The Legendary Pink Dots

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Legendary Pink Dots


Img_capt = LPD vocalist Edward Ka-Spel at an October 11 2002 show in New York
Background = group_or_band
Origin = London, UK
Genre = Ambient, Avant-garde, Experimental, Folk, Goth, Industrial, Noise, Neo-Psychedelia, Rock, Synth-pop
Years_active = August 1980 – present
Label = Beta-lactam Ring Records Terminal Kaleidoscope Car Crash International Flesh Eating Ants Records InPhaze PIAS ROIR Soleilmoon
Associated_acts = Mimir The Tear Garden
URL = [http://legendarypinkdots.org/ LegendaryPinkDots.org]
Current_members = Edward Ka-Spel Phil Knight Martijn de Kleer Niels van Hoorn Raymond Steeg
Past_members = cEvin Key Ryan Moore Bob Pistoor April White Patrick Wright Lilly Ak "Macrobiotic" Bart Marylou Busch Rik Chevrolet Tony Copier Erik Drost Sally Graves Barry Gray Vincent Hoedt Ignit Calyxx Ka-Spel Lisa Michael Marshall Hans Meyer Nienke Elke Peucker Jason Salmon Mark Thrasher Keith Thompson Edwin von Trippenhof Frank Verschuuren Julia Niblock Waller Patrick White Graham Whitehead Halekka Malaizhista

The Legendary Pink Dots (LPD) are an Anglo-Dutch experimental rock band formed in London in August 1980. Although far outside the mainstream (in terms of their music and career path), LPD have released more than 40 albums, have a devoted worldwide following, and tour frequently.

Overview

The Legendary Pink Dots formed in August 1980 in London. In 1984 the band transplanted itself to Amsterdam which led to a shift in the original lineup, the original bassist Roland Callaway leaving at this time.

The core members of the group are vocalist/songwriter/keyboardist Edward Ka-Spel and keyboardist Phil Knight. Many others have passed through the group over the years. As of 2007 [http://www.brainwashed.com/lpd/cast.html LPD: official "Cast of Characters"] ; URL accessed February 3 2007 the group is comprised of:

* Edward Ka-Spel - vocals, keyboards, songwriter
* Phil Knight (a.k.a. The Silverman) - keyboards, electronics
* Martijn de Kleer - guitars
* Niels van Hoorn (a.k.a. Niels Van Hoornblower) - saxophones, clarinets, flutes, MIDI wind controller
* Raymond Steeg - live sound engineer

The story behind the band's name is a source of speculation because Edward has given multiple explanations behind its origins. The most plausible and common explanation traces back to the mysterious pink dots on certain keys of the bands main recording studio piano named "Osbert", the dots that can be found at either end of the keys do not make any particular chord or scale pattern and the reason for them remains unknown to this day. The piano itself is still owned by one of the founding band members April White, and can be found at her home recording studio in Cambridgeshire.

Their music touches on elements of neo-psychedelia, ambient music, electronic music, tape music, industrial, psych folk, synth-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 groups overall sound combined with Ka-Spel's distinct lyrics and singing have earned comparisons to Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:w959kectgq7b Mason, Stewart: "Your Children Placate You from Premature Graves"] , Allmusic.com review; URL accessed February 3 2007; the group has also been compared to classics Seventies deranged bands as Can [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:uf1uak6kkm3l Mason, James: "A Perfect Mystery"] , Allmusic.com review; URL accessed February 3 2007, Faust, Brainticket, Magma or Neu! (whose "Super" they covered on the 1999 tribute album "A Homage to NEU!").

Related bands

The Pink Dots also collaborated with Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key, forming a side project named The Tear Garden. Key also appears on the 1994 LPD album "9 Lives to Wonder". Others groups related to present and past pink dots members are: Strange Attractor, Mimir and Minizza.

Ryan Moore, who provided drums on studio and live performances for the Legendary Pink Dots, departed to work on his own musical outlet the Twilight Circus Dub Sound System. He has found notable success with Twilight Circus in the Reggae/Dub genre. He even wrote and produced new albums for grammy-award winning singer Michael Rose of Black Uhuru, and has worked with other notable Reggae figures such as Sly Dunbar, half of one of the most influential partnerships in reggae music, Sly & Robbie.

