Ikon (band)
Encyclopedia
Ikon is a band from Melbourne, Australia. Ikon blends darkwave
and post-punk
music, following the footsteps of influences such as Joy Division
and early New Order
.
The band continued to evolve in musical style after the departure of Carrodus in 1997. This Quiet Earth (1998) heralded a development in McCarter’s musical composition, spawning popular singles Subversion and Ghost in My Head. While the inclusion of electronic elements on the album shook up some fans of the band’s earlier Joy Division-influenced sound, IKON’s blend of traditional rock with electronics proved original and distinguished them from bands of the era who imitated the first wave of gothic bands.
On the Edge of Forever (2001) ushered in a return to live performance. Drummer David Burns and guitarist Anthony Griffiths (both of whom joined the band in late-1998) were integral to the development of the album, which abandoned the electronic experimentation of This Quiet Earth and returned to IKON’s rock roots. Nevertheless, DAC charting singles such as The Shallow Sea revealed further nuances to the band’s musical capacities, with its acoustic, dreamy melody.
The rejuvenated IKON set out on its first European tour in August 2001, the first of eight tours to come, which included a slot at Eurorock and a glimpse of how greatly their music had made an impact on the other side of the world. After this successful tour, the band was invited to play at the M’era Luna festival in 2002, with billing alongside The Sisters of Mercy
, HIM, Soft Cell
and London After Midnight
and then their first of three appearances at Wave Gotik Treffen
in 2003.
After this extremely successful period of live international performances, IKON was once again back to original members McCarter and Molinaro, with Clifford Ennis joining the band for the first time. The band released the highly acclaimed Psychic Vampire EP (2004), which became the biggest-selling IKON single to date and marked a transition to a powerful, aggressive rock sound and is a testament to the growth in McCarter’s evolving songwriting, honed during years of touring the world.
The EP proved to be the perfect training run for the composition of one of IKON’s most striking albums, Destroying the World to Save It (2005), which produced chart successes on both the Native 25 (number 21 Best Album of 2005, debut at number 8, May 2005) and DAC (Rome number 10 on the singles chart). The album cemented IKON’s reputation as not only pioneers in the genre but as a potent and current force in a scene in which EBM/Industrial had become predominant.
Love, Hate and Sorrow, IKON’s sixth studio album was released in 2009 and spawned four singles, a DVD single and two video clips. Black Magazin (issue 49) named the first single A Line on a Dark Day the second-best track of 2008 and the song was also named a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition.
In 2010, IKON welcomed back Ennis and Burns. To celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary, this line-up is touring Europe in 2011, with another scheduled appearance at Wave Gotik Treffen
. The band has reissued the sought-after original albums In the Shadow of the Angel and Flowers for the Gathering in 4-disc sets (3 CD + DVD), with a LP of the debut album available on coloured vinyl. Echozone is also releasing 2-CD sets of each album.
The future for IKON promises a new recording with its current energetic and creative 4-piece line-up jamming and developing demos. The band will also continue its suite of album re-issues with This Quiet Earth and On the Edge of Forever to be remastered in 2012. Fans can look forward, then, to a perfect blend of old and new, the classics of IKON’s past and the possibilities of its future.
Darkwave
Dark Wave or darkwave is a music genre that began in the late 1970s, coinciding with the popularity of New Wave and post-punk. Building on those basic principles, dark wave added dark, introspective lyrics and an undertone of sorrow for some bands...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
music, following the footsteps of influences such as Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
and early New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
.
History
Chris McCarter (vocals, guitar, programming) and Dino Molinaro (bass) began to write songs as high school students in 1988, inspired by their love of alternative music. In 1991, the original band name Death in the Dark was replaced by IKON. The band’s original singer Michael Carrodus joined them in creating the first two albums In the Shadow of the Angel (1994) and Flowers for the Gathering (1996), which drew IKON to the attention of goth music fans in Europe and America through their signing to Apollyon and Metropolis. Music journalist Mick Mercer has justifiably called them “pioneers in the Gothic genre”.The band continued to evolve in musical style after the departure of Carrodus in 1997. This Quiet Earth (1998) heralded a development in McCarter’s musical composition, spawning popular singles Subversion and Ghost in My Head. While the inclusion of electronic elements on the album shook up some fans of the band’s earlier Joy Division-influenced sound, IKON’s blend of traditional rock with electronics proved original and distinguished them from bands of the era who imitated the first wave of gothic bands.
On the Edge of Forever (2001) ushered in a return to live performance. Drummer David Burns and guitarist Anthony Griffiths (both of whom joined the band in late-1998) were integral to the development of the album, which abandoned the electronic experimentation of This Quiet Earth and returned to IKON’s rock roots. Nevertheless, DAC charting singles such as The Shallow Sea revealed further nuances to the band’s musical capacities, with its acoustic, dreamy melody.
The rejuvenated IKON set out on its first European tour in August 2001, the first of eight tours to come, which included a slot at Eurorock and a glimpse of how greatly their music had made an impact on the other side of the world. After this successful tour, the band was invited to play at the M’era Luna festival in 2002, with billing alongside The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company...
