HR024 - Dance Naked — Colour Dance — C46 — 1987
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COLOUR SIDE
Purple Blue Green Yellow Red Black DANCE SIDE Bronze Contempt Point Of Change Venus In Furs Legion |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
Dance Naked were the trio of Alan Rider on bass, keyboards, rhythms and percussion, Kleo Kay on vocals and percussion, and Roger Foyster on vocals, rhythms, keyboards and percussion.
As the tape notes explain, the tracks on Side A, The ‘Colour’ Side, form the soundtrack to a music, dance and slide performance that took place on 10 October 1987 at the Institute of Complimentary Medicine in London. The performance was the climax of a day organized by the International Association of Colour Therapists and was designed, composed and performed entirely by Dance Naked to illustrate the different qualities of each colour in music, dance and imagery.
It’s news to me that there is any such thing as a colour therapist?! Interesting. The set opens with ‘Purple’, a minimal yet melodic synth tone symphony. The two-note back and forth principle foundation is like a paralyzing drone over which the organ melody plays. ‘Blue’ sends forth pleasant minimal waves that fall in arcs as a pulsating synth melody slowly plays. There’s such a sublime simplicity to the music. ‘Green’ is like a minimal synth orchestrated children’s song and conjures up images of a surreal musical box ballerina doing her endless twirl. The electronic drum groove on ‘Yellow’ signals that we’re headed into different territory, and sure enough, this a cool grooving 80s synth-pop instrumental. The grooves continue on ‘Red’ as we veer into electronic avant-tribalism, bringing to mind a traditional native American ceremony with people in short haircuts and skinny ties dancing around the fire. And ‘Black’ is like the soundtrack for a spacey New Wave Hammer horror film.
The Side B ‘Dance’ Side contains four tracks from Dance Naked’s The Hidden God cassette album (1988). ‘Bronze Contempt’ is a fidgety, dance floor stumbling synth pop song with a zany gothic edge. It’s got great vocals with both male and female leads that sing and hoooowl! Tribal drums set the beat, spaced out synths, and didgeridoo-like vocal drone set the pace for a spoken narrative on ‘Point Of Change’. The musical intensity gradually builds, and the vocal drone becomes a delirious chant, creating the sensation of some kind of tribal/gothic industrial theater performance. My favorite track of the set. Dance Naked do an amazing cover of ‘Venus In Furs’, creating a B-52s meets Neue Deutsche Welle in space take on the Velvet Underground classic. Finally, ‘Legion’ closes the set with a floor pounding, industrial synth-pop raver. Excellent song and a solid album closer.
Dance Naked were the trio of Alan Rider on bass, keyboards, rhythms and percussion, Kleo Kay on vocals and percussion, and Roger Foyster on vocals, rhythms, keyboards and percussion.
As the tape notes explain, the tracks on Side A, The ‘Colour’ Side, form the soundtrack to a music, dance and slide performance that took place on 10 October 1987 at the Institute of Complimentary Medicine in London. The performance was the climax of a day organized by the International Association of Colour Therapists and was designed, composed and performed entirely by Dance Naked to illustrate the different qualities of each colour in music, dance and imagery.
It’s news to me that there is any such thing as a colour therapist?! Interesting. The set opens with ‘Purple’, a minimal yet melodic synth tone symphony. The two-note back and forth principle foundation is like a paralyzing drone over which the organ melody plays. ‘Blue’ sends forth pleasant minimal waves that fall in arcs as a pulsating synth melody slowly plays. There’s such a sublime simplicity to the music. ‘Green’ is like a minimal synth orchestrated children’s song and conjures up images of a surreal musical box ballerina doing her endless twirl. The electronic drum groove on ‘Yellow’ signals that we’re headed into different territory, and sure enough, this a cool grooving 80s synth-pop instrumental. The grooves continue on ‘Red’ as we veer into electronic avant-tribalism, bringing to mind a traditional native American ceremony with people in short haircuts and skinny ties dancing around the fire. And ‘Black’ is like the soundtrack for a spacey New Wave Hammer horror film.
The Side B ‘Dance’ Side contains four tracks from Dance Naked’s The Hidden God cassette album (1988). ‘Bronze Contempt’ is a fidgety, dance floor stumbling synth pop song with a zany gothic edge. It’s got great vocals with both male and female leads that sing and hoooowl! Tribal drums set the beat, spaced out synths, and didgeridoo-like vocal drone set the pace for a spoken narrative on ‘Point Of Change’. The musical intensity gradually builds, and the vocal drone becomes a delirious chant, creating the sensation of some kind of tribal/gothic industrial theater performance. My favorite track of the set. Dance Naked do an amazing cover of ‘Venus In Furs’, creating a B-52s meets Neue Deutsche Welle in space take on the Velvet Underground classic. Finally, ‘Legion’ closes the set with a floor pounding, industrial synth-pop raver. Excellent song and a solid album closer.