Assemblage 23
Encyclopedia
Assemblage 23 is an electronic
act from the United States
, currently based in Seattle. It was founded in 1988 by Tom Shear
who writes the music and lyrics and does the recording himself.
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.
. 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 and features a sample from the film In the Line of Fire
.
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
.
Also in 2007 saw the release of "Early Rare & Unreleased" which is a collection of 14 Assemblage 23 tracks taken from the years 1988–1998. In 2009, "Early Rare & Unreleased Volume Two" was released.
Assemblage 23 performed at Montreal's Kinetik Festival in May 2009. In September 2009, Assemblage 23 released the single "Spark," followed by its sixth studio album Compass.
New material is planned for release starting Fall 2011 with the next single, "The Noise Inside My Head", from the upcoming album "Bruise".
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
act from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, currently based in Seattle. It was founded in 1988 by Tom Shear
Tom Shear
Tom Shear is an American musician and music producer, and is the sole member of the electronic act Assemblage 23.He was born on November 12, 1971 in State College, Pennsylvania, where he lived until he was about age six. After that, he lived in New Jersey for two years and then in New Hampshire for...
who writes the music and lyrics and does the recording himself.
1980s–1990s (Pre-Assemblage 23)
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
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
played by an opening DJ for Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
. 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.
Late 1990s – early 2000
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 EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. 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 and features a sample from the film In the Line of Fire
In the Line of Fire
In the Line of Fire is a 1993 American thriller film about a disillusioned and obsessed former CIA agent who attempts to assassinate the President of the United States and the Secret Service agent who tracks him...
.
After falling out with Gashed Records following Failure, Shear signed with US label Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
(US) later in 2001; Metropolis re-released Contempt and Failure in November
November 2001
November 2001: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-----Events:* November – The Doha Declaration slightly relaxes the grip of international intellectual property....
. 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
September 2002
September 2002: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December- September 1, 2002 :...
of that year.
Assemblage 23 released a fourth album, Storm, in October 2004 with singles "Let the Wind Erase Me" in August
August 2004
August 2004: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-Events:August 2004: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December...
and "Ground" in November
November 2004
November 2004: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-Events:November 2004: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-Events:November 2004: January – February –...
.
Mid 2000 – present
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.Also in 2007 saw the release of "Early Rare & Unreleased" which is a collection of 14 Assemblage 23 tracks taken from the years 1988–1998. In 2009, "Early Rare & Unreleased Volume Two" was released.
Assemblage 23 performed at Montreal's Kinetik Festival in May 2009. In September 2009, Assemblage 23 released the single "Spark," followed by its sixth studio album Compass.
New material is planned for release starting Fall 2011 with the next single, "The Noise Inside My Head", from the upcoming album "Bruise".
Studio albums
- ContemptContempt (album)Contempt is the first album by Assemblage 23. In 1998, the Canadian label, Gashed Records signed Assemblage 23 and released their first album, Contempt in 1999...
– (CD album) 1999 – Gashed! • (CD album) 2000 – Accession Records • (CD album) 2001 – Metropolis - FailureFailure (Assemblage 23 album)Failure is Assemblage 23's second album, released through Gashed! and, later, Metropolis Records in 2001. The album contains many energetic EBM songs lead by emotionally charged lyrics...
– (CD album) 2001 – Gashed!, Metropolis, Accession Records - Defiance – (CD album) 2002 – Metropolis, Accession Records • (CD album) 2005 – Irond
- Storm – (CD album) 2004 – Metropolis, Accession Records • (CD) 2005 – Irond
- MetaMeta (album)Meta is the fifth album by the American electronic act Assemblage 23. It was released in 2007. Several tracks on Meta have the signature Assemblage 23 sound while others are slightly different in approach...
– (CD album) 2007 – Metropolis, Accession Records, Irond - Compass – (CD album) Oct. 2009 – Metropolis, Accession Records, Irond
Early, Rare, & Unreleased collections
- Early, Rare & Unreleased 1988–1998 – (CD, Ltd. Edition) 2007 – 23db
- Early, Rare & Unreleased: Volume Two – (CD, Ltd. Edition) 2009 – 23db
Singles
- "Disappoint" – (CD, Maxi) 2001 – Accession Records
- "Document" – (CD Maxi) 2002 – Accession Records
- "Let the Wind Erase MeLet the Wind Erase MeLet the Wind Erase Me is the first single of the Storm album by Assemblage 23.In October 2004, it reached #11 on the Billboard Dance Singles sales chart.- Track listing :# "Let the Wind Erase Me [album version]"# "Darker"...
" – (CD Maxi) 2004 – Metropolis, Accession Records - "Ground"– (CD Maxi) 2004 – Metropolis, Accession Records
- "BinaryBinary (Assemblage 23 song)"Binary" is a 2007 single by Electronica artist Assemblage 23. It is taken from the album Meta.-Track listing:#'Binary #'Dirt#'Binary #'Fluorescent Skies#'Binary -References:[ Allmusic single profile]...
" – (CD Maxi) 2007 – Metropolis, Accession Records - "SparkSpark (Assemblage 23 song)-Track listing:#'Spark 4:38#'Helicopter Girl 4:48#'Spark 4:35#'The Poison Moon 5:20#'Spark 3:21...
" – (CD Maxi) Sept. 2009 – Metropolis, Accession Records