Commuter 23
''Commuter 23'' is the eighth studio album by British Synth-pop band Blancmange, released in 2016. The album reached No. 38 in the UK Independent Albums Chart. In December 2016, the album was followed by the EP ''Red Shift'', which features a reworking of four tracks from ''Commuter 23'': "Red Shift", "Judge Mental", "Jack Knife" and "Last Night (I Dreamt I Had a Job)". Critical reception Upon release, Graeme Marsh of ''MusicOMH'' commented: "Whilst ''Nil by Mouth'' was entirely instrumental, ''Commuter 23'' walks a similar path but this time adds back in the odd vocal here and there. It dabbles in ambience and experimentation as before, as well as minimalism, synth soundscapes and occasional downright weirdness but with – in the main – a more humane feel." Paul Scott-Bates of ''Louder Than War'' wrote: "''Commuter 23'' sees Blancmange continue to mature. As Arthur continues well into his fifties, so the music develops beyond the perfect pop of the 80s and further into a more ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual Phonograph record#78 rpm disc developments, 78 rpm records collected in a bound book resembling a photograph album; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl LP record, long-playing (LP) records played at revolutions per minute, rpm. The album was the dominant form of recorded music expression and consumption from the mid-1960s to the early 21st century, a period known as the album era. Vinyl LPs are still issued, though album sales in the 21st-century have mostly focused on CD and MP3 formats. The 8-track tape was the first tape format widely used alongside vinyl from 1965 until being phased out by 1983 and was gradually supplanted by the cassette tape during the 1970s and early 1980s; the populari ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Blancmange (band)
Blancmange () are an English synth-pop band formed in Harrow, London, in 1979. The band were a duo for much of their career, composed of Neil Arthur (vocals) and Stephen Luscombe (keyboards). They came to prominence in the early 1980s, releasing four UK top-20 singles: "Living on the Ceiling", "Waves", "Blind Vision" and " Don't Tell Me". They released three studio albums during that decade: '' Happy Families'' (1982), ''Mange Tout'' (1984) and ''Believe You Me'' (1985). The duo amicably broke up in 1986 but reformed in the late 2000s, and in 2011 released their fourth studio album, '' Blanc Burn''. Luscombe left following the release due to ill health, and since then Arthur alone has continued to perform under the Blancmange name, releasing nine new studio albums along with a re-recording of the band's debut studio album, titled '' Happy Families Too...'' (2013). He has also been involved in a further three collaborative albums as Fader (with Benge) and Near Future (with Jez Be ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nil By Mouth (album)
''Nil by Mouth'' is the seventh studio album by English band Blancmange, released in 2015. The album is made up of instrumental tracks, including a 2005 re-recording of "Holiday Camp", a Blancmange track from the 1980 EP ''Irene & Mavis''. ''Nil by Mouth'' was originally made available at Blancmange's two concerts at the Red Gallery, London, on 15 and 16 May. The album was later given a full release digitally and on CD in September. Critical reception Upon release, Andy Jex of ''MusicOMH'' wrote: "''Nil by Mouth'' is a reminder of where Blancmange originally came from; very much born of the DIY improvisation of the kitchen sink recording that typified their earlier years. This is stripped-down, bare bones Blancmange with music evoking films never written, scenes never soundtracked and popcorn never eaten." Caspar Gomez of ''The Arts Desk'' stated: "The results are more entertaining and gripping than Blancmange's last "proper" album. It's not essential fare, but it does put a smil ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Unfurnished Rooms
''Unfurnished Rooms'' is the ninth studio album by English band Blancmange, released in 2017. It was produced by Neil Arthur and Benge, and reached No. 40 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. The album was Blancmange's first release since ''First Light'', a 2017 collaborative album between Arthur and Benge, released under the name Fader. Speaking to ''MusicOMH'' in 2017, Arthur commented on Benge's involvement with ''Unfurnished Rooms'': "It was fantastic when he said he was up for getting involved. I'd written the songs and a lot of instrumentation. I put my electronic noises on, and the idea was for Benge to replace the rhythm area." Critical reception Upon release, Michael Hann of ''The Quietus'' described the album as "pleasing", adding: "...as if Blancmange have journeyed back to the early 1980s and taken a different turning". Paul Scott-Bates of ''Louder Than War'' summarised the album as "clever". He said: "It sees Neil Arthur on top form and putting together a listening e ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic, art rock, disco, and particularly the Krautrock of bands like Kraftwerk. It arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom in the post-punk era as part of the new wave movement of the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Electronic musical synthesizers that could be used practically in a recording studio became available in the mid-1960s, and the mid-1970s saw the rise of electronic art musicians. After the breakthrough of Gary Numan in the UK Singles Chart in 1979, large numbers of artists began to enjoy success with a synthesizer-based sound in the early 1980s. In Japan, Yellow Magic Orchestra introduced the TR-808 rhythm machine to popular music, and t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Arts Desk
