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Graham Massey | |
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| Birth name | Graham Vernon Massey |
| Also known as | Massonix |
| Born | 4 August 1960 Manchester, England |
| Genres | Electronic, house, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, musician, remixer |
| Instrument(s) | Synthesizers, drums |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | ZTT, Tommy Boy |
Graham Vernon Massey (born 4 August 1960 in Manchester) is a British record producer, musician, and remixer.
He was a member of experimental punk jazz rock group Biting Tongues, once signed to Factory Records. [1] After recording with the latter he enrolled in a sound engineer course. [1] By 1988, he was a founding member of the British band 808 State. [2] Originally a hip hop group called Hit Squad Manchester, they shifted to an acid house sound for recording their debut album Newbuild .
808 State was named after Massey's favourite drum machine, the Roland TR-808. He said he thought Roland drum machines were "severely uncool" when they first appeared. [3] [1] Massey had also been a member of the D.I.Y. band Danny and the Dressmakers, a member of the Manchester punk rock band Aqua in the late 1970s [4] (not to be confused with the Danish pop band Aqua from the 1990s), and collaborated with violinist Graham Clark.
Massey co-wrote and co-produced the tracks "Army of Me" and "The Modern Things" for Björk's album Post . Initially recorded in 1992 for her album Debut , they were not released until her second album Post in 1995. "Army of Me" was the first single off Post in May 1995, reaching number 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
Massey released the solo album Subtracks under the name Massonix on Skam Records. He has side projects with 'Toolshed' and 'Sisters of Transistors', and remixed Brian Dougans's (of The Future Sound of London) track "Stakker Humanoid" for the remix album, "Your Body Sub Atomic". He has also remixed FSOL before on "Papua New Guinea".
In 2004 he worked as a composer for the score of the movie It's All Gone Pete Tong .
2008 saw the realization of a research project as the keyboard quartet Sisters of Transistors with whom he also plays live drums. [5] Massey provided lyrics and music to much of their debut album released in 2009.
Massey is part of the Part-Time Heliocentric Cosmo Drama After-School Club, a Sun Ra tribute band formed in 2013 by Paddy Steer. [6] The group performed at the BBC 6 Music Festival in March 2014. [7]
New Order are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980 by vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris. Their fusion of post-punk with electronic and dance music made them one of the most acclaimed and influential bands of the 1980s. The band regrouped after the disbandment of their previous band, Joy Division, following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. Keyboardist Gillian Gilbert joined them later that year. They became the flagship band for Manchester-based independent record label Factory Records and its nightclub The Haçienda, and worked in long-term collaboration with graphic designer Peter Saville.
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, Bruce Gilbert (guitar), George Gill and Robert Grey. They were originally associated with the punk rock scene, appearing on The Roxy London WC2 album, and were instrumental to the development of post-punk, while their debut album Pink Flag was influential for hardcore punk.
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 808, is a drum machine manufactured by Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns. Unlike its nearest competitor at the time, the more expensive Linn LM-1, the 808 generates sounds using analog synthesis rather than by playing samples.
808 State are an English electronic music group formed in 1987 in Manchester by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the "state of mind" the members shared, they released their debut album Newbuild in September 1988 and secured commercial success in 1989, when their song "Pacific State" was picked up by BBC Radio 1 DJ Gary Davies and charted for 11 weeks in the UK.
A Certain Ratio are an English post-punk band formed in Greater Manchester in 1977 by Peter Terrell (guitar), Simon Topping, Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson (drums), with Martha Tilson (vocals) joining soon after.
Gerald Rydel Simpson, better known as A Guy Called Gerald, is a British record producer and musician. He was an early member of the electronic group 808 State, contributing to their debut LP Newbuild (1988) and hit single "Pacific State" (1989). He also achieved solo success with his 1988 hit single "Voodoo Ray", which became a touchstone of Manchester's acid house scene and reached No. 12 in the UK charts. He embraced breakbeat production in the 1990s, with his 1995 album Black Secret Technology becoming a "much-touted candidate for 'best jungle album ever.'" He also ran the London-based independent record label Juice Box Records from 1991 to 1998.
Stephen Paul David Morris is an English drummer who is best known for his work with the rock band New Order and, previously, Joy Division. He also wrote and performed in The Other Two, a band consisting of Morris and his girlfriend and later wife, Gillian Gilbert. Morris also participated in the New Order spin-off band Bad Lieutenant.
Inspiral Carpets is an English rock band, part of the late-1980s/early-1990s Madchester movement. Formed in Oldham in 1983, the band's most successful lineup featured frontman Tom Hingley, drummer Craig Gill, guitarist Graham Lambert, bassist Martyn Walsh and keyboardist Clint Boon.
Penetration is a punk rock band from County Durham, England formed in 1976. They re-formed in 2001 with several new members. Their debut single, "Don't Dictate", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single and their debut album, Moving Targets (1978), is still widely admired.
"She's Lost Control" is a song by British post-punk band Joy Division. Released on their 1979 debut album, Unknown Pleasures, "She's Lost Control" was first performed live by the band in June 1978 and draws primary lyrical inspiration from a young woman experiencing a violent epileptic seizure.
Finitribe were a Scottish electronic music group. The group was originally referred to as Fini Tribe. The name was taken from finny tribe, a term used by the Rosicrucians to describe the fishes.
The March Violets are an English post-punk/gothic rock band formed in 1981 in Leeds, incorporating male & female singers, drum machine rhythms and echo-laden electric guitar, much in the style of fellow Leeds band the Sisters of Mercy. Seven March Violets singles reached the UK Indie Chart; the Natural History collection also was an indie hit.
Newbuild is the debut studio album by English electronic music group 808 State, released in September 1988 by Creed Records. It was the only album recorded with founding member Gerald Simpson, who departed shortly afterward for a solo career.
Attrition are an English electronic music band, formed in Coventry in 1980 by Martin Bowes and Julia Niblock. The band emerged from the experimental post-punk scene of the early 1980s and, along with other groups such as Throbbing Gristle, Coil, Einstürzende Neubauten, and In the Nursery, greatly contributed to the development of industrial music in the UK.
The Nosebleeds were a punk band formed in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England in 1976. During their early days, they were known as Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds, until the departure of singer Ed Banger. The band is well known in modern rock history for the later successes of its individual members, notably Morrissey, Billy Duffy, Vini Reilly, and Toby Toman. They released two studio albums.
Crispy Ambulance are an English post-punk band, formed in Manchester in late-1977 by Keith Darbyshire (bass), Robert Davenport (guitar), Alan Hempsall (vocals), and Gary Madeley (drums). They had been inspired by the Sex Pistols' second gig in the Lesser Free Trade Hall, in addition to the bands Magazine and Hawkwind.
ex:el is the third studio album by 808 State, released on 4 March 1991 by ZTT Records. In contrast to the band's previous work, the album features more catchy melodies and heavier acid techno beats and percussion, "embracing earlier flirtations with hip-hop and industrial music".
Sounds of Swami are an English progressive rock/post-hardcore influenced punk rock band currently active in the UK. They formed in late 2005 in Keighley, England. The band is well known for their eclectic mix of punk, DC post-hardcore, and progressive rock as well as their aggressive stage presence. To date, the band have released one album, one single, two EP's and have had their songs included on numerous international compilations. Their second album Furniture For Modern Living will be released in 2017.
Biting Tongues were a post-punk band formed in Manchester, England in 1979, whose members went on to join Simply Red, Yargo, and 808 State.
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