Blancmange (band)

Blancmange is a British pop duo consisting of vocalist Neil Arthur ( born June 15, 1958 in Darwen, United Kingdom) and keyboardist Stephen Luscombe ( born October 29, 1954 in Hillingdon, United Kingdom). They were in the 1980s and since 2010 active again.

Band History

Founded in 1979 in Leeds and named after a dessert, published the first two art students on their own a single called Irene & Mavis. With the instrumental Sad Day followed in 1980, a contribution to the compilation album Some Bizarre - on the other then- newcomer bands like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell were represented - which eventually led to a record deal with London Records.

The first single, God 's Kitchen / I've Seen The Word and the debut album Happy Families published in 1982. Together with two other albums and hit singles such as Feel Me, Living on the Ceiling, Blind Vision, Waves, Do not Tell Me or the ABBA Cover the Day Before You Came Blancmange had several chart hits before they disbanded in 1986.

Characteristic of Blancmange - besides the voice of Neil Arthur - the coined by the synthesizer sound in conjunction with a clearly audible affinity for Indian music. Both on the albums as well as live performances worked with Indian musicians and oriental rhythms, percussion and sitar sounds were woven into the synth sound. At concerts, Arthur and Luscombe often wore a bindi ( Tika ) on the forehead.

After separation Stephen Luscombe released an album with the Indian musician Pandit Dinesh under the band name "West India Company ." Singer Neil Arthur, published in 1994 his solo album Suitcase. He now works as a successful television and film composer, among other things, for the BBC.

In the published 2010 album The Dance ... Never Ends by Faithless there is a new mix of the second single, Feel Me, sung by Neil Arthur.

The fourth album, Blanc Burn, at the same time the comeback of the duo, was released on 11 March 2011.