Circle X
Encyclopedia
Circle X was a No Wave
/art-rock band that began in 1978 in Louisville
, Kentucky
. They were part of the same late '70s/early '80s No Wave scene that included bands like Mars
and DNA
.
, to join brothers Rik Letendre and Dave Letendre (who played in the I-Holes). By the end of 1978, the four had relocated to New York City
, then to Dijon
, France
.
In France for nine months with new manager, Circle X toured from the base in Dijon, garnering strong press and stronger public reaction while writing new material as well. An untitled four-song EP, for then-nascent Celluloid Records
, saw the light of day in 1980. The record’s cover - identifiable only by a spray painted circle with an X through it, a symbol the group chose instead of a name - gratingly reflected its content. Marketeers forced a spelled out "Circle X" on them.
Upon returning to New York
, the band recorded the LP titled Prehistory, unreleased until 1983, for the California
-based consortium of Enigma and Index Records. Some say this recording served as a crucial blueprint for the subsequent New York noise scene that spawned Sonic Youth
, Swans
, and Live Skull
.
The remainder of the ’80s saw the group diversify with new drummer Mike McShane, guest violinist Lois Delivio, and complex art performances, often involving constructions of great wheels, techno puppets, and machines, as well as collaborative visuals with film makers Bradley Eros and Jeanne Liotta. In addition, the integration of synth technologies, tapes, and samples now figured in the music’s stew of beauty and din.
By 1989, the band had begun publishing Anti-Utopia, a limited edition artists’ book. A 1990, volume included a flexi disc
featuring Peter Van Riper
, Mike Pullen, Christian Marclay
, Bodeco
, and a Circle X offering, "Crash/St. Sebastian of the Hood" (after a J.G. Ballard novel).
In 1992, drummer Martin Koeb joined Pinotti, Witsiepe and Letendre for four white-vinyl seven-inch singles for Matador, American Gothic
and Lungcast Records
, titled The Ivory Tower, and released over the course of a year. The music within remained eerie, intelligent and harsh, yet far more aurally complex.
In 1994, Circle X released Celestial, their culminating full-length album on Matador Records
, as well as a soon-to-be CD EP in France for Sordide Sentimentale titled Frammenti de Junk.
The band ended in 1995, when founding member and guitarist Bruce Witsiepe died from HIV
complications.
No Wave
No Wave was a short-lived but influential underground music, film, performance art, video, and contemporary art scene that had its beginnings during the mid-1970s in New York City. The term No Wave is in part satirical word play rejecting the commercial elements of the then-popular New Wave genre...
/art-rock band that began in 1978 in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. They were part of the same late '70s/early '80s No Wave scene that included bands like Mars
Mars (band)
Mars was a New York City No Wave band formed by vocalist Sumner Crane in 1975. He was joined by China Burg , Mark Cunningham , and artist Nancy Arlen , and briefly by guitarist Rudolph Grey. The band played one live gig under the name China before changing it to Mars...
and DNA
DNA (band)
DNA was a No Wave band formed in 1978 by guitarist Arto Lindsay and keyboardist Robin Crutchfield. Rather than playing their instruments in a traditional manner, they instead focused on making unique and unusual sounds...
.
Career
The formation started when art students Bruce Witsiepe and Tony Pinotti abandoned Louisville's first punk act, No FunNo Fun
No Fun may refer to:* "No Fun" , a song from the album The Stooges* The No Fun EP by Local H.* No Fun Records / No Fun Entertainment a record label and production/booking company...
, to join brothers Rik Letendre and Dave Letendre (who played in the I-Holes). By the end of 1978, the four had relocated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, then to Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In France for nine months with new manager, Circle X toured from the base in Dijon, garnering strong press and stronger public reaction while writing new material as well. An untitled four-song EP, for then-nascent Celluloid Records
Celluloid Records
Celluloid Records, a French/American record label, founded by Jean Georgakarakos operated from 1976 to 1989 in New York, and produced a series of eclectic and ground-breaking releases, particularly in the early to late 1980s, largely under the auspices of de facto in-house producer Bill...
