Tuxedomoon

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Tuxedomoon
synth-punk
Years active1977 (1977)–present
LabelsRalph, Crammed Discs
Members
Past members
  • Peter Principle
  • Bruce Geduldig
  • Winston Tong
  • Gregory Cruikshank
  • Victoria Lowe
  • Michael Belfer
  • Paul Zahl
  • Ivan Georgiev
  • Nikolas Klau
  • George Kakanakis
  • Marcia Barcellos
Websitewww.tuxedomoon.co

Tuxedomoon is an

San Francisco, California, United States. The band formed in the late 1970s at the beginning of the punk rock movement. Pulling influence from punk and electronic music, the group, originally consisting of Steven Brown (born Steven Allan Brown on August 23, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois) and Blaine L. Reininger, used electronic violins, guitars, screaming vocals and synthesizers to develop a unique "cabaret no-wave" sound. Bassist Peter Principle (Peter Dachert, 1954–2017) joined the band and in 1979 they released the single "No Tears", which remains a post-punk cult classic.[citation needed] That year they signed to Ralph Records and released their first album, Half-Mute. Eventually, Reininger left the group, and Tuxedomoon relocated to Europe, signing to Crammed Discs and releasing Holy Wars in 1985. The band separated in the early 1990s, only to reunite later that decade. They all have remained together since releasing the album Cabin in the Sky
in 2004.

History

In 1977, Tuxedomoon formed out of

effects pedals.[4]

They started playing music together in the mid-1970s, when punk rock became popular in the underground music scene. "The only rule was the tacit understanding that anything that sounded like anyone else was taboo", stated Brown on the band aiming to create music that sounded unlike anything else before.[2] The vocals were screaming and inspired by punk rock, and the band used any instruments they had around, including saxophone, violin and a polymoog synthesizer. The band had no drummer. Bassist Peter Principle, performance artist Winston Tong and Bruce Geduldig, a filmmaker, joined the band during concerts. The band created new performances for each concert, creating theatrical performances and being described as "theatrical electronic cabaret".[4][5] The band performed frequently with Pere Ubu, The Residents, Devo, and Cabaret Voltaire.[1]

In 1979 they released the EP

electro-punk hymns of all times".[6] That year they also signed to Ralph Records and released their debut album, Half-Mute, in 1980.[1]

Career

1980s

In 1980 the band released their first album,

Athens, Greece, for the first time in December 1987, selling out the Pallas Theatre twice in one night.[6]

1990s

In the early 1990s, the band separated and did not reunite for approximately eight years.[1] Tuxedomoon reunited to perform at the Next Festival in Tel Aviv. The band had not played together in eight years, when Brown called the members to come together for the concert. They rehearsed in a studio for 10 days, in Tel Aviv, before the concert. Brown credits the Next Festival concert as being the key event in reuniting the band.[1]

2000s

Tuxedomoon performed in 2000, playing acoustic and electronic concerts of previously recorded material.[10]

Their 2004 album Cabin in the Sky would serve as their comeback record.[11] The majority of the record is instrumental. Reininger's voice, which was compared to David Bowie's during Tuxedomoon's early career, has been described as evolving into "Tom Waits" and a wolf from Tex Avery's "Baron Brown", by music critic Rod Smith. Filmmaker Bruce Geduldig performs backup vocals on the album.[3]

In 2006 the band released

New Orleans jazz and opera are two influences for the album's sound.[12]

Tuxedomoon released the album Vapour Trails on Crammed Discs in 2007.[11] The album was recorded at Reininger's home.[13] The band uses instruments like clarinets and flugelhorns along with their standard instrument setup.[13] In 2007, they also released a CD and DVD boxset of unreleased and rare music and videos.[11]

2010s

Various Tuxedomoon members have extensively collaborated with the UK band

Criterion Collection's DVD and Blu-ray Special Edition of Blue Velvet).[14]
Members have also joined the FuturePlaces medialab for citizenship in 2010, 2011 and 2013, their participation documented in Bandcamp audio releases.

The Box, a 10-vinyl boxed set containing 9 of Tuxedomoon's major albums, as well as an album of previously unreleased material, came out in November 2015.

Geduldig (born Bruce Frederick Geduldig on March 7, 1953, in California) died on March 7, 2016, in Sacramento, California, he was 63 years old.[15] David Haneke has taken over Geduldig's duties in Tuxedomoon for their 2016 tour.[16][17]

Peter Principle died on July 17, 2017, at the age of 62, in Brussels. (Obituaries incorrectly stated his age as 63.)[18][19]

Legacy

The band Factrix called Tuxedomoon mentors.[20]

Scooter's "My Eyes Are Dry" from their album Mind The Gap is a cover version of "No Tears" with additional sections.

Musical style

Steven Brown cites the band's early influences as "

tango, and post-punk.[6]

Music critic

existential hives."[3]

Lyrically, Tuxedomoon examined society, culture and psychology. "Holiday for Plywood", on Desire, examined consumerism and paranoia.[20]

Discography

Main article: Tuxedomoon discography

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Brinn, David (27 September 2004). "Born again in Tel Aviv". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Reynolds, 202.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Rod (11 January 2006). "A Mug of Joeboy". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  4. ^ a b Reynolds, 203.
  5. ^ Reynolds, 197.
  6. ^ a b c "Tuxedomoon: A lasting affair". Athens News. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  7. ^ Reynolds, 211.
  8. ISBN 978-0-946719-20-4
    . Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  9. ISBN 978-0-8143-2578-0
    . Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  10. ^ Chernov, Sergey (1 December 2000). "tuxedomoon: has-beens dupe 'tolerant' russian audience". The St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d e Gill, John. "Tuxedomoon". Interviews by John Gill. Paris Transatlantic. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  12. ^ a b Grandy, Eric (6 July 2006). "Tuxedomoon". The Stranger. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  13. ^ a b Gill, Andy (23 November 2007). "New releases". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  14. ^ "Blue Velvet". The Criterion Collection.
  15. ^ Jones, Kevin L. "Tuxedomoon's Bruce Geduldig Dies at the Age of 63","KQED", 8 March 2016
  16. ^ "tuxedomoon official site". www.tuxedomoon.co. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  17. ^ Loporcaro, Diego "Goodbye Peter 'Principle' Dachert","Distorsioni", 24 July 2017
  18. ^ Reininger, Blaine L. (17 July 2017). "Tuxedomoonews: Peter Principle Dead at 63". Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  19. ^ Cooper, Neil "Obituary - Peter Principle, groundbreaking musician with Tuxedomoon", "The Herald", 21 July 2017
  20. ^ a b c Reynolds, 204.

External links

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