The Tear Garden

"Tear garden" redirects here. For the album, see Teargarden by Kaleidyscope.
The Tear Garden

Edward Ka-Spel, vocalist
Background information
Origin Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres Psychedelic, experimental, Electronic
Years active 1986–present
Associated acts The Legendary Pink Dots
Skinny Puppy
Edward Ka-Spel
cEvin Key
Website Official The Tear Garden webpage

The Tear Garden is a psychedelic/experimental/electronic band, formed by Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy in 1985 after Key served as a sound engineer on tour in Canada for Ka-Spel. The Tear Garden was released that same year, with Dave Ogilvie producing.

The group reconvened in 1987 to release Tired Eyes Slowly Burning with contributions from the other members of Skinny Puppy to a limited degree of success. Members of the Legendary Pink Dots would henceforth contribute to Tear Garden and in 1992 they released the full-length album The Last Man to Fly. Another EP, Sheila Liked the Rodeo, much of which was live studio improvisation was accompanied by a video (directed by William Morrison) of the title track in 1993.

With the collapse of Skinny Puppy in 1995 and cEvin's primary commitment over, he and The Tear Garden released To Be an Angel Blind, the Crippled Soul Divide in 1996, followed by Crystal Mass in 2000. Crystal Mass marked a departure for the group, with more focus seemingly directed toward sound and production than the traditional staple, the lyrics. In 2002 a limited edition compilation of previously unreleased songs, Eye Spy with My Little Eye came out on Key's Subconscious Communications label. A best of, For Those Who Would Walk with the Gods is also available.

The Tear Garden have never toured, a detail that has limited their commercial potential. The only live performance of Tear Garden material by members of both Skinny Puppy and the Legendary Pink Dots was on April 14, 1988 in Leiden, Holland and May 1, 1988 at Foyer St. Arbogast in Strasbourg France, during Skinny Puppy's Head Trauma tour, for which Edward Ka-Spel was the opening solo act. At the end of Ka-Spel's set cEvin Key joined him on guitar and keyboards for a performance of the song "The Centre Bullet". The Legendary Pink Dots have performed Isis Veiled as an almost necessary encore at every show during their last few tours.

As of March 2008, after having successfully collaborated in 2007 on The Secret Experiment, cEvin Key has made mention that Edward Ka-Spel is due to show up in Los Angeles sometime soon and that new material could possibly arise from any presumed meeting of the pair.

Discography

Albums

Title Year Label
Tired Eyes Slowly Burning 1987 Nettwerk
The Last Man to Fly 1992 Nettwerk
To Be an Angel Blind, the Crippled Soul Divide 1996 Nettwerk/Subconscious
Crystal Mass 2000 Nettwerk/Subconscious
The Secret Experiment 2007 Subconscious
Have a Nice Trip 2009 Subconscious

EPs

Title Year Label
The Tear Garden 1986 Nettwerk
Sheila Liked the Rodeo 1993 Nettwerk

Collections

Title Year Label
Eye Spy with My Little Eye 2002 Subconscious

Compilations

Title Year Label
Bouquet of Black Orchids 1993 Nettwerk Europe
For Those Who Would Walk with the Gods 2001 Brudenia

References

    External links