Marconi Union are an English ambient music band formed in Manchester in 2003 by Richard Talbot and Jamie Crossley. In 2011, their live keyboardist Duncan Meadows became a full time member. History Marconi Union formed in 2003, when Talbot and Crossley met while working in a Manchester record shop. They have a reputation for being somewhat elusive as they frequently refuse interview requests and show little interest in promoting themselves despite having attracted considerable critical acclaim. Their self-produced debut album, Under Wires and Searchlights, appeared in 2003 on the independent label Ochre Records. They were picked up by All Saints Records shortly after. In 2005, they released Distance which featured a darker, more electronic sound. The follow-up, A Lost Connection, was originally slated for release on All Saints, but the band became victims of label politics following its takeover by Warner Bros. Frustrated by the delays and with two full-length albums recorded and awaiting release, Talbot and Crossley launched their own digital label, MU Transmissions, which started to sell their music through their website. Starting in 2008, Marconi Union gave away 12 downloads on their website, each of which was available for one month only. The tracks were completely exclusive and included outtakes, unreleased tracks and alternate mixes. In 2009 these were released as the compilation album 13. Also in 2009, Marconi Union released a new album, Tokyo on the German-based label Binemusic. According to press releases and reviews, the album was inspired by images of the Japanese city. In 2010, A Lost Connection was remastered and released on CD. In the same year, the group announced Duncan Meadows, their live keyboardist, had joined on a permanent basis. In July 2011, a new album, Beautifully Falling Apart (Ambient Transmissions Vol:1) was released on Just Music. Musically this was a diversion from previous releases, being largely beatless and with a greater emphasis on texture. Despite this move away from the more commercial aspects of their earlier work, it was met with critical acclaim. Different Colours is their first album featuring Meadows as a full-time member, and once again differed in approach and sound from its predecessors. This time, the focus was on tightly structured arrangements, assimilating ideas from jazz and soundtrack composers like Bernard Herrmann with the intention of producing a more soulful sound. Different Colours achieved greater commercial success than their previous releases, and featured in several best of the