Renaldo and the Loaf
Encyclopedia
Renaldo and the Loaf was an English
musical duo active in the late seventies
and most of the eighties
, consisting of a pathologist
(David Janssen or "Ted the Loaf") and an architect
(Brian Poole or "Renaldo Malpractice", most often simply "Renaldo M").
By their own assertion, they achieved their unique sound in part by striving to get unnatural synthesizer
-like sounds using only what instruments
they had available (acoustic ones). To that end they routinely used muffled and de-tuned instruments, and, often to striking effect, tape loops / manipulation. The two released four full-length albums, one collection, various songs on compilation albums, and several self-produced demos. They were "discovered" by The Residents
when Brian dropped off a tape at Ralph Records
headquarters in San Francisco, during a visit to the U.S. After being signed to Ralph, they collaborated with The Residents on Title in Limbo
.
The first Renaldo and the Loaf album, Songs for Swinging Larvae, was released in 1981 on Ralph Records.
By 1989, the collaboration had lost its steam, and the duo disbanded after recording a sea shanty, "Haul on the Bowline," which appeared only on a Ralph various artists release. Brian/Renaldo contributed to sporadic recordings in the 1990s. In 2006 upon the launch of the new Renaldo & the Loaf web site, the duo were reunited for the first time in the better part of two decades.
Director Graham Whifler produced a short film in 1980, Songs for Swinging Larvae, from the album of the same name. The film concerns a kidnapped child and raises questions of home and human relationship. The film has since been banned from television and film festivals due to its controversial nature. "Larvae" was premiered at an art museum. It was included first in the Residents' 5 Minute Movies video collection, and later on the comprehensive Icky Flix DVD.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musical duo active in the late seventies
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
and most of the eighties
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, consisting of a pathologist
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
(David Janssen or "Ted the Loaf") and an architect
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
(Brian Poole or "Renaldo Malpractice", most often simply "Renaldo M").
By their own assertion, they achieved their unique sound in part by striving to get unnatural synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-like sounds using only what instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
they had available (acoustic ones). To that end they routinely used muffled and de-tuned instruments, and, often to striking effect, tape loops / manipulation. The two released four full-length albums, one collection, various songs on compilation albums, and several self-produced demos. They were "discovered" by The Residents
The Residents
The Residents is an American art collective best known for avant-garde music and multimedia works. The first official release under the name of The Residents was in 1972, and the group has since released over sixty albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects and ten DVDs....
when Brian dropped off a tape at Ralph Records
Ralph Records
Ralph Records was The Residents' original record label, the name coming from the somewhat colorful phrase "calling Ralph on the porcelain telephone."...
headquarters in San Francisco, during a visit to the U.S. After being signed to Ralph, they collaborated with The Residents on Title in Limbo
Title in Limbo
Title in Limbo is an album by The Residents in collaboration with Renaldo and the Loaf, released in 1983 on Ralph Records. Guest performers include Snakefinger , and vocalist Nessie Lessons....
.
The first Renaldo and the Loaf album, Songs for Swinging Larvae, was released in 1981 on Ralph Records.
By 1989, the collaboration had lost its steam, and the duo disbanded after recording a sea shanty, "Haul on the Bowline," which appeared only on a Ralph various artists release. Brian/Renaldo contributed to sporadic recordings in the 1990s. In 2006 upon the launch of the new Renaldo & the Loaf web site, the duo were reunited for the first time in the better part of two decades.
Director Graham Whifler produced a short film in 1980, Songs for Swinging Larvae, from the album of the same name. The film concerns a kidnapped child and raises questions of home and human relationship. The film has since been banned from television and film festivals due to its controversial nature. "Larvae" was premiered at an art museum. It was included first in the Residents' 5 Minute Movies video collection, and later on the comprehensive Icky Flix DVD.
Full length albums
- Renaldo and the Loaf play "Struve 'n' Sneff" (home-made cassette, 1979)
- Songs for Swinging Larvae (1981)
- Arabic Yodelling (1983)
- Title in LimboTitle in LimboTitle in Limbo is an album by The Residents in collaboration with Renaldo and the Loaf, released in 1983 on Ralph Records. Guest performers include Snakefinger , and vocalist Nessie Lessons....
(1983) (with the ResidentsThe ResidentsThe Residents is an American art collective best known for avant-garde music and multimedia works. The first official release under the name of The Residents was in 1972, and the group has since released over sixty albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects and ten DVDs....
) - Olleh Olleh Rotcod (1985) (rarities compilation)
- Renaldo and the Loaf play "Struve 'n' Sneff" (1985) (remixed/different tracklist)
- The Elbow is Taboo (1987 Some Bizzare RecordsSome Bizzare RecordsSome Bizzare Records is a British independent record label owned by Stevo Pearce. The label was founded in 1981, with the release of Some Bizzare Album, a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, Neu Electrikk and Blancmange.-1981-1989:One of the first bands that...
)
EPs
- Tap Dancing In Slush / Behind Closed Curtains (1978, unreleased)
- Renaldo And The Loaf Play Songs From The Surgery (1980)
- Hats Off, Gentlemen (1980)
- Hambu Hodo (1986)