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==History==
==History==


In 1977, Tuxedomoon formed formed out of Angels of Light, an artist collective and [[commune]], a group which Steve Brown was involved in.<ref name=brinn/><ref name="R202"/><ref name=smith1>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Rod|title=A Mug of Joeboy|url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/2006-01-11/music/a-mug-of-joeboy/|accessdate=3 August 2012|newspaper=Seattle Weekly|date=11 January 2006}}</ref> He met [[Blaine L. Reininger]] in an [[electronic music]] class at [[San Francisco City College]]. Brown worked with [[Tommy Tadlock]], of the Angels of Light, to create the final project of the class.<ref name="R202">Reynolds, 202.</ref> Tadlock would go on to be Tuxedomoon's manager. Reininger and Brown started playing music together at Tadlock's house. Reininger played electronic [[violin]] and [[guitar]]. Tadlock assisted with the sound and audio. He also created tools for the band, including a "Treatment Mountain," which was a [[pyramid]] made of [[plywood]] which held all of Reininger's [[effects pedals]].<ref name="R203">Reynolds, 203.</ref>
In 1977, Tuxedomoon formed formed out of Angels of Light, an artist collective and [[commune]], a group in which Steve Brown was involved.<ref name=brinn/><ref name="R202"/><ref name=smith1>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Rod|title=A Mug of Joeboy|url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/2006-01-11/music/a-mug-of-joeboy/|accessdate=3 August 2012|newspaper=Seattle Weekly|date=11 January 2006}}</ref> He met [[Blaine L. Reininger]] in an [[electronic music]] class at [[San Francisco City College]]. Brown worked with [[Tommy Tadlock]], of the Angels of Light, to create the final project of the class.<ref name="R202">Reynolds, 202.</ref> Tadlock would go on to be Tuxedomoon's manager. Reininger and Brown started playing music together at Tadlock's house. Reininger played electronic [[violin]] and [[guitar]]. Tadlock assisted with the sound and audio. He also created tools for the band, including a "Treatment Mountain," which was a [[pyramid]] made of [[plywood]] which held all of Reininger's [[effects pedals]].<ref name="R203">Reynolds, 203.</ref>


They started playing music together in the mid-1970s, when [[punk rock]] became popular in the underground music scene. "The only rule was the tactic understanding that anything that sounded like anyone else was [[taboo]]," stated Brown on the band aiming the create music that sounded unlike anything else before. The vocals were screaming and inspired by punk rock, and the band used any instruments they had around, including [[saxophone]]s and a [[polymoog]] [[synthesizer]]. The band had no drummer. During their early gigs audience members threw beer bottles at them. Bassist Peter Principle, [[performance art|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 and being described as "theatrical electronic cabaret."<ref name="R203"/><ref name="R197">Reynolds, 197.</ref> The band performed frequently with [[Pere Ubu]], [[The Residents]], [[Devoas]], and [[Cabaret Voltaire]].<ref name=brinn/>
They started playing music together in the mid-1970s, when [[punk rock]] became popular in the underground music scene. "The only rule was the tactic understanding that anything that sounded like anyone else was [[taboo]]," stated Brown on the band aiming the create music that sounded unlike anything else before. The vocals were screaming and inspired by punk rock, and the band used any instruments they had around, including [[saxophone]]s and a [[polymoog]] [[synthesizer]]. The band had no drummer. During their early gigs audience members threw beer bottles at them. Bassist Peter Principle, [[performance art|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 and being described as "theatrical electronic cabaret."<ref name="R203"/><ref name="R197">Reynolds, 197.</ref> The band performed frequently with [[Pere Ubu]], [[The Residents]], [[Devoas]], and [[Cabaret Voltaire]].<ref name=brinn/>

Revision as of 18:47, 14 August 2012

Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon live in 2007
Tuxedomoon live in 2007
Background information
OriginSan Francisco, Kalifornien
GenresExperimental, post-punk, New Wave
Years active1977–present
LabelsRalph Records
Crammed Discs
MitgliederBlaine L. Reininger
Steven Brown
Peter Principle
Luc Van Lieshout
Bruce Geduldig
Past membersWinston Tong
Gregory Cruikshank
Victoria Lowe
Michael Belfer
Paul Zahl
Ivan Georgiev
Nikolas Klau
Websitehttp://www.tuxedomoon.co/

Tuxedomoon is an experimental, post-punk, New Wave band from San Francisco, California, United States. The band formed in the late 1970's at the beginning of the punk rock movement. Pulling influence from punk and electronic music, the group, originally consisting of Steve Brown and Blaine L. Reininger, used electronic violins, guitars, screaming vocals and synthesizers to develop a unique "cabaret no-wave" sound. Bassist Peter Principle joined the band and in 1979 they released their single, "No Tears," which remains a post-punk cult classic today. That year they signed to Ralph Records and released their first album, Half-Mute. Eventually Tuxedomoon relocated to Europe. The band separated in the early 1990's, only to reunite later that decade. They have remained together since, releasing their latest album, Vapour Trails, in 2007.

