The Cassandra Complex (band)

The Cassandra Complex

The Cassandra Complex in 2007
Background information
Origin Leeds, England
Genres Industrial music, gothic rock, darkwave, post-punk
Years active 1980–present
Labels Rouska, Play It Again Sam
Website http://cassandracomplex.co.uk/
Members Rodney Orpheus
Andy Booth
Volker Zacharias
Axel Ermes
Past members Paul Dillon
Jez Willis
Keith Langley
John Marcini
John Galvin
Jurgen Jansen
Patrick Gordon
Alan Wilkinson
Gaz Wilson

The Cassandra Complex are an electronic rock group formed by Rodney Orpheus and Paul Dillon in 1980 in Leeds, England, later expanding to a trio with the addition of Andy Booth.

Singer Rodney Orpheus at Nocturnal Culture Night Festival 2016

History

The band was initially composed of Rodney Orpheus and Paul Dillon, who met when Orpheus gatecrashed Dillon's 21st birthday party in Leeds. They began putting on large multimedia shows featuring various avant-garde acts from the Leeds area.[1] Andy Booth was a journalist who interviewed the band and was later asked to join.[2] The band released their first self-financed single, "March", in March 1985.[3] A live cassette followed a month later, and the band signed to local label Rouska. Dillon left the band to get married and the band recruited Rodney's childhood friend John Marchini, with Jez Willis and Keith Langley guesting live and in the studio.

They released two albums on the Rouska label, Grenade (1986) and Hello America (1987), and added tracks to the compilation's Raging Sun (1985) and Zarah Leander's Greatest Hits (1987) - both compilations also featured Party Day.[4] Afterwards they signed to the Belgian-based Play It Again Sam label, which issued the double-live album Feel the Width in 1987.[5] During the production of the Theomania album in 1988, Marchini and Booth left, with Orpheus recruiting a new line-up for 1989's Satan, Bugs Bunny, and Me album.[3] Hamburg guitarist Volker Zacharias from the band Girls Under Glass joined a year later, and has been a stable member of the group since then.

Booth went on to become a lawyer and the head of Company Commercial and Creative Industries at Manchester firm Turner Parkinson.[6] The band continued with Orpheus and Zacharias releasing Cyberpunx, The War Against Sleep and Sex & Death. In 1995, Orpheus worked with Patricia Nigiani and Marcus Giltes on a side project called Sun God.[2][7] In 2000, the band released the Wetware album on SPV in Europe and Metropolis Records in the USA.[2][8]

Over the years, the band's sound has included elements of EBM, industrial, goth rock, new wave and synthpop, and the band's sound has been described as a blend of Joy Division, The Ramones and Kraftwerk.[6]

In 2007, the original band members reformed and since then have played several festival shows in Europe and Brazil. They are currently working on a new album.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilations

EPs and 12"

References

  1. ↑ Cope, Nicholas (October 2012). "Northern Industrial Scratch: The History and Contexts of a Visual Music Practice". University of Sunderland.
  2. 1 2 3 Wilson, Mackenzie "The Cassandra Complex Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
  3. 1 2 Strong, Martin C. (1999) The Great Alternative & Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 0-86241-913-1
  4. ↑ http://www.fonorama.cz/firmy/R/Rouska.htm
  5. ↑ "Cassandra Complex Feel the Width", Underground, October 1987 (issue 7), p. 10
  6. 1 2 Wade, Alex (2007) "My Weekend: Andy Booth - Eighties electronic band The Cassandra Complex are back - one of them with a law degree", The Times
  7. ↑ Jester (January 1996). "Sun God Interview". Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  8. ↑ "Cassandra Complex Hard Wired Interview". May 2001. Retrieved 2009-05-31. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
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