Specimens (musician)

Specimens
Specimens in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Alex Ives
Also known as	Specimens
Born	(1989-07-07) 7 July 1989 (age 35) Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England
Origin	London, England
Genres	Ambient Experimental[1] Drone Electronic
Years active	2012–present
Labels	First Terrace Records SVS Records A Giant Fern Shimmering Moods Records
Website	specimensmusic.co.uk

Alex Ives (born 7 July 1989), known by his stage name Specimens, is an electronic, experimental, ambient & drone musician of British/Jamaican descent based in London UK.

Solo work as Specimens

Starting out as a bedroom project in 2012, Ives officially released his first solo work under the name Specimens in 2015 with a Compact Cassette release on Shimmering Moods Records.[2] He subsequently went on to release a number of cassettes[3] on labels such as A Giant Fern & Tenderly Surrender ahead of his debut album 'Sculptures' in 2016.[4] Also in 2016 Ives launched his own label First Terrace Records[5] which has gone on to release artists such as Peter Broderick (Beacon Sound Choir),[6] Chihei Hatakeyama, Anna Homler, Pierre Bastien & Machinefabriek.

Early music career

Ives started out as a guitarist and drummer in garage rock and punk bands, most notably as a former member of Thee MVPs.[7] In this band he toured extensively around Europe and America[8] supporting artists such as Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes,[9] Pulled Apart by Horses,[10] Temples, Twin Peaks,[11] Ty Segall, Night Beats & Television. During this period he had releases on labels such as Burger Records,[12] Greenway Records, Slovenly Recordings,[13] Easy Action, Batchelor Records & more. He is also a founding member & drummer in the band Ice Baths[14] which released their debut album[15] in 2018 on the London-based label Blank Editions (Thurston Moore, Douglas Hart, Housewives).[16]

Selected solo discography

• 2015 – II (Shimmering Moods Records) (Cassette)
• 2015 – Water & Concrete (Tenderly Surrender) (Cassette)
• 2016 – J C / Specimens (A Giant Fern) (Cassette)
• 2017 – Sculptures (First Terrace Records) (LP)
• 2018 – In The Dust of Idols (SVS Records) (LP)
• 2019 – Specimens / Inchindown (Display) (Cassette)
• 2019 – MIND-DRONE Vol. 7 (Drone Records) (LP Compilation)
• 2020 – Café Songs (First Terrace Records) (Cassette)
• 2020 – @0 (Ahead Of Our Time) (CD Compilation)
• 2022 – Intersections (First Terrace Records) (LP)
• 2023 - Power Pain Privilege (First Terrace Records) (LP)
• 2023 - To Light a Candle is to Cast a Shadow (Cluster Node) (Cassette Compilation)

References

1. "Pop & Rock Listings for June 10–16". The New York Times. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
2. "Shimmering Moods Multi View". Igloomag. igloomag. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
3. "7 TRACKS THAT INSPIRED SPECIMENS' DEBUT LP, SCULPTURES". hyponik. Hyponik. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
4. "SCULPTURES // SPECIMENS". Stray Landings. Theo Darton-Moore. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
5. "LISTEN: First Releases By First Terrace Records". Spools Out. Tristan Bath. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
6. "The Beacon Sound Choir Sunday Songs". Pitchfork. Philip Sherbourne. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
7. "Introducing Thee MVPs". Punktastic. Punktastic. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
8. "Thee MVPs Past Shows". Wordpress. Thee MVPs. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
9. "THEE MVPS JOIN FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES NOVEMBER TOUR". Punktastic. Punktastic. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
10. "TIGERCUB AND THEE MVPS TO SUPPORT PULLED APART BY HORSES ON UK TOUR". Punktastic. Punktastic. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
11. "THEE MVPS". Original Penguin. Original Penguin. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
12. "hee MVPs - Receiver // Limited Colored Vinyl 10"s (3 Variants)". Sly Vinyl. David Hampton.
13. "Introducing Thee MVPs". Punktastic. Punktastic. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
14. "ICE BATHS REVEAL FIRST SINGLE FROM DEBUT ALBUM". Circus Sweet. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
15. "introducing Ice Baths". Giglist. giglist. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
16. "Ice Baths: New Strappings Pt 1 – single review". Louder Than War. Ioan. Retrieved 24 May 2018.

External links

• Specimens discography at MusicBrainz