The Danse Society
BIO
The Dance Society formed in Barnsley, England in 1980 from the remnants of local post-punk bands Y? and Lips-X. Between 1980 and 1982 the band released a handful of 7” and 12” EPs and the debut album “Seduction” on their own independent label, Society Records. The band also recorded several sessions for Radio 1, including a John Peel session, and topped the Independent Charts with the single “Somewhere.” Their commercial debut, “Heaven Is Waiting” was released in February 1984. They released two further singles and the album “Looking Through” before breaking up in 1986. After 24 years three original band members reunited to record the new album “Change of Skin,” released in July 2011.
1983 was The Danse Society’s year. Playing sold out tours and the success of “Seduction” won them a recording contract with Arista Records. Spending their advance on new equipment the band recorded an album’s worth of demos in one day at Greenhouse Studios, London in May 1983. The line-up for this session was Steve Rawlings (vocals), Paul Nash (guitar), Lyndon Scarfe (keyboards), Tim Wright (bass) and Paul Gilmartin (drums). Doom laden guitar riffs, swirling synthesizers, crushing drums, driving and disembodied vocals, characterize the distinctive Society sound. The Danse Society operate in a raw, atmospheric realm less campy than many of their Goth Rock peers, unconcerned with pop charts or commercial appeal.
In 1986, after releasing their final album as Danse Society International, Looking Through, all of the band members, except the lead singer Rawlings, left to form Johnny In The Clouds. Rawlings continued as Society and in 1987 released a single, “Saturn Girl”. After 1987, Rawlings continued to pursue his path in music with the electronic dance music act, Meridian Dream.
A campaign entitled The Danse Society Reformation Plot was started on Facebook at the end of 2009 and succeeded in bringing most of the band back together. The reformed Danse Society, featuring new vocalist Maethelyiah, from the group Blooding Mask, released a new album Change of Skin in July 2011.[1] This was followed in November 2011 with the first single to be taken from the album, “God Cry”.
LINKS
http://www.thedansesociety.co.uk//
The Danse Society on Wikipedia
The Danse Society on Discogs
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