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Metamatic
''Metamatic'' is the debut solo album by John Foxx, released in 1980. It was his first solo project following his split with Ultravox the previous year. A departure from the mix of synthesizers and conventional rock instrumentation on that band's work, ''Metamatic'' was purely electronic in sound. The name 'Metamatic' comes from a painting machine by kinetic artist Jean Tinguely, first exhibited at the Paris Biennial in 1959. The album peaked at #18 on the UK Albums Chart. Production and style ''Metamatic'' was recorded at Pathway Studios, a small eight-track studio in Islington, and was engineered by Gareth Jones. Foxx's electronic equipment included an ARP Odyssey, an Elka 'String Machine' and a Roland CR-78 drum machine. Several of the synth parts were played by John Wesley-Barker. The album was heavily influenced by the writings of J. G. Ballard. Six of the tracks referenced automobiles or motorways, most obviously "Underpass" and "No-One Driving". (Foxx re-worked the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Foxx
John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh; 26 September 1948) is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a solo career in 1980 with the album ''Metamatic''. Primarily associated with electronic synthesizer music, he has also pursued a parallel career in graphic design and education. Andy Kellman of AllMusic described Foxx as an influential cult figure whose "detached, jolting vocal style inspired mainstream and underground artists across the decades." Early life and education Leigh was born in Chorley, Lancashire, England. His father was a coal miner and pugilist, his mother a millworker. He attended St Mary's Primary and St Augustine's Secondary schools. During his youth in the 1960s he embraced the lifestyle of a mod and a hippy. He experimented with tape recorders and synthesisers while on a scholarship at the Royal College of Art in Lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Underpass (song)
"Underpass" is a song by UK artist John Foxx, and was released as a single in January 1980. It was the artist's first solo single release after leaving the band Ultravox and the first single release from the ''Metamatic'' album, which was released shortly after. The song typically features music made using synthesisers and electronic percussion only, and the vocal in the verses is delivered in a cold robotic style by Foxx, with an anthemic single word chorus. The lyrics feature Ballardian themes such as memory, architecture, dystopia and cars. There are no great differences in length or content between the album and single version, although an extended version did emerge years later and was used as the opening track on the ''Metatronic'' compilation album in 2010. The single reached no. 31 in the UK charts and was performed by Foxx with three keyboard players on UK music show ''Top of the Pops''. A promotional video for the song was also made. "Underpass" is featured on all John ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Burning Car
"Burning Car" is a song by John Foxx, released as a single in 1980. It was his third solo single, following "Underpass" and "No-One Driving" earlier in the year. The track was not included on Foxx's debut solo album ''Metamatic'', post-dating its January 1980 release, but has been included as a bonus track on the 2001 and 2007 CD reissues. It was Foxx's last 1980s record in a hard-edged electronica style (his next single, " Miles Away", featured acoustic drums and a somewhat warmer production). "Burning Car" developed the futurist style of ''Metamatic'' and was pacier than most of the album's material. Its staccato introduction was reminiscent of the metallic guitar notes that kicked off the track "Some of Them" from ''Systems of Romance'', Foxx's last album with former band Ultravox. The title came from a chapter in J. G. Ballard's SF novel ''Concrete Island'' and its automobile reference was shared by a number of tracks on ''Metamatic''. The B-side, "20th Century", was used as t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
No-One Driving
"No-One Driving" is a 1980 song by UK artist John Foxx, and was released as a single in March 1980. It was the second single release from the ''Metamatic'' album, after "Underpass". The song is typical of Foxx's musical output of the time, featuring a Ballardian dystopian scenario involving an automobile in the lyrics, with music produced using electronic instruments (synthesisers, drum machines, electronic percussion) only. The single was released as a limited edition double 7" disc with three accompanying tracks, and as a single 7" both as two track and three track discs with the same catalogue number. The single version is slightly different from the album version in sound mix and lyrics; the line "..''someone's gone liquid in the sheets''.." on the original (album) version is replaced by "..''someone's gone missing in the sheets''..". The record entered the UK Singles Chart at no. 32, remaining at the same position for a further week before dropping down. This was the fina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Garden (John Foxx Album)
''The Garden'' is a 1981 album by John Foxx, the follow-up to his debut solo album ''Metamatic'', released the previous year. By comparison, it features more diverse instrumentation and romantic stylings. Production and style The sound and subject matter of ''The Garden'' were informed by a number of factors: the composer's Catholic upbringing and early exposure to Latin mass and Gregorian chant; his exploration of England's countryside, architecture and history following the release of ''Metamatic''; and the song "Systems of Romance", which had been written during sessions for the Ultravox album of the same name but was not included on the record, even though its title was used. Another connection between ''The Garden'' and ''Systems of Romance'' the album was the presence of guitarist Robin Simon, whose textured style had been a significant influence on the sound of the earlier release. Whereas on ''Metamatic'' the only conventional instrument had been bass guitar, Foxx used ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miles Away (John Foxx Song)
