Black Box Recorder (band)
Encyclopedia
Black Box Recorder were an English
indie rock
group
. They debuted in 1998 with England Made Me and followed this up with The Facts of Life, which gave them their first hit
with the single
of the same name in April 2000. Their third album
, Passionoia
, was released in 2003. There is also a compilation album
, The Worst of Black Box Recorder, a collection of B-sides
, cover version
s and remix
es.
Musically, the group was influenced by ambient
music, English Rock and Roll and French electronic groups such as Air. However the lyrics to these lush and romantic melodies are frequently bleak, ironic or sarcastic: obvious influences are Ray Davies
, Morrissey
, and Pulp
. The video
for single "The Art of Driving" depicted the band as crash test dummies
.
Black Box Recorder were Sarah Nixey
, Luke Haines
(of The Auteurs
), and John Moore
(formerly of The Jesus and Mary Chain
). Moore and Nixey married in 2001, and have one child, although they were divorce
d in 2006.
Although no official announcement of the band's split was announced, Black Box Recorder was on hiatus during the mid 2000s.
The band collaborated with Art Brut during 2007, and released the single "Christmas Number One" under the name The Black Arts. In October 2008 the band played live at the Nick Sanderson (Earl Brutus, The Jesus And Mary Chain) tribute concert at The Forum, London.
In late 2008 it was announced that the band would be playing a gig at The Luminaire
, Kilburn, London on 18 February 2009. The gig quickly sold out, and a second appearance at the same venue announced. These sold out shows were the band's first headlining appearances in five years.
Although an album was planned for 2009, the record never was released. On April 16, 2010, the band announced it would split after releasing a final single, Keep It in the Family" b/w "Do You Believe in God?" on May 6, 2010.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
. They debuted in 1998 with England Made Me and followed this up with The Facts of Life, which gave them their first hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
with the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of the same name in April 2000. Their third album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Passionoia
Passionoia
Passionoia is a 2003 album by Black Box Recorder, whose members include Luke Haines & Sarah Nixey.-Track listing:# "The School Song" – 3:41# "Gsoh Q.E.D." – 3:46# "British Racing Green" – 4:34# "Being Number One" – 3:26# "The New Diana" – 2:49...
, was released in 2003. There is also a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, The Worst of Black Box Recorder, a collection of B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es.
Musically, the group was influenced by ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
music, English Rock and Roll and French electronic groups such as Air. However the lyrics to these lush and romantic melodies are frequently bleak, ironic or sarcastic: obvious influences are Ray Davies
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
, Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, and Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
. The video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for single "The Art of Driving" depicted the band as crash test dummies
Crash test dummy
Crash test dummies are full-scale anthropomorphic test devices that simulate the dimensions, weight proportions and articulation of the human body, and are usually instrumented to record data about the dynamic behavior of the ATD in simulated vehicle impacts...
.
Black Box Recorder were Sarah Nixey
Sarah Nixey
Sarah Nixey is a British singer songwriter, best known as the vocalist in Black Box Recorder. Her debut solo album, Sing, Memory, was released on 19 February 2007, followed by Brave Tin Soldiers, released 9 May 2011...
, Luke Haines
Luke Haines
Luke Haines is an English musician, songwriter and author, who has recorded music under various names and with various bands, including The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder.-'New Wave':...
(of The Auteurs
The Auteurs
The Auteurs were a British alternative rock band of the 1990s, and a vehicle for the songwriting talents of Luke Haines .-Career:...
), and John Moore
John Moore (drummer)
John Moore is a British musician, best known for his work as the drummer in The Jesus and Mary Chain and as a member of Black Box Recorder.-Biography:...
(formerly of The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
). Moore and Nixey married in 2001, and have one child, although they were divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d in 2006.
Although no official announcement of the band's split was announced, Black Box Recorder was on hiatus during the mid 2000s.
The band collaborated with Art Brut during 2007, and released the single "Christmas Number One" under the name The Black Arts. In October 2008 the band played live at the Nick Sanderson (Earl Brutus, The Jesus And Mary Chain) tribute concert at The Forum, London.
In late 2008 it was announced that the band would be playing a gig at The Luminaire
The Luminaire
The Luminaire was a live music venue on Kilburn High Road in north west London, UK. It opened on 1 March 2005 in what was a nightclub called Late, above McGovern's Pub and The Kilburn Bar...
, Kilburn, London on 18 February 2009. The gig quickly sold out, and a second appearance at the same venue announced. These sold out shows were the band's first headlining appearances in five years.
Although an album was planned for 2009, the record never was released. On April 16, 2010, the band announced it would split after releasing a final single, Keep It in the Family" b/w "Do You Believe in God?" on May 6, 2010.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||
| 1998 | England Made Me
|
110 |
| 2000 | The Facts of Life The Facts of Life (album) The Facts of Life is a 2000 album by Black Box Recorder, whose members include Luke Haines, Sarah Nixey and John Moore. The title track, The Facts Of Life, was released as a single, and was lauded by Mark and Lard, BBC Radio 1 disc jockeys who played it as the first song on their final Radio 1... Nude Records Nude Records was a London based record label, set up in 1992 by Saul Galpern who had previously been involved in the success of artists such as Simply Red, the Fall, Julian Cope, The Triffids, The Slits and The Au Pairs. The label's first success was with Suede. Suede's debut album was the fastest... |
37 |
| 2003 | Passionoia Passionoia Passionoia is a 2003 album by Black Box Recorder, whose members include Luke Haines & Sarah Nixey.-Track listing:# "The School Song" – 3:41# "Gsoh Q.E.D." – 3:46# "British Racing Green" – 4:34# "Being Number One" – 3:26# "The New Diana" – 2:49... One Little Indian Records One Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarchist punk bands, and managed by ex-Flux of Pink Indians Derek Birkett. The first success came with A.R. Kane and... |
179 |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2001 | The Worst of Black Box Recorder The Worst of Black Box Recorder The Worst of Black Box Recorder is a 2001 album by Black Box Recorder, whose members include Luke Haines, Sarah Nixey and John Moore. It is a compilation of B-sides from the singles of England Made Me and The Facts Of Life....
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||||
| 1998 | "Child Psychology Child Psychology (song) Child Psychology is a 1998 single by Black Box Recorder. It was featured on the album England Made Me. The song features a mixture of spoken word and a sung chorus... " |
82 | England Made Me | |
| "England Made Me" | 89 | |||
| 2000 | "The Facts of Life" | 20 | The Facts of Life | |
| "The Art of Driving" | 53 | |||
| 2003 | "These Are the Things" | 91 | Passionoia | |
| "The School Song" | 102 | |||
| 2007 | "Christmas Number One" (with Art Brut) | — | Non-album song | |
| 2010 | "Keep It In The Family" b/w "Do You Believe In God?" | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||