Death in Vegas
Encyclopedia
Death in Vegas are a psychedelic rock
and electronic rock band from the United Kingdom
, comprising two permanent members: Richard Fearless (Richard Maguire) and Tim Holmes (also known as Chris Holmes, 37, (Worcs)). Influenced by a wide range of musical genres including psychedelic rock
, electronica
, krautrock
, dub
and industrial
, the band's sound is constantly changing, moving between live rock sounds, electronica and minimal techno
. The band was formed in 1994 by Fearless and Steve Hellier and signed to Concrete Records under the name of "Dead Elvis". Objections from the Elvis Presley
estate forced them to change their name, and Dead Elvis
became the title of their first album instead.
(1999), marked a slight change in direction with more attention to live instrumentation than their first and the inclusion of guest vocalists (including Dot Allison
, Bobby Gillespie
, Iggy Pop
, and Jim Reid
). Although predominantly rock-influenced, the album still retained some electronic elements, in particular the opening track "Dirge" with its drum machine-based rhythm track. "Dirge", featuring a vocal chant by Allison
, is perhaps one of the band's most recognisable tracks. "Dirge" was featured on a Levi's jeans commercial, as well as the second installment of the Blair Witch Project, and was used in the trailer for the 2006 film The Black Dahlia
. The song was also used at the end of the 2009 remake of Last House On The Left, near the end of the Being Human
episode "The Longest Day", and in the second episode of season two of Misfits
. Along with "Aisha" (with vocals from Iggy Pop
), "Dirge" helped the band gain more recognition, culminating in a Mercury Music Prize nomination in 2000. "Aisha" was a Top 10 hit in the UK and also featured in the Playstation 2
title Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
.
, after almost a three-year gap. During their time off, the band had toured and briefly returned to their techno roots with the track "Scorpio", which, although not appearing on any album, was included as the B-side
of "Hands Around My Throat", the first single from Scorpio Rising. Scorpio Rising takes its name from the cult avant-garde film of the same name by Kenneth Anger
. The lyrics of the title track (featuring vocals from Liam Gallagher
) reflected the controversial nature of Anger's film. It also continued to attract attention from advertisers and filmmakers with "Hands Around My Throat" being used in a Sony Ericsson advert and appearing on the soundtrack to The Animatrix
, while the track "Girls" was used on the soundtracks to Sofia Coppola
's Lost in Translation
and Angela Robinson
's D.E.B.S., as well as in an episode of the TV show Veronica Mars
and a commercial for BBC's most recent production of Sense and Sensibility
. This was their last studio album for Concrete Records. Concrete released a best-of album, entitled Milk It, in 2004.
) and released their fourth album, Satan's Circus
, in 2004.
The melody of Kraftwerk's
"Trans-Europe Express" is featured in the track "Zugaga". Unlike the previous two albums, Satan's Circus did not feature any guest vocalists. The album was also released as a limited edition double pack including a live CD, recorded on the Scorpio Rising tour at the Brixton Academy, London
.
, on September 26, 2011 in the UK.
In a 2008 interview, Richard Fearless claimed that: "I've recorded a new Death In Vegas album but it just needs to be mixed. I re-scored these psyche/surf films that were filmed at the Barbican a couple of years ago and worked on it in the studio for about 8 months. We rehearsed it and performed it a few times but as yet haven't actually released it. That's basically what the next Death In Vegas album will be. I just had to have a break from it - Death In Vegas is something I've been doing since I was a teenager."
In a 2007 interview, Tim Holmes confirmed the band had a potential un-released album: "We’ve got at least another album worth of music recorded and we just need to mix it. It’s just not something that we want to push or stress over. I guess that because we do not have the commercial constraints that signed bands have we can please ourselves." Trans-Love Energies does not contain a credit for Holmes, however; when asked in a 2011 interview by the Australian music magazine Onion whether Holmes was "part of the current line-up", Fearless replied: "No. No he's not".
has produced various upcoming acts including Extradition Order, Char Johnson, the Beat Maras, David Cronenberg's Wife and Paul Hawkins
. Button plays drums in Hawkins's backing band Thee Awkward Silences and also in D.I.V bassist Mat Flint
's band Deep Cut, as well as playing guitar for Dot Allison
. Button releases his own material under the name of the Anthony Anderson Project and is credited as Anthony Anderson on Dead Elvis.
Keyboard player Terry Miles has also played with Bernard Butler
, Denim
and Go Kart Mozart
(the latter both fronted by former Felt
frontman Lawrence Hayward).
