Def FX
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Def FX | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Definition FX |
| Origin |  Australia |
| Genre(s) | Industrial rock |
| Years active | 1990–1997 |
| Label(s) | Phantom Records RCA Records EMI Cicada Music MCA Records |
| Associated acts | Caligula Celebrity Drug Disasters |
| Former members | |
| Sean Lowry Fiona Horne Blake Gardner Martin Basha Larry Van Kriedt Margaret Urlich Dave Stein Charlie McMahon Peter Tasker Sean Fonti |
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Def FX (1990-1997) was an Australian industrial-dance-rock group, formed in Sydney. The core of the group was keyboardist and vocalist Sean Lowry (also a visual artist) and vocalist Fiona Horne (a famous Wiccan and environmentalist).
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 Wollongong grunge band Tumbleweed, Marilyn Manson, and current hit-makers Evanescence.
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[edit] History
With guitarist Blake Gardner, bassist Martin Basha, and Larry Van Kriedt on saxophone and programming respectively, the band released their first EP Water in 1990. The release featured the song "Surfers of the Mind", the band's first music video. Their first album Light Speed Collision was released in 1992 (first as a vinyl-only release on the Phantom Records label, followed by CD in 1992 through EMI) 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 any confusion with US band Das EFX.
The next album Baptism, released in 1993, was a compilation of the EPs "Water", "Surge" and "Blink" as well as the 12-inch "Surfers of the Mind" single. 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. The band usually preferred to make each release, be it album or EP, a conceptual work that made full use of the compact disc format that had recently come into commercial prominence.
Weeks before the band's second tour of the United States, guitarist Gardner left the band to be replaced by Dave Stein. By the end of 1993, Martin Basha also departed, replaced by long-time member Larry Van Kriedt.
Ritual Eternal (1995) 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. Recorded and produced almost entirely by Sean Lowry, following the cancellation of their contract with EMI, this album also introduced new bassist, Peter Tasker, who was forced out of the band months later for his unprofessional behaviour. His replacement was Sean Fonti, formerly of Sydney act Caligula.
1996 saw the release of Majick the band's most techno/metal sounding album. It spawned four singles, and became the band's only certified release, going gold in 1997. The band dissolved in May of that year, as Lowry had a plan to end the project. The split was announced by Horne on ABCTV's Saturday morning youth variety show Recovery, many believed this to be premature as the band was still very successful. It was coincidentally during the same news segment as seminal Seattle grunge act Soundgarden's demise was also made public.
[edit] Post-breakup
Fiona Horne has subsequently become a successful author, writing an autobiography and a work discussing the Wicca rituals she practices.
Sean Lowry completed his PhD in 2003 at the University of Sydney (his thesis concerned appropriation art and sampling in music) and has since formed Celebrity Drug Disasters, together with producer Rob Taylor.
[edit] Discography
| Album Information | Track Listing | |
 Water[1] |
Released: Jun 1991
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| Surge[2] | Released: 1991
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 Blink[3] |
Released: 1992
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.jpeg/100px-Def_FX_-_Light_Speed_Collision_(AUS).jpeg) Light Speed Collision (Aus Release)[4] |
Released: 1992
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 Baptism[5] |
Released: 1993
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.jpeg/100px-Def_FX_-_Light_Speed_Collision_(US).jpeg) Light Speed Collision (US Release)[6] |
Released: 1993
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 No Time For Nowhere[7] |
Released: 1993
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.jpeg/100px-Def_FX_-_Something_Inside_(No_Time_For_Nowhere).jpeg) Something Inside (No Time For Nowhere)[8] |
Released: 1993
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.jpeg/100px-Def_FX_-_Space_Time_Disco_(AUS).jpeg) Space Time Disco (Aus Release)[9] |
Released: 1993
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.jpeg/100px-Def_FX_-_Space_Time_Disco_(US).jpeg) Space Time Disco (Us Release)[10] |
Released: 1993
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| Make Your Stash | Released: 1993
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 Post Moronic[11] |
Released: 1994
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 Kill the Real Girls[12] |
Released: 1995
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| Psychoactive Summer[13] | Released: 1995
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 Ritual Eternal[14] |
Released: 1995
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 Deja Vu / Headfuck[15] |
Released: 1996
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 I'll Be Your Majick[16] |
Released: 1996
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 Majick[17] |
Released: 1996
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 Spell On You[18] |
Released: 1996
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[edit] References
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Water
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Surge
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Blink
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Light Speed Collision (Aus)
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Baptism
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Light Speed Collision (US)
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - No Time For Nowhere
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Something Inside (No Time For Nowhere)
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Space Time Disco (Aus)
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Space Time Disco (US)
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Post Moronic
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Kill the Real Girls
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Psychoactive Summer
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Ritual Eternal
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Deja Vu / Headfuck
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - I'll Be Your Majick
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Majick
- ^ Discogs: DEF FX - Spell On You
