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Born from the frustrations of the traditional 'band' line up Expandis was my response to many near misses with groups during the late 70s. Inspired by punk / new wave / experimental bands such as the brilliant New York innovators 'Suicide' and the more mainstream 'Talking Heads' as well as the obvious 'Kraftwerk', 'D.A.F.' and 'Yellow Magic Orchestra' connection. A high energy live show with no weak links coupled with a desire to break down some boundaries with the lyrics and music. We soon gained a following of like minded conspirators and for the next 3 years worked on all sorts of projects including - performance events, dance parties, graphic novels, videos, magazines, festivals and role playing sound tracks(!) at one point we even signed up with Rocket Records (Elton John's label) to have a stab at commercial success!! In retrospect I think we can safely say we were at least 10 years too early and probably picked the wrong planet!
Expandis were:
A list of known conspirators:
Albums
Singles
Videos
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"ElectroHuman rock from the ongoing TimeBubble show by the legendary cult band Expandis" Looking back into what is traditionally referred to as the past gives a clarity not readily available during events. Many paths both individual and collective can be seen to either run in parallel, off into the distance or across each other and the reason for certain 'coincidences' becomes clearer. Various musical collaborations rose up, flowered and withered but not before pollinating the next one in the series. We were wind-borne seeds, planted, germinated and reincarnated in various gardens, each one richer than the last. As each garden was preparing for its winter we were introduced to a seed for the next one, finally creating the hybrid Expandis. As the name implies, the concept could swell to envelop anyone of a like mind/heart/soul who came along - dancers, clowns, performance artists, vagrant musicians, hecklers, participants and observers. Performances ranged from small clubs to large open-air festivals, performance events to regular rock circuit gigs! One thing is certain, no two gigs were alike. Anything could, would and often did happen. Appearances on TV and radio were known to occur but live performance was the crucial medium, especially in the Expandibubble studio ( a spare room ) where much music was translated from wherever it originates and spontaneous combustion was the norm. Home videos exist showing slices of visions as do albums that were recorded in the Bubble and many unreleased sonic experiments that only saw the light on-stage. The music has aged well because of the timeless elements of spontaneity, imagination, tension and heart, of which there was plenty. The 'core' members are now rarely on the same continent but communicate through various appliances and the threat of reunion is always there. The garden still exists but the weeds have grown, and you can't find a gardener when you want one. Is the world ready for Expandis.... are we ready for the world? Dave Miller, Chicago, U.S.A. 2001 |
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