subterrarean modern

Tuxedomoon was formed in San Francisco in 1977 by two electronic music students at San Francisco City College, Blaine Reininger and Steven Brown. Brown's local theater connections supplied equipment plus more frequent contributions from singer and performance artist Winston Tong. Punk and new-wave were opening up the SF music scene at the time, and Tuxedomoon landed an opening slot for Devo in 1978 at around the same time they cut their first single, "Pinheads on the Move."

Their follow up EP, "No Tears", also released in 1978 on Time Release Records, is where today's songs first appeared. A year later, they signed to the Residents' Ralph Records which got them overseas exposure. Feeling that their ideas were more in tune with the European electronic music scene, the band toured Europe after 1980's Half Mute and in 1981, after the release of their Desire LP, half of the band relocated there permanently. The CD reissue of Desire adds these tracks from the No Tears EP.

"New Machine" is parallel to what was going on the very same year with acts such as Gary Numan with Tubeway Army and Devo. Soaring keyboards mixing in with new-wave guitar with distanced robotic vocal. "No Tears" rides a much more post-punk line, barking orders and helping form the foundations of American goth-rock.

Tuxedomoon - New Machine
Tuxedomoon - No Tears