Formed in 1979 by schoolmates, Tony Harrison and Julia Adamson, Illustration were described as playing futurist and early electronic music. The group were together for approximately 3 years, rehearsing in the cellar of a clothes shop called 'Off The Rails' at the Little Underbank in Stockport, where th band was based. They recorded demos for Phonogram and Island Records. Illustration toured with groups from the Liverpool scene at the time, such as Pink Military, Echo And The Bunnymen, and The Teardrop Explodes, where label Zoo Records (owned by Bill Drummond) showed an interest in the group. They also played the Russell Club in Manchester, Factory Records first venue.
With manager Graham Cooper, the group made various demos for record companies and agreed to release one of these songs, "Tidal Flow", to a new (in 1980) record label named Some Bizzare for use on a compilation album featuring 'Futurist' artists. The song was taken from a demo engineered and produced by Phil Ault and the album was to become a collectors item, as it documented initial releases from many groups, including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Blancmange, The The, and B-Movie. There are more details in the catalogue about this release titled 'Some Bizzare Album'. Shortly after, the band began working on their first single, "Danceable" with record producer Martin Hannett. Unfortunately, illustration broke up before the song could be released.
Tony is currently a Security Ambassador at Manchester Airport. How he wound up there is quite a story.
In 2008 he sold his house in Manchester and moved to Spain. Three weeks later, he bought a burger van. He always had an interest in cooking thanks to his French grandmother, Florinda who raised him. The Burger van had 20 tables and carried live music as diverse as Peruvian pan pipe bands to 17th century English folk music. He also worked at local English newspaper selling advertising and writing a music column under the pseudonym "Tobias Wilde". The highlight each year was the San Javier Jazz festival where he was able to interview the artists for his column. Tony says the location was a beautiful, open-air, intimate venue which brought the best out of the diverse artists. He recalls great times eating tapas and getting to know George Clinton and the Funkadelic bandmates, chatting with Willie Deville, and even Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet, who Tony says did a brilliant solo set with the Barcelona Youth Orchestra. Tony recalls how Hadley was overwhelmed to meet him, as "Tidal Flow" was his favourite track on Some Bizarre album. Hadley was also a big fan of the comedy cult series "The Mighty Boosh" which has a character named Tony Harrison. A friend of Tony's on the production team named it after him. The Character is a head with tentacles that gets smashed in every episode. After the burger truck, Tony became the head chef in couple of restaurants in Los Alcazares until one day, when an English gentleman drove up in a British racing Green Aston Martin and ordered an omelette. After his meal he asked if he could speak to the chef and told Tony it was the best omelette he had eaten in 18 years of living in Spain. This Englishman happened to be the Commissioner of Roda and was charged with finding a Chef for the Spanish Royal family's summer residence. Tony wound up living in a 27 bedroom 17th Century Hacienda, working for the Ubina family, 4th Cousins of King Juan Carlos. Tony fondly remembers the daughter of Marquis Don Juan telling his daughter, Holly, "Your father is the best butler we have ever had, but he speaks Spanish like Liam Gallagher". Tony spent two years with the Ubinas. It was at this time, he was trained in personal protection by Captain Alan McNish who had 22 years experience in the British Army, 17 years in SAS. When Tony returned to Manchester in 2012, it was his training with Capt. McNish that prepared Tony for his current job, which he says he enjoys very much.
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When Illustration disbanded in 1981, Julia worked as personal assistant to record producer Martin Hannett until 1983, when she was employed as a tape op and sound engineer at Yellow Two and Strawberry Studios in Stockport. She worked there from 1984 to 1990.
While working at Yellow Two and Strawberry Studios recording studios, she played guitar, synthesiser and programmed computers in the group What?Noise from 1986 until 1991. She contributed to album "Fat" and 12" vinyl EP "Vein". What?Noise toured in the UK and recorded at the studios where they worked as sound technicians.
Julia became a member of The Fall between 1995 and 2001, playing keyboards, guitar, vocals and programming computers.She contributed to albums "The Twenty Seven Points", "The Light User Syndrome", "Levitate", "The Post Nearly Man", "The Marshall Suite", and "The Unutterable. She and Mark E Smith contributed to songs by Elastica and performed at the 'Sacred and Profane' themed Meltdown Festival hosted by Nick Cave in 1999. Julia toured extensively with The Fall.
