Severed Heads

Biography

Severed Minds were among the pioneering acts in Australia’s alternative music scene, an organization whose work embraced components of commercial, synth pop, digital, and experimental music, with discovered sounds, tape loops, samples, and full-on noise playing as huge a role within their music as any typical instruments. Eclectic and stubbornly refusing to confine themselves to any one genre, Severed Minds evolved constantly off their debut in 1979 with their last pension in 2008, because they used a multitude of forms to send out their prolific result (from vinyl fabric and cassettes to VHS, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, MP3 downloads, and also the short-lived MP2 format before MP3s became common), while 20 music artists drifted in and out of the recording and executing lineups, with Tom Ellard the only real continuous (though he’s bristled at recommendations which the group is solely his brainchild). Severed Minds’ story starts with two Sydney-based music artists, Richard Fielding and Andrew Wright, who acquired produced an experimental combo known as Mr. and Mrs. No Smoking cigarettes Indication. After Tom Ellard agreed upon on plus they became a trio, the combo documented its initial cassette-only release. If they delivered a demonstration tape to Sydney’s 2JJ Radio, they utilized the group name Severed Heads, among the disk jockeys was thinking about early commercial acts such as for example Throbbing Gristle; as the name was designed even more as a tale than other things, the demonstration received plenty of airplay for the name to stay. By 1980, Wright experienced left the music group and Severed Mind produced their vinyl fabric debut on the split LP known as Hearing Bitten, with one part featuring Severed Mind and another Aussie take action, Rythmyx Chymx, on the other hand. Released in 1981, Clean was documented as Fielding parted methods with Severed Mind; their music became even more melodic and available because they embraced even more standard song constructions, and participant Garry Bradbury motivated Ellard and his collaborators to go their live shows from experimental locations and art areas to rock night clubs, that have been better outfitted for concerts and drew viewers who would become challenged with what they noticed. Frustrated with the trouble and restrictions of liberating music on vinyl fabric, Severed Minds’ 1983 record Since the Incident was released being a 60-minute cassette; to complete the lineup, Ellard added the tune “Dead Eye Opened” to the finish of the working order. As good fortune could have it, the tune was catchy more than enough that Severed Heads have scored record handles Ink Information (written by Virgin) within the U.K. and Virgin Information’ brand-new Australian branch in the home, and the melody became a hit. Severed Minds’ concert events were also getting even more ambitious, as Ellard started collaborating with video musician Stephen Jones, who developed a fresh video synthesizer that developed stylized backdrops for Severed Mind’ shows. And Ellard also started creating info booklets for the band’s produces, detailing how these were documented and what resource materials were utilized; if they weren’t incorporated with the albums, Ellard was ready to mail these to followers who submitted requests alongside stamped come back envelopes. In 1984, because the Town Slab Horror recording was awaiting launch, Bradbury remaining the group, and Ellard was the group’s theory songwriter in the future. Severed Mind were asked to tour the U.K., and Ellard thought we would tour being a duo — he performed all of the music, and Jones supplied video images. Through the U.K. tour, Severed Minds signed a UNITED STATES cope with Nettwerk Information, so when Ellard’s romantic relationship with Virgin Australia was deteriorating, they moved into an contract with Volition Information. The group became even more noticeable, and Ellard started exploring the options of digital sampling and brand-new recording technology (their early albums had been tracked in the home on four-track cassette devices) while his vocals performed a larger part because the group required on a more substantial lineup for concert events, which became even more advanced as Jones held pace with improving video technology. Severed Mind continuing to record and tour at a reliable speed, and in 1989 they loved a U.S. alternate strike with “Greater Incentive” from your recording Rotund for Achievement. However, as the group experienced a solid industrial profile but still produced video a significant section of its display after Jones still left the group in 1992, Ellard became significantly dissatisfied using the strictures from the mainstream music business, and Severed Minds ended their cope with Nettwerk, departing the 1994 record Gigapus unreleased in THE UNITED STATES until 1996. By this time around, “Dead Eye Opened” got gained new lease of life in Australia because of a remix by Robert Racic, and the brand new release went Best 40 in the home as Severed Minds became regular accessories within the Boiler Area, the dance-oriented stage on the Australian WEDDING DAY Out touring celebration. But Volition Information began experiencing economic complications in 1996, and Ellard thought we would find a brand-new label in his homeland. Severed Minds started documenting their media focus on CD-ROM produces in 1994, and had been among the initial Australian bands using a existence on the web (the group included an e-mail get in touch with address over the Gigapus artwork therefore supporters could directly talk to the group). As brand-new media gained approval, Ellard embraced it with passion, since it allowed Severed Heads to use with greater self-reliance. He made Sevcom Music Machines because the band’s brand-new label, and in the 1998 record Haul Ass onward, brand-new produces were released as CD-Rs (and later on MP3s) by Text message. In 1996 Ellard released Severything, a single-disc collection that presented nearly the entire Severed Mind catalog compressed onto one disk using the fresh MPEG 1, coating 2 format; it had been the very first in an extended group of archival produces self-replicated through the Severed Mind archives. The Aussie label LTM Information reissued Rotund for Achievement in 2004 and started partnering with Severed Mind for chosen catalog reissues and anthologies, and in 2005 Severed Mind obtained the film The Illustrated DOCTOR, which gained an award as Greatest Film Soundtrack of the entire year through the Australian Recording Market Association. Ellard finally brought the Severed Minds story to some close in 2008; regarding to their public website, “It had been euthanised…since it no more brought happiness.” The Sevcom internet site, however, continues to be active and home elevators Severed Heads in addition to CD-R produces of the back catalog.

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