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Ebbs and Flows started life in an old warehouse flat in Macclesfield when Rob Calder saved up his pennies (earned through geriatric carework) to buy a four-track recorder. Inspired by folk music, Spacemen 3 records and the people around him, Rob started to record. Having utterly failed to meet like-minded people, he moved to Oxford and then Reading, where his efforts culminated in his first album, the largely acoustic 184 million miles. A demo copy of the album found its way to Holly's Demo Hell (a now-defunct column in the NME where witty putdowns were generally the order of the day). It received a reasonable write-up and went on to be selected as one of two demos of the year.
Inspired by this success, Rob recorded I always tell the truth when no one is listening, to no critical acclaim or reaction at all. He still rather likes it though. Bows and arrows against the lightning followed soon after, following an upgrade from four-track to computer. A more lush and lavish affair, it marks the end of the era of multitracked recordings.
Following some (now also defunct) bands, Rob set about creating a live set using synths and loops. He now gigs regularly in and around London and has written the first (and a half) of three EPs showcasing this new, electronic, live sound. It’s called A liar's response and, as is often the case with new ways of working, it’s already out of date. The second EP will arrive soon…