ATHOLL'S STORY
A bit about Atholl...
In Brief...
Trained in classical & jazz, multi instrumentalist and skilled music producer Atholl Ransome is as equally at home creating a hybrid orchestral cinematic score on a state of the art studio DAW as he is improvising on sax or flute in front of a festival crowd.
Beginnings...
Atholl grew up in Fife surrounded by music on both sides of his family. Drawn to the saxophone, he asked for one as soon as he could talk and played recorder at 6 (composing short tunes for his classmates to play) followed by piccolo then flute and was in numerous choirs, wind bands & orchestras before starting saxophone at 12.
He travelled to London at weekends to study at Trinity College Junior Department learning composition, theory, improvisation and musicianship. He was soon playing in big bands and attending jazz courses, where at the age of 13 he first met Malcolm Strachan. He went on to win numerous music awards for his playing and improvising and by 16 was gigging and recording with various bands.
Obsessed...
Atholl has always been fascinated with studio technology and composing. It started with messing around with bouncing tracks to layer up parts on ghettoblasters & keyboards at a young age then using Atari’s and Korg M1’s at high school and effects pedals on his sax. In Leeds he got into stand alone sequencers like the Roland MC303 until he got his first MacBook with Logic and got seriously into soundtracks & scores.
The Haggis Horns...
After graduating Leeds College of Music with his BA(Hons) Jazz Studies, Atholl, Malcolm Strachan & Jason Rae formed The Haggis Horns after performing together at various residencies. They went on to record on The New Mastersounds debut album ‘Keb Darge presents…’
The Haggis Horns have released 5 albums so far (now with Rob Mitchell) on their own Haggis Records label (alongside Ben Barker on Guitar). They also have their own Leeds based studio where they record for the label.
Session Musician...
He has a star studded CV and has performed with the likes of Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, John Legend & The Roots & Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band amongst many other projects including work for Dimitri From Paris, Andrew Wyatt, and James Atkins ’Tonight Matthew’ project. He has written, arranged & recorded horns on more than 500 commercially available tracks.
Studio...
Throughout all this he has been building his own studio and is now focusing on media composition and remote session work.
Now...
He is working with Simon Dobson (British Composer Of The Year 2012 & 2014), David Tobin (Audio Network) & Simon Ellis (S-Club 7, Britney Spears, Westlife) and has recently provided music for the Kirklees Year Of Music 2023.
I've worked with...
Music credits (abridged)
John Legend, The Roots, Amy Winehouse, Brian Jackson (Gil Scott Heron), Simon Ellis (S Club 7 / Britney Spears / Westlife), Dave Ruffy (Dexy’s Midnight Runners / Aztec Camera), Dennis Coffey (Motown Records Funk Brother), Richard March (Pop Will Eat Itself/ Bentley Rhythm Ace), Hannah Williams, Smoove & Turrell, The Jazz Defenders, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, Rick Wakeman, Lisa Stansfield, Alice Russell, Franny Griffiths (Space), JimBob Carter (Carter USM), Graeme Massey (808 State), Kofi (Soul II Soul), James Atkins (EMF/BRA), MelanieWilliams (Sub Sub), Amlak Tafari (Steel Pulse), Horace Panter (The Specials), Rob Turner (Gogo Penguin), Jersey St.