Relaxed Muscle

Continuing in the dark, arty electronic vein that informed their other bands, Relaxed Muscle is the side project/supergroup of Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, multi-instrumentalist Richard Hawley (also of Pulp, as well as Add N To (x) and The Longpigs), and Jason Buckle, also of the Fat Truckers. Billing themselves "the sound of young Doncaster," Cocker and Hawley took the pseudonyms Darren Spooner and Wayne Marsden (the name of a boy that bullied Cocker in school) for their first 7", The Heavy, which was limited to 500 copies and featured some of the songs that they performed as Jarvis & Friends at a September 2002 concert at London's Royal Festival Hall. Songs such as "The Heavy," "Rod of Iron," and "Branded" carried on some of the themes found in Pulp and Add N To (x)'s later albums, but also recalled the work of Suicide, The Normal, and Cabaret Voltaire. Rough Trade reissued The Heavy as a more widely available CD single in spring 2003. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide