Blancmange

Vocalist-writer Neil Arthur and instrumentalist Stephen Luscombe (Blancmange, as they christened themselves), signed with London Records in February 1982 and embarked on one of the great Imperial Phases of synth pop. They released 10 charting hits of the 80s, secretly nourished by Can and Captain Beefheart.

By 1985 however, Neil and Stephen found themselves drained of inspiration and often recording separately. At a concert for Greenpeace at the Royal Albert Hall in April 1986, Neil cast his eyes out to a happy cheering crowd and realised “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

He and Stephen remained in contact, often finding themselves together in friends’ studios, joking that they should do more stuff together one day. 25 years later they realised they weren’t really joking about it. The resultant album, 2011’s ‘Blanc Burn’ pulsed with all the energy and strange beauty of early Blancmange, refreshed by new technology.

Sadly Stephen left shortly after ‘Blanc Burn’ due to ill-health, but reconnecting with the spirit of Blancmange unlocked an astonishingly prolific side to Neil Arthur. Alongside seven more Blancmange albums and the instrumental series ‘Nil By Mouth’ he works with the electronic musician Benge as Fader, and as Near Future with the Brighton-based musician, Jez Bernholz. “I’m a really lucky man,” he says. “I’ve learned how to let go and let things be. I used to be afraid to fail. Now I’m not afraid to have a go.”