Digital Poodle
Digital Poodle was a Toronto, Canada-based, electro-industrial/EBM band formed in 1986 and remained active until about 1995.
Background
Formed in 1986 by vocalist/programmer Heiki Sillaste (aka Mouth 392), the project was considered Toronto's answer to the established Vancouver-based industrial acts like Skinny Puppy, and Front Line Assembly.[1] Digital Poodle's sound can be best described as house/techno mixed with European EBM and occasionally skirting experimental and ambient sound scapes. Sillaste's lyrical themes and choice of audio sampling typically covered the ending of the Cold War, as well as the following political independence struggles in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.[2]
Digital Poodle originally released a series of cassette tape demos and full release albums on Sillaste's own Shadow recording label. The first CD release was "Work Terminal" in 1992 which was distributed in North America under the Death of Vinyl label and in Europe on Germany's Hyperium Records label. The band's final release was the "Combat!" EP in 1997 which contained mainly remixed material from previous releases.
Other Digital Poodle studio members have included keyboardists Pupka Frey (of the band D.I.N.), and Reduct. Live shows have featured the drummer/percussionists Kristian Helstrom and Andreas Gregor.
In 1995, Sillaste co-founded the Nice+Smooth Ultramedia label and has gone on to create 45 synthesizer-based albums and 120 compilation appearances. He has worked on other music projects in the genre of electronic dub, down beat, and house/techno music such as Kinder Atom and Lazer Caps, and is an accomplished graphic designer. He has also worked on music and sound for television shows such as CSI: Miami and commercials for Nissan. He currently resides in Toronto with his wife Véronique and daughter Saskia.[3]
Discography
- Pay Attention CS (Shadow, 1987)
- Poodle Crematorium CS (Shadow, 1988) Limited edition 250 copies
- Snivel CS (Shadow, 1989)
- Live Death CS (Shadow, 1990) Recorded live at the Slither Club (Toronto, March 4th, 1989)
- Soul Crush CS (Shadow, 1991) CD Album (Death of Vinyl Entertainment (DOVe), 1991)
- Soul Crush 12" 12" (Shadow, 1991)
- Work Terminal CD Album (DOVe, Hyperium Records (Germany), 1992)
- Crack 12" (DOVe, 1993)
- Elektronik Espionage CD EP (DOVe, 1993)
- Division! CD Album (Cleopatra, 1994)
- Division! 12" 2x12" (DOVe, 1994)
- Work Terminal CD (Metropolis Records, 1994) reissue
- Noisea CD (Cleopatra, 1995)
- Combat! CD EP (Cleopatra, 1997)
Compilation appearances
- Instrumental CS - side B, track #5 "Uncivilized World" (Plan Eleven)
- Death of Vinyl CD - track #15 "Broadkast III" (DOVe, 1991)
- "Gárgula Mecânica" World Electrostatic Assembly CD - track #12 "Binary" (Simbiose, 1992)
- … To Hypersonic - The Hyperium Compilation Part II CD - track #8 "Free Men" (Hyperium, 1992)
- Hy! From Hypnotic To Hypersonic 2xCD - disc 2, track #8 "Free Men (Extended)" (Hyperium, 1992)
- Metro Tekno CD - track #1 "Work Terminal (U.S. Mix)" and track #2 "Free Men (Extended)" (Silent, 1992)
- Love Ta Love Ya Baby: An NMS '93 Dance Compilation LP - Side B, track #3 "Work Terminal" (New Music Seminar, 1993)
- Death of Vinyl Revolutions Vol. 1 CD - track #7 "Crack" and track #8 "Output Expander" (DOVe, 1993)
- Grid Slinger LP - side A, track #4 "Crack" (Re-constriction Records, Cleopatra 1993)
- Industrial Revolution - Second Edition 2xCD - disc 1, track #11 "Division" (Cleopatra, 1994)
- Trance In Your Mind - The Unstoppable Trance Machine CD - track #4 "Crack (Free Base Mix)" (Cleopatra, 1994)
- Ambient Rituals Exercise One: Music For Soul Braiding CD - track #5 "Weapon" (Hyperium, 1995)
- Doom & Gloom/Visions of the Apocalypse CD - track #6 "Head of Lenin" (Kado, 1995)
- Enchantments CD - track #1 "Head of Lenin (Remix)" (Cleopatra, 1995)
- Industrial Revolution Second Edition VHS - "Work Terminal" video (Cleopatra, 1996)
- Nekrology CD - track #5 "Funkass" (Konsortium Produktions, 1996)
- Industrial Madness 4xCD - disc 3, track #5 "Red Star" (Cleopatra, 1997)
- Industrial Mix Machine 2xCD - disc 1, track #11 "Left/Right (Incarnate Mix)" (Cleopatra, 1997)
- Gothic Industrial Madness DVD - video "Work Terminal" (Cleopatra, 2000)
- Goth - The Ultimate Collection 2xDVD - disc 1, video "Work Terminal" (Cleopatra 2002)
- TDK 016 12" - side B, track #2, "Crack" (TdK, 2005)
References
External links