Led by falsetto-equipped vocalist, keyboardist, and guitarist Chris James, the Leeds, England-based
Stateless -- a left-of-center, electronics-enhanced rock band that recalled
Radiohead, post-
Protection Massive Attack, and
Coldplay in varying degrees -- took shape in 2003. Demos for the emotive songs "Exit" and "Prism #1" were picked up by BBC Radio 1 and earned the interest of Sony, where
Stateless released the 2004 single "Down Here." The Sony-BMG merger brought an end to the band's major-label contract. They briefly linked with the Regal label and released the four-track
Bloodstream EP. James then contributed lyrics and vocals to two songs, "Erase You" and "You Made It," for
DJ Shadow's 2006 album
The Outsider. Another short-term deal for
Stateless yielded a self-titled album issued on !K7 in 2007. Matilda, a second album, was released on Ninja Tune in 2011 and featured strings from
the Balanescu Quartet on three songs. At that point in time, the band featured James, along with
kidkanevil (turntables, programming), David Levin (drums), and
Justin Percival (bass). ~ Andy Kellman