Breaking Circus
Encyclopedia
Breaking Circus was a postpunk band from the 1980s, based in Chicago and later Minneapolis, led by guitarist and vocalist Steve Björklund
.
; after a short stint in Terminal Beach, Breaking Circus was his next project, which initially also included bassist Bruce Lange. Breaking Circus signed to Homestead Records for their first release, The Very Long Fuse
(1985), which used the Roland TR-606
drum machine
. The EP included the song Marathon, which has been cited as "stuck in several thousand heads" and a "college-radio favorite"
In 1986, Björklund moved to Minneapolis and began working with Rifle Sport
bassist
Pete "Flour
" Conway and drummer
/guitarist Todd Trainer
. In 1986 the band released a song, Driving the Dynamite Truck on the Twin/Tone compilation Big Hits Of Mid-America Volume Four, with a slightly different lineup having Tony Pucci of Man Sized Action
in the drummer's chair. Driving the Dynamite Truck was later covered by the band Seam
on the Kernel EP. Homestead Records released the band's The Ice Machine
LP with the album's credits appearing as a Monopoly
-style drinking game
insert.
Breaking Circus was joined by second guitarist Phil Harder
for a national tour before returning to the studio to record another LP
that was to feature four songs by Björklund, four by Flour, and four by Trainer. When the band arrived in the studio, they received word from Homestead that the label would only pay for six of the twelve songs that they had originally planned to record. All four of Björklund's songs and one by each of the other members were released on the EP
Smokers' Paradise
in 1987.
The band broke up in 1988. Phil Harder
became a music video director and went on to form the trio
Big Trouble House. Flour
recorded four full-length solo albums for Touch and Go Records
. Todd Trainer recorded two EPs under the name Brick Layer Cake before joining Shellac
. Björklund released a final 7" single of solo electro-pop versions of songs by Naked Raygun
and the UK Subs
under the name Breaking Circus and was briefly in the band Balloon Guy before moving on to work as a producer.
Steve Bjorklund
Steve Bjorklund a/k/a Steve Björklund a/k/a Steffan Bjorklund was born ca. 1960 in Chicago, Illinois. He was an early figure in the first punk rock music scene in Chicago. He briefly attended Roycemore School in Evanston, Illinois...
.
History
Björklund had earlier been a guitarist and vocalist for Strike UnderStrike Under
Strike Under was an influential Chicago punk rock band of the early 1980s. It was started by Steve Bjorklund after the demise of The Rabbits. The principal musicians, besides Bjorklund, were his brother Chris , Pierre Kezdy , and Bob Furem .Strike Under was founded in 1979 or 1980...
; after a short stint in Terminal Beach, Breaking Circus was his next project, which initially also included bassist Bruce Lange. Breaking Circus signed to Homestead Records for their first release, The Very Long Fuse
The Very Long Fuse
The Very Long Fuse is the debut EP by Breaking Circus. It was released in 1985 by on Homestead Records.-Track listing:#"Precision"#" Marathon"#"Lady in the Lake"#"Soul of Japan"#"The Imperial Clawmasters' Theme"#"Monster's Sanctuary"...
(1985), which used the Roland TR-606
Roland TR-606
The Roland TR-606 Drumatix is a programmable analog synthesis drum machine built by the Roland Corporation from 1981 to 1984. It was originally designed to be used with the Roland TB-303, a monophonic analog bass synthesizer, to provide a simple drum and bass accompaniment to guitarists without...
drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. The EP included the song Marathon, which has been cited as "stuck in several thousand heads" and a "college-radio favorite"
In 1986, Björklund moved to Minneapolis and began working with Rifle Sport
Rifle Sport
Rifle Sport was an American post punk band active in the 1980s and 1990s, from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Studio albums:*Voice Of Reason *White ...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Pete "Flour
Flour (band)
Flour is the nickname of Minneapolis musician Pete Conway who wrote songs and played bass guitar in the bands Rifle Sport and Breaking Circus until the mid-1980s. He released four solo albums on Touch and Go Records from 1988 to 1994 on which he plays most of the instruments himself...
" Conway and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
/guitarist Todd Trainer
Todd Trainer
Todd Stanford Trainer is the drummer for the band Shellac. He also performs as a solo artist under the name Brick Layer Cake. He previously played drums for the bands Breaking Circus and Rifle Sport, and he played drums with Scout Niblett in 2005....
