Martin Archer

Archer entered the British improvisational jazz scene at age 15. His first working band was Bass Tone Trap, with which he recorded an album in the early 1980s.[1][2] In 1983 he founded the band Hornweb, which released three albums.[1] He also released a solo album called Wild Pathway Favourites in 1988 on his own label, Discus.[1][3]

In 1993, Archer disbanded Hornweb, temporarily gave up the saxophone, and adopted synthesizers and electronic music. His first solo album in this new style was Ghost Lily Cascade in 1996.[4] His usual recording method is to record jazz musicians as they improvise on acoustic instruments, and then reconstruct the results electronically.[1][4] He has since released more than 20 solo albums, usually on his Discus label, which sells both his own records and those by other selected artists via mail order.[1] His 2019 album Another Fantastic Individual was recorded entirely solo.[5]

Archer collaborated with electronic musician Chris Bywater is the duo Transient v Resident, which released albums in 1997 and 2001.[6] Archer collaborates periodically with bluegrass/jazz guitarist John Jasnoch under the name Ask.[7] He co-leads the 30-member improvisational singing group Juxtavoices, which has been described as an "antichoir",[8][9] and periodically performs with the Murmurists.[10] Archer also collaborated with Julie Tippetts on the albums Ghosts of Gold[11][12] and Tales of Finin.[13]