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Argyle Park

From Alfawiki
Argyle Park
Company typeCollective
IndustryMusic
Founded1994 in New York City, United States
Defunct1996; reformed 1998; disbanded 2000
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
ProductsMusic albums

Argyle Park was a pioneering underground industrial rock collective formed in New York City in 1994, remaining active until 1996. The members regrouped as AP2 between 1998 and 2000. Although affiliated with Christian music labels, the band stirred controversy within the Christian music community due to their lyrics and partnerships with artists outside the Christian genre. The name of the group originated from a park located in Babylon, Long Island, where the members spent their youth.[1]

Argyle Park

Argyle Park first appeared on a tribute compilation honoring 1980s contemporary Christian music icon Steve Taylor in 1994. That same year, they released their debut album, Misguided, through R.E.X. Records. The record combined elements of techno, heavy metal guitar riffs, ragtime piano, brass instruments, sampling, and brooding vocal styles.[2] The album’s credits listed three pseudonyms: Dred, Deathwish, and Buka. These aliases corresponded to Scott Albert (also known as Klayton) from the industrial metal outfit Circle of Dust—he took on the names Dred, Deathwish, and Celldweller (the album’s producer).[3] Buka was the moniker for Chris Martello, who at the time worked as a producer for MTV Sports.[4][5] Misguided featured collaborations with notable figures from both Christian alternative and mainstream industrial scenes such as Mark Salomon, Dirk Lemmenes, Jeff Bellew, J. G. Thirlwell, Klank, Jyro Xhan, Tommy Victor, Chris Donohue, Lauren Boquette, and Marco Forcone.[2]

In the summer of 1995, Argyle Park performed live only once at the Cornerstone Music Festival in Illinois, with Dan Leveler joining on stage; he later became part of AP2 under the name Level.[6] The band contributed a track to a tribute album dedicated to Stryper in 1996 before disbanding. Scott Albert attributed the breakup to disputes with R.E.X. Records concerning lyrical content, unrealistic standards imposed by the Christian music industry, and adverse reactions from fans toward both Argyle Park and his primary project Circle of Dust.[3] Buka also reported facing significant backlash within the Christian music community.[7]

Backwoods

In 1996, Buka intended to establish Backwoods Records and planned a debut split release featuring Klank alongside his own project Soil and Argyle Park. Nevertheless, neither the label nor this album came to fruition. Instead, a single track by Backwoods—a duo composed of Buka and Level—was issued later that year on a Flying Tart Records Christmas compilation, foreshadowing Argyle Park’s revival in 1998.

AP2

In 1999, Argyle Park resurfaced under the new name AP2 after signing with alternative Christian label Tooth & Nail Records. AP2 produced one album titled Suspension of Disbelief released in 2000. Scott Albert (Klayton) produced the record and contributed two compositions; however, most songwriting duties were managed by his brother Level while Buka offered conceptual direction. Guest appearances included Klank, Mark Salomon, and Joel Timothy Bell from Tooth & Nail’s punk band Ghoti Hook.

The album embraced an eclectic mix of genres such as gabber techno, pop dance, drum'n'bass, R&B, punk rock, and metal—reflecting the experimental spirit of their previous work. Despite intentions for additional releases, AP2 dissolved later in 2000 due to disappointing sales figures and renewed criticism reminiscent of what Argyle Park had encountered earlier.

Reception and controversy

From their initial appearance on the Steve Taylor tribute compilation, Argyle Park generated debate by subtly changing the original song’s meaning through the omission of key lyrics. Although signed to a Christian record label, their album did not feature explicit religious messages. Instead, it explored themes such as suffering, bitterness, pain, betrayal, and disillusionment with trusted figures. Buka summarized this as "placing excessive trust in other people who inevitably disappoint." This approach clashed with the Christian music industry’s preference for uplifting, evangelistic content, provoking criticism within the underground Christian music community and media. The intense negative reactions on forums and via email contributed significantly to the group’s eventual breakup.

After reforming as AP2, the members voiced their dissatisfaction with persistent criticism from segments of the Christian music audience but stood firm in their artistic direction. They highlighted their commitment to addressing "authentic issues with genuine impact," anticipating further controversy with AP2’s debut. Even after AP2 dissolved, online disputes continued sporadically, with former members occasionally engaging publicly. Buka noted that this ongoing antagonism was a factor in shelving a planned tenth-anniversary remix project in 2004.

Despite the controversies surrounding them, both Argyle Park and AP2 gained considerable recognition within the Christian industrial and electronic music scenes. Many artists have acknowledged their influence in biographies and press materials. Tribute albums have been proposed, and several cover versions of their songs have been recorded. Additionally, the commercial success of Klayton’s Celldweller project has sparked renewed interest in his earlier work, including both Argyle Park releases.

Members

Key contributors to Argyle Park include:

Discography

Albums

Year Album Label
1994 (remastered 2016 on FiXT Music) Misguided R.E.X.
2000 Suspension of Disbelief (as AP2) Tooth & Nail Records

Compilation appearances

  • I Predict a Clone: A Steve Taylor Tribute (1994, R.E.X.) – "Drive, He Said (D-Wee Dub)"
  • Demo-lition II (1994, R.E.X.) – "Misanthrope 5:33" (edited version)
  • Can You Dig It? III (1994, R.E.X.) – "Misanthrope 5:33"
  • R.E.X. '95 Sampler 3 (1995, R.E.X.) – "Doomsayer" (incorrectly credited as Gutterboy)
  • Doom & Gloom: Visions of the Apocalypse (1995, Nesak International) – "Misanthrope" (album cut)
  • Sweet Family Music: A Tribute to Stryper (1996, Flaying Tart) – "Lonely (Two-Timing Dub)"
  • Cheapskates: Harder Side (1999, Tooth & Nail) – "My Sympathies (Rough Mix)"
  • Brief excerpts of two AP2 tracks appeared uncredited in the movie The Butterfly Effect.
  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named garlicpress
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  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named hmcircleofdustinterview
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  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named automatalevelinterview
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named automataap2interview
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