. In 1986 the band released a song, Driving the Dynamite Truck on the Twin/Tone compilation Big Hits Of Mid-America Volume Four, with a slightly different lineup having Tony Pucci of Man Sized Action
Man Sized Action
Man sized action was a post punk group from Minneapolis. They released two records in '83 and '84. The first one was produced by Bob Mould. Both albums, as well as two compilations on which the band appeared were released by Reflex Records. The band consisted of Pat Woods - Vocals, Tippy -...
in the drummer's chair. Driving the Dynamite Truck was later covered by the band Seam
Seam (band)
Seam was an American indie rock band active from 1991 to 1999, led by Sooyoung Park, former frontman of Bitch Magnet. Park currently plays in Ee...
on the Kernel EP. Homestead Records released the band's The Ice Machine
The Ice Machine
The Ice Machine is an album by Breaking Circus. It was released in 1986 by on Homestead Records.-Track listing:Side 1:#"Song Of The South" #"Ancient Axes" #"Daylight"...
LP with the album's credits appearing as a Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
-style drinking game
Drinking game
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. These games vary widely in scope and complexity, although the purpose of most is to become intoxicated as quickly as possible...
insert.
Breaking Circus was joined by second guitarist Phil Harder
Phil Harder
Philip Harder is a music video director and commercial director represented by Bob Industries in Santa Monica, California. He had a music video company Harder/Fuller Films, 1985 - 2005...
for a national tour before returning to the studio to record another LP
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...
that was to feature four songs by Björklund, four by Flour, and four by Trainer. When the band arrived in the studio, they received word from Homestead that the label would only pay for six of the twelve songs that they had originally planned to record. All four of Björklund's songs and one by each of the other members were released on the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Smokers' Paradise
Smokers' Paradise
Smokers' Paradise is an extended play by Breaking Circus. It was released in 1987 on Homestead Records. It is the first and only Breaking Circus release to feature second guitarist Phil Harder. It was intended as a full-length album with four songwriting contributions each from Björklund, Flour,...
in 1987.
The band broke up in 1988. Phil Harder
Phil Harder
Philip Harder is a music video director and commercial director represented by Bob Industries in Santa Monica, California. He had a music video company Harder/Fuller Films, 1985 - 2005...
became a music video director and went on to form the trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
Big Trouble House. Flour
Flour (band)
Flour is the nickname of Minneapolis musician Pete Conway who wrote songs and played bass guitar in the bands Rifle Sport and Breaking Circus until the mid-1980s. He released four solo albums on Touch and Go Records from 1988 to 1994 on which he plays most of the instruments himself...
recorded four full-length solo albums for Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...
. Todd Trainer recorded two EPs under the name Brick Layer Cake before joining Shellac
Shellac (band)
Shellac is an American group composed of Steve Albini , Bob Weston and Todd Trainer...
. Björklund released a final 7" single of solo electro-pop versions of songs by Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun is a Chicago-based punk rock group. Initially active from 1980 to about 1992, Naked Raygun had several short-lived reunions afterwards and a full-time reformation in 2006....
and the UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
under the name Breaking Circus and was briefly in the band Balloon Guy before moving on to work as a producer.
Studio albums
- The Very Long Fuse EP (Homestead Records HMS012, 1985)
- The Ice MachineThe Ice MachineThe Ice Machine is an album by Breaking Circus. It was released in 1986 by on Homestead Records.-Track listing:Side 1:#"Song Of The South" #"Ancient Axes" #"Daylight"...
(Homestead Records HMS075, 1986) - Smokers' Paradise EP (Homestead Records HMS092, 1987)
See also
- List of alternative rock artists
- Music of MinnesotaMusic of MinnesotaThe music of Minnesota began with the native rhythms and songs of native Americans, the first inhabitants of the lands which later became the U.S. state of Minnesota. Their relatives, the half-breed Métis fur-trading voyageurs, introduced the chansons of their French ancestors in the late...
- ShellacShellacShellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes , which are dissolved in ethyl alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish...
- Rifle SportRifle SportRifle Sport was an American post punk band active in the 1980s and 1990s, from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Studio albums:*Voice Of Reason *White ...
- Brick Layer Cake