Pop Will Eat Itself
Encyclopedia
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English
alternative rock
band
, originally formed in Stourbridge
in 1986, with members from Birmingham
, Coventry
and the Black Country
. Initially known as a Grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample
driven indie
and industrial rock
. Their highest charting
single was 1993's "Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies!". After initially disbanding in 1996, and having a brief reformation in 2005, they issued their first release in over five years in 2010.
, Adam Mole, Chris Fradgley, Malcolm Treece and Miles Hunt
(Treece and Hunt went on to form The Wonder Stuff
). From Eden recruited Graham Crabb to replace Hunt on drums before splitting up. Crabb, Mole and Mansell recruited Richard March and changed their name to Wild and Wandering, (named after a Wasted Youth
album) and they eventually became Pop Will Eat Itself in 1986. They took their name from a quotation in an NME
article on Jamie Wednesday
by David Quantick
.
In 1986 the band released the "Poppies Say Grrr!" single
which became the 'Single Of The Week' in the NME and playlisted by BBC Radio 1
. Crabb moved from drumming to singing and was replaced by a drum machine
called 'Dr. Nightmare'. Their style continued to expand with "There Is No Love Between Us Anymore" and "Def. Con. One
" (1988). As a result, PWEI were signed to the record label
RCA
and they achieved Top 40 hits
with "Can U Dig It?
" and "Wise Up! Sucker
" from their album
, This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!
In October 1988 they were bottled off the stage when supporting Public Enemy, although invited to tour the then Soviet Union
.
, U2
and Depeche Mode
.
On 1992's The Looks or the Lifestyle?
the band recruited Robert "Fuzz" Townshend
as their drummer to complement their standard array of loops and pre-programmed drums, with one of his first live performances being at the now closed Brighton Richmond club, now known as The Pressure Point. The album peaked at UK #15, and featured the Top 30 hit singles "Karmadrome" and "Bulletproof!" By January 1993, however, the band's biggest supporters at RCA had left the company, and the remaining executives did not understand the band or their music. The band was dropped from the label before the "Get the Girl! Kill the Baddies!" single was released. It went on to peak at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart
, becoming the band's biggest hit.
fees in return for PWEI's back catalogue. They signed a recording contract
with Infectious Records, a label initiated by their friend Korda Marshell, who had signed them to RCA, but had since left the label.
PWEI's political stance became more explicit with the release of the single "Ich Bin Ein Auslander
". A collaboration with Asian group Fun-Da-Mental
, the song had anti-nazi styled lyrics
and reached the UK Top 30. A different version of this song later appeared as the opening track on the 1994 album, Dos Dedos Mis Amigos
. The album peaked at #11 in the UK Albums Chart
and spawned their then final single release, "Everything's Cool", which became their ninth Top 30 UK hit.
The band found some new popularity after signing with Trent Reznor
's Nothing Records
in the US
, and touring with Nine Inch Nails
, as well as having their songs used on the PlayStation
game Loaded
. In March 1995 the band released the Dos Dedos Mis Amigos remix
album Two Fingers My Friends!
which featured remixes by The Orb
, Apollo 440
and Renegade Soundwave
. It was about this time that Crabb left the band and was replaced by Kerry Hammond with Mansell taking over full vocal duties. The band continued recording and touring until 1996, including a collaboration with The Prodigy. However, the band took a break before finishing production of their next album with Reznor. One track from this period was released, a cover version
of Gary Numan
's "Friends".
Almost all artwork and corporate identity for the band's record sleeves and merchandising were designed by the Sheffield based, now defunct design house The Designers Republic
. The Designers Republic's work with PWEI can be found in the Design Museum
, London.
for the band as a whole. Although the songs were mainly Crabb or Mansell compositions, using a pseudonym was considered more interesting than just "All songs by Pop Will Eat Itself". When Townshend joined the band, an attempt to change the name to 'Vestan Pance and Socks' was denied by RCA.
side project Golden Claw Musics
. After the rest of the band split in 1996, March and Townshend went on to form the big beat
band Bentley Rhythm Ace
. Townshend also released two solo albums and Mansell wrote a number of film
scores, including Requiem for a Dream, π, Doom
, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Moon
, and Black Swan
.
albums, whereby ten minutes after the completion of each gig, double
live album
s of the performance could be purchased.
