I-D.A Projects present Lifetones’ first UK live performances of For A Reason alongside new compositions during a two day residency at Cafe Oto.

With the demise of This Heat in 1982 it’s three members quickly redirected their individual and idiosyncratic visions to new projects: Gareth Williams studied Kathakali in India and later formed Flaming Tunes with Mary Currie; Charles Hayward immediately formed Camberwell Now with Trefor Goronwy and Stephen Rickard; Charles Bullen created Lifetones with Julius Cornelius Samuel, aka Dub Judah.

For A Reason was Lifetones’ only album, made at This Heat’s legendary Cold Storage recording studio and released on Bullen’s Tone of Life imprint in 1983. Whilst neglected for many years it has quietly informed more recent generations of musician and is now widely considered a cult classic. Leaving behind the apocalyptic landscape of the earlier group, whilst retaining its ‘post-everything’ experimentalism, it is a record of tentative optimism that found new expression in the dub and reggae influence of South London’s Jamaican community.

While Lifetones never played live and Bullen would not perform on stage again until the 2016 launch of the critically acclaimed This Is Not This Heat, he worked for many years as a studio engineer on all styles of music, particularly reggae. Multi -instrumentalist Daniel O’Sullivan says he is "happy to announce the rebirth of Lifetones…Charles and I have been discussing this concept since This Is Not This Heat drew to a close. We’ve since assembled a group of beloved musical adepts and have arranged the recorded repertoire as well as some new music for the stage".

Charles Bullen will also open each night with a solo performance of improvised prepared slide guitar and toy guitar. 

Lifetones are: 

Charles Bullen - Guitar / Voice
Daniel O’Sullivan - Guitar / Voice
Charles Stuart - Keys / Voice
Rose Keeler-Schaffeler - Viola / Voice
Caius Williams - Bass
Frank Byng – Drums