John Foxx and the Maths

John Foxx And The Maths
Origin	London, England
Genres	Electronic
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Metamatic Records
Associated acts	John Foxx, Benge, Hannah Peel, Serafina Steer.
Website	John Foxx and the Maths blog
Members	John Foxx Benge
Notable instruments
analogue electronic instruments

John Foxx and the Maths is a musical project featuring popular electronic music pioneers John Foxx and Benge. The duo were initially a studio based project working from Benge's studio in Shoreditch, London but have also engaged in live work. They specialise in the use of analogue synthesizers and drum machines and have to date released two full studio albums, Interplay, The Shape of Things (both in 2011), a mini-album Evidence (September 2012) a live DVD-CD album Analogue Circuit (October 2012), and a live in the studio album Rhapsody, released May 2013.^[1]

Band history

Although it had been mentioned on Foxx's official Myspace blog in March 2009 that he "had been doing some recording with Benge",^[2] it was not until December of that year that the official John Foxx website Metamatic officially announced Foxx's new musical project.^[3] Benge had also already broken the news on his own blog in November calling The Maths "a new album project".^[4] An initial single "Destination"/"September Town" was released in December 2009 as download only from Townsend Records^[5] and later via iTunes. The duo continued to work in Benge's studio in Shoreditch throughout 2010 and some new tracks were previewed at the Short Circuit electronic music festival held at The Roundhouse in London on 5 June 2010.^[6][7]

Interplay

An album entitled Interplay was announced in January 2011^[8] and released on 21 March. The official website described the album as "moody and atmospheric, but also full of songs that are actually more ”pop” than avant-garde, Interplay pulls various strands of electronic music together – from early electro to 70s Krautrock, even flashes of Cabaret Voltaire and Foxx’s first band, Ultravox!".^[8] The album gained much critical acclaim^[9] with The Quietus calling it "one of the finest electronic records you will hear in 2011."^[10]

Another live event featuring John Foxx and the Maths originally scheduled for December 2010 was held in April 2011. 'Back to the Phuture' was billed as a special electronic music event – featuring live sets from John Foxx, Gary Numan, Mirrors and Motor – plus a DJ set by Mute Records founder Daniel Miller.^[11]

A cover version of the Pink Floyd track "Have a Cigar" was recorded for a tribute CD issued by Mojo magazine with their October 2011 issue. It was announced shortly afterwards that the version on the CD was not the completed version and a free download of the finished version was offered via the Mojo website.^[12]

Interplay Tour

A nine date UK tour by John Foxx and the Maths was announced in July 2011, plus live performances in Poland and Belgium.^[13] The setlist comprised mostly tracks from Interplay as well as tracks from Foxx's career with Ultravox and from his seminal electronic solo album Metamatic. The group was augmented by Serafina Steer on keyboards and bass and Hannah Peel on keyboards and violin.

On 28 October 2011, it was announced that the final UK date in Holmfirth and the performance at the Sinners Day Festival in Belgium had to be cancelled as Foxx had suffered a fall and minor accident.^[14]

The Shape of Things and Evidence

A second album The Shape of Things was also announced prior to the tour and was initially only on available for purchase at tour venues.^[15] The Shape of Things was issued as a limited edition special package, and described as being "a lot rougher around the edges and more experimental than “Interplay” – with songs and stark, minimal sketches..mixed in with some instrumental interludes".^[15] The release was preceded by a preview of the track "Talk" on YouTube in September 2011.

The album also comprises a second disc of remixes of selected Interplay tracks, and a brand new track, "Where You End And I Begin" featuring American producer/musician/remixer and score composer Tara Busch who had been photographed and filmed working in Benge's studio, and who supported The Maths on some of their live shows.^[16] The track was previewed on Soundcloud before the official release.^[17]

When released via Townsend Records on 31 October 2011, the album was described as "though not overtly auto-biographical, there is a sense of looking back over a life and exploring feelings of loss over opportunities and lovers missed, and possible futures that will remain unlived".^[18]

Online music site The Quietus placed The Shape of Things at no. 48 in their 100 Albums of the Year for 2012.^[19]

