Artist description Synthpop. Technopop. Minimalist electronic ambient/strangeness/orchestral/pop. Philosophy is rubbish.

Music Style Synthpop. And electronic ambient minimalism.

Musical Influences Freezepop, Yaz, Erasure, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Aphex Twin, Future Sound of London, Depeche Mode, Anything Box, Olivia Tremor Control

Similar Artists Yaz, Joy Electric, Freezepop, Aphex Twin, Philip Glass, Anything Box (newer instrumentals), Radiohead (Kid A)

Artist History Subimage formed in 1990 as a synth pop trio. (Someone may actually remember those shows at Spanky's Cafe in Riverside, California). Other projects have included tekno-industrial "BOL", folksy "Treehappee", synth-poppy "Shamron", and folksy "Genevieve in Water".

Group Members Christopher Campbell

Instruments Mini Moog, Casio CZ-101, Roland TR-909, Roland W-30, JV-1080, Steinberg Cubase VST, Reason, vintage 1960's Harmony acoustic guitar

Albums ETOC, Our Glass Lake (Volumes 1 & 2); Macro Four; Available, Occurent

Press Reviews Since all of the material for this album was originally recorded between 1989 and 1992, allowances must be made for production and sound quality. I would advise going back and listening to Anything Box's debut album "Peace".. that'll put you in just the right mindset to listen to this cd. Analog synthesis is in no short supply here, and the bouncy and bubbly synth lines of this album will surely bring Erasure and Elegant Machinery to mind. Seriously, this band knows very well how to write some near unforgettable synth hooks, and these simple yet incessantly catchy synth riffs will be stuck in your head for days on end. The choruses are in the same vein.. I dare you to listen to "Generic Guitar Song" and not have that chorus in your head for the next few hours. That is, if you can stop grinning in agreement to the clever slam on 'real' (as some would call modern pop) music and how bland it's gotten. However, don't mistake bouncy and bubbly music for lightweight lyrics. Although there aren't any lyrics provided in the booklet or website, from what I can tell the lyrics do have a fair share of depth, and show a good bit of thoughtful reflection at times. About the only song I didn't care for here is "The Rat Man". The overuse of the echoing effect on the vocals didn't help, and plus it's just a unpleasant song, subject-wise. Combine those elements with a (for this band) sub-par chorus and melody, and you have the only real dud of the album. One other caveat: the language here does occasionally wander into PG territory, but it isn't prevalent or conspicuous. It's here and there, but the album doesn't turn into a swear-fest or anything. The vocals are the only real overall weakness here. While he isn't near the most gifted vocalist I've heard, for the most part he does stay on key and deliver the lyrics convincingly. At times his voice sounds somewhat pinched, as if he were really forcing his voice to stay in a particular range. Still, this is a great cd. For those whole love the simple synth arrangements and strong choruses of Erasure or Sweep, this is right up your alley. You'll have a hard time getting this disc out of your cd player... I know I have! -- Jason Baker, synthpop.net

Location San Francisco, California - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).