This Heat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| This Heat | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Brixton, London, England  |
|
| Genre(s) | Progressive rock, post-punk | |
| Years active | 1975-1982 | |
| Label(s) | Rough Trade | |
| Associated acts |
Dolphin Logic, Friendly Rifles, Camberwell Now | |
| Former members | ||
| Charles Bullen Trefor Goronwy Charles Hayward Steven Rickard Gareth Williams |
||
This Heat were a British punk-era band widely considered a missing link between progressive rock (especially krautrock) and such later experimental genres as post-punk, post-rock, and noise rock. They were formed in late-1975 in Brixton, London by multi-instrumentalists Charles Bullen (guitar, clarinet, viola, vocals, tapes), Charles Hayward (percussion, keyboards, vocals, tapes) and Gareth Williams (keyboard, guitar, bass, vocals, tapes). Their music touched on numerous different styles and genres, but was always confrontational and politically charged.
Their first radio airplay came from, unsurprisingly, legendary DJ John Peel, to whom they sent a demo tape (recorded in a disused meat factory converted to a studio, which the band dubbed 'Cold Storage') in early 1977. During this time, they also recorded a session with Ghanaian musician Mario Boyer Diekuuroh, parts of which later appeared on a 1982 split cassette with Albert Marcoeur, released by the French experimental rock magazine Tago Mago.
Their self-titled debut album was recorded between February 1976 and September 1978, and surfaced in August 1979. It was characterized by heavy use of tape manipulation and looping, combined with more traditional performance, to create dense, eerie, electronic soundscapes. Also released in this period was an EP, Health & Efficiency, which foreshadowed the more rock-oriented sound of Deceit ( 1981 ), the band's second and final album. Produced with help from reggae mixer Martin Frederick, Deceit found the band incorporating more influence from punk rock, and consolidating the world music influences in their work. Although, like all of This Heat's releases, it sold poorly, Deceit is now seen as a classic of the post-punk era comparable with Closer or Metal Box.
This Heat split up in 1982 after completing their final European tour with bassist/vocalist Trefor Goronwy and keyboardist Ian Hill joining Bullen and Hayward. Hayward went on to form Camberwell Now with Goronwy and ex-This Heat soundman Stephen Rickard, and remains active musically. Charles Bullen had a solo venture during this time, called Lifetones, and released one record, For a Reason, in 1983 on his Tone of Life imprint. In 1993 a new album of previously unreleased This Heat recording was unearthed. Repeat featured three long tracks, including the title track, a 20 minute remix of "24 Track Loop". A box set of all the band's official recordings, Out of Cold Storage was released in June 2006 on This is!, a new Recommended Records sub-label set up by Charles Hayward and Charles Bullen to re-release This Heat's back catalogue. It comprises This Heat, Deceit, Health and Efficiency, Made Available and Repeat, plus Live 80/81, a CD of concert recordings. Williams later formed Flaming Tunes with Mary Currie and released a cassette of new material, in a much softer style than that of This Heat. He died in late 2001.[1]
[edit] Discography
- This Heat (1978; CD reissue 2006)
- Health And Efficiency (1981; 12" EP)
- Deceit (1981)
- This Heat with Mario Boyer Diekuuroh (1982; split-cassette with Albert Marcoeur)
- Live In Krefeld (1986; cassette)
- The Peel Sessions (1988; EP)
- Repeat (1993; CD)
- Made Available (1996; CD)
- Out of Cold Storage (2006; 6 CD box set)
[edit] References
- Strong, Martin C. The Great Alternative and Indie Discography
- ^ Cutler, Chris (2006), box set booklet, Out of Cold Storage by This Heat. Thornton Heath:Recommended Records LC-02677