Following further writing and recording by John Foxx and Benge as well as live performances in the summer of 2012, a third album Evidence was released via Metamatic Records on 24 September 2012. The album brings together various new collaborations with contemporary artists such as The Soft Moon, Gazelle Twin, Xeno & Oaklander, Tara Busch and Matthew Dear. The cover version of Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar", previously released by Mojo magazine, also featured. The album was described as "arguably their most atmospheric album so far – built around slower, starker beats and lots of space in the music with dreamlike echoes of Massive Attack, dub, Japan, Burial, Dead Can Dance, Syd Barrett, John Cale and the more ambient, experimental side of early Gary Numan."^[20]

Analogue Circuit

On 15 October 2012, a DVD and double CD package entitled Analogue Circuit was released through Metamatic Records. Analogue Circuit: Live At The Roundhouse features the first ever live John Foxx DVD, plus a double audio album of the show, filmed during the performance at the Short Circuit event at the London venue in June 2010. The discs feature tracks from John Foxx's years with Ultravox, his solo career and a preview of then still unreleased new tracks by John Foxx and the Maths.^[21] Personnel include former Ultravox guitarist Robin Simon, Benge, Jean-Gabriel Becker, Jori Hulkkonen, Serafina Steer, Steve D'Agostino and Liam Hutton.^[22] Tracks performed during the show with Louis Gordon were deemed unsuitable for release due to technical issues during the recording and filming.^[23]

2013

In January 2013, it was announced that John Foxx and the Maths would once more be playing live as support to Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on their forthcoming UK tour to promote their new album English Electric, in April and May of the same year. It was further confirmed that Hannah Peel would be joining John Foxx and Benge for the live performances.^[24]

The Evidence album was released worldwide on 25 February 2013.^[20]

In early April 2013, it was announced that the band would be releasing a new album, Rhapsody on 26 April 2013, which was to coincide with the band taking to the road again to support Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on their English Electric tour. The 13 date tour ran from 28 April to 14 May 2013. The three-piece band performed nine songs from both Foxx's solo and The Maths repertoires and were generally positively received by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark fans. In a further collaboration with OMD, a John Foxx and the Maths remix of the OMD track "Dresden" was issued as part of the single release package.^[25]

The release of Rhapsody was delayed due to production problems and was not available on the tour. It was finally released on 10 May.^[26]

The band's only headlined live show for 2013 was held on 7 June at the Brighton Concorde 2.^[27]

On 20th November a new video for the track Evidence was published on John Foxx's official youtube channel and promoted via Foxx's official Facebook page and Twitter account. The video, described as being 'Tokyo noir', was filmed and directed by Macoto Tezka in Tokyo, Japan 2013.^[28]

Discography

Albums

Interplay (March 2011)

1. Shatterproof
2. Catwalk
3. Evergreen
4. Watching A Building On Fire (feat. Mira Aroyo from Ladytron)
5. Interplay
6. Summerland
7. The Running Man
8. A Falling Star
9. Destination
10. The Good Shadow

Label : Metamatic Records Catalogue Number : META28CD

Tour Edition,^[29] as above plus:

11.September Town - Final Master

12. Vapour Trails - Final Master

vinyl release September 2012

Catalogue number: META28LP

track listing - Side A 1-5 above, Side B 6-10 above^[30]

The Shape of Things (October 2011)

Disc One

1. Spirus
2. Rear-View Mirror
3. Talk
4. Psytron
5. September Town
6. Unrecognised
7. Modreno
8. Falling Away
9. Invisible Ray
10. Vapour Trails
11. Buddwing
12. Tides
13. Astoria
14. The Shadow Of His Former Self

Disc Two

1. Evergreen (Radio Mix)
2. Shatterproof (Wrangler Mix)
3. Where You End And I Begin (featuring Tara Busch)

1. Summerland (Belbury Poly Mix)
2. The Good Shadow (Tim ‘Love’ Lee Mix)
3. Watching A Building On Fire (Grayed Out Mix)
4. Interplay (Grayed Out Mix)
5. Evergreen (Xeno & Oaklander Mix)

