Manchester-based
Andy Votel wears many hats, among them record label owner and producer. In his teenage years,
Votel gained experience by hanging out in Northern hip-hop clubs and playing warm-up DJ at Manchester bars and clubs. Into his twenties, his crafted soundscapes landed him remix and production projects with
Death in Vegas,
Lamb, and
Badly Drawn Boy (
Damon Gough). Along with
Gough,
Votel established Twisted Nerve Records. Though the two are both producers in their own right, it is
Gough's first released work that brought the label attention in late 2000.
Votel's first album,
Styles of the Unexpected, was a 40-minute mini-album influenced by surf, electronic, hip-hop, and cinematic themes. The album was released in early 2001 on
Votel and
Gough's label. One year later came the follow-up,
All Ten Fingers, but
Votel earned much more notice for a series of eccentric, themed mix albums, including 2003's Music to Watch Girls Cry, 2005's Songs in the Key of Death, and 2008's Brazilika. ~ Diana Potts