Half-Mute (studio album) by Tuxedomoon

From O.T. 01/25/2016 15:28

Once it was seen as THE masterpiece of this unique band, the rest too theatrical, too much old Europe. And what could catch the mood of 1980 better - apart from Bowie, Grace Jones and Visage? But THEY were cool and lonely and lost in a club. The person in half mute sits at home, watches the snow on the TV screen, sold all he had for some substances and feels, that they doesn't work anymore, he (assumingly a "he") is des Esseintes at the end of Huysmans "Against the grain", just as much, as James Whale was Lord Byron. In the mirror he sees himself still young, angry about himself, making grimaces, slapping his face, getting nervous, trying to get some sleep but no dreams will come apart from the snow on the TV screen.

Most of this is just random noises put together. While you could say that is all music is (well sometimes there are patterns) here things don't work out for me.

From benpaco 04/17/2014 21:12

How on earth is this their lowest rated album on the site points wise? What a pity, this is an incredible album. While it ranges from eery to creepy to dark, there's a definite fun here as well. Stephen Brown's contributions have set the stage for many saxophonists since, and really everyone involved here brought something special to this album.

Really worth a listen, is the point, there's something especially personal about this album that a lot of other post-punk doesn't bring to the table necessarily. Less of a "f*** me" album as Ian Curtis defined the genre and more of a just overall weirdness that flows perfectly.

I agree CDoor. This is an overlooked gem of an album that deserves wider recognition. As you imply, Tuxedomoon represented the more interesting and intellectual strand of the new-wave/post-punk bands to have emerged during the late 1970s and early 1980s (eg. Rip Rig and Panic, James White and the Contortions, Au Pairs, Colin Newman/Wire, This Heat, Pop Group etc).

The music on 'Half Mute' is actually more closely related to the avantegarde and orchestral/chamber music tradition than it is to rock. A mixture of instrumental passages, electronics and sax hint at eerie psychedelic atmospheres.

These elements allied to a free-form dissonance and use of the gypsy violin create a minimilistic romantic vision that work as a counterpoint to the eeriness. More conventional electro-pop songs add to the unique sound that is this album.

From CellarDoor 04/01/2011 14:25

This album really deserves more love around here ! Beautiful ambient/instrumental tracks alternate with some dark experimental post-punk à la "154".