Bass player Mat Flint
sang and played guitar in early 90s indie band Revolver
, and is currently guitarist in Deep Cut.
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and electronic rock band from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, comprising two permanent members: Richard Fearless (Richard Maguire) and Tim Holmes (also known as Chris Holmes, 37, (Worcs)). Influenced by a wide range of musical genres including psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
, dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
and 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...
, the band's sound is constantly changing, moving between live rock sounds, electronica and minimal techno
Minimal techno
Minimal techno is a minimalist sub-genre of techno. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition, and understated development. This style of dance music production generally adheres to the motto less is more; a principle that has been previously utilized, to...
. The band was formed in 1994 by Fearless and Steve Hellier and signed to Concrete Records under the name of "Dead Elvis". Objections from the Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
estate forced them to change their name, and Dead Elvis
Dead Elvis
Dead Elvis was the first album by British band Death in Vegas. It was released on March 10, 1997 in the United Kingdom and on September 16, 1997 in the United States. This was the only Death in Vegas album to feature original member Steve Hellier. The British release features colored Elvis graffiti...
became the title of their first album instead.
Dead Elvis
The first album, Dead Elvis, was a mixture of many musical genres, although most of the tracks are predominantly based in electronica. Shortly after the release of the album, Hellier left the band and was replaced by Tim Holmes, who had already been involved with mixing and engineering tracks on Dead Elvis.The Contino Sessions
The band's second album, The Contino SessionsThe Contino Sessions
The Contino Sessions is the second album by British band Death in Vegas. It was released in 1999.In 2000 the album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.- Track listing :# "Dirge" – 5:44# "Soul Auctioneer" – 5:59# "Death Threat" – 4:50...
(1999), marked a slight change in direction with more attention to live instrumentation than their first and the inclusion of guest vocalists (including Dot Allison
Dot Allison
Dot Allison is a Scottish singer and songwriter, who has made significant inroads in electronic music circles, most notably as a result of her tenure fronting the band One Dove in the early 1990s...
, Bobby Gillespie
Bobby Gillespie
Robert Bernard Andrew "Bobby" Gillespie is a Scottish musician. He is the lead singer and founding member of the alternative rock band, Primal Scream. He was also the drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain in the mid-1980s.- Early life :Born and raised in the south side district of Mount Florida in...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, and Jim Reid
Jim Reid
Jim Reid is the lead singer for the alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain, which he formed with his elder brother and guitarist William Reid -The Jesus and Mary Chain:...
). Although predominantly rock-influenced, the album still retained some electronic elements, in particular the opening track "Dirge" with its drum machine-based rhythm track. "Dirge", featuring a vocal chant by Allison
Dot Allison
Dot Allison is a Scottish singer and songwriter, who has made significant inroads in electronic music circles, most notably as a result of her tenure fronting the band One Dove in the early 1990s...
, is perhaps one of the band's most recognisable tracks. "Dirge" was featured on a Levi's jeans commercial, as well as the second installment of the Blair Witch Project, and was used in the trailer for the 2006 film The Black Dahlia
The Black Dahlia (film)
The Black Dahlia is a 2006 neo noir crime film directed by Brian De Palma. It is based on the novel of the same name by James Ellroy, writer of L.A. Confidential and starred Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank. The story is based on the murder of Elizabeth Short...
. The song was also used at the end of the 2009 remake of Last House On The Left, near the end of the Being Human
Being Human (TV series)
Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama...
episode "The Longest Day", and in the second episode of season two of Misfits
Misfits (TV series)
Misfits is a British science fiction comedy-drama television series about a group of young offenders forced to work in a community service programme, where they obtain supernatural powers after a strange electrical storm. The first series started broadcasting on 12 November 2009 on E4, and was...
. Along with "Aisha" (with vocals from Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
), "Dirge" helped the band gain more recognition, culminating in a Mercury Music Prize nomination in 2000. "Aisha" was a Top 10 hit in the UK and also featured in the Playstation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
title Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec is considered a critical and commercial success for Sony in Japan, Europe, and North America. The game is highly praised by game reviewers and players as one of the best racing games ever made. GT3 also received a Platinum Award from Electronic Gaming Monthly...
.
Scorpio Rising
In September 2002, the band released its third album, Scorpio RisingScorpio Rising (Death in Vegas album)
-Singles:* "Leather"/"Girls" and "XXX" * "Hands Around My Throat" * "Scorpio Rising"...
