Al Brooker

Al Brooker's first break into the music industry came when he and three friends created Gwei-Lo, an experimental rock group in the vein of Tortoise and Godspeed You Black Emperor!. After rehearsing and performing in and around the Cambridge, England area, the band entered the studio to record its debut album. The band, whose name is taken from a Chinese term describing caucasians, finished recording its debut album and began touring in 2000. Initial reactions to the disc and band were very favorable and a fanbase continued to grow. On June 3, 2000, the group took to the stage at the annual Strawberry Fair music festival in Cambridge. After taking to the stage, tragedy struck when Brooker collapsed onstage while performing and died of a heart attack. He was 24 years old. Gwei-Lo's self-titled debut album was released a month later to excellent reviews, but the band's career was finished. The remaining members of Gwei-Lo reformed under the name Mouse Finding The Key, releasing My Hearts Diskontent on Skool. Brooker was remembered at the Strawberry Festival by having a stage renamed "Al's Stage" in his memory. In 2002, a collection of songs Brooker recorded in his bedroom were released. Quixotic, which featured songs Brooker recorded in his bedroom on an 8-track, was released on Bella Union. ~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide