Otley four-piece Juxtaposition have their sights set on stardom as they prepare for the release of their debut EP

The band, made up of two sets of brothers, Will Saunders, 20, Lee Mallinson, 19, Jonie Saunders, 18, and James Mallinson, 17, are also booked for a series of gigs which will help raise their profile.

Juxtaposition was originally formed in 1999 by drummer and percussionist Lee Mallinson, and in May 2000 took part in Leeds City Council's Bright Young Things competition, where they came second to The Music, billed as the industry's latest 'big thing'.

Thedebut EP is to be released through Will's record label Captured Mango. It features five tracks and has taken three years to put together.

Lee said: "I think this first EP is special. It has caught an important part in the band's development and I believe it will get more important with time."

Tracks on the EP include 'Tough Skin', 'Useless and Roses' and 'Take a Holiday'. The latter track has been referred to by a reviewer for Glasgow's Jockrock web site as a 'feast of sound' and has become a firm favourite with the legion of fans the Juxt boys are gathering.

'It's like watching a Polaroid develop,' says bass guitarist and saxophonist Jonie. 'The whole picture is there from the start. You then go through the task of replacing and adding until the whole thing stands out on its own in full colour and is ready to be put in a frame for all to see.'

'Useless and Roses', the fourth track on the EP has only been played once in public. Well-regarded online music reviewer, drownedinsound.com, has described the record as 'a heady infusion of escapism and arrogance, power and poetry'.

The band has co-produced the EP with engineer Martyn Alderdice,with producer and Circulation's MD, Graeme Robinson on hand to offer support and encouragement throughout the recording process.

"The band puts an importance on being involved with talented, interesting people," said lead singer Will.

As well as working with professional technicians on the EP, the band has performed with a range of other artists, and has some important gigs in the coming months.

Scottish solo artist Owen McAulay has made several appearances supporting Juxtaposition, and this month, the boys will be performing a small cluster of shows with digital artists Four Degrees and a wonderful band from Belgium named Chacda.

Jonie and James are studying for their A-levels, whilst Lee and Will are currently reading Creative Music and Sound Technology degrees at Leeds Metropolitan University, which has given them extensive background knowledge for making the EP.

Juxtaposition has provided Lee and Will with the perfect opportunity to put into practice some of what they have learnt at University.

Juxtaposition has recently confirmed the performance of some shows with Belgian group Chacda on Saturday, February 22 at City Screen Cinema in York and Sunday, February 23 at Leeds Metropolitan University Students' Union.

Word is rapidly spreading of Juxtaposition's achievements and with their tour taking in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, they may soon become household names.

The past year has seen an increase in the amount of guitar-based music in the charts. With artists such as Coldplay, Feeder and David Gray becoming ever more popular, it seems the days of manufactured

bands may be numbered. Indeed, Juxtaposition has been described as 'Coldplay injected with a large shot of testosterone,' by one review posted on the website.

In reality they may not be far removed from Coldplay, who formed at university age and have come a long way since, topping the charts with both of their albums and selling in excess of 250,000 of their second album in the UK alone.

To keep up to date on all the latest news from Juxtaposition, visit their web site at www.juxt.co.uk