Landscape (band)

Landscape
Background information
Origin	United Kingdom
Genres	Synthpop, jazz-rock
Years active	1974–1983
Labels	Event Horizon, RCA
Past members	Richard James Burgess Christopher Heaton Andy Pask Peter Thoms John Walters

Landscape was an English band, best known for the 1981 hits "Einstein A Go-Go" and "Norman Bates." Formed in 1974, it toured constantly during the mid-to-late-1970s, playing rock, punk, and jazz venues and releasing two instrumental EPs on its own Event Horizon label. The group began experimenting with computer-programmed music and electronic drums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, making records in the emerging genre of synthpop.

Career

Landscape was composed of Richard James Burgess, Christopher Heaton, Andy Pask, Peter Thoms, and John Walters.

Burgess produced Shock and the first two albums by Spandau Ballet while still in Landscape. He went on to produce recordings by Five Star, King, Adam Ant, America, Colonel Abrams, Kim Wilde, and many others. He has written a book titled The Art of Record Production and co-designed the Simmons SDS-V, the first electronic drumset.

Walters (aka John L. Walters) went on to produce records by Swans Way, Kissing the Pink, Twelfth Night, the Mike Gibbs Orchestra, and Mark Springer. He co-founded Unknown Public in 1992. He is also the author of several articles on the lyricon. He has been the editor of Eye, the international review of graphic design, since 1999 and writes about music for The Guardian.

Pask co-wrote the theme music for the long-running British ITV series The Bill.

Thoms later appeared on Thomas Dolby's 1984 album The Flat Earth and toured with Dolby that year playing trombone. He is currently a member of staff at the Musicians' Union's head office in Britain.

Landscape III

Following the release of Landscape’s third and final album, Manhattan Boogie-Woogie, the band became a trio, composed of Burgess, Pask, and Walters. Renaming the band Landscape III, it went on to release the singles "So Good, So Pure, So Kind" and "You Know How to Hurt Me."

Discography

Studio albums

^[1]

Singles (with chart position)

^[1]

EPs

• "U2XME1X2MUCH" / "Don't Gimme No Rebop" / "Sixteen" (1977) 33⅓ rpm 7" ^*
• "Workers Playtime" / "Nearly Normal" / "Too Many Questions (Don't Ask Me Why)" (1978) 33⅓ rpm 7"

^* "U2XME1X2MUCH" is short for "You two-timed me one time too much"

Both EPs were issued on Landscape's own Event Horizon label

Radio Session tracks

• "Kaptin Whorlix"
• "Gotham City"
• "Lost In The Small Ads"
• "Workers' Playtime"

Recorded for an April 1978 Peel Session.^[2]

References

External links

• New Scientist
• Allmusic Band Biography - Landscape
• Trouser Press Band Biography - Landscape