Ceramic Hello
| Company type | Music duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electronic music |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Brett Wickens, Roger Humphreys |
| Headquarters | Burlington, Ontario , Canada |
| Products | Electronic music albums and singles |
Ceramic Hello was an electronic music duo originating from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1980 by Brett Wickens following his exit from the band Spoons. He joined forces with Roger Humphreys, whose classical training significantly shaped their minimalist synthesizer sound, drawing comparisons to artists like John Foxx and labels such as Mute Records.
History
Following his departure from Spoons, Wickens teamed up with Humphreys, who brought a classical music background to their collaboration. Their debut release was the single "Climatic Nouveaux" (MAN003), issued in 1980 under Mannequin Records. This was succeeded by their 1981 album, The Absence of a Canary (MAN LP1). The album was crafted using a TASCAM eight-track reel-to-reel recorder and mixed in a 16-track studio located in Waterdown, Ontario. The production run was limited to 1000 units. Influences on their sound included Brian Eno, Gary Numan, and Kraftwerk. The predominantly instrumental record gained recognition on college radio stations, notably reaching the top 10 of CKCU-FM’s Alternative Record Chart in June 1981. Produced by Paul Abrahams, founder of Mannequin Records, the duo deliberately avoided live nightclub performances, instead relying on organic word-of-mouth promotion to grow their listener base.
The Absence of a Canary has since been celebrated retrospectively. It appeared in Fact magazine’s 2010 compilation of "The 20 Best Minimal Wave Records Ever Made" and was described by Self-Titled magazine as "one of the great Canadian electronic albums of the 1980s." Danilo Bulatovic from CKUT-FM lauded it as a foundational minimal synth record within Canada. Additionally, Damian Abraham, frontman of Fucked Up, has expressed admiration for the album. It saw two reissues: first in 2006 by German label Vinyl On Demand and later in 2012 through Toronto’s Suction Records; both editions featured early demos from the early 1980s.
Alongside his musical pursuits, Wickens collaborated with designer Peter Saville to produce album artwork for prominent artists including Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Peter Gabriel, New Order, Joy Division, and Ultravox. As of 2014, Wickens and Humphreys were working on a new Ceramic Hello project entitled Daisy Cutter.
Albums
- The Absence of a Canary (1981)
Singles
- "Climatic Nouveaux" (1980)