Simon Raymonde

Most known as the Cocteau Twins' bassist from 1984 until their breakup, Simon Raymonde, the son of noted pop songwriter and arranger Ivor Raymonde, actually cut his teeth in Drowning Craze, a short-lived post-punk group on Situation Two that released a trio of singles before disbanding. After spending over a decade as a vital cog in the Cocteau Twins' machine, Raymonde and former bandmate Robin Guthrie set up the Bella Union label to release a number of records by like-minded acts. He also became increasingly active with production duties, twiddling knobs and providing guidance for Bella Union artists the Czarz, the Autumns, Lift to Experience, and Rothko, as well as the late Billy Mackenzie. Raymonde has worked sporadically with his own musical ventures; he wrote, produced, and played a number of instruments for Nanaco's late-'90s recordings and released the solo record Blame Someone Else in 1997 on Bella Union. ~ Andy Kellman