Taking their name from a type of cooked pudding, the
electronic duo Blancmange interlaced the arty, exotic dance rhythms of Talking
Heads with the quirky melodrama of early-'80s British synth pop. Consisting of
Neil Arthur (vocals, guitar) and Stephen Luscombe (keyboards), Blancmange
formed in London, England in the late '70s. Originally called L360, Blancmange
received immediate recognition when they sent the song "Sad Day" to
DJ Stevo, who added it to a compilation LP of then-unsigned new wave groups,
including future alternative icons like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. Drummer
Laurence Stevens was a member of the band for a short while, but they
eventually replaced him with a drum machine. Signed to London Records,
Blancmange released their first two singles, "God's Kitchen" and
"Feel Me," in 1982. Both records were moderate hits in the U.K., the
latter barely missing the Top 40 charts. Blancmange's first album, 1982's Happy
Families, yielded the minor radio hit "Living on the Ceiling," which
also received a good deal of attention from early MTV. Though Happy Families
can accurately be described as techno-pop, it's techno-pop with a modicum of
taste and sophistication, putting it more in the ballpark of genre pioneers
like OMD and Yazoo than of annoying '80s anachronisms like Kajagoogoo. Arthur's
lyrics are interesting enough to reward close listening, and his Bowie-esque
voice, while somewhat limited, serves the material well. The sound of Happy
Families is built largely around synthesizers, played by Arthur and partner
Luscombe. The duo had a knack for catchy basslines and drum programming, on top
of which they strategically deploy guitars, Eastern instrumentation, and female
backing vocals. Particular highlights include "I Can't Explain" (not
the Who song), "Feel Me," "Sad Day," and "God's
Kitchen."
