Basczax
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Mick Todd |
| Defunct | 1980 |
| Headquarters | Redcar , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Basczax was a British post-punk group that originated in Redcar in August 1978.
History
The band was established by Mick Todd, who created a demo of "Karleearn Photography" that drew in Jeff Fogarty (saxophone) and Alan Savage (guitar, vocals). Early participants Nigel Trenchard (keyboards) and Cog (drums) were soon replaced by John Hodgson (keyboards) and Alan Cornforth (drums), both previously associated with Blitzkrieg Bop.
Beginning as an anti-punk ensemble with a noise-oriented style, Basczax performed alongside bands such as Gang of Four. Their debut recording was featured on Fast Product's Earcom 2 mini-LP in 1979, sharing the release with Joy Division. Additionally, they released the 7" single "Madison Fallout"/"Auto Mekanik Destruktor" through Pipeline Records, which attained the #48 position on the UK Independent Chart.
While touring with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), they appeared on the television program Check It Out in 1980 to perform "Ego Therapy". The band disbanded in September 1980; Hodgson and Cornforth went on to form "Makaton Chat" along with former Deja Vu members. Hodgson later pursued a solo project named Fast Cakes, issuing albums from 2007 to 2014. The other members transitioned into Jank Mamba, which eventually evolved into The Flaming Mussolinis, releasing two albums during the mid-1980s under Portrait Records (CBS).
Alan Savage went on to create Zoom and Disraeli Gears, subsequently producing a solo CD in the 1990s released by Darlington-based Northern Sky.
A digital compilation titled The Best Of, featuring Basczax tracks from 1979–1980, was issued in 2009 by Spectra Records.
In February 2010, four original members—Savage, Fogarty, Hodgson, and Todd—reunited to produce new recordings. The album This Machine Rocks was digitally released on 1 September 2010.
Albums
- Terminal Madness (1979), Animated Tapes
- Earcom 2: Contradiction (1979), Fast Product – alongside Thursdays and Joy Division
- This Machine Rocks (2010), Morbius
- Compilations
- The Best of Basczax (2009), Spectra
Singles
- "Madison Fallout" (1979), Pipeline