The Durutti Column (GB)

About

Also known as: Durutti Column

Few bands in the post punk era sound quite like The Durutti Column, and that's largely down to guitarist Vini Reilly. Formed in Manchester in 1978 and signed early to Factory Records, the band shed most of its original members before long, leaving Reilly as the creative core, with drummer Bruce Mitchell becoming his most consistent collaborator. Their 1980 debut, The Return of the Durutti Column, produced by Martin Hannett, set the tone immediately: nine gentle guitar instrumentals drawing on jazz, folk, and classical technique, packaged in a famously abrasive sandpaper sleeve inspired by a Situationist prank. Reilly's playing relies on classical scales rarely heard in pop music, giving the band a distinctly atmospheric quality that sets them apart from the harder edges of the post punk scene. Over the years the project expanded in scope, from intimate home recordings to orchestrated works like Without Mercy, an instrumental piece built around John Keats's poem La Belle Dame sans Merci. Reilly also contributed guitar to Morrissey's debut solo album Viva Hate, and the band's long discography spans ambient textures, electronic rhythms, and everything in between.