Elegant Machinery
Encyclopedia
Elegant Machinery is a Swedish
synthpop
band. Borrowing heavily from the likes of Depeche Mode
, they are one of few recent bands dedicated to making traditional synthpop music. Along with such bands as Page
, S.P.O.C.K
, Sista Mannen På Jorden
and Kiethevez they define the sound of the Swedish synthpop movement.
Heavily influenced by acts like Yazoo
, The Human League
, Depeche Mode
, Rational Youth
and Robert Marlow
, Richard Jomshof
and Leslie Bayne started the band in 1988 under the name Pole Position.
Robert Enforsen joined the band as lead vocalist in 1989, and the band released their first demo, at which point they changed their name to Elegant Machinery, a name derived from the album by DATA
, a British synthpop
group of the 1980s led by Norwegian Georg Kajanus
.
Due to Leslie Bayne's stagefright, Johan Malmgren joined the band as a tour musician in 1992. He later became a permanent member.
The band was very successful in Sweden, with a number of successful singles and various awards. In the rest of Europe, their biggest break into the mainstream was with the single Process, which reached number 5 in the Spanish charts.
In 2001, the band temporarily reunited (with Johan temporarily replaced by Jarmo Ollila of Daily Planet) for their first-ever American appearance, followed by a performance in Mexico. Over the next few years, the band performed a number of times in Europe.
In October 2004, after a successful gig at Romo Night in Gothenburg
, the band decided to work on new music. Johan, Richard, and Robert have been joined by original member Leslie Bayne.
In November 2007, it was announced that the band had signed with German label Out of Line. A new single "Feel the Silence" was released in January. The current line-up consists of Robert Enforsen, Richard Jomshof and Leslie Bayne.
In early April 2011, there were rumours that the band had split once again. This was later confirmed by the groups management. Jomshof denied the rumours that the split had anything to do with his political career for Sverigedemokraterna, and cited other personal differences as reasons for the breakup.
as a keyboardist, programmer and composer. Johan and Robert also produced the debut album "Lost in a Maze" of the Swedish-British
band Univaque in 2004.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band. Borrowing heavily from the likes of 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...
, they are one of few recent bands dedicated to making traditional synthpop music. Along with such bands as Page
Page (band)
Page is a Swedish synthpop band. Page is often credited with being the first band to bring synthpop music to Sweden. Their music and band members influenced many subsequent Swedish synthpop acts, including Elegant Machinery, S.P.O.C.K, Sista Mannen På Jorden and KieTheVez.Formed in 1980 by Eddie...
, S.P.O.C.K
S.P.O.C.K
S.P.O.C.K is a Swedish synthpop-band which formed around 1988.-Background:The band's original lineup was songwriter Eddie Bengtsson , Finn Albertsson, and vocalist Alexander Hofman...
, Sista Mannen På Jorden
Sista Mannen På Jorden
Sista Mannen På Jorden or SMPJ is a Swedish synthpop group formed in 1986 by Eddie Bengtsson and Matts Wiberg. In 2004, Wiberg left the band and was replaced by Christer Hermodsson of S.P.O.C.K in 2005.- Background :...
and Kiethevez they define the sound of the Swedish synthpop movement.
Heavily influenced by acts like Yazoo
Yazoo (band)
Yazoo are a British synthpop duo from Basildon, Essex. They had a number of Top 10 hits in the UK charts in the early 1980s...
, The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
, 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...
, Rational Youth
Rational Youth
Rational Youth is a Canadian New Wave band, originally formed in 1981 in Montreal, Quebec, by synthesizer wizards Tracy Howe, former singer and drummer for Montreal punk band "The Normals", and Bill Vorn, both of whom idolized the German synthpop pioneers Kraftwerk.Among the band's notable singles...
and Robert Marlow
Robert Marlow
Robert Marlow is a synthpop musician and songwriter.-Biography:Robert Marlow grew up in Basildon with future Depeche Mode members Vince Clarke, Martin Gore, and Andy Fletcher. He is also tied to Alison Moyet, with whom he played in a band, The Vandals. He knew Andy and Vince from the Basildon...
, Richard Jomshof
Richard Jomshof
Richard Jomshof, born 1969 in Helsingborg, Sweden, is a member of the Swedish parliament for the Sweden Democrats since 2010 and was the chief editor of SD-Kuriren 2000-2009....
and Leslie Bayne started the band in 1988 under the name Pole Position.
Robert Enforsen joined the band as lead vocalist in 1989, and the band released their first demo, at which point they changed their name to Elegant Machinery, a name derived from the album by DATA
DATA (band)
DATA were an electronic music band created in the late 1970s by Georg Kajanus, creator of such bands as Eclection, Sailor and Noir...
, a British synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
group of the 1980s led by Norwegian Georg Kajanus
Georg Kajanus
Georg Kajanus is a Norwegian composer and pop musician, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the British pop group, Sailor.-Early years:...
.
Due to Leslie Bayne's stagefright, Johan Malmgren joined the band as a tour musician in 1992. He later became a permanent member.
The band was very successful in Sweden, with a number of successful singles and various awards. In the rest of Europe, their biggest break into the mainstream was with the single Process, which reached number 5 in the Spanish charts.
Breakup, reunion and breakup
Elegant Machinery disbanded in 1999.In 2001, the band temporarily reunited (with Johan temporarily replaced by Jarmo Ollila of Daily Planet) for their first-ever American appearance, followed by a performance in Mexico. Over the next few years, the band performed a number of times in Europe.
In October 2004, after a successful gig at Romo Night in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, the band decided to work on new music. Johan, Richard, and Robert have been joined by original member Leslie Bayne.
In November 2007, it was announced that the band had signed with German label Out of Line. A new single "Feel the Silence" was released in January. The current line-up consists of Robert Enforsen, Richard Jomshof and Leslie Bayne.
In early April 2011, there were rumours that the band had split once again. This was later confirmed by the groups management. Jomshof denied the rumours that the split had anything to do with his political career for Sverigedemokraterna, and cited other personal differences as reasons for the breakup.
Side projects
During the band's hiatus, Robert Enforsen worked on a number of side projects, including Enforce, Hype, Gobble & Gag, and Red Light District. Meanwhile, Johan Malmgren joined the Swedish band S.P.O.C.KS.P.O.C.K
S.P.O.C.K is a Swedish synthpop-band which formed around 1988.-Background:The band's original lineup was songwriter Eddie Bengtsson , Finn Albertsson, and vocalist Alexander Hofman...
as a keyboardist, programmer and composer. Johan and Robert also produced the debut album "Lost in a Maze" of the Swedish-British
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...
band Univaque in 2004.
Discography
- Full-length albums
- Degraded Faces (1991)
- Shattered Grounds (1993)
- Yesterday Man (1996)
- A Soft Exchange (2008)
- Singles / Maxis
- Safety in Mind (1991)
- Process (1992)
- Hard to Handle (1993)
- Repressive Thoughts (1994)
- Watching You (1995)
- Myself With You (1996)
- Fading Away (1998)
- Words of Wisdom (1998)
- Feel the Silence (2008)
- Move (2008)
- Brave new world (Technology feat. Robert Enforsen) (2009)
- Compilations
- A Decade of Thoughts (1998)
- DVDs
- Archives (2005)