, HIM, Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
and London After Midnight
London After Midnight (band)
London After Midnight is a project formed in the 1990s by songwriter and instrumentalist Sean Brennan. It is active to the present day....
and then their first of three appearances at Wave Gotik Treffen
Wave Gotik Treffen
Wave-Gotik-Treffen is an annual world festival for "dark" music and arts in Leipzig, Germany. 150+ bands and artists from various backgrounds play at several venues throughout the city over 4 days...
in 2003.
After this extremely successful period of live international performances, IKON was once again back to original members McCarter and Molinaro, with Clifford Ennis joining the band for the first time. The band released the highly acclaimed Psychic Vampire EP (2004), which became the biggest-selling IKON single to date and marked a transition to a powerful, aggressive rock sound and is a testament to the growth in McCarter’s evolving songwriting, honed during years of touring the world.
The EP proved to be the perfect training run for the composition of one of IKON’s most striking albums, Destroying the World to Save It (2005), which produced chart successes on both the Native 25 (number 21 Best Album of 2005, debut at number 8, May 2005) and DAC (Rome number 10 on the singles chart). The album cemented IKON’s reputation as not only pioneers in the genre but as a potent and current force in a scene in which EBM/Industrial had become predominant.
Love, Hate and Sorrow, IKON’s sixth studio album was released in 2009 and spawned four singles, a DVD single and two video clips. Black Magazin (issue 49) named the first single A Line on a Dark Day the second-best track of 2008 and the song was also named a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition.
In 2010, IKON welcomed back Ennis and Burns. To celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary, this line-up is touring Europe in 2011, with another scheduled appearance at Wave Gotik Treffen
Wave Gotik Treffen
Wave-Gotik-Treffen is an annual world festival for "dark" music and arts in Leipzig, Germany. 150+ bands and artists from various backgrounds play at several venues throughout the city over 4 days...
. The band has reissued the sought-after original albums In the Shadow of the Angel and Flowers for the Gathering in 4-disc sets (3 CD + DVD), with a LP of the debut album available on coloured vinyl. Echozone is also releasing 2-CD sets of each album.
The future for IKON promises a new recording with its current energetic and creative 4-piece line-up jamming and developing demos. The band will also continue its suite of album re-issues with This Quiet Earth and On the Edge of Forever to be remastered in 2012. Fans can look forward, then, to a perfect blend of old and new, the classics of IKON’s past and the possibilities of its future.
Albums
- Love, Hate and Sorrow (2009)
- Destroying The World To Save It (2005)
- On The Edge Of Forever (2001)
- This Quiet Earth (1998)
- Flowers For The Gathering (1996) (Reissued 2011)
- In The Shadow Of The Angel (1994) (Reissued 2011)
Compilation Albums
- As Time Goes By (The Original IKON) (2007)
- The Burden of History the singles 1992-2007 2CD (2007)
- From Angels To Ashes (2003)
- Dawn Of The Ikonoclast 1991-1997 2CD (1999)
- The Final Experience (1997 limited edition 1500 copies)
- A Moment In Time (1995)
EPs
- Torn Apart 2CD (2010)
- Driftwood (2010)
- Amongst the Runes (2008)
- League of Nations (2007)
- Psychic Vampire (2004)
- Ghost In My Head (1998)
- The Echoes Of Silence (1994)
Singles
- "Broken Windows" (12" single 2011)
- "Without Shadows" (2006)
- "Rome" (2005)
- "Death By Dawn" (7" Single 2005)
- "I Never Wanted You" (2004)
- "Psychic Vampire" (2004)
- "Ceremony" (2003)
- "Afterlife" (2002)
- "Afterlife" (7" Single 2002)
- "Blue Snow Red Rain" (10" Single 2001)
- "The Shallow Sea Pt. 2" (2000)
- "The Shallow Sea Pt. 1" (2000)
- "Lifeless" (1999)
- "Reality Is Lost" (1999)
- "Subversion" (1998)
- "Life Without End" (1996)
- "In A Lonely Place" (1995)
- "Condemnation" (7" Single 1995)
- "The Echoes Of Silence" (7" Single 1994)
- "Why" (7" Single 1992)
Unofficial releases
- Black Friday (Live at the Blackout Club, Rome, Italy) (2003)
- Twilight Zone (Live at Eurorock Belgium 2001) (7" Single/2003)
- Tyranny of Distance (Live in Australia 2002) (2002)
- A Tale from the Darkside (Live in Berlin 2001) (2001)
- Black Radio (Live at Esplanade Hotel, Melbourne 1994) (2001)
- The Trial of Destiny (live in Melbourne 1999) (2000)
- Secrets Within (rare tracks) (1999)
- Black Radio (Live at Esplanade Hotel, Melbourne 1994) (12" vinyl LP/1995)
- Thank You Very Much, Goodnight (Live in Melbourne 1994) (1994)
- Out of Balance, Out of Tune (Live in Melbourne 92/93) (1993)
Members
- Chris McCarter (vocals/guitars/programming)
- Dino Molinaro (bass)
- David Burns (drums)
- Clifford Ennis (vocals/guitar)
Former members
- Michael Aliani (aka Carrodus) (vocals)
- Anthony Griffiths (guitars/vocals)
- Maurice Molella (drums)
- Anthony Cornish (guitar)