Recurring themes

There are many concepts and words that recur in Pink Dots lyrics. Some of these include:

*Premonition: (song examples: "Premonition 13," "Premonition 11," "Premonition 12," "Premonition 5," "Premonition 18," "Premonition 2")
*Lisa (song examples: "Lisa's Christening," "Lisa's Party," "Lisa's Funeral")
*Tower (song examples: "Tower 5," "Tower 1," "Tower 6," "Tower 4")
*Hotel (song examples: "Hotel Blanc," "Hotel Noir," "Hotel X," "Hotel Z")
*Gladiator
*China Doll
*834
*tarot divination

Notes on recurring themes

* Lisa: Has been identified by Edward Ka-Spel as "his alter-ego trying to get a little attention. Tried to spare the world by killing her off a few times but she always bounces back." [ [http://www.postwave.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=703&Itemid=10&limit=1&limitstart=1 Interview with Edward Ka-Spel , November 2007] ]

Discography

Primary Albums

* (1981) "Only Dreaming"
* (1982) "Brighter Now"
* (1983) "Curse"
* (1984) "The Tower"
* (1985) "Asylum"
* (1986) "Island Of Jewels"
* (1988) "Any Day Now"
* (1989) "The Golden Age"
* (1990) "The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse"
* (1991) "The Maria Dimension"
* (1992) "Shadow Weaver"
* (1993) "Malachai (Shadow Weaver Part 2)"
* (1994) "Nine Lives to Wonder"
* (1995) "From Here You'll Watch the World Go By"
* (1997) "Hallway of the Gods"
* (1998) "Nemesis Online"
* (2000) "A Perfect Mystery"
* (2002) "All the King's Horses"
* (2004) "The Whispering Wall"
* (2006) "Your Children Placate You From Premature Graves"
* (2008) "Plutonium Blonde"

Experimental Releases

* (1990) "Four Days"
* (2002) "Synesthesia"
* (2002) "All the King's Men"
* (2004) "The Poppy Variations"
* (2006) "Alchemical Playschool"

The Chemical Playschool series

* (1981) "Chemical Playschool 1+2"
* (1983) "Chemical Playschool 3+4"
* (1995) "Chemical Playschool 8+9"
* (1997) "Chemical Playschool 10"
* (2001) "Chemical Playschool 11+12+13"

Live albums

* (1988) "Dot-to-Dot"
* (1997) "Live '85-'88"
* (1997) "Live 89"
* (1999) "Live at the Metro"
* (2000) "Goodbye, Milky Way"

Collections

* (1981) "Kleine Krieg"
* (1981) "Dots on the Eyes"
* (1985) "Prayer For Aradia"
* (1988) "Stone Circles"
* (1988) "Traumstadt 1"
* (1988) "Traumstadt 2"
* (1988) "Traumstadt 3"
* (1988) "Traumstadt 4"
* (1989) "Traumstadt 5"
* (1989) "The Legendary Pink Box"
* (1991) "Greetings 9+Premonition 11/It's Raining in Heaven" (1991/1996)
* (1996) "Canta Mientras Puedas"
* (1996) ""
* (1997) "Ancient Daze"
* (1997) "Under Triple Moons"
* (1997) "Stained Glass, Soma Fountains"
* (1999) "Poi Poka Mozhesh"
* (2000) ""
* (2002) "El Kaleidoscopio Terminal"
* (2003) "I Did Not Inhale"
* (2003) ""
* (2004) "Singe Wahrend du Bist"
* (2004) "Crushed Mementos"
* (2007) "The Legendary Pink Dots"

ingles & EPs

* (1982) "Atomic Roses"
* (1982) "Premonition"
* (1982) "Apparition"
* (1983) "Basilisk"
* (1984) "Faces in the Fire"
* (1984) "The Lovers"
* (1986) "Curious Guy"
* (1988) "Under Glass"
* (1990) "Princess Coldheart"
* (1996) "Remember Me This Way"
* (1997) "Sterre"
* (1998) "Pre-Millenial Single"
* (2006) "Legacy"

References

External links

* [http://legendarypinkdots.org/ LegendaryPinkDots.org] - Official LPD Online Centraa l: news, discography, etc.
* [http://cloud-zero.org Cloud-Zero.org ] – Archives and information from the Cloud-Zero mailing list members and Brainwashed
* [http://www.terminalkaleidoscope.com/ Terminal Kaleidoscope.com] – official mail-order service for LPD