Andy Votel

Manchester-based Andy Votel wears many hats, among them record label owner and producer. In his teenage years, Votel gained experience by hanging out in Northern hip-hop clubs and playing warm-up DJ at Manchester bars and clubs. Into his twenties, his crafted soundscapes landed him remix and production projects with Death in Vegas, Lamb, and Badly Drawn Boy (Damon Gough). Along with Gough, Votel established Twisted Nerve Records. Though the two are both producers in their own right, it is Gough's first released work that brought the label attention in late 2000. Votel's first album, Styles of the Unexpected, was a 40-minute mini-album influenced by surf, electronic, hip-hop, and cinematic themes. The album was released in early 2001 on Votel and Gough's label. One year later came the follow-up, All Ten Fingers, but Votel earned much more notice for a series of eccentric, themed mix albums, including 2003's Music to Watch Girls Cry, 2005's Songs in the Key of Death, and 2008's Brazilika. ~ Diana Potts, All Music Guide