|
Def FX (1990-1997) were an Australian gothic industrial rock group, formed in Sydney. The core of the group was keyboardist and vocalist Sean Lowry (a fan of surfing) and vocalist Fiona Horne (interested in Wicca and environmentalism).
Top 50 ARIA hit "Psychoactive Summer" is exemplary of Def FX's music, combining elements of electronica and heavy-metal instrumentations and grunge vocals. Their music throughout their career can be described as a fusion of elements of psychedelia, industrial, grunge, electronica, and heavy metal, and in their early days, even reggae and disco. In fluctating degrees their sound has similarities to that of Pink Floyd, Skinny Puppy, Cliff Burton-era Metallica, Soundgarden, Jesus Jones, The Prodigy, INXS, Garbage, Rammstein, 1990s Brisbane grunge band Tumbleweed, Marilyn Manson, and current hit-makers Evanescence.
With guitarist Blake Gardner, bassist Martin Bashsa, and brothers Bret and Larry van Kreidt on drums and saxophone respectively, the band released theit first EP Water in 1990. The release featured the song "Surfers of the Mind", the band's first video. Their first album Light Speed Collision was released in 1992, and featured a cover both parodying and paying tribute to that of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, with the title track also decidedly Floydesque. The album also featured supplementary vocals by New Zealand singer Margaret Urlich. For its release in the United States the band were forced use the artist name "Definition FX" to avoid legal difficulties with US band Das FX. The cover was also changed for legal reasons, relating to Pink Floyd's copyright.
The next album Baptism, released in 1993, was a compilation of selected songs from Light Speed Collision and their first four EPs plus a disc of concert recordings. It also featured the single "Make Your Stash", which is apparently so rare that Horne had no idea of its existence when presented it for autographing by a dedicated Def FX fan. The single was rather atypical of Def FX, in that it had no cover art and no B-sides, which had characterised their EPs. Lowry and Horne usually preferred to make each release, be it album or EP, a self-contained concept work and make full use of the capacities of the compact disc format that had recently come into commercial prominence.
In 1994 Gardner left and was replaced by Dave Stein, with the van Kreidts also leaving. Larry, however continued to play a role in the production side of the band's music, and sometimes assisted at their live performances. Ritual Eternal was a more experimental album, featuring some tracks without the standard guitars, and others featuring Charlie McMahon playing the didgeridoo, with whom Def FX also toured. Late 1995 also saw Basha leave to be replaced by Sean Fonti, formerly of Brisbane grunge act Caligula. 1996 saw the release of Majick the band's most heavy metal sounding album. It spawned four singles, and became the band's only certified release, going gold in 1997. The band dissolved in April of that year, after Lowry grew tired of the project, perhaps not realising the critical and commercial recognition that they were potentially on the verge of attaining. The split was announced by Horne on ABCTV's Saturday morning youth variety show Recovery, coincidentally during the same news segment as seminal Seattle grunge act Soundgarden's demise was also made public.
Fiona Horne has subsequently become a successful author, writing an autobiography, and a work discussing the Wicca rituals she practices, with a biography of Def FX believed to be in the works.
Sean Lowry has formed a new group, Celebrity Drug Disasters, with producer Rob Taylor. The debut CDD album is due to be released early 2005 on the Prick Up Your Ears recording label.
Discography
- Water [EP]: 1990
- Surge [EP]: 1991
- Blink [EP]: 1992
- Light Speed Collission: 1992
- Space Time Disco [12" single]: 1992
- No Time for Nowhere [EP]: 1993
- Baptism: 1993
- Make Your Stash [single]: 1993
- Post Moronic [EP]: 1994
- Kill The Real Girls [EP]: 1995
- Ritual Eternal: 1995
- Psychoactive Summer [EP]: 1996
- Spell On You [single]: 1996
- Majick: 1996
- (I'll be your) Majick [single]: 1996
- Deja Vu [single] : 1997
External links
|
