Andy Votel

Manchester musician, DJ, record producer and graphic designer Andrew Shallcross began making rap music in the 1980s with Manchester hip-hop crew Violators of the English Language (from which his VOTEL stage name is derived), before going solo and mixing psychedelic rock with jazz and hip-hop records at The Hacienda in the 1990s.

He co-founded Twisted Nerve Records with Damon Gough (aka Badly Drawn Boy) and later the reissue label Finders Keepers with Cherry Red Record's boss Doug Shipton, from which the B-Music DJ Collective was spawned with fellow ex-Hacienda DJ and journalist John Maccready.

His debut album, Styles of the Unexpected, was released in 2000 with vocals from Alfie's Lee Gorton and his long-time partner, Jane Weaver, while the follow-up, All Ten Fingers, in 2002 starred Elbow, original Can singer Malcolm Mooney, and Jane Weaver.

He has also released music under the aliases Applehead, Anworth Kirk, Tandy Love, Xian Orphic, Slant Azymuth, Neotantrik, and Tony Deval among others.

B-Music collaborators have included Jarvis Cocker, Maxine Peake, Belle & Sebastian, St. Etienne, David Holmes, Gruff Rhys, The Gaslamp Killer, Pamela des Barres, and Malcolm Mooney among others