New Wave (before Blow Wave) Part 2

Posted over 5 years ago
There were numerous bands in the late 70s/ early 80s who crossed genres (which don't really take into account the way bands' music and artistic taste evolves over time anyway). Clock DVA were one such band who could at various times be be classified as Electronic, Industrial or New Wave.The band was formed in 1978, with two members, Adi Newton and Steven "Judd" Turner. Adi had previously worked in a band called The Dead Daughters with members of "Cabaret Voltaire":http://mog.com/music/Cabaret_Voltaire and with Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware (who went on to found The Human League/"Heaven 17":http://mog.com/music/Heaven_17).The group was originally known for making a form of experimental electronic music involving treated tape loops and synthesisers. They became associated with industrial music with the 1980 release of their cassette album 'White Souls in Black Suits' on "Throbbing Gristle's":http://mog.com/music/Throbbing_Gristle Industrial Records. Clock DVA - '4 Hours' (live at 1980 Futurama festival)The album Thirst, released on Fetish Records, followed in 1981, by which time the band had combined musique concrete techniques with standard rock instrumentation. Wanting to broaden the appeal of the band from the industrial scene, several band members were sacked and in the same year founding member Steve Turner died. After his death, Adi Turner added more members in 1982 on flute/sax/trumpet to transform the sound into a kind of avant garde jazz funk New wave electro-fusion.The band released the album 'Advantage' in 1983 which is well worth digging around for as it has some great tracks on it including 'Resistance'. After a European tour, however, the band split acrimoniously. There have been several releases since then under different line-ups.Here is a short segment of the track 'Resistance'. Unfortunately, the sound is awful, and the picture not great. There is a much better (full length) version "here on YouTube":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVqDX4Q6jjQ but the person who posted it has disabled the ability to embed the video, so you'll have trek over to YouTube for a squiz. It's a great track and fab video, so it's well worth it.Clock DVA - 'Resistance' "Check out the better verson with this link!":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVqDX4Q6jjQ There are two other tracks here worth having a look at:'NYC Overload' from 1992 (by which time Clock DVA had returned to a more electronic sound) using traditional electronic instruments.and also 'Fractalized' from the same period.Thanks to wiki and "Jester":http://www.aracnet.com/~jester//clockdva/discography.html for info/discography.

Comments (2)

  1. skjs says It was the dark sounds of Thirst along with the striking album design by Neville Brody (he was Art Director at Fetish Records) that initially caught my attention regarding this band (and his designs also made me want to look and listen to other Fetish bands but that is a different story!). Advantage is a good example of Clock DVA at (in my opinion) their most commercial and it works. Every track is good. The Passions Still Aflame E.P. with Sons Of Sons and Don't (It's Taboo) is also worth hunting down. It still sounds just as menacing but with a twist of funk. The splinter group The Box (Paul Widger, Charlie Collins & Roger Quail from Thirst era) output some good stuff around 1983 to 1984 on Go!Disc Records with a bit of collaboration by Stephen Mallinder on the odd track. Thanks for the post, I'm off to look at those lovely covers.
    Permalink posted 02/28/2007
  2. Jammy Jeff says I have to confess, I don't know much about Clock DVA and those are the first songs I've heard. I like the early stuff particularly "Resistance" that was posted on your link. It reminds me of a cross between Joy Division/Bunnymen with Teardrop Explodes horns. Good stuff
    Permalink posted 03/04/2007

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