Digital Poodle
Encyclopedia
Digital Poodle was a Toronto, Canada-based, electro
-industrial
/EBM
band formed in 1986 and remained active until about 1995.
, and Front Line Assembly
. Digital Poodle's sound can be best described as house
/techno mixed with European EBM and occasionally skirting experimental and ambient sound scapes. Sillaste's lyrical themes and choice of audio sampling
typically covered the ending of the Cold War
, as well as the following political independence struggles in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.
Digital Poodle originally released a series of cassette tape demos and full release albums on Sillaste's own Shadow recording label. The first CD release was "Work Terminal" in 1992 which was distributed in North America under the Death of Vinyl label and in Europe on Germany's Hyperium Records
label. The band's final release was the "Combat!" EP in 1997 which contained mainly remixed material from previous releases.
Other Digital Poodle studio members have included keyboardists Pupka Frey (of the band D.I.N.), and Reduct. Live shows have featured the drummer/percussionists Kristian Helstrom and Andreas Gregor.
In 1995, Sillaste co-founded the Nice+Smooth Ultramedia label and has gone on to create 45 synthesizer-based albums and 120 compilation appearances. He has worked on other music projects in the genre of electronic dub
, down beat
, and house/techno music such as Kinder Atom and Lazer Caps, and is an accomplished graphic designer. He has also worked on music and sound for television shows such as CSI: Miami
and commercials for Nissan. He currently resides in Toronto with his wife Véronique and daughter Saskia.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
-industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
/EBM
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
band formed in 1986 and remained active until about 1995.
Background
Formed in 1986 by vocalist/programmer Heiki Sillaste (aka Mouth 392), the project was considered Toronto's answer to the established Vancouver-based industrial acts like Skinny PuppySkinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
, and Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. Influenced by early Industrial acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Portion Control, D.A.F., Test Dept, SPK, and Severed Heads, FLA has developed its own unique sound while combining...
. Digital Poodle's sound can be best described as house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
/techno mixed with European EBM and occasionally skirting experimental and ambient sound scapes. Sillaste's lyrical themes and choice of audio sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
typically covered the ending of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, as well as the following political independence struggles in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.
Digital Poodle originally released a series of cassette tape demos and full release albums on Sillaste's own Shadow recording label. The first CD release was "Work Terminal" in 1992 which was distributed in North America under the Death of Vinyl label and in Europe on Germany's Hyperium Records
Hyperium Records
Hyperium Records was a German independent record label specializing in ethereal, darkwave, neoclassical, gothic, and ambient music, founded by Oliver Roesch and Oliver van Essenberg in 1991...
label. The band's final release was the "Combat!" EP in 1997 which contained mainly remixed material from previous releases.
Other Digital Poodle studio members have included keyboardists Pupka Frey (of the band D.I.N.), and Reduct. Live shows have featured the drummer/percussionists Kristian Helstrom and Andreas Gregor.
In 1995, Sillaste co-founded the Nice+Smooth Ultramedia label and has gone on to create 45 synthesizer-based albums and 120 compilation appearances. He has worked on other music projects in the genre of electronic dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, down beat
Downtempo
Downtempo is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling...
, and house/techno music such as Kinder Atom and Lazer Caps, and is an accomplished graphic designer. He has also worked on music and sound for television shows such as CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
and commercials for Nissan. He currently resides in Toronto with his wife Véronique and daughter Saskia.
Discography
- Pay Attention CS (Shadow, 1987)
- Poodle Crematorium CS (Shadow, 1988) Limited edition 250 copies
- Snivel CS (Shadow, 1989)
- Live Death CS (Shadow, 1990) Recorded live at the Slither Club (Toronto, March 4th, 1989)
- Soul Crush CS (Shadow, 1991) CD Album (Death of Vinyl Entertainment (DOVe), 1991)
- Soul Crush 12" 12" (Shadow, 1991)
- Work Terminal CD Album (DOVe, Hyperium Records (Germany), 1992)
- Crack 12" (DOVe, 1993)
- Elektronik Espionage CD EP (DOVe, 1993)
- Division! CD Album (Cleopatra, 1994)
- Division! 12" 2x12" (DOVe, 1994)
- Work Terminal CD (Metropolis Records, 1994) reissue
- Noisea CD (Cleopatra, 1995)
- Combat! CD EP (Cleopatra, 1997)
Compilation appearances
- Instrumental CS - side B, track #5 "Uncivilized World" (Plan Eleven)
- Death of Vinyl CD - track #15 "Broadkast III" (DOVe, 1991)
- "Gárgula Mecânica" World Electrostatic Assembly CD - track #12 "Binary" (Simbiose, 1992)
- … To Hypersonic - The Hyperium Compilation Part II CD - track #8 "Free Men" (Hyperium, 1992)
- Hy! From Hypnotic To Hypersonic 2xCD - disc 2, track #8 "Free Men (Extended)" (Hyperium, 1992)
- Metro Tekno CD - track #1 "Work Terminal (U.S. Mix)" and track #2 "Free Men (Extended)" (Silent, 1992)
- Love Ta Love Ya Baby: An NMS '93 Dance Compilation LP - Side B, track #3 "Work Terminal" (New Music Seminar, 1993)
- Death of Vinyl Revolutions Vol. 1 CD - track #7 "Crack" and track #8 "Output Expander" (DOVe, 1993)
- Grid Slinger LP - side A, track #4 "Crack" (Re-constriction Records, Cleopatra 1993)
- Industrial Revolution - Second Edition 2xCD - disc 1, track #11 "Division" (Cleopatra, 1994)
- Trance In Your Mind - The Unstoppable Trance Machine CD - track #4 "Crack (Free Base Mix)" (Cleopatra, 1994)
- Ambient Rituals Exercise One: Music For Soul Braiding CD - track #5 "Weapon" (Hyperium, 1995)
- Doom & Gloom/Visions of the Apocalypse CD - track #6 "Head of Lenin" (Kado, 1995)
- Enchantments CD - track #1 "Head of Lenin (Remix)" (Cleopatra, 1995)
- Industrial Revolution Second Edition VHS - "Work Terminal" video (Cleopatra, 1996)
- Nekrology CD - track #5 "Funkass" (Konsortium Produktions, 1996)
- Industrial Madness 4xCD - disc 3, track #5 "Red Star" (Cleopatra, 1997)
- Industrial Mix Machine 2xCD - disc 1, track #11 "Left/Right (Incarnate Mix)" (Cleopatra, 1997)
- Gothic Industrial Madness DVD - video "Work Terminal" (Cleopatra, 2000)
- Goth - The Ultimate Collection 2xDVD - disc 1, video "Work Terminal" (Cleopatra 2002)
- TDK 016 12" - side B, track #2, "Crack" (TdK, 2005)