Star Apps: Blancmange's Neil Arthur
If the goal of UK card game Happy Families was to unite clans based on similar professions, then the objective of Blancmange's "Happy Families" album was to join seemingly disparate elements of Western electronics and Eastern sounds. Thirty-two years later, the breakthrough album continues to inspire electronic artists like La Roux, Hot Chip, and Metronomy. Blancmange recently re-recorded the classic album as "Happy Families Too," adding new track "Running Thin" and remixes from Depeche Mode, Yaz, and Erasure founder Vince Clarke, as well as legendary UK DJs Greg Wilson and Derek Kaye. I chatted with Neil Arthur about the reissue and another upcoming record, the melding of East and West, and his favorite apps.
Blancmange co-founder and vocalist Neil Arthur, all grown up.
You added a track, "Running Thin," to "Happy Families Too." Why this particular song for this album?
"Happy Families" was initially a vinyl release with limits on time per side. "Running Thin," along with tracks like "I Would" and "Your Hills," was written around the same time, and I felt was worthy of inclusion this time around.
What can you tell us about the new album?
The album, titled "Semi Detached," is made up of all new material and is due for release later this year.
You've been working without guitarist Stephen Luscombe of late. How is his health?
Thank you for asking. Stephen continues to be under medical supervision and is therefore unable to work at present.
What made Blancmange's sound so unique at the time was that it incorporated Eastern sounds. What appealed to you about this exotic music?
I guess we absorb the things we hear and see around us, and elements of those experiences get filtered and, in turn, used creatively. We've both always had an interest in other cultures, and of course we live in a multicultural society, so festivals, radio, and the local shop would have directly and indirectly left an impression on us.
Initially you weren't Blancmange's singer. How did you end up taking over vocal duties from Stephen?
Stephen couldn't sing the songs we were beginning to write. I was the easy and only alternative and had to learn quickly.
Could you explain to our readers what getting DJ John Peel's approval meant to a band like Blancmange in the early 1980s, pre-YouTube?
I'm not sure there is a comparison at present. Imagine no Internet, and then think that by and large there was no way to hear alternative music on the radio or TV until after 10 p.m. To get played once on John Peel was a significant moment. It was a musical education every night for many people. We recorded his programs on cassette and played them back until the tapes wore out. From listening to his show, a journey of musical discovery began that still continues today. More than anything the music press published at that time, his show was a massive influence on us. So to get his approval was, to say the least, special.
"Living on the Ceiling" was written about your wife. How did she respond to it when it came out?
She bought it.
Raise your spirits with the original "Living on the Ceiling" video:
How was the recording of your most recent album, "Blanc Burn," different than earlier Blancmange releases?
In many ways it was easier, because technology has ironed out many of the issues we had 30-plus years ago. For example, syncing up a drum machine with a sequencer or a multitrack could take up most of the day. Now you don't even need to rewind the tape, let alone try to sync it with a synth/drum machine. And we don't use tape!
What are your top five mobile apps?
1. Strava, because I like to cycle.
2. TuneIn, because I like the radio.
3. Star Walk, because I like the stars.
4. London Tube, because I like London.
5. Auto Trader, because I need a car.
Get Happy Families Too on iTunes.
