Members
Martin Bowes, Simon Stansfield, Ian Arkley
Past members
Julia Niblock, Chris Bowes, Ashley Niblock, Marianne, Alex Novak, Pete Morris, Garry Cox, Laurie Reade, Sin D'rella, Tylean, Alexys Becerra, Kerri Bowes
Attrition are an electronic music band, formed in Coventry, England in 1980 by Martin Bowes and Julia Niblock. The band emerged from the experimental post-punk scene of the early 1980s and, along with other groups such as Throbbing Gristle, Coil, Einstürzende Neubauten, and In the Nursery, greatly contributed to the development of industrial music in the UK. Still active 30 years later, Attrition have been a stanchion of darkwave and industrial music, influencing many younger bands in the genres while continuously fine tuning their own distinctive sound.
History
Beginnings
In 1979, Martin started a xeroxed fanzine called Alternative Sounds to document the Coventry music scene (including such notables as The Specials and Furious Apples). The fanzine ran for 18 issues until 1981, and culminated in a vinyl compilation, "Sent from Coventry" (on Cherry Red) and a brief appearance on the BBC's Something Else programme. During this time, Martin met Julia at a local gig and, with the addition of Martin's brother Chris on guitar, Attrition was formed. In 1980 Chris was replaced by Julia's brother Ashley Niblock on synthesizer, and a short time later they replaced their live drummer with a drum machine; these changes facilitated Attrition's development beyond the post-punk of the early 80s into more experimental veins of sound.
1980s
Influenced by punk's do-it-yourself aesthetic, Attrition took part in the emerging cassette culture, contributing multiple early tracks to underground cassette compilations and fanzines alongside contemporaries such as Portion Control, Konstruktivits, Chris & Cosey, The Legendary Pink Dots, Nurse with Wound, and Coil. Attrition's first album release came in the form of Death House, a cassette of two experimental electronic soundtracks inspired by zombie films.[1] In 1983, Attrition received their first exposure in the national music press through a review by Dave Henderson in his "Wild Planet" column in Sounds, which led to their "Dreamsleep" track appearing on Henderson's compilation The Elephant Table Album, the band's first vinyl appearance. A postal collaboration with Seattle-based improvisational collective Audio Leter led to Attrition's second cassette album release, Action and Reaction. Attrition's first London concert followed, with a supporting slot from Coil, and the first European tour in April 1984 with the Legendary Pink Dots.
The debut album The Attrition of Reason appeared on Third Mind Records in autumn of 1984. The next year, Julia left the band to join the Legendary Pink Dots, and Bowes returned with new band members Marianne, Alex Novak, and Pete Morris to release the second proper Attrition album, Smiling, at the Hypogonder Club, which was generally well received. The following year, however, this lineup dissolved and Bowes released In The Realm of the Hungry Ghosts, a collection of rarities, compilation tracks, and B-sides from the preceding few years. This was the last release on Third Mind. The band then switched to Belgium's Antler-Subway Records for the release of "At the Fifitieth Gate" in 1988, which saw the addition of guitarist Gary Cox.
1990s
After a short hiatus, Bowes began work on music once more and Julia rejoined Attrition in 1990. A compilation of songs from previous releases was released by Projekt Records in the USA, introducing Attrition to US audiences. "A Tricky Business" was released in 1991 on Italy's Contempo Records and marked a new era for the band. These US releases were complemented with European editions on German labels Hyperium and Trisol. The Hidden Agenda came out in 1993, followed by Ephemera in 1995, which mirrored the dark ambient nature of early album Death House.
1996 saw the release of 3 Arms And A Dead Cert, which showed an increased use of organic instruments, including orchestral elements. This album also was the first proper release on Projekt, a relationship that would continue for many years and would see the release of a succession of albums during the '90s that saw progressed development of Attrition's signature sound. Also in 1996 the band toured the USA for the first time, at the culmination of which Julia left the band once more. The following year, Bowes revisited various works from the past decade of Attrition music and recorded new classical string variations of the songs, releasing them as Etude. After heavy touring in the late 1990s, including a stop at Wave-Gotik-Treffen, Attrition released The Jeopardy Maze in 1999.
2000s
Five years passed between The Jeopardy Maze and the next Attrition album, Dante's Kitchen, released in 2004. During the interim a remix album and a rarities album were put out and the entire back catalog of Attrition was reissued on CD in Europe and the band focused on touring and playing live again. Attrition finally founded their own label, Two Gods, in 2006 and released Tearing Arms from Deities, a 25th anniversary collection of material spanning Attrition's career, and Something Stirs - The Beginning, a collection of many of their cassette compilation tracks from the early 1980s. Two Gods would serve as a vehicle for releasing remastered reissues of the entire Attrition back catalogue in the following years. It has also served as a label for releases from other bands, including Rossetti's Compass.
In June 2008 Attrition once more became a multi-member act with the addition of female vocalist Sin D'rella. Bowes and Sin then released the twelfth album proper for the band, All Mine Enemys Whispers - The Story of Mary Ann Cotton, a concept album built around the true story of a mid-19th century serial killer in England, the arresting officer of whom Bowes is a descendant. The album bears a marked departure from what has come to be seen as the signature Attrition sound, ditching prominent synthesizer base lines, percussion, and vocals for atmospheric, ambient, and found sounds. Guests on the album include Emilie Autumn, Erica Mulkey, and Bowes' own two children.
2009 has seen the release of a live album, Kill the Buddha!, that celebrates 25 years of live touring, and Wrapped in the guise of my friend, an album of Attrition songs covered by other bands. 2012 and Martin has worked with his wife Kerri on their first full length movie score, Invocation. Martin taught music technology at City College in Coventry for many years and regularly produces albums for other artists in his studio The Cage.
http://www.thecagestudios.co.uk 2013. The Unraveller of Angels...
Musical influences and characteristics
Martin Bowes has cited a wide variety of influences on his music, including experimental rock, punk, post-punk, and industrial groups such as The Velvet Underground, Crass, the Sex Pistols, Magazine, Joy Division, and Cabaret Voltaire, early experimental electronic groups like Kraftwerk, classic rock'n'roll (Elvis), and even Beethoven.
In the early 1980s, Attrition was grouped into the post-punk movement, and as post-punk birthed sub-genres and cross-pollinated with others, the band came to be seen as an early and influential part of the fledgling industrial and darkwave genres. Later on they would also gain a considerable following among the goth scene. By the early 90s Bowes had become the primary member and songwriter and Attrition had developed its own distinctive electro-acoustic sound. This was based on Martin's deep growl, Julia's fretless bass work and breathy sub-operatic vocals, and a backline of electronic instrumentation, comprising analogue synthesizers (including a Korg Mono/Poly and Korg MS-20), sequencer (Roland MC-202), drum machine (Roland TR-808), and various effects units.
"At first, there wasn't the same sort of scene and we were in more of an 'industrial' thing. There was nothing like the clubs you get now, it was actually quite difficult to play anywhere that would appreciate you. It's a lot easier now, it's not just Goth, it's a mix - Darkwave or whatever. That's gotten stronger, so that has helped, but really, we were there before it was built."
