Assemblage 23

Infobox musical artist
Name = Assemblage 23

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Img_capt = Tom Shear of Assemblage 23
Background = solo_singer
Origin = Seattle, Washington, United States
Genre = Futurepop
Synthpop
Electronic Body Music
Years_active = 1988–present
Label = Gashed!
Metropolis
Accession Records
URL = [http://www.assemblage23.com www.assemblage23.com]
Current_members = Tom Shear

Assemblage 23 is a futurepop musical act from the United States, currently based in Seattle. Its sole member is Tom Shear.

History

Prior to starting Assemblage 23, Shear experimented with music under the name Man on a Stage, beginning in the early 1980s. Most of Shear's music at this point was instrumental, as he lacked the confidence to sing; the quality of the music itself was highly questionable by his own admission. Shear eventually began to add vocals to his music; at the same time, Shear was also playing bass in a live band called the Advocates.

Assemblage 23 was officially born in 1988, after Shear experienced the industrial dance music played by an opening DJ for Depeche Mode. The style of this genre deeply impressed Shear; he believed he had finally found the sort of sound he wanted for his music. Even so, the project was more of a hobby for Shear at this point; it took until 1998 for Assemblage 23 to gather enough positive acclaim to attract the attention of record labels.

Shear signed a deal in 1999 with the Canadian label Gashed! to for a full-length album ("Contempt", released in November 1999). A second album, "Failure", followed in March 2001 and was released by Gashed in North America and Accession Records in Europe. A single from "Failure", "Disappoint", was released on Accession in October 2001. The song dealt with Shear's sense of loss after his father's suicide on October 28, 1999.

After falling out with Gashed Records following "Failure", Shear signed with US label Metropolis Records (US) later in 2001; Metropolis re-released "Contempt" and "Failure" in November. A remix release, "Addendum", was also released in November only on Accession. By this point, Assemblage 23 had become fairly popular within the EBM genre; the third album, "Defiance", was released in October 2002 on Metropolis and Accession, preceded by the single "Document", in September of that year.

Assemblage 23 released a fourth album, "Storm", in October 2004 with singles "Let the Wind Erase Me" in August and "Ground" in November.

In March 2007, Assemblage 23 released a new single, "Binary", which debuted at #21 on the Billboard US singles chart, preceding the album "Meta", released in April 2007.

2007 also saw the release of "Early Rare & Unreleased" [ [http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=28440_0_2_0_C Early, rare and unreleased Assemblage 23 tracks compiled] ] which is a collection of 14 Assemblage 23 tracks taken from the years 1988 - 1998.

Discography

*Demo, Fall 1998 – (CS demo) 1998 - no label
*Contempt - (CD Album) 1999 - Gashed! • (CD Album) 2000 - Accession Records • (CD Album) 2001 - Metropolis
*Addendum – (CD) 2001 - Accession Records
*Disappoint – (CD, Maxi) 2001 - Accession Records
*Failure – (CD Album) 2001 - Gashed!, Metropolis, Accession Records
*Defiance – (CD Album) 2002 - Metropolis, Accession Records • (CD Album) 2005 - Irond
*Document – (CD Maxi) 2002 - Accession Records
*Ground– (CD Maxi) 2004 - Metropolis, Accession Records
*Let the Wind Erase Me – (CD Maxi) 2004 - Metropolis, Accession Records
*Storm – (CD Album) 2004 - Metropolis, Accession Records • (CD) 2005 - Irond
*Binary - (CD Maxi) 2007 - Metropolis, Accession Records
*Early, Rare & Unreleased 1988 - 1998 – (CD, Ltd. Edition) 2007 - 23db
*Meta – (CD Album) 2007 - Metropolis, Accession Records, Irond