, saw the light of day in 1980. The record’s cover - identifiable only by a spray painted circle with an X through it, a symbol the group chose instead of a name - gratingly reflected its content. Marketeers forced a spelled out "Circle X" on them.
Upon returning to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the band recorded the LP titled Prehistory, unreleased until 1983, for the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based consortium of Enigma and Index Records. Some say this recording served as a crucial blueprint for the subsequent New York noise scene that spawned Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Swans
Swans (band)
Swans are an influential American post-punk band initially active from 1982 to 1997, led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The band was one of the few groups to emerge from the early 1980s New York No Wave scene and stay intact into the next decade. Formed by Gira in...
, and Live Skull
Live Skull
-Overview:Live Skull created abrasive no wave music not unlike their 1980s contemporaries Sonic Youth, Swans, Rat at Rat R, The Chameleons, Mars, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and Band of Susans. Their music featured angular guitar parts interspersed with bleak, quieter passages, for a haunting...
.
The remainder of the ’80s saw the group diversify with new drummer Mike McShane, guest violinist Lois Delivio, and complex art performances, often involving constructions of great wheels, techno puppets, and machines, as well as collaborative visuals with film makers Bradley Eros and Jeanne Liotta. In addition, the integration of synth technologies, tapes, and samples now figured in the music’s stew of beauty and din.
By 1989, the band had begun publishing Anti-Utopia, a limited edition artists’ book. A 1990, volume included a flexi disc
Flexi disc
The flexi disc is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable...
featuring Peter Van Riper
Peter Van Riper
Peter van Riper was a sound and light environment artist, musician and pioneer of laser art and holography.-Biography:...
, Mike Pullen, Christian Marclay
Christian Marclay
Christian Marclay is a Swiss-American visual artist and composer.Marclay's work explores connections between sound, noise, photography, video, and film...
, Bodeco
Bodeco
Bodeco is a rock and roll band out of Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1984 by guitarist, singer and songwriter Ricky Feather and drummer Brian Burkett. It later grew into a full band, with its most famous line-up featuring Feather, Burkett, guitarist Wink O'Bannon, bassist Jimmy Brown and...
, and a Circle X offering, "Crash/St. Sebastian of the Hood" (after a J.G. Ballard novel).
In 1992, drummer Martin Koeb joined Pinotti, Witsiepe and Letendre for four white-vinyl seven-inch singles for Matador, American Gothic
American Gothic
American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood's inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window and a decision to paint the house along with "the kind of people I fancied should live in that...
and Lungcast Records
Lungcast Records
Lungcast Records was an independent record label, established 1990. The label was known for extremely unusual bands of the alternative, fringe punk, acid rock, and avant garde genres....
, titled The Ivory Tower, and released over the course of a year. The music within remained eerie, intelligent and harsh, yet far more aurally complex.
In 1994, Circle X released Celestial, their culminating full-length album on Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
, as well as a soon-to-be CD EP in France for Sordide Sentimentale titled Frammenti de Junk.
The band ended in 1995, when founding member and guitarist Bruce Witsiepe died from HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
complications.
Studio Albums
- Circle X - 7" EP, 1979 / 1996 (Dexter's Cigar)
- PrehistoryPrehistory (album)Prehistory is the first full length album by No Wave band Circle X. It was recorded in 1981 but was not released until 1983.The album was recorded upon their return to New York, after staying 9 months in Dijon, France....
- (LP, Album), 1981 / 2006 (Blue Chopsticks) - Anti-Utopia Flexi - Flexi Disc, 1990 (Anti-Utopia Publication)
- The Ivory Tower - Four 7" EP, 1992 (American Gothic, Lungcast Records, Matador Records)
- CelestialCelestial (Circle X album)Celestial is the final full-length studio album by Circle X and was released in 1994.After experimenting and releasing EPs for more than a decade, Celestial marked the bands first major release since Prehistory in 1983....
- (CD, Album), 1994 (Matador Records) - Frammenti de Junk - (CD, EP), 1994 (Sordide Sentimentale)