The Legendary Pink Dots

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The Legendary Pink Dots
Legendary Pink Dots 2023.jpg
The Legendary Pink Dots in 2022
Background information
Genres
Years active1980–present

The Legendary Pink Dots (aka LPD) are an Anglo-Dutch experimental rock band formed in London in August 1980. [1] In 1984, the band moved to Amsterdam, playing with rotating musicians and having, as core members, singer/songwriter/keyboardist Edward Ka-Spel and keyboardist Phil Knight. [2] In 2022, founding member and synthesist Philip Knight retired from touring, and Randall Frazier (Orbit Service, A Star Too Far) joined the band on synths, samples and electronics. While no official announcement has been made, Phil Knight is not included in post-2022 recording liner notes.

Contents

As of 2022, the group is composed of Edward Ka-Spel (vocals, keyboards, songwriter), Randall Frazier (keyboards, electronics), Erik Drost (guitars) and Joep Hendrikx (live sound engineer). [3]

Their music has incorporated elements from neo-psychedelia, ambient music, electronic music, tape music, psychedelic folk, synthpop, post-punk, progressive jazz, noise music, pop music, goth rock and alternative rock. Although outside the mainstream (in terms of their avant-garde music and non-mainstream career path), LPD have released more than forty albums, [4] have a devoted worldwide following, and tour frequently.

Overview

The Legendary Pink Dots performing in 2007 Castle Party 2007 TLPD p.jpg
The Legendary Pink Dots performing in 2007

The band was originally called One Day... [5] but subsequently changed the name to The Legendary Pink Dots. In the 1980s, the band released albums on Mirrordot and InPhaze; in 1985 they signed with Play It Again Sam for the release of The Lovers. [6] The line-up became stable by 1988, with Niels van Hoornblower (horns) and Bob Pistoor (guitar) joining for the band's 1988 US tour. [7] Pistoor died of cancer and his place was filled by Martijn de Kleer; drummer Ryan Moore completed the line-up live and in the studio. Their appeal has always been relatively small—a 1995 show in Mexico in front of 2,500 fans was described as "massive (by Dots' standards)". [8] In 2004, Erik Drost replaced Martijn de Kleer on guitar, and the album The Whispering Wall was released.

Their music touches on elements of neo-psychedelia, ambient music, electronic music, tape music, psychedelic folk, synthpop, post-punk, progressive, jazz, noise, pop, and goth rock, with a distinctly experimental/avant-garde bent; their sound has evolved over time and remains distinctive, making it difficult to place the group into a concise style or genre. The group's overall sound combined with Ka-Spel's distinct lyrics and singing have earned comparisons to Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett; [9] the group also has links to the sounds of krautrock bands such as Can, [10] Faust, Brainticket and Neu! (whose "Super" they covered on the 1999 tribute album "A Homage to NEU!"), as well as the music of Magma.

The Pink Dots frequently collaborated with Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key, forming a side project named The Tear Garden. [8] Key played drums on several tracks of the 1994 LPD album 9 Lives to Wonder.

Ryan Moore, who drummed on studio and live performances for the Legendary Pink Dots, left to work on his own musical outlet, the Twilight Circus Dub Sound System. He wrote and produced albums for Michael Rose of Black Uhuru, and has worked with other reggae figures such as Sly Dunbar.

The Pink Dots have influenced a wide range of bands, such as The Dresden Dolls, [11] MGMT, Orbit Service, and Skinny Puppy.

In 2017, Edward Ka-Spel released "I Can Spin A Rainbow" with The Dresden Dolls front-woman Amanda Palmer, and former Legendary Pink Dot Patrick Q. Wright. The release was followed by US and European tours; on the US tour, Randall Frazier was sound engineer, and on the European tour, Joep Hendrikx was sound engineer, both members of The Legendary Pink Dots.

