New Musik
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 in London, England |
| Founder | Tony Mansfield |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
New Musik was a British synth-pop ensemble active between 1977 and 1982. Under the leadership of Tony Mansfield, they attained commercial recognition in 1980 with the top 20 hit single "Living by Numbers" and followed it up with top 40 singles including "This World of Water," "Sanctuary," as well as the album From A to B.
History
Originating in London in 1977, New Musik developed from a group of schoolmates who initially performed as End of the World. The band was spearheaded by songwriter and producer Tony Mansfield, with the original members featuring bassist Tony Hibbert and drummer Phil Towner, both of whom were also part of the Nick Straker Band. Keyboardist Clive Gates became a member in 1979.
Their first single, "Straight Lines," launched in September 1979 through GTO Records, received airplay on platforms such as BBC Radio 1 and New York’s WPIX-FM. Released in April 1980, their debut album From A to B entered the UK Top 40 charts and included four successful singles, notably "Living by Numbers," which was featured in Casio’s television advertisements promoting digital calculators.
In 1980, New Musik embarked on a UK tour, appearing at major events like the Oxford and Cambridge May Balls alongside Elvis Costello, and also performed at Rotterdam’s New Pop festival. Their sophomore album Anywhere (1981) reached number 68 on the UK charts; however, singles such as "Luxury" and "While You Wait" failed to chart. That same year, a US-exclusive compilation titled Sanctuary was released, combining selections from their first two albums. After some personnel shifts, Mansfield and Gates proceeded to record the third album with session musicians.
Following the shutdown of GTO Records, New Musik issued their last album, Warp (1982), which took a more experimental approach with a strong electronic focus. Notably, it was among the earliest albums created mainly using digital samplers and emulators, including a synthesized rendition of The Beatles’ "All You Need Is Love". The group disbanded soon after this release.
After New Musik dissolved, Mansfield enjoyed a successful career as a producer collaborating with artists such as After the Fire, a-ha, Aztec Camera, The B-52's, The Damned, Captain Sensible, Naked Eyes, Mari Wilson, Jean Paul Gaultier, Miguel Bosé, and Ana Torroja.
Both From A to B and Anywhere were reissued on CD in 1994, 2001, and 2011 featuring remastered audio and additional tracks. The album Warp saw its first CD release outside Japan in 2011 through Cherry Red Records.
Final lineup prior to breakup
- Tony Mansfield (1977–1982)
- Clive Gates (circa 1979–1982)
- Cliff Venner (1982)
Former members
- Tony Hibbert (1977–1981)
- Phil Towner (1977–1981)
Studio albums
| Year | Album | UK |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | From A to B | 35 |
| 1981 | Anywhere | 68 |
| 1982 | Warp | — |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Straight Lines | Included the initial UK singles "Straight Lines" and "Living by Numbers" along with B-side tracks, issued on Epic Records' Nu-Disk 10" vinyl format. |
| 1981 | Sanctuary | A compilation released exclusively in the US, containing five songs from From A to B and seven from Anywhere. |
Singles
| Year | Track | Highest chart rankings | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | FRA | IRE | NL | |||
| 1979 | "Straight Lines" | 53 | — | — | — | — | From A to B |
| 1980 | "Living by Numbers" | 13 | 55 | — | 12 | — | |
| "This World of Water" | "31" | "—" | "—" | "18" | "23" | ||
| "On Islands" | "—" | "—" | "26" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Sanctuary" | "31" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "44" | ||
| "Luxury" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "While You Wait" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "The Planet Doesn't Mind" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "All You Need Is Love" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Warp" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||