Phillip Boa

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Phillip Boa

Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub in 2007
Background information
Birth name Ernst Ulrich Figgen
Born 18 January 1963 (1963-01-18) (age 51)
Dortmund, Germany
Genres Independent, Metal
Occupations Singer, guitarist, composer
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1985-present
Labels Ja! Musik, Constrictor, RCA/BMG, Polydor, Motor Music, Universal, Motor
Associated acts Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub, Voodoocult
Website www.phillipboa.de

Phillip Boa (born Ernst Ulrich Figgen, 18 January 1963 in Dortmund, Germany) is a German independent music singer, guitarist and composer. His current name is unknown after two divorces and name changes. Phillip Boa lives in Dortmund, Hamburg and on the island of Malta. He has received several "Album & Single of the Week" awards in British magazines like NME, Sounds or Melody Maker. The style of the Voodooclub was described by NME in a review as "a cross between B52's and Captain Beefheart".[citation needed] The style of his lyrics is a mix of irony, love songs, sarcasm, often of bizarre and deranged content.

Music

In 1985, he founded the independent band Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub. With their album Hair and the single Container Love, they experienced a commercial breakthrough and international recognition in 1989.

Boa's music is influenced by British punk rock[1] and New Wave, its style swings between pop and avantgarde. A continuous charasteric are the catchy and melodic choruses, interrupted or alienated by atmospheric shifts. Thereby the voice of band member Pia Lund and Boa's own throaty singing contrast diametrically. After his most successful album so far, Boaphenia (1993), Boa made a deliberate musical cut to focus on a Metal project when founded the heavy metal band Voodoocult, consisting of members Dave Lombardo (drums), Chuck Schuldiner (guitar), Waldemar Sorychta (guitar), Mille Petrozza (guitar) and himself as vocalist.

The autumn of 2006 saw Boa and his Voodooclub start their Remastered tour. They consequently only played songs from the three re-published albums Copperfield, Hair and Hispañola. Moreover, since 2001, they play two or three annual Christmas concerts at the Leipzig Moritzbastei fortress. On 3 August 2007, the album Faking to Blend In was released on Motor Music.

In 2009, the Voodooclub teamed up with Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit, who played percussion and drums on their album "Diamonds Fall". Boa's latest release is called "Loyalty" and brought him a commercial comeback in Germany (No.13 in the album charts) and some other countries. The album was produced by David Vella and Brian Viglione,[2] who also played drums and other instruments on the album. "Loyalty" was mixed by Ian Grimble and mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios.

Reception

Several of Boa's albums have reached the top 30 of the German Media Control Charts. In 2012, British music journalist John Robb called Phillip Boa and the Voodoo Club "one of the best German bands of the last three decades".[3]

In their song "Wir sind die Besten" (We are the Best), the German band Die Ärzte sing about Phillip Boa, depicting themselves and Boa as the last true musicians.

Discography

Studio albums by Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub

Year Title Media Control Charts
[4]
1985 Philister
  • Label: Ja! Musik
 —
1986 Aristocracie
  • Label: Constrictor
 —
1987 Copperfield
  • Label: Polydor
 —
1988 Hair
  • Label: Polydor
 —
1990 Hispañola
  • Label: Polydor
 —
1991 Helios
  • Label: Polydor
 —
1993 Boaphenia
  • Label: Polydor
 15
1994 God 23
1995 She
  • Label: Motor Music
 32
2000 My Private War —
2001 The Red
  • Label: RCA/BMG
 —
2003 C 90
  • Label: RCA/BMG
 —
2005 Decadence & Isolation
  • Label:Motor
 40
2007 Faking To Blend In
  • Label: Motor
 59
2009 Diamonds Fall
  • Label: Rough Trade
 45
2012 Loyalty
  • Label: Cargo Records
 13
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Solo album

Year Title Media Control Charts
[4]
1998 Lord Garbage
  • Label: Motor
 22

Studio albums by Voodoocult

Year Title Media Control Charts
[5]
1994 Jesus Killing Machine 43
1995 Voodoocult
  • Label: Motor
 57

Samplers, live albums and re-releases

  • 1986: Philistrines (Red Flame, UK)
  • 1989: 30 Years of Blank Expression (DiDi, Greece)
  • 1991: Live! Exile On Valletta Street (Polydor)
  • 1994: Hidden Pearls (Fanclub Release)
  • 1996: Hidden Pearls & Spoken Words (Fanclub Release)
  • 1997: Fine Art On Silver Best Of (Motor Music)
  • 1997: Aristocracie Remastered (Indigo)
  • 1998: Master Series Best of (Re-release "Fine Art On Silver") (Motor Music)
  • 2001: Singles Collection 1985–2001 Best of (RCA/BMG)
  • 2005: BOA Best Singles Best of Remastered (Polydor/Universal)
  • 2006: Copperfield Remastered (Polydor/Universal)
  • 2006: Hair Remastered (Polydor/Universal)
  • 2006: Hispañola Remastered (Polydor/Universal)
  • 2011: Helios Remastered (Universal)
  • 2011: Boaphenia Remastered (Universal)

External links

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Craig. "Phillip Boa". Allmusic. Retrieved 5 July 2013. 
  2. ↑ Heymann, Peter. "Phillip Boa And The Voodooclub – Loyalty". Sonic Seducer (in German). Retrieved 5 July 2013. 
  3. ↑ Robb, John (7 December 2012). "Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub : big Berlin gig and new single!". Louder Than War. Retrieved 5 July 2013. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub — Longplay-Chartverfolgung". Musicline.de (in German). Phononet. Retrieved 1 June 2013. 
  5. ↑ "Voodoocult — Longplay-Chartverfolgung". Musicline.de (in German). Phononet. Retrieved 1 June 2013. 
Authority control
Voodoocult
Studio albums
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