Music: Lamb

The trip-hop fusion duo return for Meadowlands Festival

Lamb is an electronic music duo from Manchester, whose music is influenced by trip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass. The duo consists of producer Andy Barlow, who also produces under the pseudonym Hipoptimist (and in fact released a recording under that name on the Brighton Skint label before Lamb existed) and singer-songwriter Lou Rhodes.

They released their first album, the self-titled Lamb in 1996, and followed this up with another three albums and a number of singles over the next eight years, culminating in the release of a greatest hits album, Best Kept Secrets, in June 2004. By that year they seemed to be calling it a day with a number of ‘farewell’ gigs around the UK including Glastonbury; Rhodes withdrawing to a commune life in Sussex and raising children, while Barlow pursued his own projects. Rhodes continued to be musically productive, releasing three more acoustic-based albums in a five year period.

In 2009 Lamb reunited for a number of festivals and ever since then they have been touring sporadically as well as releasing new material and a live album, Live At Koko in 2011.

Although initially from Manchester, Lamb’s trip-hop/electronica drum ‘n’ bass fusion was very much in keeping with the Bristol sound, and like that city’s Massive Attack, they like to sonically experiment, evolving a distinctive sound thanks to the production skills of Barlow.

Joining Lamb are 80 plus acts including Fink, Speech Debelle, LTJ Bukem, Portico Quartet, This Is The Kit, Rachel Sermanni, Tom Williams & The Boat, Skinny Lister and North Atlantic Oscillation. There is also a strong bill of comedy, spoken word, film, kids entertainment, club nights and much else besides.

Lamb, Meadowlands Festival, Glynde, East Sussex, Friday 1–Sunday 3 June. www.meadowlandsfestival.com