Null Device
Encyclopedia
Null Device is an electronic
pop
band from Wisconsin
, USA
.
. After the amicable departures of Annis and Lawrence, Dr. Eric Goedken joined as a full-time lyricist and producer. Named after /dev/null
, the group was originally an informal project for members of the university's Undergraduate Projects Lab interested in the techno
music of the burgeoning rave
scene. Through connections to Stromkern
's Ned Kirby and a variety of DJ's from local clubs, the project slowly became more focused on vocal-oriented industrial dance music, driven by Lawrence's experimental audio software. It was at this point that Goedken joined the band full-time and Null Device became a more melodic electronic pop act in the mold of Depeche Mode
and New Order
. After some local and underground success, they were signed to Nilaihah Records
in 2002.
Due to the band's history with computers and the geographic separation of the members (Oehler remained in Madison, Goedken moved to California and later Massachusetts), they were early adopters of internet technology for collaboration. The first Null Device website was created in mid-1994 and quickly became central to the band's promotion and distribution strategy.
While their label debut and early works are straightforward synthpop
, their more recent works have seen a broadening of influences, taking cues from breakbeat
, trip-hop and drum and bass
and incorporating a wide range of ethnic influences and instruments. Subsequent releases have seen the use of dumbek, dholak
, duduk
, cumbus
, sitar
, dilruba and violin
, as well as guest vocals by Arabic and Carnatic classical singers. Null Device has also contributed to various projects with a number of other industrial, synthpop and electronic artists, including Armageddon Dildos
, B! Machine
, Blind Faith and Envy, Caustic
, The Dark Clan, Distorted Reality
, The Gothsicles, Epsilon Minus
, Hungry Lucy
, Polymorphous Perverse, Stochastic Theory and Stromkern
.
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...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Band history
Null Device is an electronic band formed in 1995 by Eric Oehler, William Annis, and Tom Lawrence at the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. After the amicable departures of Annis and Lawrence, Dr. Eric Goedken joined as a full-time lyricist and producer. Named after /dev/null
/dev/null
In Unix-like operating systems, /dev/null or the null device is a special file that discards all data written to it and provides no data to any process that reads from it ....
, the group was originally an informal project for members of the university's Undergraduate Projects Lab interested in the techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
music of the burgeoning rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
scene. Through connections to Stromkern
Stromkern
Stromkern is a band that blends electronic music and hip-hop. The band was formed in 1994 by James "Ned" Kirby.Kirby was originally a DJ in Madison, Wisconsin as a teenager, experimenting under the moniker "Flowers for Ravers" before founding Stromkern. Disenchanted with the music he was receiving...
's Ned Kirby and a variety of DJ's from local clubs, the project slowly became more focused on vocal-oriented industrial dance music, driven by Lawrence's experimental audio software. It was at this point that Goedken joined the band full-time and Null Device became a more melodic electronic pop act in the mold 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...
and New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
. After some local and underground success, they were signed to Nilaihah Records
Nilaihah Records
Nilaihah Records is an American independent record label, currently based in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1999 by Kristy Venrick of The Azoic, after Oneiroid Psychosis asked her to release their next album. Though she did not have a record label at the time, Oneiroid Psychosis was...
in 2002.
Due to the band's history with computers and the geographic separation of the members (Oehler remained in Madison, Goedken moved to California and later Massachusetts), they were early adopters of internet technology for collaboration. The first Null Device website was created in mid-1994 and quickly became central to the band's promotion and distribution strategy.
While their label debut and early works are straightforward 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...
, their more recent works have seen a broadening of influences, taking cues from breakbeat
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
, trip-hop and drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
and incorporating a wide range of ethnic influences and instruments. Subsequent releases have seen the use of dumbek, dholak
Dholak
The Dholak is a North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese double-headed hand-drum Madal. The name dholki may also refer to a slightly different instrument that uses high-pitch tabla style syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also known as Naal or Dholki....
, duduk
Duduk
The duduk , traditionally known since antiquity as a Ծիրանափող is a traditional woodwind instrument indigenous to Armenia. Variations of it are popular in the Middle East and Central Asia...
, cumbus
Cümbüs
The cümbüş is a Turkish stringed instrument of relatively modern origin. Developed in the early 20th century by Zeynelabidin Cümbüş as an oud-like instrument that could be heard as part of a larger ensemble. In construction it resembles both the American banjo and the Middle Eastern oud. A...
, sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
, dilruba and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, as well as guest vocals by Arabic and Carnatic classical singers. Null Device has also contributed to various projects with a number of other industrial, synthpop and electronic artists, including Armageddon Dildos
Armageddon Dildos
Armageddon Dildos is a German electro-industrial-duo consisting of Uwe Kanka and Dirk Krause . The act was formed in 1988 in Kassel Germany, and the name comes from the slang term for intercontinental ballistic missiles. They perform songs in both German and English.The Armageddon Dildos have been...
, B! Machine
B! Machine
B! Machine was a synthpop band from San Francisco, California.The band was formed in 1996, consisting of the sole founding member, Nathaniel Lee Nicoll. The current line-up of the band varies but typically consists of Nathaniel Nicoll, Mike Hayden, and James Wong...
, Blind Faith and Envy, Caustic
Caustic (band)
Fanale has claimed Caustic's genre to be "Jizzcore," as a joke about the amount of self-indulgent, artist-created subgenres in industrial.Influences Matt Fanale has referenced include Revolting Cocks, Hank III, Pop Will Eat Itself, Chemlab, Atari Teenage Riot, and Stromkern, as well as the...
, The Dark Clan, Distorted Reality
Distorted Reality
Distorted Reality is a synthpop band from Germany / USA.- Band history :Distorted Reality is the synthpop band formed in 1997 by a collaboration between Martha M. Arce from Miami, USA and Christian Kobusch from Bielefeld, Germany....
, The Gothsicles, Epsilon Minus
Epsilon Minus
Epsilon Minus was a Canadian futurepop/trance band formed in 2000 by Bogart Shwadchuck and Jennifer Parkin. The name "Epsilon Minus" is a reference to Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World....
, Hungry Lucy
Hungry Lucy
Hungry Lucy is a darkwave, trip-hop duo with a female vocalist. Beginning in 1998, they have released four full-length CDs. On Alfa Matrix in Europe and on Hungry Media for the US...
, Polymorphous Perverse, Stochastic Theory and Stromkern
Stromkern
Stromkern is a band that blends electronic music and hip-hop. The band was formed in 1994 by James "Ned" Kirby.Kirby was originally a DJ in Madison, Wisconsin as a teenager, experimenting under the moniker "Flowers for Ravers" before founding Stromkern. Disenchanted with the music he was receiving...
.
Albums
- Suspending Belief (Nilaihah Records, 2010)
- Excursions (Nilaihah Records, 2007)
- A Million Different MomentsA Million Different MomentsA Million Different Moments is the second full-length album by electronic pop act Null Device. It represented a departure from the band's earlier work, with many tracks incorporating a range of middle-eastern instruments and traditional maqam...
(Nilaihah Records, 2004) - Sublimation (Nilaihah Records, 2002)
- The Year in Pixels (1999)
EPs and Singles
- Misadventures in Dub (2011)
- Recursions (2009)
- The London EP (Nilaihah Records, 2005)
- Footfalls EP (2003)
- Subliminal (self-released demo, 2001)
- Submariner/Love Stain (self-released, 2000) split EP with Polymorphous Perverse
- Crimson (self-released, 2000)