Discography

Studio Albums

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<i>Crushed Velvet Apocalypse</i> 1990 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse is an album by the Anglo-Dutch band the Legendary Pink Dots, released in 1990. The album is a cult fan favorite. Niels van Hoorn contributed on flute, saxophones, and clarinet.

<i>The Maria Dimension</i> 1991 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

The Maria Dimension is a 1991 album by The Legendary Pink Dots.

<i>Shadow Weaver</i> (The Legendary Pink Dots album) 1992 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

Shadow Weaver is an album by the Legendary Pink Dots, released in 1992.

<i>All the Kings Horses</i> (The Legendary Pink Dots album) 2002 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

All The King's Horses is an album by The Legendary Pink Dots. It was released in 2002. It derives its title from a line in the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme.

<i>Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves</i> 2006 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

Your Children Placate You From Premature Graves is a 2006 album by The Legendary Pink Dots. It is the group's 25th anniversary album.

<i>All the Kings Men</i> (album) 2002 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

All the King's Men is a 2002 album by The Legendary Pink Dots.

<i>Chemical Playschool 10</i> 1997 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

Chemical Playschool 10 is an album of old and new unreleased material and a previous version of The Saucers Are Coming from Hallway of the Gods. It was released by The Legendary Pink Dots in 1997.

<i>Alchemical Playschool</i> 2006 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

Alchemical Playschool is a 2006 album by The Legendary Pink Dots.

<i>From Here Youll Watch the World Go By</i> 1995 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

From Here You'll Watch the World Go By is an album by the Legendary Pink Dots, released in 1995.

<i>Plutonium Blonde</i> 2008 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

Plutonium Blonde is a 2008 album by The Legendary Pink Dots.

<i>The Whispering Wall</i> 2004 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

The Whispering Wall is a 2004 album by The Legendary Pink Dots.

<i>A Perfect Mystery</i> 2000 studio album by The Legendary Pink Dots

A Perfect Mystery is an album by the Legendary Pink Dots, released in 2000.

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<i>I Can Spin a Rainbow</i> 2017 studio album by Amanda Palmer and Edward Ka-Spel

I Can Spin a Rainbow is a collaborative studio album by American singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer and English singer-songwriter Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots. In a blog post on her official website, Palmer explained the backstory of how she was obsessed with the Pink Dots as a teenager, and even wrote and directed an experimental dialogue-free play inspired by their album Asylum when she was seventeen. When she was nineteen, the band needed a place to stay while on tour in Boston, Massachusetts and Palmer offered up her house. The Legendary Pink Dots also served as an opening act for Palmer's band the Dresden Dolls in the early 2000s. The two of them spent years trying to find a time to record an album together, but due to struggles in Palmer's personal life, plans always fell through. Most of the album was recorded in the house of English musician Imogen Heap.

References

  1. ↑ Edward Ka-Spel. "The Legendary Pink Dots - A 20 Year History (2000)" . Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  2. ↑ The Legendary Pink Dots at Discogs
  3. ↑ "The Legendary Pink Dots". Legendarypinkdots.org.
  4. ↑ The Legendary Pink Dots at Discogs
  5. ↑ "Interview with Edward Ka-Spel (Option Magazine)". LPD Official Site. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  6. ↑ Bogdanov, Vladimir (2001). All Music Guide to Electronica: The Definitive Guide to Electronic Music . Backbeat Books. pp.  247–48. ISBN   9780879306281.
  7. ↑ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 160. ISBN   0-85112-579-4.
  8. 1 2 Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. Miller Freeman Books. pp. 457–58. ISBN   9780879306076.
  9. ↑ Mason, Stewart: "Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves", AllMusic review. Retrieved 3 February 2007.
  10. ↑ Mason, James: "A Perfect Mystery", AllMusic review. Retrieved 3 February 2007.
  11. ↑ Lynskey, Dorian (19 August 2012). "Amanda Palmer: "Thank God my best friend's a therapist"". The Guardian. London.
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