tru Thoughts
July 11, 2025 -
Slaughter To Prevail Grizzly (Bone/Black-Burgundy Splatter)
Sumerian Records
July 18, 2025 -
Idil Biret Paris Recordings - 1949, 1953, 1959
Naxos
July 4, 2025