32 albums, nearly 2 million sold - local musician celebrates latest release

A LOCAL musician has released his 32nd album in 28 years.

Phil Thornton of Bexhill released his first album, I'm Not Waving, I'm Drowning, in 1981 on cassettes which were sold at gigs.

Since then, he has been prolific, producing music at roughly the rate of an album a year.

He says he has now sold almost two million records.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His latest effort, nexus tribal, is the first time he has recorded, produced, designed and manufactured independently.

Phil said: "It's taken two years to make, but it's given me the same buzz I had 28 years ago doing my first album."

Phil, who teaches music production at Hastings College, debuted some of the material last June at the De La Warr Pavilion during Bexhill music week.

The album began when the Arts Council funded Phil for a songwriters cultural exchange to the Gambia.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Eastern European folklore began influencing the work, and trips to New York and San Francisco introduced a tribal bellydancing theme.

Phil said: "I think it's worth emphasising that this is a new dance style, not to be confused with the glitzy cabaret. This is much more alternative and earthy.

"The word ethnotronica is being bandied about at the moment. I suppose it's a fusion of my established style, which is quite ambient and trancy, with elements of eastern european folk."

The launch party for the album was held in London last week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Phil is a regular on the local music scene, and regularly performed with progressive rock band Stallion on Hastings Pier in the seventies.

Later he was part of Expandis, another local band working in the eighties, before playing keyboards and programming for Sinead O'Connor's first world tour.

For more information on Phil and his work, visit www.philthornton.com