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.[2][3] In 1983 he founded the band Hornweb, which released three albums.[2] He also released a solo album called Wild Pathway Favourites in 1988 on his own label, Discus.[2][4]

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.[5] His usual recording method is to record jazz musicians as they improvise on acoustic instruments, and then reconstruct the results electronically.[2][5] 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.[2] His 2019 album, Another Fantastic Individual, was recorded entirely solo.[6]

Archer collaborated with electronic musician Chris Bywater is the duo Transient v Resident, which released albums in 1997 and 2001.[7] Archer collaborates periodically with bluegrass/jazz guitarist John Jasnoch under the name Ask.[8] He co-leads the 30-member improvisational singing group Juxtavoices, which has been described as an "antichoir",[9][10] and periodically performs with the Murmurists.[11] Archer also collaborated with Julie Tippetts on the albums Ghosts of Gold[12][13] and Tales of Finin.[14]