"Miles Away" is a song by John Foxx, released as a single in October 1980. It was his fourth solo single, following "Burning Car" in July that year. The track was not included on any original album, falling roughly midway between the release of Foxx's debut LP ''Metamatic'' in January 1980 and his second album '' The Garden'' in September 1981. Sonically, as well as chronologically, "Miles Away" was a transitional song in Foxx’s catalogue, its instrumentation being heavy with synthesizers, as in previous solo releases, but also featuring the acoustic drum sound that would characterise his remaining 1980s work. No detail on the electronics used in the song appeared on the original single's sleeve, however Foxx's studio equipment at the time included an ARP Odyssey, a Minimoog, an Elka 'String Machine', and an ARP Analog Sequencer. The fanfare-like synthesizer lines of "Miles Away" were reminiscent of the track "Slow Motion" which opened the album ''Systems of Romance'', Foxx's la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Métamatic
In the mid-1950s Jean Tinguely began production of a series of generative works titled Métamatics: machines that produced art works. With this series of works Tinguely not only problematised the introduction of the robotic machine as interface in our society, but also questioned the role of the artist, the art work and the viewer. ''Metamechanics'' (French ''méta-mécanique''), in relation to art history, describes the kinetic sculpture machines of Jean Tinguely. It is also applied to, and may have its origins in, earlier work of the Dada art movement. Jean Tinguely created his Métamatic sculptures between 1955 and 1959. These sculptures are modelled in a way that resembles the aesthetics of the industrial revolution. The drawings they produce resemble, but also mimic mid-century gestural abstraction. The abstract drawings are produced by means of a motor-driven arm that holds drawing implements of the viewer’s choosing against a piece of paper. The result is a random compos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gareth Jones (music Producer)
Gareth Jones (born 1954) is an English music producer and engineer notable for working with Depeche Mode, Einstürzende Neubauten, Wire and Erasure. Background Jones was born in Warrington, Lancashire. He is married and currently living in North London. When he was young he played different instruments but became more interested in music technology. He owned a simple valve tape recorder and began experimenting with tape editing. He later trained at the BBC and began working in recording studios, such as Pathway. At Pathway he recorded and mixed John Foxx's ''Metamatic'' album in 1980 and the first Madness single, "The Prince", in 1979. While working with a band in Vienna the band's manager suggested Jones mix the recordings in West Germany. He did the mixing at Hansa Tonstudio in West Berlin. The studio was the most high tech he had worked in. He decided to live in Berlin and began working with many bands at Hansa. Many English bands began recording in Berlin as the exchange ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ARP Odyssey
The ARP Odyssey is an analog synthesizer introduced by ARP Instruments in 1972. History ARP developed the Odyssey as a direct competitor to the Moog Minimoog and an answer to the demand for more affordable, portable, and less complicated "performance" synthesizers. ARP produced several versions of the Odyssey from 1972 to 1980. In early 2015, Korg reissued the Odyssey in cooperation with the original designer and ARP co-founder, David Friend. Design The Odyssey is a two-oscillator analog synthesizer, and one of the first with duophonic capabilities (the ability to play two notes at the same time). All parameters, including a resonant low-pass filter, a non-resonant high-pass filter, ADSR and AR envelopes, a sine and square wave LFO, and a sample-and-hold function are controllable with sliders and switches on the front panel. Features *Switchable between sawtooth, square, and pulse waveforms with oscillator sync, a "ring modulator", and pink or white noise. (As with the Kor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ultravox
Ultravox (earlier styled as Ultravox!) were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which was their 1981 hit "Vienna". From 1974 until 1979, singer John Foxx was frontman and the main driving force behind Ultravox. Foxx left the band in March 1979 to embark on a solo career and, following his departure, Midge Ure officially took over as lead singer, guitarist and frontman on 1st November 1979 (despite writing and rehearsing with the band from April of that year) after he and keyboardist Billy Currie worked in the studio project Visage. Ure revitalised the band and steered it to commercial chart success lasting until 1987, at which time the group disbanded. A new line-up, led by Currie, was formed in 1992, but achieved limited success, with two albums failing to chart and one solitary single reaching 90 in the UK Singles Chart. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pathway Studios
Pathway Studios was an independent recording studio in North London. Founded in 1970, the studio became an early favorite of Stiff Records' Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera, and was the location for early recordings by The Damned, Madness, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Lene Lovich, John Foxx, and the Police. History The 8-track studio, located at 2a Grosvenor Avenue in the North London Borough of Islington, was founded by producers Peter Ker and Mike Finesilver, who funded the majority of the construction with their co-writing royalties from the hit song, "Fire". Pathway had a single 25 foot x 25 foot studio with a very small control room. Tim Crowther described it thus: Mark Bedford of Madness recalls that "It was a really thin building - you couldn't really call it a house - on Grosvenor Avenue, close to Stoke Newington. The studio and control room were on the ground floor, then these rickety old stairs led to the office up top. The studio had that old-fashioned aerated b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Classic Rock (magazine)
''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, 70s, 80s and 90s, with the likes of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith and Deep Purple amongst its most prominent cover stars. As well as veteran rock artists, ''Classic Rock'' also covers modern rock bands and releases, with Alter Bridge, Rival Sons, Halestorm, Ghost, Blackberry Smoke and The Struts amongst the younger artists to have appeared on its cover in recent years. Publication history ''Classic Rock'' was launched by Dennis Publishing in 1998. It was subsequently sold to Future in 2000, then sold again to start-up publishing company TeamRock in April 2013. Following the collapse of TeamRock in December 2016, Future bought back the magazine and its website in January 2017. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