, after almost a three-year gap. During their time off, the band had toured and briefly returned to their techno roots with the track "Scorpio", which, although not appearing on any album, was included as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of "Hands Around My Throat", the first single from Scorpio Rising. Scorpio Rising takes its name from the cult avant-garde film of the same name by Kenneth Anger
Kenneth Anger
Kenneth Anger is an American underground experimental filmmaker, occasional actor and author...
. The lyrics of the title track (featuring vocals from Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
) reflected the controversial nature of Anger's film. It also continued to attract attention from advertisers and filmmakers with "Hands Around My Throat" being used in a Sony Ericsson advert and appearing on the soundtrack to The Animatrix
The Animatrix
is a 2003 direct-to-video anthology film based on The Matrix trilogy. The film is a compilation of nine animated short films.-Production:Development of the Animatrix project began when the film series' writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, were in Japan promoting the first Matrix film...
, while the track "Girls" was used on the soundtracks to Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola
Sofia Carmina Coppola is an American screenwriter, film director, actress, and producer.In 2003 she received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation, and became the third woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing...
's Lost in Translation
Lost in Translation (film)
Lost in Translation is a 2003 American film written and directed by Sofia Coppola; her second feature film after The Virgin Suicides and it stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson...
and Angela Robinson
Angela Robinson
Angela Robinson is an American film and television director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Robinson was born in San Francisco, California and later grew up in Los Angeles. Robinson completed a B.A...
's D.E.B.S., as well as in an episode of the TV show Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
and a commercial for BBC's most recent production of Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility, published in 1811, is a British romance novel by Jane Austen, her first published work under the pseudonym, "A Lady." Jane Austen is considered a pioneer of the romance genre of novels, and for the realism portrayed in her novels, is one the most widely read writers in...
. This was their last studio album for Concrete Records. Concrete released a best-of album, entitled Milk It, in 2004.
Satan's Circus
Death in Vegas set up their own label, Drone Records (not to be confused with the existing German label of the same nameDrone Records
Drone Records is an independent record label based in Germany specialising in drone, ambient, and noise music.-Overview:Drone Records was founded by Stefan Knappe . The label releases exclusively 7" and 10" vinyl, and all the artists design their own release artwork.-External links:* - official...
) and released their fourth album, Satan's Circus
Satan's Circus
Satan's Circus is the fourth studio album by Death in Vegas, released on October 11, 2004 on Drone Records in the United Kingdom and on May 24, 2005 on Sanctuary Records in the United States. Contrary to previous releases, this album features no guest vocalists. This album is the first release...
, in 2004.
The melody of Kraftwerk's
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
"Trans-Europe Express" is featured in the track "Zugaga". Unlike the previous two albums, Satan's Circus did not feature any guest vocalists. The album was also released as a limited edition double pack including a live CD, recorded on the Scorpio Rising tour at the Brixton Academy, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Trans-Love Energies
The band released their fifth studio album, Trans-Love EnergiesTrans-Love Energies (album)
Trans-Love Energies is the fifth album by British electronica band Death in Vegas. It was released on September 26, 2011 in the United Kingdom via Portobello Records...
, on September 26, 2011 in the UK.
In a 2008 interview, Richard Fearless claimed that: "I've recorded a new Death In Vegas album but it just needs to be mixed. I re-scored these psyche/surf films that were filmed at the Barbican a couple of years ago and worked on it in the studio for about 8 months. We rehearsed it and performed it a few times but as yet haven't actually released it. That's basically what the next Death In Vegas album will be. I just had to have a break from it - Death In Vegas is something I've been doing since I was a teenager."
In a 2007 interview, Tim Holmes confirmed the band had a potential un-released album: "We’ve got at least another album worth of music recorded and we just need to mix it. It’s just not something that we want to push or stress over. I guess that because we do not have the commercial constraints that signed bands have we can please ourselves." Trans-Love Energies does not contain a credit for Holmes, however; when asked in a 2011 interview by the Australian music magazine Onion whether Holmes was "part of the current line-up", Fearless replied: "No. No he's not".
Work for other acts
Outside of Death in Vegas Ian ButtonIan Button
Ian Button is an English guitarist best known for being in the band Death in Vegas and The Thrashing Doves . Though Death in Vegas' main creative force Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes are often regarded as the only 2 permanent members of the band, Button's contribution was significant throughout...
has produced various upcoming acts including Extradition Order, Char Johnson, the Beat Maras, David Cronenberg's Wife and Paul Hawkins
Paul Hawkins
Robert Paul Hawkins was an Australian motor racing driver. The son of a racing motorcyclist-turned-church minister, Hawkins was a capable single-seater driver but really made his mark as an outstanding sports car competitor driving Ford GT40s and Lola T70s...
