Electronic (Before Electronica) Part 1
We all know there is no such thing as Electronica. (Don't we? See "Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music":http://www.di.fm/edmguide/ if you don't believe me). It was just a a marketing term. However the reason for the title of this post (the start of an occasional ongoing series) is to highlight some electronic music that isn't particularly well known or which has been lost from most people's musical consciousness.The first two albums by The Human League fall into that category for me.
Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh were both working as computer operators in 1977, and combined a love of pop music (such as glam rock and Tamla Motown) with avant garde electronic music. They acquired a Roland System 100 synthesizer and began to create music in their own rehearsal facility. Initially they formed a group called The Future with Adi Newton. Newton left to form the outfit "Clock DVA.":http://mog.com/music/Clock_DVAWare and Marsh searched for a vocalist, but their first choice, Glenn Gregory (who would be the lead singer of their later band, "Heaven 17":http://mog.com/music/Heaven_17 ), was unavailable. Ware instead decided to invite Philip Oakey, an old school friend, and a hospital porter at the time to join the band, "apparently by leaving a note stuck to his door". Oakey accepted the invitation, despite never having been in a band before. Shortly after, they decided to call themselves The Human League.They released an album in 1979, 'Reproduction' with 'Being Boiled' and 'Empire State Human' both being released as singles. Another album, 'Travelogue' was released in 1980 which was reasonably successful, reaching number 16 in the Top 40 UK Album charts. The Human League - 'Being Boiled' live on Granada TVThe Human League - 'Empire State Human'Despite some success, they were strugling financially. There was friction between Martyn Ware and Philip Oakey (which was always a problem, but one which had now become unbearable) and Oakey attempted to kick Ware out the band Ware had started. He was effectively successful at doing so. Oakey was interested in modern commercial pop, whereas Ware and Craig Marsh were interested in more experimental projects. After much negotiation, Oakey continued on with the The Human League name, and went on to considerable chart success. For me though, the music of post 1980 Human League encompasses a lot of the worst aspects of New Wave (Blow Wave) - trite pop, lacking any of the experimentation or originality of the early Human League.Ware and Craig Marsh went on to sign a production deal with Virgin Records for their production entity, BEF (the British Electric Foundation) and formed Heaven 17 for more commercial projects. For a more detailed history of the early years of The Human League see: "Blind Youth":http://www.blindyouth.co.uk/
Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh were both working as computer operators in 1977, and combined a love of pop music (such as glam rock and Tamla Motown) with avant garde electronic music. They acquired a Roland System 100 synthesizer and began to create music in their own rehearsal facility. Initially they formed a group called The Future with Adi Newton. Newton left to form the outfit "Clock DVA.":http://mog.com/music/Clock_DVAWare and Marsh searched for a vocalist, but their first choice, Glenn Gregory (who would be the lead singer of their later band, "Heaven 17":http://mog.com/music/Heaven_17 ), was unavailable. Ware instead decided to invite Philip Oakey, an old school friend, and a hospital porter at the time to join the band, "apparently by leaving a note stuck to his door". Oakey accepted the invitation, despite never having been in a band before. Shortly after, they decided to call themselves The Human League.They released an album in 1979, 'Reproduction' with 'Being Boiled' and 'Empire State Human' both being released as singles. Another album, 'Travelogue' was released in 1980 which was reasonably successful, reaching number 16 in the Top 40 UK Album charts. The Human League - 'Being Boiled' live on Granada TVThe Human League - 'Empire State Human'Despite some success, they were strugling financially. There was friction between Martyn Ware and Philip Oakey (which was always a problem, but one which had now become unbearable) and Oakey attempted to kick Ware out the band Ware had started. He was effectively successful at doing so. Oakey was interested in modern commercial pop, whereas Ware and Craig Marsh were interested in more experimental projects. After much negotiation, Oakey continued on with the The Human League name, and went on to considerable chart success. For me though, the music of post 1980 Human League encompasses a lot of the worst aspects of New Wave (Blow Wave) - trite pop, lacking any of the experimentation or originality of the early Human League.Ware and Craig Marsh went on to sign a production deal with Virgin Records for their production entity, BEF (the British Electric Foundation) and formed Heaven 17 for more commercial projects. For a more detailed history of the early years of The Human League see: "Blind Youth":http://www.blindyouth.co.uk/
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