The band released a preview of new material called 'Sonic Noise Byte' on 4 November 2005, as a torrent download for members of their official website pweination. However, an announcement on the official website in March 2006 confirmed that Mansell and March would no longer be involved in the project due to other work commitments, effectively ending the PWEI reformation. However the remaining band members continued as Vileevils
, and released the tracks "Retro Dreaming" and "Street Fightin" for download via the pweination website.
A secret, one-night PWEI reunion was scheduled to happen at the Vileevils show at Stourbridge Rock Cafe on 9 June 2007, but was foiled when Mansell was unable to obtain a visa in time to fly back to the UK. March still appeared at the show, and after the Vileevils set they played the planned PWEI songs, sans Mansell.
/DVD
combination, featuring "Axe of Men 2010", a remastered "Sonic Noise Byte", and a DVD with Vileevils material.
In July 2011, a new line-up was announced, featuring Graham Crabb as the only original member. In October that year the album, New Noise Designed By A Sadist, was released on Cooking Vinyl, to be followed by a UK tour.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, originally formed in Stourbridge
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
in 1986, with members from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
and the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
. Initially known as a Grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
driven indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
and industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
. Their highest charting
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
single was 1993's "Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies!". After initially disbanding in 1996, and having a brief reformation in 2005, they issued their first release in over five years in 2010.
Early years: 1981–1988
An early permutation of the band formed in 1981 under the name From Eden; members included Clint MansellClint Mansell
Clinton Darryl "Clint" Mansell, is an English musician, composer, and former lead singer and guitarist of the band Pop Will Eat Itself....
, Adam Mole, Chris Fradgley, Malcolm Treece and Miles Hunt
Miles Hunt
Miles Hunt is the singer / guitarist and songwriter for the Stourbridge, England-based Alternative Rock band The Wonder Stuff.- Early life :His father was a union official for the TGWU...
(Treece and Hunt went on to form The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band, originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England.-Origins:...
). From Eden recruited Graham Crabb to replace Hunt on drums before splitting up. Crabb, Mole and Mansell recruited Richard March and changed their name to Wild and Wandering, (named after a Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth (British Band)
Wasted Youth was a punk / post-punk band from London, England, active between 1979 and 1982, which blended early Goth and post-punk with dark acoustic strains of the sort associated with Nick Drake and Syd Barrett. The line-up of the band was Ken Scott , Rocco Barker , Nick Nicole , Darren Murphy ...
album) and they eventually became Pop Will Eat Itself in 1986. They took their name from a quotation in an NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
article on Jamie Wednesday
Jamie Wednesday
Jamie Wednesday were a British 1980s jangle pop band, formed in Streatham, South London in 1984, that released eight songs on two records between 1985 and 1986...
by David Quantick
David Quantick
David Quantick is a freelance journalist, writer and critic who specialises in music and comedy.-Career history:...
.
In 1986 the band released the "Poppies Say Grrr!" single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
which became the 'Single Of The Week' in the NME and playlisted by BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. Crabb moved from drumming to singing and was replaced by a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
called 'Dr. Nightmare'. Their style continued to expand with "There Is No Love Between Us Anymore" and "Def. Con. One
Def. Con. One
"Def. Con. One" is a single by Pop Will Eat Itself released in 1988 from the album This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! , It samples the songs "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges, Funkytown by disco band Lipps Inc. and Crazy Horses a 1972 hit by The Osmonds. The title comes from the...
" (1988). As a result, PWEI were signed to the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and they achieved Top 40 hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
with "Can U Dig It?
