Live at Future Yard

Who is Mistrust?

I’m Tim Blackburn, who records under the name “Mistrust”. I write and record synth pop songs and have played live in store at my local HMV record stores.

Artist Name: “Mistrust”

Real Name: Tim Blackburn

Started making music: Years ago!

Based: Manchester/Bolton, UK

About Mistrust – The short Version!

I’m Tim Blackburn, who records under the name “Mistrust”. I’m based in the North West of England, and make catchy electronic pop songs! My music is influenced by bands such as Kraftwerk, OMD, and early Human League.

I have recently headlined the Future Showcase at Future Yard in Wirral, and I’ve played live in HMV stores in the North West. I’ve also played at Glaston-BURY, and several local open mic nights.

I’ll be playing at Cable Festival in February 2024.

My latest album “Sunlight” is out now on limited edition compact disc, and is available to buy in HMV stores in Bury, Stockport, Warrington, as well as on my Bandcamp page.

I’m available for gigs and support slots in the UK.

I have previously remixed songs by a number of well-known bands and artists including Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins) and Pitch Black (New Zealand).

Profiles:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mistrustmusic
Website: https://mistrustmusic.co.uk
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mistrustmusic
Bandcamp: https://mistrust.bandcamp.com

Biography (Part 1)

I first got interested in electronic music when I heard “Son of My Father” by Chicory Tip, and “Crazy Horses” by The Osmonds, when I was a kid.

I couldn’t believe the weird noises coming out of radio. I was hooked, even at a young age.

Fast forward a few years and I was making weird noises of my own with a Bontempi fan organ that I had at home. I didn’t follow the song books and chord buttons. I just made weird sounds.

Fast forward again to the late 1970s and 1980s, and the music of Gary Numan, OMD, Ultravox and Depeche Mode, got me into buying a Jen SX1000 synth, Casio MT31 keyboard, and a KAY Memory Rhythm drum machine, and later a Yamaha VSS-30 digital sampling keyboard. I wrote and recorded five or six C90 cassettes worth of synth pop songs, pretending to be Gary Numan, and hoping to get a record deal.

Somewhere along the line, I didn’t get a record deal, probably because I didn’t send the cassettes to anyone!

Years later, I bought a Casio CZ1000 keyboard, Roland SH101 synth, and a Yamaha drum machine, bought an Amiga 1200 computer, wrote some more songs, and then sold everything. I didn’t write another song until 2002!!!

I decided I wanted to get into writing and recording music on a computer, so I bought a PC and Cubasis 2 (the original version) and wrote a song called “Hello” for my future wife. This got me into writing and recording more music, culminating into a track called “Never Alone”. This was the track that changed everything!

Part 2 coming soon!

Assorted releases:

Yellow and Grey / Gelb und Grau (2023) / Never Let You Go (2022) – Self-released / New Age Mistrust Remix (2021) – RV Music (Australia) / Everyday, Everyday, The Mistrust Remixes (2020) – Self-Released / Pitch Black – Rude Mechanicals mistrust remix (2008) – Dubmission Records / Animat – Deep Space Lament mistrust remix (2020) – Disco Gecko Records

Influences: OMD, Kraftwerk, Mad Professor, Lee Scratch Perry, Pitch Black, Tom Bailey

Stand-out achievements: Top 30 indie radio airplay chart in NZ for Rude Mechanicals remix; first electronic act to feature on O’Neill Surfing contest soundtrack; remixed several major artists, including Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins) and Michael Harding (1000 Mexicans)

Airplay and coverage: Review of Yellow and Grey by Neil March aka Trust the Doc; Review of Yellow and Grey by Rob Benny;

Yellow and Grey has been played on Artefaktor Radio, Radio Hartlepool, Trust the Doc, Revival Radio Station, Radio Wigwam, Big Satsuma Radio

Review of Everyday, Everyday Mistrust Remixes on Niceup; airplay on ALL.FM radio (UK); Video for Never Let You Go featured on Trust the Doc TV;

Live performances

Played at inaugural Electronic Music Open Mic Night, and other EMOM nights; Live stream performance (February 2023)

I have also played live in store at the HMV record stores at Bury, Stockport, and Warrington, with Liverpool coming up in September 2023.

Interesting back-story: It’s not every day you get to work with your musical heroes! I’ve worked with Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins) under his International Observer guise, and remixed other artists and bands, including Michael Harding (ex-1000 Mexicans) and Banco de Gaia.

My 15 minutes of fame came a few years ago when a remix I did for New Zealand’s Pitch Black made the top 30 indie radio airplay charts in NZ.

Quotes and reviews:

Yellow and Grey: “Effortlessly melodic with a simple but great hook. Synth Pop that will put a smile in your heart.” (Neil March / Trust the Doc)

Yellow and Grey: “impressive work by Blackburn and his project Mistrust. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re a person who enjoys catchy music with a throwback feel.” Rob Benny

Deep Space Lament Mistrust remix – “operatic fashion worthy of an upcoming cinematic adventure” (Niceup). / Rude Mechanicals Mistrust Remix – “draws the listener in before teasing, then releasing, a nostalgic beat” (Niceup)

Contact information and website/social media links:

Website: mistrustmusic.co.uk / Twitter: @mstrstmsc / Instagram: @mistrustmusic / Facebook: @mistrustmusicuk / Youtube: @mistrustmusic / News/Blog/Contact: Mistrust.Wordpress.com