. Button plays drums in Hawkins's backing band Thee Awkward Silences and also in D.I.V bassist Mat Flint
Mat Flint
Mat Flint is an English musician, who has been a member of several bands including Revolver , Hot Rod , Death in Vegas , and Deep Cut .-Biography:...
's band Deep Cut, as well as playing guitar for Dot Allison
Dot Allison
Dot Allison is a Scottish singer and songwriter, who has made significant inroads in electronic music circles, most notably as a result of her tenure fronting the band One Dove in the early 1990s...
. Button releases his own material under the name of the Anthony Anderson Project and is credited as Anthony Anderson on Dead Elvis.
Keyboard player Terry Miles has also played with Bernard Butler
Bernard Butler
Bernard Joseph Butler is an English musician and record producer. He first emerged in the early Britpop era with Suede. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his generation, as well as one of Britain's most original and influential guitarists...
, Denim
Denim
Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late 18th century...
and Go Kart Mozart
Go Kart Mozart
Go Kart Mozart is a band founded by Lawrence, originally of the bands Felt and Denim. The sound of the band is similar to Denim, although with an emphasis on synthesizers rather than guitars. The songs are short in nature, most never going over three minutes. The lyrics are often funny and satirical...
(the latter both fronted by former Felt
Felt (band)
Felt were a 1980s British alternative rock band led by Lawrence, whose surname was never listed in any credits or press; the band's name was inspired by Tom Verlaine's emphasis of the word "felt" in the Television song "Venus"...
frontman Lawrence Hayward).
Bass player Mat Flint
Mat Flint
Mat Flint is an English musician, who has been a member of several bands including Revolver , Hot Rod , Death in Vegas , and Deep Cut .-Biography:...
sang and played guitar in early 90s indie band Revolver
Revolver (band)
Revolver were a London based guitar band in existence from 1990–1994, comprising Mat Flint , Hamish Brown and Nick Dewey...
, and is currently guitarist in Deep Cut.
The Now
In August 2011, a full scale live tour was announced.Studio albums
- Dead ElvisDead ElvisDead Elvis was the first album by British band Death in Vegas. It was released on March 10, 1997 in the United Kingdom and on September 16, 1997 in the United States. This was the only Death in Vegas album to feature original member Steve Hellier. The British release features colored Elvis graffiti...
(March 1997) - The Contino SessionsThe Contino SessionsThe Contino Sessions is the second album by British band Death in Vegas. It was released in 1999.In 2000 the album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.- Track listing :# "Dirge" – 5:44# "Soul Auctioneer" – 5:59# "Death Threat" – 4:50...
(September 1999) - Scorpio RisingScorpio Rising (Death in Vegas album)-Singles:* "Leather"/"Girls" and "XXX" * "Hands Around My Throat" * "Scorpio Rising"...
(September 2002) - Satan's CircusSatan's CircusSatan's Circus is the fourth studio album by Death in Vegas, released on October 11, 2004 on Drone Records in the United Kingdom and on May 24, 2005 on Sanctuary Records in the United States. Contrary to previous releases, this album features no guest vocalists. This album is the first release...
(October 2004) - Trans-Love EnergiesTrans-Love Energies (album)Trans-Love Energies is the fifth album by British electronica band Death in Vegas. It was released on September 26, 2011 in the United Kingdom via Portobello Records...
(September 2011) (UK chart peak: #57)
Compilation albums
- Back to Mine Vol. 16Back to Mine: Death in VegasBack To Mine: Death In Vegas is a compilation album from the Back To Mine series from DMC Publishing.It was compiled by British Electronica band Death In Vegas.-Track listing:# "Cloak and Dagger" - The Upsetters# "Back to Nature" - Fad Gadget...
(January 2004) as part of the Back to MineBack to MineBack to Mine is a series of mix albums, usually mixed by renowned DJs or composers of electronic music. The compilations usually feature artists other than the artist compiling the album, and are based on what the artist would play at home after a night out, rather than as part of a nightclub...
series. - Milk It: The Best of Death in VegasMilk It (album)Milk It: The Best of Death in Vegas is a compilation album by Death in Vegas, released on February 7, 2005 in the UK and on February 23, 2005 in Japan. Disc one is a collection of some of the band's best album tracks, while disc two is a bonus disc of remixes...
(February 2005) - FabricLive.23 (August 2005)
- The Best of Death in VegasThe Best of Death in VegasThe Best of Death in Vegas is a compilation album by Death in Vegas, released in October 2007 in the UK. The album is a part of a Sony/BMG budget-title series...
(October 2007)