Can U Dig It?
"Can U Dig It?" is a dance single by Pop Will Eat Itself, released in 1989 from the album This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!....
" and "Wise Up! Sucker
Wise Up! Sucker
"Wise Up! Sucker" is a single by Pop Will Eat Itself released in 1989 from the album This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! The single peaked on the UK Singles Chart at #41....
" from their album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!
This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!
This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! is the second album by UK based Grebo band, Pop Will Eat Itself.- Track listing :...
In October 1988 they were bottled off the stage when supporting Public Enemy, although invited to tour the then Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The RCA years: 1989–1993
They released three successful albums on RCA. The first two (…This is This! and Cure for Sanity) were recorded with the aid of Flood, known for his work with Nine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
.
On 1992's The Looks or the Lifestyle?
The Looks or the Lifestyle?
The Looks or the Lifestyle? is the fourth album by UK based Grebo band, Pop Will Eat Itself. This album is considered to the blueprints to the later album Dos Dedos Mis Amigos, as it features a heavier and darker sound on some of the tracks...
the band recruited Robert "Fuzz" Townshend
Robert "Fuzz" Townshend
Richard "Fuzz" Townshend is a British drummer.- Biography :Drumming from the age of 10, Townshend found some success with both General Public and Pop Will Eat Itself, with whom he played from 1991 onwards...
as their drummer to complement their standard array of loops and pre-programmed drums, with one of his first live performances being at the now closed Brighton Richmond club, now known as The Pressure Point. The album peaked at UK #15, and featured the Top 30 hit singles "Karmadrome" and "Bulletproof!" By January 1993, however, the band's biggest supporters at RCA had left the company, and the remaining executives did not understand the band or their music. The band was dropped from the label before the "Get the Girl! Kill the Baddies!" single was released. It went on to peak at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, becoming the band's biggest hit.
Industrial influence: 1994–1995
RCA agreed to write off the debts that the band had accumulated in recording studioRecording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
fees in return for PWEI's back catalogue. They signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Infectious Records, a label initiated by their friend Korda Marshell, who had signed them to RCA, but had since left the label.
PWEI's political stance became more explicit with the release of the single "Ich Bin Ein Auslander
Ich Bin Ein Auslander
"Ich Bin Ein Auslander" is a single by Pop Will Eat Itself released in 1994 from the album Dos Dedos Mis Amigos The song peaked at #28 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994...
". A collaboration with Asian group Fun-Da-Mental
Fun-Da-Mental
Fun-Da-Mental is a British-based multi-ethnic hip-hop–ethno-techno–world fusion music group formed in 1991. The group is notable for its energetic fusion of Eastern and Western musical forms, for its outspoken political stance, and for its strong Islamic affiliation and advocacy. Fun-Da-Mental's...
, the song had anti-nazi styled lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
and reached the UK Top 30. A different version of this song later appeared as the opening track on the 1994 album, Dos Dedos Mis Amigos
Dos Dedos Mis Amigos
Dos Dedos Mis Amigos is an album from UK alternative band Pop Will Eat Itself. The album was somewhat different from PWEI's other albums, as it had more of an industrial influence and fewer samples were used.-The album:...
. The album peaked at #11 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and spawned their then final single release, "Everything's Cool", which became their ninth Top 30 UK hit.
The band found some new popularity after signing with Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
's Nothing Records
Nothing Records
Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by John Malm Jr. and Trent Reznor in 1992...
in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and touring with Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, as well as having their songs used on the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game Loaded
Loaded (video game)
Loaded is a science fiction-themed top-down shoot 'em up video game that was developed by Gremlin Interactive and published by Interplay. Loaded was released in late 1995–early 1996 on both the PlayStation and Sega Saturn...
. In March 1995 the band released the Dos Dedos Mis Amigos remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
album Two Fingers My Friends!
Two Fingers My Friends!
