Kalimoto were formed in 1999, by brothers Al and Joe French. Initially formed as a 2-piece acoustic set, they soon decided to branch out with a full 'backbeat'. Mark Steele was soon employed on drums, followed by his old school pal, Rob Grieve on bass. Their first gig was not long after Rob had joined. Their first gig as the current line-up was at the Fairfield's Arts Centre, Basingstoke in January 1999. The band played to a packed audience, and the crowd loved what they saw and heard. The songs were there. The performance was there. The charisma was there. The response was there. The band's seeds were sown.
The band had worked under a few pseudonyms for a while, but whilst the lads were playing basketball (something of a tradition after a band rehearsal!), the name Kalimoto was uttered, and eureka, at last, the four lads from Hampshire were Kalimoto. Kalimoto have quite a unique sound, as anyone who has seen them live, or heard their cds or mp3s will testify. Their sound might even be described as a testament to a variety of influences, although these influences are not always so obvious. Some critics have described the band as "goth", others as "indie pop", others as "alternative rock", others as "funky space rock"! Reviewers have made various comparisons as diverse as Verve, Coldplay, Doves, Clash, U2, Chameleons, The The, The Jam and Oasis right through to Simon & Garfunkel to DJ Shadow even..... If you've not heard them, then go to one of the sites that host some of their tracks in mp3 format and judge for yourself! Kalimoto signed a two-album licensing deal in January 2003 with US independent label Souvenir Records, and the debut album Multicore was released in the USA and Canada in 2004. The LP has also been released in the UK on the band's own label B3400. In 2005, they have been included on the VisitBritain Rocks compilation CD, promoting the best of up-and-coming UK bands to the USA. In addition, their song Everything Goes is being included on subsequent VisitBritain promos planned for late 2005/early 2006. They will also been included on an as-yet untitled USA compilation CD of covers of songs from the 1980s, being produced by their label - they did their own rendition of Duran Duran's The Chauffeur. They are also currently recording their second album Some Of Them Are Killers, which is scheduled for release in 2006. The band have had a lot of positive critical acclaim in various parts of Europe and the USA......things are looking very promising for this bright, innovative and exciting group. | 
