Cradle is the only album by the English pop groupAcacia, which featured future record producerGuy Sigsworth and singer Alexander "Blackmoth" Nilere. It is notable for being the first full album released by Sigsworth as both full group member and producer and for being the first record to heavily feature later solo artistImogen Heap.
Details and history
The majority of the album was recorded by Sigsworth and Nilere. Two Acacia live musicians were also credited as part of the band. Two former Acacia live members actually performed on more of the album tracks than their successors did, but had left the band by the time of the album releases and were therefore credited only as guest musicians. Much of the album's guitar playing was in fact generated by Sigworth's sampler. The album also features appearances from Colette Meury, Loretta Haywood, Ragnhildur "Ragga" Gísladóttir, Steve Mack and Andrew Tumi. Cradle was released in 1997 but almost immediately withdrawn due to legal disputes between Warner Music UK and the band's former label Radar Records. Fifteen years later in 2012, the band had regained rights to the album and it was re-released via iTunes in May 2012.
"I'm in Love with Love" is a cover version of a song by the British hard rock/funk band The Holiday Patrons. "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" is a cover version of a Morrissey song from the 1994 album Vauxhall and I "Maddening Shroud" was later covered by Frou Frou, the pop duo set up by Sigsworth and Imogen Heap.
Personnel
Acacia:
Alexander Nilere - voice
Guy Sigsworth - synthesizer; sampler; guitar facsimile ' on all tracks except "Maddening Shroud", "Hate", "You Nothing" & "Wire"; piano on "You Nothing" & "Wire"
Luca Ramelli - guitar on "I'm in Love with Love" & "Maddening Shroud"
Eshan K - drums on "I'm in Love with Love"
and
Ansuman Biswas - berimbau & ektara & toys on "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get", santoor on "Unfulfilled Desire", cymbals & bells & hi-hat on "Yellow is the Colour of My Cowardice"
Maurizio Anzalone - guitar on "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get", "Sway", "Unfulfilled Desire", "Sympathy", "Hate", "Boils Down to Money" & "Woe Woe Song"
Guest musicians:'''
Imogen Heap - backing vocals on all tracks except "Wire"
Colette Meury - backing vocals on "Wired" & "Yellow is the Colour of My Cowardice"
Ragga - backing vocals on "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"
Loretta Heywood - backing vocals on "Maddening Shroud"
Andrew Tumi - backing vocals on "You Nothing"
Lisa Ferguson - violin on "Unfulfilled Desire"
Steve Mack - guitar on "Yellow is the Colour of My Cowardice"
