Last week I finally got my mitts on a copy of the remastered and expanded Metamatic, John Foxx's classic solo debut after his departure from Ultravox. Originally released in 1980 - 25 years old this year! - it's cold and metallic, composed entirely on synthesizers and drum machines. Even the cover is drab and grey and bleak. A move away from the aesthetic of a band, it was at the forefront of the UK "futurist" movement that was growing that year - though it's definitely more intelligent and "arty" than a lot of it's peers. It blew me away because it sounded so different. It can accurately be described as minimal techno. It's all about detachment. The singles barely made the top 40 while his old band Ultravox (with new singer Midge Ure) and Gary Numan bit his style and topped the charts. I am amazed at how otherworldly this stuff still sounds today. I love this record. The first 2 songs are the big singles, the 3rd tune is a bonus track (one of 7 on this reissue) that reminds me more of his old band's material.
Burning Car
Miles Away
7 comments:
Abso-fucking-lutely brilliant stuff! Thanks!
the album David Bowie never made ?
i luv this stuff
Yeah, that Bowie comparison is a good one. I think you can draw a line from Bowie's Berlin period to this, but this stuff sounds more alien to me for some reason...
sorry bout that; what I was trying to say was:
if yer gonna draw a line, I would think it has to go via Kraftwerk, the Normal and Fast Product too
one of my fave albums ever...nice work, sir
:-)
I used to think he said underpants.
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