Tuxedomoon

Infobox musical artist
Name = Tuxedomoon


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Background = group_or_band
Origin = San Francisco, California
Genre = Experimental, post-punk, new wave
Years_active = 1977–present
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URL = [http://www.tuxedomoon.com www.tuxedomoon.com]
Current_members = Blaine L. Reininger
Steven Brown
Peter Principle
Past_members = Winston Tong
Gregory Cruikshank
Victoria Lowe
Michael Belfer
Paul Zahl
Luc Van Lieshout
Ivan Georgiev

Tuxedomoon is an experimental Post-punk/New Wave group formed in San Francisco, California consisting of core members Blaine L. Reininger, Steven Brown and Peter Principle.

History

Formed in 1977 by multi-instrumentalists Blaine L. Reininger and Steven Brown, then two students of electronic music at San Francisco City College, with technical assistance from video artist Tommy Tadlock, Tuxedomoon started playing salons and accompanying performances by Angels of Light. Brown's connections to local theatre gave the band access to vocalists Gregory Cruikshank, Victoria Lowe, and, most frequently, Winston Tong. The band gained some level of recognition in 1978 when they opened for Devo. Michael Belfer, (guitarist), and Paul Zahl, (drummer) joined the band in time to help with the group's first EP, "No Tears". Lowe left prior to the album's release in 1978. Soon afterward, Tong and Belfer left the group temporarily, and bassist Peter Principle joined the lineup. In 1979, the group signed to The Residents' Ralph Records, with whom they recorded their next two albums, "Half Mute" in 1980 and "Desire" in 1981, after which the band relocated to Rotterdam for a small time and moved on to Brussels, believing their sound better fit the electronic scene in Europe.

The band soon created the score for a ballet by Maurice Bejart, which was released in 1982 as "Divine". In 1983 Reininger left the group in order to pursue a solo career, and trumpeter Luc Van Lieshout joined. In 1985 Tuxedomoon had its largest success commercially with the international release of "Holy Wars". Tong left the group again soon after its release. Multi-instrumentalist Ivan Georgiev was brought in to perform on the group's next two albums, 1986's "Ship of Fools" and 1987's "You". The band remained inactive through most of the 1990s, although never technically broke up. On July 20, 2004 a reborn Tuxedomoon, consisting of Steven Brown, Blaine Reininger, Peter Principle, and Luc Van Lieshout released a new studio album, "Cabin in the Sky". They continue to work and tour together and have since released "Bardo Hotel Soundtrack" in 2006. For the group's 30th year anniversary in 2007 they released another studio album, "Vapour Trails".

In early 2008, writer/journalist Isabelle Corbisier published a 476-page biography, entitled "Music For Vagabonds - The Tuxedomoon Chronicles" covering the band's entire career as well as members' solo activities.

Discography

tudio albums

*"Half Mute", 1980
*"Joeboy in Rotterdam", 1981
*"Desire", 1981
*"Divine", 1982
*"Suite En Sous-Sol-Time to Lose", 1982
*"Holy Wars", 1985
*"Ship of Fools", 1986
*"You", 1987
*"The Ghost Sonata", 1991
*"Joeboy in Mexico", 1997
*"Soundtracks - Urban Leisure", 2002
*"Cabin in the Sky", 2004
*"Bardo Hotel Soundtrack", 2006
*"Vapour Trails", 2007

ingles and EPs

*"Pinheads on the Move", 1978
*"No Tears", 1978
*"The Stranger", 1979
*"Scream With a View", 1979
*"What Use?"/"Crash", 1980
*"Dark Companion"/"59 to 1 Remix", 1980
*"Urban Leisure (flexi)", 1980
*"Une Nuit au Fond de la Frayere", 1981
*"What Use? - remix", 1982
*"Why is She Bathing?", 1982
*"Time to lose", 1982
*"Short Stories", 1982
*"Soma", 1984
*"Tales from the New World (3 x 12inch collection)", 1984
*"Boxman", 1987
*"You", 1987
*"No Tears '88", 1988
*"Michael's Theme", 1988

Live albums

*"Ten Years In One Night" (live), 1988
*"Live in St. Petersburg", 2002

Compilations

*"Savoy Sound — Wave Goodbye" (CD Presents, 1981)
*"A Thousand Lives by Picture", 1983
*"Pinheads on the Move", 1987
*"Solve et Coagula", 1994
*"Remixes & Originals", 2000

Films

*Downtown 81
*TV Party

External links

* [http://www.tuxedomoon.com/ Official Tuxedomoon page]
* [http://www.mundoblaineo.com Blaine L. Reininger's own page]
* [http://www.mundoblaineo.com/tuxmopage.html Blaine L. Reininger's Tuxedomoon page]
* [http://www.crammed.be/crammed/cboy01.htm Cramboy]
* [http://www.tuxedomoon.org/ Unofficial fan page]
* [http://www.joeboy.de/ Unofficial fan page]
* [http://winstontong.com/ Official website for Winston Tong]
* [http://www.myspace.com/musiquepourimages/ Official website for Ivan Georgiev]
* [http://www.radiopapesse.org/w2d3/v3/view/radiopapesse/notizie--1351/index.html?area=5 Steven Brown Audio Interview (in English)]
* [http://www.mixtape.gr/t.asp?sec=1&sub=4&uid=3 Steven Brown Interview (in Greek)]
* [http://www.tuxedomooning.com/ Tuxedomoon Tribute Project]