Label : Metamatic Records

Catalogue Number : META29CD

The Shape Of Things single disc edition, released March 2012

1. Spirus
2. Rear-View Mirror
3. Talk
4. Psytron
5. September Town
6. Unrecognised
7. Modreno
8. Falling Away
9. Invisible Ray
10. Vapour Trails
11. Buddwing
12. Tides
13. Astoria
14. The Shadow Of His Former Self
15. Talk (Beneath Your Dreams) Featuring Matthew Dear
16. Where You End And I Begin Featuring Tara Busch

vinyl release September 2012

Catalogue number: META29LP

track listing - Side A 1-7 above, Side B 8-14 above^[31]

Evidence (released 24 September 2012)

1. Personal Magnetism
2. Evidence (Featuring The Soft Moon)
3. That Sudden Switch (Featuring Xeno & Oaklander)
4. Talk (Beneath Your Dreams) (Featuring Matthew Dear)
5. Neon Vertigo
6. Changelings (Featuring Gazelle Twin)
7. My Town
8. Have A Cigar
9. A Falling Star (Featuring Gazelle Twin)
10. Cloud Choreography
11. Shadow Memory
12. Walk
13. Myriads
14. Only Lovers Left Alive

BONUS TRACK Talk (I Speak Machine Mix) (Featuring Tara Busch)

Label : Metamatic Records

Catalogue Number : META31CD

Analogue Circuit : Live At The Roundhouse live DVD+double CD package (October 2012)

Disc One [DVD]

1. Parallel Lives / Film One
2. Plaza
3. This City
4. Burning Car
5. He's A Liquid
6. No-One Driving
7. Underpass
8. The Running Man
9. Summerland
10. Watching A Building On Fire
11. Catwalk
12. Dislocation
13. Quiet Men
14. Slow Motion
15. The Good Shadow
16. The Man Who Dies Every Day
17. Just For A Moment

Disc Two [CD]

1. Parallel Lives / Film One
2. Plaza
3. This City
4. Burning Car
5. He's A Liquid
6. No-One Driving
7. Underpass
8. The Running Man
9. Summerland

Disc Three [CD]

1. Watching A Building On Fire
2. Catwalk
3. Dislocation
4. Quiet Men
5. Slow Motion
6. The Good Shadow
7. The Man Who Dies Every Day
8. Just For A Moment

Label : Metamatic Records

Catalogue Number : META30BX

Rhapsody (May 2013)

1. The Good Shadow (Instrumental)
2. Shatterproof
3. He's A Liquid
4. The Running Man
5. The Shadow Of His Former Self
6. Hiroshima Mon Amour
7. Interplay
8. Burning Car
9. Catwalk
10. Just For A Moment

Label : Metamatic Records

Catalogue Number : META33CD

Singles

• "Destination" / "September Town" (December 2009) - digital download only
• "Evergreen" (radio edit) (September 2011) - digital download only
• "A Falling Star" (Gazelle Twin remix) (October 2011) - limited edition single track CD, signed by John Foxx included in tour VIP package ^[32]

Other tracks

• "Have a Cigar" - Pink Floyd cover version for Mojo magazine, October 2011 (later included on the Evidence album)
• "Back 2 U" - by The Maths written and recorded by Benge and released on the BYE Programme 5 on Mixcloud. The mix also features the John Foxx And The Maths track, "Walk".

Remixes by John Foxx And The Maths

• "Changelings" (John Foxx And The Maths remix) by Gazelle Twin on the album The Entire City Remixed (2012)
• "Dresden" (John Foxx And The Maths remix) by OMD from the "Dresden" single EP, released May 2013
• "Where Is Kittin?" (John Foxx And The Maths remix) by Marc Houle and Miss Kittin, "Where Is Kittin" EP, May 2013
• "Tonight, We Fall" (John Foxx And The Maths remix) by ADULT. on "Tonight, We Fall" single, August 2013.
• "Blood Diamonds" (John Foxx And The Maths remix) by Simple Minds (includes backing vocals by John Foxx). Released via Beatport, November 2013. ^[33]

References

External links

• Metamatic, the official John Foxx site
• John Foxx and the Maths official site
• The Quiet Man, John Foxx official blog
• It's Full of Stars, Benge's blog
• Quiet City, the music of John Foxx