Prolapse were an English indie rock band formed in Leicester, England, originally active from c.1992 to c.2000. The group's sound was a mixture of punk rock, krautrock and shoegazing styles.
History
Formation
Prolapse formed in the summer of 1991 under a table at Leicester Polytechnic's Friday night disco, "With the aim of being the most depressing band ever". The original line-up was comprised of "Scottish" Mick Derrick, Linda Steelyard, David Jeffreys, Patrick Marsden, "Geordie" Mick Harrison and Tim Pattison. "Geordie" Mick and Tim, both from the North-East of England, knew each other prior to attending Leicester Polytechnic, and had performed together in early school bands. In a 1999 interview, Steelyard stated that the name was chosen "to indicate something undesirable in a miserable sort of way, rather than unsavoury. Unfortunately, we have come to realise that it makes some people think of arses."
Cult following
In 1993 the band released two EPs on Cherry Red Records, "Crate" and "Pull Thru Barker", followed in 1994 by the single "Doorstop Rhythmic Bloc" and album Pointless Walks to Dismal Places, which won critical acclaim. After leaving Cherry Red records, they then went on to release a variety of singles and EPs on a number of different labels. In 1995, they released their second albumbacksaturday, which saw them experimenting with both repetitive grooves and ambient soundscapes. The album was preceded by the single "TCR", a fast-paced number which also featured on the subsequent US release of backsaturday. A remixed version of the 15-minute lead track "Flex" was also later issued as a limited edition 12" titled "Flexed". Their third album The Italian Flag was an eclectic 13-track tour de force which saw Prolapse pick up significant radio playfor the first time, particularly for the lead single "Killing The Bland" and its even more commercial-sounding follow-up "Autocade", though neither single became a hit. The album returned to the more melodic approach of the first LP, though now with a harder guitar sound, but this time there was also a whole diverse array of styles, earning the band many favourable reviews. The album was produced by Donald Ross Skinner, who was invited to join the band for their subsequent tour on keyboards and guitar. The final Prolapse LP was Ghosts of Dead Aeroplanes, released in 1999, after which the group drifted apart. As of 2005, Mick Derrick was working as an archaeologist in Norway, Pat Marsden lived in nearby Denmark, drummer Tim played in MJ Hibbett & The Validators, Linda Steelyard was a reporter for the Leicester Mercury and David Jeffreys was a professor of art at Savannah College of Art and Design. In January 2015, Mick Derrick announced on Twitter that Prolapse would be reforming to play live dates later in the year.