Compilation appearances

*Construction No. 009 – (CD) 1995, Track #6 "Graverobber" - Arts Industria
*Electro-cution – (CD) 1996, Track #1 "The Drowning Season" - Arts Industria
*Newer Wave – (CD) 1997, Track #2 "I Ran" - 21st Circuitry
*Newer Wave 2.0 – (CD) 1998, Track #2 "Love My Way" - 21st Circuitry
*Silicon Warfare – (CD) 1998, Track #1 "Purgatory" - Arts Industria
*Dystopian Visions – (CD) 1999, Track #3 "Skyquake (Railgun Remix)" - Dystopian Records
*Voltage II : Electronic Vivisection – (CD) 1999, Track #3 "Coward" - Possessive Blindfold Recordings
*Club Bizarre – (2xCD) 2000, Disc #2, Track #1 "Anthem" - Angelstar
*Compilation No.3 – (CD) 2000, Track #1 "Purgatory" - Divine 6 Music & Kunst Journal
*Counterbalance Vol. 1 – (CD) 2000, Track #9 "Purgatory (Descending Mix By Flesh Field)" - Inception Records
*Cryonica Tanz V.1 – (2xCD) 2000, Disc #1, Track #4 "Surface" - Cryonica Music
*Cyberpolis - A Darker Dancefloor Vol 1 – (CD) 2000, Track #2 "Purgatory" - Cyberpolis
*Electro Club Attack - Shot Three – (2xCD) 2000, Disc #2, Track #8 "Purgatory" - XXC, Zoomshot Media Entertainment
*Electrofixx – (CD) 2000, Track #12 "Surface" - Gloomy Prophecies
*Prospective Music Magazine, Volume 5 - (CD) 2000, Track #6 "Anthem" - Prospective Music Magazine
*Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction Vol. IV – (CD) 2000, Track #11 "Anthem" - Sonic Seducer
*Virion Sequences – (CD) 2000, Track #12 "Bi-Polar (Serotonin)" - Gashed!
*:Per:Version: Vol. 2 – (CD) 2001, Track #1 "Anthem (Stronghold)" - :Ritual:
*Access [One] – (2xCD) 2001, Disc #1, Track #3 "Silence" - XXC
*Accession Records Volume One – (CD) 2001, Track #3 "Anthem (Stronghold" - Accession Records
*Club Bizarre 2 – (2xCD) 2001, Disc #1, Track #1 "House on Fire" - Angelstar
*D-Side 5 – (CD) 2001, Track #8 "Divide" - D-Side
*Dark Decryption - The Electro Remix Selection Vol. 01 – (2xCD) 2001, Disc #1, Track #10 "Coward (Melting Mix by Pain Station)" - Zoomshot Media Entertainment, XXC
*Der Seelen Tiefengrund 3: Music for Candlelight & Redwine – (2xCD) 2001, Disc #1, Track # 8 "Tried" - Zoomshot Media Entertainment
*Electro Club Attack - Shot Four – (2xCD) 2001,Disc #2, Track #4 "Awake" - XXC, Zoomshot Media Entertainment
*Elegy - Numéro 16 – (CD) 2001, Track #14 "House on Fire" - Elegy
*Extreme Clubhits VI – (CD) 2001, Track #14 "Divide" - UpSolution Recordings
*Future Pop 01 - The Best of Modern Electronic – (2xCD) 2001, Disc #1, Track #2 "I Am The Rain" - Angelstar
*New Forms of Electronic Body Music – (CD) 2001, Track #8 "Purgatory" - Bloodline
*Strange Love 5 – (CD) 2001, Track #8 "Awake" - Orkus
*Zillo Club Hits 6 – (CD) 2001, Track #3 "Anthem (Exodus)" - Zillo
*Advanced Electronics – (2xCD) 2002, Disc 1, Track #2 "Naked" - Synthetic Symphony
*Critical M@55 Volume 4 – (CD Enhanced) 2002, Track #3 "Drive" - Metropolis
*Cyberl@b v3.0 – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #2, Track #13 "Naked" - Alfa Matrix
*Cyberpolis - A Darker Dancefloor Vol II – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #2, Track #2 "House on Fire" - Cyberpolis
*D-Side 13 – (CD) 2002, Track #10 "Document (Schreibgeschützt Mix)" - D-Side
*Dark Decryption - The Electro Remix Selection Vol. 02 – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #1, Track #4 "Disappoint (Funker Vogt Remix)" - XXC
*Der Seelen Tiefengrund 4: Music For Candlelight & Redwine – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #2, Track #2 "King of Insects" - Zoomshot Media Entertainment
*Die Flut – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #2, Track #3 "Divide" - Scanner
*Electro Club Attack - Shot Five – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #2, Track #8 "Awake (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - XXC
*Future Pop Generation 1 – (CD) 2002, Track #6 "Awake (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - Sterntaler, Zoomshot Media Entertainment
*Machineries of Joy Vol. 2 – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #1, Track #10 "Document (Schreibgeschützt Mix)" - Out of Line
*Metropolis 2002 – (CD) 2002, Track #6 "House on Fire" - Metropolis
*Mysticum I – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #2, Track #1 "Longevity" - Angelstar