History

In 1977, Tuxedomoon formed formed out of Angels of Light, an artist collective and commune, a group in which Steve Brown was involved.[1][2][3] He met Blaine L. Reininger in an electronic music class at San Francisco City College. Brown worked with Tommy Tadlock, of the Angels of Light, to create the final project of the class.[2] Tadlock would go on to be Tuxedomoon's manager. Reininger and Brown started playing music together at Tadlock's house. Reininger played electronic violin and guitar. Tadlock assisted with the sound and audio. He also created tools for the band, including a "Treatment Mountain," which was a pyramid made of plywood which held all of Reininger's 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 tactic understanding that anything that sounded like anyone else was taboo," stated Brown on the band aiming the create music that sounded unlike anything else before. The vocals were screaming and inspired by punk rock, and the band used any instruments they had around, including saxophones and a polymoog synthesizer. The band had no drummer. During their early gigs audience members threw beer bottles at them. 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 and being described as "theatrical electronic cabaret."[4][5] The band performed frequently with Pere Ubu, The Residents, Devoas, and Cabaret Voltaire.[1]

In 1979 they released the EP No Tears, with the single "No Tears." The single is described as "one of the best electro-punk hymns of all times."[6] That year they also signed to Ralph Records. That label released their debut album, Half-Mute, in 1980.[1]

Career

1980s

In 1980 the band released their first album, Half-Mute, on Ralph Records. The album is named after film director James Whale.[7] The band toured Europe in 1980 and moved to New York City.[1][3][8] While in New York, they performed in, and were featured on the soundtrack for the film Downtown 81.[3] They gained popularity in the Netherlands and Belgium.[9] They eventually relocated to Brussels.[3] Trumpet player Luc van Lieshout joined the band.[3] In 1987, the band performed on the soundtrack for the Wim Wenders film, Wings of Desire.[10] Tuxedomoon played in Athens, Greece, for the first time in 1988, 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 hadn't 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.[11]

Their 2004 album, Cabin in the Sky, would serve as their comeback record.[7] 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 Bardo Hotel' on Crammed Discs. Recorded in San Francisco, the album is a soundtrack to a film by George Kakanakis, which at the time of the albums release, remained unfinished. The album and film are named after the book Beat Museum - Bardo Hotel, by Brion Gysin, which is named after the Bardo Hotel in Paris.[7][12] The soundtrack and film pulled influence from Gysin's "cut-up" method, which was co-developed with William S. Burroughs. The recording features samples of airplane sounds, BART announcements and other found sounds. 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.[7] 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.[7]

Current

Band members live in Mexico City, Greece and New York.[3] Principle cites the band living on different continents as helping stay together as a band.[1] Their publishing house was called Angst Music.[14]

Legacy

The band Factrix called Tuxedomoon mentors.[14]

Musical style

Steven Brown cites the bands early influences as "Eno, Bowie, John Cage, Bernard Herrmann, Nino Rota, Igor Stravinsky and Ennio Morricone."[7] Later and current influences include Radiohead, Claude Debussy, Miles Davis, Michael Nyman and the Velvet Underground. Their music finds influence in genres such as punk rock, jazz, funk, tango, and post-punk.[6]

Music critic Simon Reynolds, called their sound an "aura of jaded elegance," with a more European style musically versus what their American counterparts were creating at the time of the bands formation.[14] Seattle Weekly described their music as radiating "a discomfort that hints of existential hives."[3]

Lyrically, Tuxedomoon examined society, culture and psychology. "Holiday for Plywood," on Desire, examined consumerism and paranoia.[14]

Discography

Studio albums

Singles and EPs

Live albums

Compilations

as Blaine L. Reininger

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Brinn, David (27 September 2004). "Born again in Tel Aviv". Jeruselem Post. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  2. ^ a b Reynolds, 202.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Gill, John. "Tuxedomoon". Interviews by John Gill. Paris Transatlantic. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  8. ^ Reynolds, 211.
  9. ^ Sean Body (1 July 2001). Wish The World Away: Mark Eitzel and the American Music Club. SAF Publishing Ltd. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-946719-20-4. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  10. ^ Roger F. Cook; Gerd Gemünden (1997). The Cinema of Wim Wenders: Image, Narrative, and the Postmodern Condition. Wayne State University Press. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-8143-2578-0. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  11. ^ Chernov, Sergey (1 December 2000). "tuxedomoon: has-beens dupe 'tolerant' russian audience". The St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  12. ^ a b Grandy, Eric (6 July 2006). "Tuxedomoon". The Stranger. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  13. ^ a b Gill, Andy (23 November 2007). "New releases". The Independent. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  14. ^ a b c d Reynolds, 204.

References

  • Reynolds, Simon. Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984. New York: Penguin (2006). ISBN 0143036726
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