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British prog-electronica trio the Utopia Strong -- improbably featuring six-time world snooker champion Steve Davis on modular synth -- combine prog, Krautrock, and contemporary electronica on their 2019 eponymous debut album.
Davis was the king of snooker during the '80s. In an era when the sport was dominated by hard-living wild men like Alex "Hurricane" Higgins and Jimmy White, his wholesome, buttoned-up, no-nonsense style saw him cruelly lampooned as the world's dullest man, particularly by the British satirical comedy puppet show Spitting Image, which ironically dubbed him "Mr. Interesting." Davis had the last laugh, however, cleaning up at the baize to the tune of six world trophies. But behind his boring image, Davis was in fact a switched-on music fan, recognized by those in the know for his love of prog rock, jazz-funk, and soul. He famously booked French prog titans Magma out of his own pocket to play three sold-out nights at London's Bloomsbury Theatre, and he later became a successful DJ in his own right with the radio show Interesting Alternative on Essex local radio station Phoenix FM. Davis' co-presenter on the show was storied Gong and Cardiacs guitarist Kavus Torabi, whom he had met at a Magma gig.
Davis' already catholic taste grew to encompass contemporary electronica, and in 2016 he took up the modular synth. Davis and Torabi met Coil's Michael J. York after the 2017 Glastonbury Festival where they had DJ'ed, and the trio decided to form a band. Starting in a spirit of experimentation, and with no preconceived notions of what the final product would be like, they effortlessly created a unique, hypnotic musical journey combining elements of prog, Krautrock, and contemporary electronica. Their eponymous debut album was released by Rocket Recordings in 2019. While largely instrumental, it featured a guest vocal appearance by Mediæval Bæbes' Katharine Blake.
