School of Seven Bells

Biography

Ben Curtis fled Secret Machines in 2007 to focus on School of Seven Bells, an electronics-enhanced dream pop group formed with twin sister vocalists Claudia and Alejandra Deheza (also of On!Air!Library!). They debuted in 2007 on Sonic Cathedral with the 7" recording My Cabal, which featured a remix on the B-side from Robin Guthrie — Guthrie's Cocteau Twins, as well as several of the artists the Cocteaus inspired, from My Bloody Valentine to Medicine, being apparent touchstones. Two other releases were out before the end of the year: the Face to Face on High Places 7" (Radium) and The Class of 73 Bells (Warp), a four-track Prefuse 73 EP featuring the group's input. The group's activities the following year included Silent Grips, a 7" released on Suicide Squeeze, and that fall's Alpinisms, released on Ghostly International. Claudia has also recorded an album with Prefuse 73/Scott Herren, Singular (2006), as A Cloud Mireya.