''The Arts Desk'' (theartsdesk.com) is a British arts journalism website containing reviews, interviews, news, and other content related to music, theatre, television, films, and other art forms written by journalists from a variety of traditional and web-based publications. It launched in September 2009 as a shareholder collective. From 2010 to 2013, its honorary chairman was Sir John Tusa, former managing director of the BBC World Service and of the Barbican Centre. In 2012, it won an Online Media Award as the best specialist journalism site, jointly with the website for ''The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econ ...''. Notable contributors to the website include; Aleks Sierz, Jasper Rees, Matt Wolf, Ismene Brown, Joe Muggs, Tom Birchenough, David Nice, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Louder Than War (website)
''Louder Than War'' is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication that was started by journalist John Robb (musician), John Robb in 2010 and is now run by a team of other journalists with a worldwide team of freelancers. There has been a print edition since 2015. The site is built around live reviews, album reviews and interviews. In 2012, ''Louder Than War'' launched a record label to promote and champion lesser known bands and artists. History In its first year, in November 2011, Robb was voted to win the UK Association of Independent Music "Indie Champion" award. Louder Than War created the record label Louder Than War Records in 2014, to act as a platform for bands and artists to reach a wider audience; the first release being Evil Blizzard 'The Dangers Remixes', a 300 copy CD only release without a catalogue number, each being hand numbered; the 8 track rele ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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MusicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by Editor in Chief Michael Hubbard in 1999. In February 2011 the site's former theatre section was spun off, becominExeunt Magazine as MusicOMH refocused from being a general arts publication to writing primarily about music. Main features and coverage MusicOMHs music content consists of reviews of albums, gigs, tracks and festivals, alongside features, interviews and blog posts. The site also provides live reviews and other features. The site's album reviews, usually covering a wide range of genres including pop, electro, classical, metal, rock and R&B, have been quoted by numerous publications such as ''The Daily Telegraph'', ''The Independent'' and the BBC. The site has also been used as one of many sources to accumulate aggregated r ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Record Collector
''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches back further. In 1963, publisher Sean O'Mahony (alias Johnny Dean) had launched an official Beatles magazine, '' The Beatles Book''. Although it shut down in 1969, ''The Beatles Book'' reappeared in 1976 due to popular demand. Through the late-1970s, the small ads section of ''The Beatles Book'' became an increasingly popular avenue through which collectors could make contact and buy, sell, or trade Beatles records. Reflecting a burgeoning collecting scene in the 1970s, as time went by, the adverts were becoming dominated by traders who were interested in rare vinyl unassociated with the Beatles. In September 1979, ''The Beatles Book'' came with a record collecting supplement, and the response was positive enough for O'Mahony to launch ''R ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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UK Independent Singles And Albums Charts
The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the relevance of the chart dwindled in the 1990s as major-label ownership blurred the boundary between independent and major labels. Separate independent charts are currently published weekly by the Official Charts Company. History In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered commercially attractive to those companies. By 1978, labels like Cherry Red, Rough Trade, and Mute had started up, and a support structure soon followed, including independent pressing, distribution and promotion. These labels got bigger and bigger, and by 1980 they were having Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart. Chart success was limited ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2016 Albums
The following is a list of albums, EPs, and mixtapes released in 2016. These albums are (1) original, i.e. excluding reissues, remasters, and compilations of previously released recordings, and (2) notable, defined as having received significant coverage from reliable sources independent of the subject. For additional information about bands formed, reformed, disbanded, or on hiatus, for deaths of musicians, and for links to musical awards, see 2016 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2016 in music. Specific locations Specific genres Albums released Significant performances * March 25 – British rock and roll band, The Rolling Stones become the second .... First quarter January February March Second quarter April May June Third quarter July August September Fourth quarter October November December References {{Albums by release date Albums 2016 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |