Helicon: 2015 - 2020

 

Helicon’s counter-cultural psychedelia blends guitars, sitars, electronica, experimentation and irresistible grooves. The band was formed by brothers John-Paul and Gary Hughes in East Kilbride,

Glasgow. They signed to Fuzz Club in 2017 and have released 3 studio albums, 2 live albums, 2 EPs and 2 stand-alone singles to date. Helicon are psychedelic haze & gaze merchants formed in East Kilbride / Glasgow by brothers John-Paul and Gary Hughes (both guitars/vocals), and Laura O'Brien (keys/violin). Soon after, they recruited Steven Jamieson on bass and Martin MacVicar on drums.
                     

The band has now been together since around early 2009 and continue to build on an already expanding

psychedelic sound, live show and fan base. Lifelong comrade Gary Sharp, who aside from occasionally playing live with the band, contributes to musical ideas and chips in with percussion and instrumentation on recordings. More recently, Helicon added a 3rd guitarist, Craig ‘Gally’ Gallagher, who adds to their already unmistakable effect ridden, thunderous live sound and layered instrumentation. 
                       

The band signed to Fuzz Club records in 2017, and their 4th studio album, a collaboration with LA-

based artist and DJ AL Lover, is due for release in February 2026. Over the last few years, the band has been heard regularly on BBC Radio 6 Music and previously collaborated on recordings with Will Carruthers (Spacemen 3, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spiritualized, Dead Skeletons), Mark Gardener (Ride), Tony Doogan (Mogwai / Delgados / Belle & Sebastian / David Byrne), and LA-based DJ/producer Al Lover.
                            

Helicon is a rotating collective of musicians: John-Paul Hughes, Gary Hughes, Mark McLure, Graham Gordon,  Seb Jonsen, Billy Docherty, Mike Hastings, Anna McCracken and Declan

Welsh. There is definitely something inherently Scottish, especially Glaswegian, about Helicon’s lyrics in the sense of their sneering sarcasm and cynicism and relation to the darker side of love and life. They feel they cannot fail to be influenced in some way by religion, drink and drugs in this part of the world such is their effect on our society... for good and bad. 
                      

Their mis-spent youth, listening to The Doors and The Velvet Underground, hiding from the rain and

trying not to become tracksuit wearing bigots seem to have helped shape Helicon’s tastes and opinions. Its Helicon’s belief that it’s high time there was some decent smoke and psychedelic drugs slipped into the mainstream to turn the kids off the fucking bile they are being subjected to. 
                        

HELICON - GEHENNA EP 2015

                       

Hailing from the East (Kilbride), Helicon have mastered the art of layering guitar, bass, keyboard,

drums and placing a sitar shaped cherry on top on this 2015 outing.... In A Sad Red Dusk. The b-side, We're Gaun Tae The Moon is a drums heavy dog walk through a Doors tinged wilderness, before they take the reigns and finish with a "neo-psyche" chase into the kaleidoscopic blackness ahead.  
                          

Helicon – Gehenna
Label: EXAG' Records – XAG001
Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, EP, Limited Edition, Numbered, White
Country: Belgium
Released: Apr 23, 2015
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Shoegaze

SIDE A.

                         

A1. In A Sad Red Dusk (Sitar – Graham Gordon)   5:34
A2. Heavy Black Hole Jets    1:38

SIDE B.

                  

B.We're Gaun Tae The Moon    9:28

Flac Size: 209 MB

HELICON - HELICON 2017

                      

Glasgow’s Helicon have become a mythical force in the UK underground since they formed back in

2009 - releasing eight EPs and share the stage with everyone from the likes of Wooden Shjips, The Warlocks, Dead Skeletons and The Holydrug Couple. Picking up an ever-growing reputation along the way the band finally set to released their long-overdue self-titled debut LP on Fuzz Club – produced by Tony Doogan at Mogwai’s Castle Of Doom Studio.
                     

Helicon – Helicon
Label: Fuzz Club Records – none
Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: Apr 2022
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock

TRACKS

                       

01. Devil On Your Tongue    5:09
02. Valmiki    5:39
03. Seraph    4:50
04. Drinking Of You    4:10
05. The Bold Yin    4:48
06. Teenage Murder    4:46
07. French As Fuck    4:43
08. Ring The Albanian     5:08

LINE - UP

           

 

John-Paul Hughes 
Gary Hughes 
Mark McLure 
Graham Gordon 
Seb Jonsen

Flac Size: 290 MB

HELICON - THIS CAN ONLY LEAD TO CHAOS 2020

                  

Glaswegian psychedelic heavyweights Helicon released their second album, the aptly- titled ‘This

Can Only Lead to Chaos.’ Arriving January 24th 2020 via Fuzz Club, it follows on from their 2017 self-titled debut and a recent three-track ‘Zero Fucks’ EP, released earlier this year. A 9-track effort, it sees the band delve even deeper into their self-confessed “evil psych rock with smatterings of sentient sitar” - coming out of the other end with something more raw and heavy, and far closer to the all-consuming live show that they’ve spent the last decade frying minds with.
                 

Helicon – This Can Only Lead To Chaos
Label: Fuzz Club Records – FC127V12
Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition, Stereo Apr 2022
Country: UK    
Released: 2020    
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock

TRACKS

                   

01. Sound Of Confession    4:26
02. Pure Filth    3:59
03. The Sun Also Rises    5:19
04. Glasgow Uni Accent    4:41
05. In The End    3:46
06. Bardo Thodol    3:43
07. With Graceful Menace    4:14
08. What You Love Will Kill You    3:52
09. Cosmic John    3:37

BONUS TRACKS FROM THE EP: FUZZ CLUB SESSIONS No. 15  2020

                           

10. Permo    6:10
11. Il Bacio Di Giuda    6:22

LINE - UP
                       

John-Paul Hughes
Gary Hughes
Anna McCracken
Mike Hastings,
Graham Gordo
Seb Jonsen
Mark McLure
Billy Docherty
Declan Welsh.  

Flac Size: 310 MB