We are very proud to be representing one of Manchester's legendary bands.

Members include frequent collaborator Bruce Mitchell, drums; ViniReilly (born in Manchester, England, in 1953), guitar, vocals.

Since the late-1970s, the Durutti Column has essentially served as the musical voice of Manchester's Vini Reilly, a guitarist extraordinaire whose distinctive "avant-garde-jazz-classical" style also displays elements of rock, folk, pop, and electronica, all brought to life by his trademark chiming lightness of touch. "Vini seems to play guitar as if he's never heard it played before," asserted Donald Anderson in Space Age Bachelor of Reilly's technique. "Through constant symbiosis with an ecoplex, he achieves a sound best described by a friend as 'angels weeping.'" Reilly himself realizes that his tranquil and unassertive sound differs greatly from that of most rock performers. "One of the questions that I'm often asked is," said Reilly, "'Who are your influences that are guitarists?' And in my attempt to answer that question, I've realized that my influences are not guitarists at all. They're actually pianists. People like Art Tatum and Fats Waller and people like that, or Oscar Peterson, and even Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, all the old black blues boogie-woogie. They're all piano players, not guitarists."

The Durutti Column return with a new album Idiot Savants, the first to feature new vocalist Poppy Roberts who also co-wrote one of the tracks.

Poppy reminds me of a Mick Jagger figure,' says The Durutti Column's Vini Reilly. 'Not in a masculine way but her attitude is very confident. I think for the first time I've found the Mick to my Keith!'

The album opens with the gorgeous 'Better Must Come' which is built around a sample from an African hip hop track which in turn is based on an old Jamaican children's song. The equally beautiful 'Interleukin 2' was written by Reilly for his old friend and Factory founder Tony Wilson who sadly died. 'He was a very dear friend. I sent him this track for him to chill out and listen to while he was in hospital and he gave it the title 'Interleukin' which was one of the drugs they were giving to him.'

The nine minute long 'Please Let Them Sleep' is one of the album's most ambitious tracks, opening with Spanish guitar before twisting into a darker, bleakly observational mood, while the closing 'That Blows My Name Away' was written for Reilly's girlfriend Rachel. One of the album's highlights 'Gathering Dust' is the co-write with Poppy Roberts, who will be performing many of the songs live when the band tour later this year.

'I've enjoyed making this album more than anything for a long time and I do feel I'm getting more focused in what I do,' explains Reilly, who a couple of years ago was described as 'the best guitarist in the world' by John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 'I haven't achieved what I want to yet but I'm getting old and time is running out! I've got to make a decent album soon....'

Reilly is, of course, being modest to the point of self-destruction. Factory Records released the band's debut album The Return Of The Durutti Column in 1979. Produced by Martin Hannett, this edgy, primitive LP showcased Vini Reilly's 'honey wrapped in sandpaper' guitar playing and set the tone for nearly 30 years of meditative and fearless music. Reilly has drawn on influences as diverse as Fats Waller, ambient and heavy metal; experimented with samplers and chamber music, and collaborated with other Manchester luminaries such as Morrissey and Peter Hook from New Order.