Smart Shoes Rupert Cross

• 1 Cosmonaut 04:29
• 2 Blind Pigs 06:55
• 3 Ah 05:38
• 4 Now Come On 05:37
• 5 Knifey Spoony 03:00
• 6 Smart Shoes 04:28
• 7 A.P. Air Bass 04:21
• 8 The Swimmer 04:35
• 9 Game over Man, Game Over 05:16
• Total Runtime 44:19

Info for Smart Shoes

Rupert Cross’ first solo album since 2017’s Music For Three Plays sees him collaborating with three singers that he’s met through past collaborations – C.A.R. (Chloé Raunet) who has appeared on a number of Smagghe & Cross releases, David Wilson (from the Glasgow four piece The Junto Club) whose track Ikiryo was remixed by Smagghe & Cross, and 1403 (Tom Cameron) who worked with Rupert on Sasha’s reFracted: Live at The Barbican concert.

“Unlike the output of Smagghe & Cross, which has since 2017 seen two albums (‘Ma’ on Offen Records and ‘Timothy Dalton’ on Idle Press) and two EP’s (‘Talking to Katz’ on Ransom Note and ‘MMMMMMM’ on Huntley’s and Palmers), this album has slowly developed over a long period of time. This album was written in response to a loss of a dear friend and as such it was important to me that it was done honestly and truthfully. It is an album fizzing with vibrancy and energy celebrating their life, and it is my hope this is an album they would have enjoyed.” (Rupert Cross)

The album, showcasing influences from many artists the dedicatee enjoyed, such as Radiohead and LCD Soundsystem, opens with Cosmonaut, a song about denial, and ends with Game Over Man, Game Over where C.A.R. recounts her own story of resolution. In between, Blind Pigs, Ah and A.P. Air Bass, all sung by David Wilson, are all celebrations of the spirited dynamism of its subject. Smart Shoes and The Swimmer, sung by 1403, bring both emotion and beautiful acceptance to the album, the former and title track sung from those shoes you only wear at weddings and funerals. Knifey Spoony is placed as an instrumental breath in the middle. Like the album’s final track title, it mischievously engages with playful pop culture references.

Rupert Cross

Rupert Cross
studied music composition at the University of Southampton with Michael Finnissy where he won the Lytell Prize, the Edward Wood Award and achieved first class honours. He received scholarships from the Laurin and Arthur Glaze Trust and the AHRC for postgraduate composition study with Julian Anderson at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he achieved distinction.

As a solo artist Rupert has released the albums ‘Music for Three Plays’ and ‘Smart Shoes’ on Besant Hall Records. He has also released the EP ‘RUCA’, a collaboration with the artist C.A.R., on the same label in 2020.

Since 2013, Rupert has regularly collaborated with DJs Ivan Smagghe [Kill The DJ/ Les Disques De La Mort] and Tim Paris [Marketing Records] on albums, EP’s, singles and remixes. His ongoing partnership with Smagghe, as Smagghe & Cross, has led to the albums ‘Ma’ and ‘1819’ on Offen Music, ‘Timothy Dalton’ on Idle Press Records, and the EP’s ‘Talking to Katz’ on Ransom Note records and ‘Mmmmmmm’ on Huntley + Palmers. His remix of ‘Manureva’ by Alain Chamfort with Smagghe was used in the Chanel Haute Couture Spring/ Summer 2016 show at Paris Fashion Week by Karl Lagerfeld. He has released two albums with Tim Paris, ‘Music for Film, TV & Radio’ on Magnetic Records in 2016 and ‘Mechanism’ on Village Green Recordings, the latter making Rough Trade’s album of the month.

In 2016, Rupert composed original music for the Donmar Warehouse’s production of ‘Faith Healer’ directed by Lyndsey Turner. In 2017, Rupert collaborated with Lyndsey again, this time at the Almeida Theatre with an original score for ‘The Treatment’ by Martin Crimp. Rupert also collaborated with the Donmar again in 2017 in their production of ‘Limehouse’ directed by Polly Findlay. In November 2017, Rupert composed the original score to Kenneth Branagh’s production of ‘Hamlet’ starring Tom Hiddleston. He has also composed scores for ‘Frozen’ at Theatre Royal Haymarket, starring Surrane Jones, and the RSC production of ‘Macbeth’ which was broadcast live across UK cinemas.

He has written original scores to the films ‘Some Of Us’, directed by Toby Clarke, and ‘Calm’ directed by Kwame Lestrade, as well as collaborations with director Carolina Giammetta on ‘Medium of Exchange’ and ‘An Item’ for ArtsEd in London. Between 2010 and 2015, Rupert worked as an Assistant and Music Programmer for Patrick Doyle at both Shepperton Studios and 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles for the films ‘Cinderella’, ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’, ‘Brave’, ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’, ‘Thor’ and ‘La Ligne Droite.’

As an orchestrator and arranger he has worked on concerts for artists including Kanye West, Jarvis Cocker, Marianne Faithfull and The Residents.

Most recently Rupert co-composed the original score and songs for the Disney series ‘101 Dalmatian Street’ and the game ‘Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League’ for Warner Bros/Rocksteady Studios.

This album contains no booklet.