James Banbury

James Banbury (left) has worked in the UK music industry for more than 25 years. While still at music college he signed a publishing deal with cutting edge dance label Rhythm King (Bomb The Bass, S-Express) releasing seminal rave tune Shoss (The Magus Project), and went on to join the notoriously grumpy indie band The Auteurs (Virgin Records) as cellist and keyboard player.
He spent much of the 90s recording albums, touring and appearing on TV with The Auteurs, and moonlighting as a session cellist for various luminaries of the Britpop scene.

With the band’s ultimate demise James became a sought after arranger, programmer, and engineer.
He remixed an ArtofNoise album with Paul Morley and went work Trevor Horn in LA, composing and producing tracks for the Bruckheimer film Coyote Ugly. He worked on hits by Natalie Imbruglia and Holly Valance and also toured as MD, cellist and keyboard player with Richard Ashcroft (The Verve) and Mercury Prize winner Talvin Singh.

His string arrangements include the global mega-hits Chasing Cars and Run (Snow Patrol) and The Original of The Species by U2.
In 2005 James formed Infantjoy with Paul Morley and released two acclaimed albums Where The night Goes (Sony BMG) and With (serviceAV).

James composes and produces music for television, including various TV theme tunes for ITV in the UK, and commercials for Kelloggs, Coca Cola, Procter & Gamble, and Cathay Pacific. As a member of Dadahack with Pete Davis they released an album and hybrid cassette device: TAP3.

Banbury relocated to Hong Kong with his family in 2010 set up Component. Within the first year of operation Component created the music in ad campaigns for Cathay Pacific, Head & Shoulders, Tropicana, and Marriott. As a member of the band Blood Wine or Honey he released two critically acclaimed albums, DTx2 and Fear & Celebration.
Moving to Japan in 2022, he is developing new relationships and collaborations in this fantastic and fascinating country. James also DJs and performs under various names, and recently revived The Magus Project, releasing an EP Then / Now on Silk Road Sounds.

String and orchestral arrangements

U2                                    Original of the Species (single, US)
Snow Patrol                   Chasing Cars, Run, Grazed Knees, Signal Fire (Spiderman 3 soundtrack), You Could Be Happy, Open Your Eyes, Ways And Means,
Depeche Mode              Personal Jesus (new version on forthcoming album)
Bloc Party                       On
Editors                             Push Your Head Towards The Air, Spiders
Katherine Jenkins       Time To Say Goodbye, Caruso
Aqualung                        Brighter Than Sunshine, Breaking My Heart Again, Easier To Lie
Duffy                                Warwick Avenue
V V Brown                      Travelling Light The Light, Crazy Amazing, I Love You
Scouting For Girls        This Ain’t A Love Song, Blue As Your Eyes
Depeche Mode               Personal Jesus (2011 remix)

Programming, Production and Performance

Natalie Imbruglia         Beauty On The Fire
Holly Valance               Down Boy
Art Of Noise                   Reduction (Album)
Tricky                               Girls, Bury The Evidence
Myleene Klass               Moving On (Album)
Amici Forever                The Opera Band (Album)
Sarah Nixey                    Sing Memory (Album)
Richard Ashcroft          UK/European tour
Talvin Singh                  UK/European tour
Editors                             BBC electric proms
Snow Patrol                   Union Chapel Little Noise Session

As an artist

Magus Project               Shoss EP, Then / Now
The Auteurs                   New Wave, Now I’m A Cowboy, After Murder Park, …Bootboys
Infantjoy                        Where The Night Goes, With
Dadahack                      TAP3
Blood Wine or Honey   Fear & Celebration, DTx2