Intuitive Music

Tuxedomoon

Tuxedomoon was one of the most innovative avant-garde and new wave bands from the 80’s in the U.S. and an important reference for the forthcoming post punk and post rock scenes.

Tuxedomoon was formed in 1977 in San Francisco by the students of electronic music and multi-instrumentists Steve Brown, Blaine Reininger and Peter “Principle” Dachert, with the occasional collaborations of the vocalists Gregory Cruikshank, Victoria Lowe, and especially Winston Tong. In 1978, Tuxedomoon toured as supporting act for Devo, gaining recognition and the musicians Michael Belfer (guitar) and Paul Zahn (drums) joined the band for the sessions of their first EP “No Tears”, released that same year. Tuxedomoon was born with a unique mixture of synths, electronic percussion and strings. After this release Victoria Lowe and eventually Winston Tong and Michael Belfer left, and Peter Principle (bass) joined the band.

In 1979, Tuxedomoon signed to the label of The Residents, Ralph Records to record their debut album “Half Mute”, released in 1980, which was one of the pioneering electronic new wave works of the decade and which has been described as “impresionist and futuristic chamber music”. The album was followed by “Desire”, recorded in London in 1981. Then the band moved to Rotterdam, Holland, and later to Brussels to sign to the Belgian label Les Disques du Crépuscule with the idea of becoming part of the emerging synth pop European scene. After having released the avant-garde album “A Thousand Lives by Picture” (1981) Blaine Reininger left in 1982 to pursue his solo career, releasing the studio albums “Broken Fingers” (1982), “Night Air” (1984), “Byzantium” (1987), “Book of Hours” (1989), “Songs from the Rain Palace” (1990), “Radio Moscow” (1995), “Falling Infinities” (1996), “Manic Man” (1997) and “The More I Learn the Less I Know” (2000).

In 1985, Tuxedomoon gained international success when Steve Brown, Principle and Winston Tong joined trumpeter Luc Van Lieshaut in a jazz rock fusion project released on the “Holy Wars” album. After this release, the vocalist Winston Tong left the band again and was replaced by Ivan Georgiev, with whom were recorded the albums “Ship of Fools: (1986) and “You” (1987). After a short hiatus, and a couple of compilations entitled “Pinheads on the Move” and “Suite En Sous-Sol-Time to Lose”, in 1988 Blaine Reininger joined in a re-union tour of Europe and Japan, releasing the live album “Ten Years In One Night”.

During the 90’s, Tuxedomoon remained inactive until the recording of the albums “The Ghost Sonata” in 1991 and “Joeboy in Mexico” in 1998. Also a compilation was released in 1997 entitled “Solve Et Coagula”. Later releases were “Live in St. Petersburg” (2002) and “Cabin in the Sky” (2004) which coincided with the reunion of the band featuring Blaine Reininger.

Tuxedomoon members have frequently collaborated in each other solo projects. Steve Brown has released the studio albums “Zoo Story” (1984), “Music for Solo Piano” (1984), “Searching for Contact” (1987), “Besides All That” (1990), “Half Out” (1991), “Lame” (1993), “Ninerain” (1996), and “Subway to Cathedral” (1999). Brown has also collaborated with the avant-garde composer Benjamin Lew in the albums “Douzième Journée” (1982) and “A Propos d’un Paysage” (1985).

Blaine Reininger has also recorded the collaborative works “Colorado Suite” (1984) with composer Mikel Rouse, and “Paris en Automne” (1985) with bassist Alain Goutier.

Peter Principle has released the solo albums “Tone Poems ” (1988), “Conjunction” (1990), and the collaborative work with Jaak Fetterman “Motomotion” (2004).

Winston Tong has also released two solo studio albums: “Theoretically Chinese” (1985), featuring nothing less than New Order’s Steve Morris, ex-Magazine Dave Formula, Jah Wobble and A Certain Ratio’s Simon Topping, and “Miserere” (2003).

Apart from the solo projects, the members of Tuxedomoon have collaborated in numerous albums of other artists, including Isolation Ward, The Durruti Column, Harold Budd, Richard Jobson, Minimal Man, Drem Bruinsma, Anna Domino, and Benjamin Lew.