*Orkus Presents The Best of 2001 – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #2, Track #10 "Disappoint" - Orkus, Angelwings
*Orkus Presents The Best of 2002 – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #2, Track #13 "Document (Schreibgeschützt)" - Orkus, Angelwings
*XtraX Compilation III – (2xCD) 2002, Disc #1, Track #2 "Divide (Tidal Mix)" - Angelwings
*:Per:Version: Vol. 6 – (CD Enhanced) 2003, Track #2 "Document (Das Ich Remix)" - :Ritual:
*Advanced Electronics Vol. 2 – (2xCD) 2003, Disc #2, Track #10 "Drive" - Synthetic Symphony
*Cyberl@b V.4.0 – (2xCD) 2003, Disc #2, Track #12 "Opened (Glis Mix)" - Alfa Matrix
*Dark Awakening Vol. 3 – (2xCD) 2003, Disc #1, Track #4 "Drive" - COP International
*Dark Nights (The Best of Technopop & Futurepop) – (2xCD) 2003, Disc #2, Track #12 "Document" - Bit Music
*Electro Club Attack - Shot Six – (2xCD) 2003, Disc #1, Track #9 "Blindhammer" - XXC
*Electro Götter – (CD) 2003, Track #12 "Opened (Back and to the Left Remix)" - Four.Rock
*Metropolis 2003 – (CD) 2003, Track #3 "Document" - Metropolis
*Orkus Club Hits 4 – (CD) 2003, Track #6 "Light" - Orkus
*Strange Love 7 – (CD) 2003, Track #3 "Drive" - Orkus
*Tonedeaf Records Presents: Vinyl Conflict No. 1 - (CD) 2003, Track #12 "House on Fire" - ToneDeaf Records
*Zillo Club Hits 8 – (CD) 2003 - Track #13 "Document (Schreibgeschützt Mix)" - Zillo
*Accession Records Volume Two – (CD) 2004, Track #2 "Opened (DJ Ram-Thunder Mix)" - Accession Records
*Advanced Electronics Vol. 3 – (2xCD) 2004, Disc #1, Track #18 "Opened (Remix By Zero Crossing)" - Synthetic Symphony
*Caleidolex - (CD) 2004, Track #5 "Let The Wind Erase Me" - Angelstar
*Der Seelen Tiefengrund 7: Music for Candlelight & Redwine – (CD, Ltd. Edition) 2004, Track #6 "Cocoon" - Angelstar
*DJ Revelation 02 (Compiled by Clan of Xymox) – (CD) 2004, Track #1 "Disappoint (Funker Vogt Rmx)" - Angelstar
*Metropolis 2004 – (CD) 2004, Track #9 "Let the Wind Erase Me" - Metropolis
*Orkus Compilation 3 – (CD Enhanced) 2004, Track #8 "Apart" - Orkus
*Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction Vol. 41 – (CD Enhanced) 2004 - Track #4 "Regret" - Sonic Seducer
*E:O:D Vol. 1 – (2xCD) 2005, Disc #2, Track #2 "Let The Wind Erase Me" - Excentric Records
*Endzeit Bunkertracks [Act 1] – (4xCD Box) 2005, Disc #2, Track #8 "Infinite (Glis Mix)" - Alfa Matrix
*Orkus Presents The Best of 2004 (Part 1) – (2xCD) 2005, Disc #1, Track #5 "Let The Wind Erase Me (Club Version) - Angelstar, Orkus
*Synth & Wave Essentials Vol. 2 – (2xCD) 2005, Disc #1, Track #7 "Opened (Memphis Mix)" - ZYX Music
*Accession Records Volume Three – (CD) 2006, Track #11 "Decades" - Accession Records
*Advanced Electronics Vol. 2 – (2xCD) 2007, Disc #2, Track #10 "Drive" - Synthetic Symphony
*Das Bunker Down Under – (CD) 2007, Track #1 "Binary", Track #2 "Decades" and Track #6 "Damaged" - Fiend Magazine
*Elektrisch! 2 – (2xCD) 2007, Disc #1, Track #11 "You Haven't Earned It (The Loge Remix)" - Major Records
*New Signs & Sounds 04/07 – (CD Enhanced) 2007 - Track #8 "Truth" - Zillo
*Setup – (2xCD) 2007, Disc #1, Appearing as Virtual Server Featuring Assemblage 23, Track #5 "Razor" - A Different Drum
*Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction Vol. 68 – (CD) 2007, Appearing as Essexx Featuring Assemblage 23, Track #8 "Under Cover (Sonic Edit)" - Sonic Seducer
*Sonic Seducer Cold Hands Seduction Vol. 77 – (2xDVD + CD Sampler + CD-ROM [MP3 files] ) 2007, DVD #1, Track #1 "Let The Wind Erase Me" - Sonic Seducer
*Zillo Club Hits Vol. 12 – (2xCD) 2007, Disc #2, Track #2 "Binary (Club Mix)" - Zillo
*Elektrisch! 3 – (2xCD) 2008, Disc #1, Track #7 "Sorry (Retro Electro Mix)" - Major Records
*Metropolis:Rebirth 1.0 – (2xCD) 2008, Disc #1, Track #2 "Sorry" - Metropolis

ee also

*Nerve Filter, a side project by Shear.

References

External links

* [http://www.assemblage23.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.cwlive.net/assemblage23/ Official forum]
* [http://www.metropolis-records.com/ Metropolis Records]
* [http://www.accession-records.de/ Accession Records]
* [http://remixhell.com/artist/detail.php?artistID=66 Remixes and Covers by Assemblage 23]
* [http://www.myspace.com/officialassemblage23 Official Myspace]