Albums
Death House Attrition Cassette 1982
Onslaught Third Mind Records 1983
Attrition & Audio Leter - Action And Reaction (Critique Of Leisure Consumption) Not On Label 1983
Attrition / Alu - Split (Cass, Ltd, C60) IRRE Tapes IT 004 1983
The Attrition Of Reason Third Mind Records 1984
Attrition & Schamanen Circel - Ocвoбoждeниe Recording Union 1984
The Legendary Pink Dots / Attrition - The Terminal Kaleidoscope Ding Dong Records And Tapes 1985
Smiling, At The Hypogonder Club Third Mind Records 1985
In The Realm Of The Hungry Ghosts Third Mind Records 1986
Take Five (LP, MiniAlbum) Supporti Fonografici SF 018 1987
At The Fiftieth Gate Antler Records 1988
A Tricky Business Contempo Records 1991
The Hidden Agenda Hyperium Records 1993
3 Arms And A Dead Cert Hyperium Records 1995
Ephemera Hyperium Records 1995
Étude Projekt 1997
The Jeopardy Maze Matrix Cube 1998
Heretic Angels Matrix Cube 2000
Dante's Kitchen Underground, Inc., Invisible 2004
Kill The Buddha! Two Gods 2008
All Mine Enemys Whispers - The Story Of Mary Ann Cotton (CD, Album) Projekt PROJEKT209 2008
Across The Divide - Live In Holland (CD, Album, RE) Two Gods 19GodsCD 2009
The Truth In Dark Corners Other Voices Records 2011
Invocation (CD, Album) Infinite Fog Productions IF-28 2012
The Unraveller Of Angels E-Klageto 2013
Narcissist Vs One Horse Rider (2xCDr, Album) Two Gods 2GODSDIG 2014
Live At Pushing Against The Wire. 1992 (CDr) Two Gods 6GODSDIG 2014
Singles & EPs
Fear / Devoid (Flexi, 7", S/Sided) Adventures In Reality ARR 002 1982
The Voice Of God (12") Third Mind Records TMS 03 1984
Shrinkwrap / Pendulum Turns Third Mind Records 1985
Haydn (Remix) Antler Records 1988
Turn To Gold (12") Antler Records ANT 101 1989
Thin Red Line Contempo Records 1991
Something In My Eye Contempo Records 1992
Attrition / Angelhood - Split (7", Cle) Dead Eyes Magazine none 1993
Lip Sync (CD, Maxi) Hyperium Records 39100333 16 1993
The Eternity EP Projekt 1997
Kissing A Virtual Angel (CD, Mini, Ltd, Num) Ars Benevola Mater ABM 01 1999
Red Letter / Kharb (7", Ltd) Klanggalerie gg11 1999
Dante's Kitchen (Rascal & Klone Remixes) Rascal & Klone Productions 2004
Narcissist EP Two Gods 2013
Acid Tongue : Remodel Two Gods 2014
Monkey In A Bin (CDr, EP) Two Gods 7GODSEP 2014
Attrition / Angst Pop - Psych 12 (Lathe, 7", Ltd, Num) Psych.KG Psych.KG 131 2014
Compilations
Attrition / The Dangerous Brothers / Stress / Megaton - Double Vision (Cass, Comp) Stride, Calypso Now Step 19, none 1983
Deux Demo's (Cass) Rabbit Records R.R. 003/83 1983
Recollection 84-89 Projekt 1990
The Attrition Of Reason / In The Realm Of The Hungry Ghosts (2xCD, Album, Ltd, Comp) Relic R 2/3 1994
History (CD, Comp, Promo) Projekt, Hyperium Records, Relic none 1996
The Hand That Feeds Matrix Cube 2000
Esoteria (1982-1999) (CD, Ltd) Brudenia none 2000
Keepsakes And Reflections Invisible 2001
The Eternity LP Big Blue Records 2002
Tearing Arms From Deities: 1980-2005 Two Gods 2006
Something Stirs: The Beginning 1981-1983 (CD, Comp) Two Gods 3GodsCD 2006
Esoteria: A Collection Of Ambient And Classical Works 1982-2004 V2 (CD, Comp) Two Gods 4GodsCD 2007
Dreamtime Collectors (CD, Comp) Metropolis MET 685 2010
Demonstro 1981-86 (2xLP, Comp, Gat + 7", Comp + Ltd, Num) Vinyl-on-demand VOD 90, VOD 90.S 2011
Demonstro: 1982 - 85 (CD, Comp, Ltd) Peripheral Minimal PM5 2014
Archive - Rare/Unreleased Material 1980 - 1981 (Cass, Comp) Medusa Evident me 2 Unknown
Miscellaneous
Norway Demo 87 (Cass, C20) Requiem Productions PRO 048 1987
Live At The Belgrade. 08.12.80 Two Gods 2013
The Electronica Sessions (CDr) Two Gods 4GODSEP 2013
Live At The General Wolfe. Coventry. 21.04.83 Two Gods 2014
One Horse Rider : Reprise (CDr) Two Gods 6godsep 2014
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