In 2006, Julia launched Invisiblegirl Records and Invisible Girl Music Publishing, with over 30 releases to date. The name comes from Martin Hanett's band The Invisible Girls. Invisible Girl Music includes an expanding publishing catalogue of original songs from the singer-songwriters on her record label.
2017 has seen artists Spider Mike King, The Happy Soul and Honeychild Coleman receive royalties for live performances and radio play.
Award winning independent film Pariah, is being used in education across European countries. Evocative song Echelon by Honeychild, features in the films soundtrack.
Illustration are continuing to cause a stir in the synthpop scene in America, where a trickle of royalties are coming through for play on college radio.
In August, compilation CD box set, "Manchester North Of England" included What?Noise song Vein. It is available on Cherry Red Records.
A Singles Box Set by The Fall was released in November and includes songs The Chiselers, The Masquerade and Touch Sensitive from our catalogue.
At the beginning of the house music scene he moved to Chicago to write with Kym Mazelle for her debut album produced by Marshall Jefferson. A few of these songs he used again later when he joined Clubland winning a Grammy for best album with “Adventures Beyond Clubland”. Together they also scored three US Billboard dance no1's with "Let's Get Busy", "Hold On" (Tighter to Love) and "Hypnotized.” In all Clubland produced three albums between 1990-1995. Many of their tracks are still being remixed by a new generation.
He was doing so much material that pseudonyms had to be created as a way of getting it released, to name a few: Sound Source with "Take Me Up”, scoring a UK top 10 when it was sampled in 2000 for Lock n Loads "Blow ya mind.” Obiman "On The Rocks" featuring on the seminal Cafe Del Mar album, plus he co-wrote and produced Jose Padilla's "Agua on the same album. The same year their was a re release of his first solo single from 1990, "I'm Free", appearing on Sasha and Digweed's "Northern Exposure", plus a William Orbit Remix, then in 2008 the Original mix was picked up by Defected for the Cafe Mambo compilation series.
Morgan decided to put focus back on his music as a direct result of working and touring with Lene Lovich. In 2015 he started to write his first album as a solo artist “Grains & Grams whilst visiting Belgium, then decided to move there and start recording in 2016. For production he teamed up with Italian producer Giulio Gaietto and the album was released September 2016. In this same year he went back on to the live stage playing concerts throughout Europe. He is currently writing new material for forthcoming albums, touring and collaborating on various projects.
His work as a member of the Lene Lovich Band now goes in to it's forth year with headline festivals in Germany & the UK.
Morgan aslo established a label, Accidental Music to make his past Pseudonyms such as "Obiman", "Clubland" and "Soundsource" available in the digital realm. The label has also released music for Glenn Kirchner's 80's sythpop band, "Zurückspulen" and Richard Levy's "Indirect Input" ambient project.
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Bass player, Paul Lancaster created sparkling promotional material for the group including mailers for record companies. One titled 'Front Games For Boardrooms' was very well received and complimented by the likes of producer Tevor Horn, amongst others.
These days, Paul is a freelance art director in the advertising industry. He is a talented storyboard artist, advertising visualizer, graphic designer, and also provides TV/AV animatics to develop the visual logistics of proposed commercials or videos.
After signing a management contract with Justin Devilleneuve (Twiggy's manager) and a publishing deal with Heath Levy music in 1981, Timm Johnson left illustration to pursue a project with Katrina Phillips. When this venture failed to take off, Katrina went on to perform backing vocals with The Colourfield, duetting with Terry Hall on their hit "Thinking of You", as well as lead vocals with English gothic rock band The Skeletal Family.
Timm teamed up with the maverick, Arthur Kadmon of legendary cult status (through his collaborations with Ludas, Manicured Noise, The Fall, and The Distractions.) During this time Timm developed a jazzier style of guitar playing. He moved away from music altogether in around 1985, but has recently embarked on two collaborations. One with former illustration member Morgan King, on his latest single "Grains & Grams". Also, Arthur Kadmon resurfaced under a new pseudynom "Pieter Egriega", with Timm making a guest appearance on his latest album, "The Man Who Woke Up From The Dark".
Some Bizzare Album
The Fish Side
Saul the Mime and Tony
29 March 1981
