Fragile State

by Eleanor Ditzel
Fragile State is the moniker of the British duo Neil Cowley and Ben Mynott, both highly experienced in the music industry. Cowley, (keyboards) toured extensively with Zero 7 and several other groups. He has gathered an array of production credits, including Freil (whose single was on San Francisco's acclaimed Naked Music Recordings), and East West Connection. Mynott, a music journalist, is known for his monthly jazz/house column in B&S magazine. Bar De Lune Recordings put out Mynott's sexy, soulful compilation series titled Nu De Lune. Cowley and Mynott joined together as Fragile State after a friendship of many years, and Quiet Riot released the duo's first recording, Nocturnal Beats, a vinyl.
Bar De Lune released Fragile States' debut album, The Facts and the Dreams, in October 2002, as a CD, and, with Hoop Dreams, as a 5" and a 12". The aim of the album, a blend of soul and jazz that was named after a title in a rare l920s architecture book from Germany, is to reflect the dream of a social utopia, beautiful and fragile. Bar De Lune released the single The Facts and the Dreams/Hoop Dreams in September, 2003.
In 2003, following the highly acclaimed The Facts & The Dreams, Beechwood released Fragile State's creation Just Got Home, a compilation of contemporary, laid-back tunes from fourteen peers such as Mettle Music, RSL, The Egg, Hird Feat-Yukimi Nagano, Troublemakers, and Gare Du Nord.
While creating its own albums during the early 2000s, the duo also mixed, arranged, and produced albums for dozens of various artists, including the albums Saint Germain Lounge, Best of Buddha, Chillout Lounge, Sunset Buddha Lounge, World Beats, and Café du Monde. Venturing out into bigger territory, Fragile State played the Big Chill Festival in August, 2003, at Eastnor Castle, Deer Park, England. A single "Every Day a Story", remix with 4Hero, major UK act, was released in September, 2003. This was followed in October, 2003, by the duo's first ever UK tour, sponsored by the UK/worldwide fashion company, Fred Perry. Fragile State's laid back grooves and contemporary chillage continue to successfully permeate the UK music scene.