Hamilton Lee

Hamilton Lee (born 7 September 1958 in London, England), also known by variations on Hamid Mantu, is an English musician.

Lee is best known as the drummer, percussionist and co-leader of Transglobal Underground, under his "Hamid Mantu" alias. He was also a core member of Furniture and has played with Natacha Atlas, The Transmitters, Lunar Dunes, Solus 3, Ghost Shirt, Xangbetos, The GaslightTroubadours and the Flavel Bambi Septet as well as various session appearances.

Musical career 1979–1991: Furniture, The Transmitters and others Hamilton Lee was born in London

Lee's first significant musical project was the new wave band Furniture (best known for their top 30 UK chart hit "Brilliant Mind") for which he, Whelan and Irvin were founder members and contributing songwriters. Lee played drums, percussion and occasional keyboards for Furniture throughout the band's existence between 1979 and 1991 (playing on all four of the band's albums and all of their singles), and helped to bring in relatively unusual instrumentation such as tongue-drum. During the latter half of Furniture's existence, Lee was also a member (alongside Whelan) of the Ealing-based post-punk/psychedelic band The Transmitters, for which he played drums and sampler between 1987 and 1989.

At various points in the 1980s, Lee drummed for various theatre projects by the comedy/drama/"horror-panto" troupe Count of Three in both London and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, including versions of The Beggar's Opera, Titus Andronicus and Dr Calamari's Music Hall of the Macabre. In the early 1990s, he contributed drums to Catwalk, a short-lived alternative rock band led by Melody Maker journalist Chris Roberts.

Transglobal Underground and Worldbeat; 1992–present During Furniture's globetrotting exile from the UK between 1987 and 1989, Lee performed with the band in Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania. This exposed him further to music from cultures outside the Anglophone rock and pop tradition: African, Arabic, Middle Eastern and Central and Eastern European.

Lunar Dunes' work with additional musicians (including pianist/harpist Julia Thornton, singer and loop processor Krupa MaNomay and frequent Furniture/TGU saxophonist Larry Whelan) led to the creation of a second band, the "post-jazz/post-punk/chamber dub" ensemble Solus 3. Originally conceived as a trio of Lee, Blackaby and Thornton, the group has expanded to include contributions from MaNomay and trumpeter/throat singer Francesco Filizzola (in addition to various guest collaborators). Solus 3 have released two albums to date.

Session/guest player As a session player or guest musician, Lee has played or programmed for Natacha Atlas, Simple Minds, Jeanette, Fiamma Fumana, Danielle Dax, Loretta Heywood and Jemma Freeman and The Cosmic Something.

Discography Main projects with Transglobal Underground: (selected) "Temple Head" single (1992) Dream of 100 Nations album (1993)' International Times album (1994) Psychic Karaoke album (1996) Rejoice Rejoice album (1998) Yes Boss Food Corner album (2001) Impossible Broadcasting album (2004) Moonshout album (2007) Run Devils and Demons album (2009) A Gathering of Strangers album (2010 The Stone Turntable album (2011)

with Furniture: (selected) When the Boom Was On mini-album (1983) The Lovemongers album (1986) The Wrong People album (1986, reissued 2010) Food, Sex & Paranoia album (1990) She Gets Out the Scrapbook compilation album (1991)

with The Transmitters Count Your Blessings (1987/1989) compilation album (2006) I Fear No One compilation album (2007)

with Lunar Dunes From Above album (…. 2007) Galaxsea album (4 Zero Records, 2011)

with Solus 3 The Sky Above the Roof album (2010) "Tricked By a Monster" 12” single (2011) Corner of the World album (2011)

with The Xangbetos "Size of an Elephant" EP (Nation Records, 1997)

as Auntie Horror Film Now I See It All (D.O.R. – ADOR 797 – 1995)

As guest/session musician with Natacha Atlas Diaspora album (1995) Halim album (1997) Gedida album (1998) Ayeshtina album (2001)

with The Natacha Atlas & Marc Eagleton Project Foretold in the Language of Dreams album (2002)

various Jeanette: “Hum” single (Survival Records, 1984) Catwalk: “Damascus” 12” single (Dedicated, 1991) Simple Minds: Neapolis album (Chrysalis Records, 1998) Fiamma Fumana: Onda album (Mescal, MES 6832532 – 2006)