Two Fingers My Friends is an album of remixes of tracks from Pop Will Eat Itself's 1994 album, Dos Dedos Mis Amigos. It was released in two forms, a single disc version and a limited edition double disc set and features remixes by various electronic, industrial and hip-hop artists such as The Orb,...
which featured remixes by The Orb
The Orb
Throughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
, Apollo 440
Apollo 440
Apollo 440 are an English band formed in Liverpool in 1990. Apollo 440 have written, recorded and produced four albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as Apollo 440 and as ambient cinematic alter-ego Stealth Sonic Orchestra, and created music for film, television,...
and Renegade Soundwave
Renegade Soundwave
Renegade Soundwave was an electronic music group. Formed in London in 1986, the group originally consisted of Gary Asquith, Carl Bonnie and Danny Briottet.-History:...
. It was about this time that Crabb left the band and was replaced by Kerry Hammond with Mansell taking over full vocal duties. The band continued recording and touring until 1996, including a collaboration with The Prodigy. However, the band took a break before finishing production of their next album with Reznor. One track from this period was released, a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
's "Friends".
Almost all artwork and corporate identity for the band's record sleeves and merchandising were designed by the Sheffield based, now defunct design house The Designers Republic
The Designers Republic
The Designers Republic was a graphic design studio, founded on 14 July 1986 by Ian Anderson, and based in Sheffield, England. It was known for its anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca-Cola...
. The Designers Republic's work with PWEI can be found in the Design Museum
Design Museum
Design Museum is a museum by the River Thames near Tower Bridge in central London, England. The museum covers product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design. It was founded in 1989 and claims to be the first museum of modern design...
, London.
Vestan Pance
All PWEI songs were credited to Vestan Pance. It was a pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
for the band as a whole. Although the songs were mainly Crabb or Mansell compositions, using a pseudonym was considered more interesting than just "All songs by Pop Will Eat Itself". When Townshend joined the band, an attempt to change the name to 'Vestan Pance and Socks' was denied by RCA.
Disbanded: 1996
Crabb concentrated on his ambientAmbient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
side project Golden Claw Musics
Golden Claw Musics
Graham Crabb is a musician, best known for performing in the industrial/dance rock band, Pop Will Eat Itself .-Biography:Crabb is a founder member of Pop Will Eat Itself...
. After the rest of the band split in 1996, March and Townshend went on to form the big beat
Big beat
Big beat is a term employed since the mid-1990s by the British music press to describe much of the music by artists such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Propellerheads typically driven by heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns in...
band Bentley Rhythm Ace
Bentley Rhythm Ace
Bentley Rhythm Ace are a duo formed in Birmingham, England in 1997, consisting of Mike Stokes and Richard March.-Career:The band was formed in Birmingham by Richard March, formerly with the group Pop Will Eat Itself, and Mike Stokes, with guest appearances by James Atkin, a member of indie band EMF...
. Townshend also released two solo albums and Mansell wrote a number of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
scores, including Requiem for a Dream, π, Doom
Doom (film)
Doom is a 2005 science fiction horror film, loosely based on the Doom series of video games created by id Software. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak....
, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Moon
Moon (film)
Moon is a 2009 British science fiction drama film about a man who experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary stint mining helium-3 on the far side of the Earth's moon. It is the feature debut of director Duncan Jones. Sam Rockwell stars as the employee Sam Bell, and...
, and Black Swan
Black Swan (film)
Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis. Its plot revolves around a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet by a prestigious New York City company. The production requires a ballerina to...
.
Reformation: 2005
The band reformed to play their first gigs in eight years, in Nottingham, Birmingham, and London in January 2005. These gigs were notable for their Instant LiveInstant Live
Instant Live is a service by Live Nation which provides for the distribution of digital live recordings of concerts and music events, available soon after a performance has ended...
albums, whereby ten minutes after the completion of each gig, double
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
s of the performance could be purchased.
The band released a preview of new material called 'Sonic Noise Byte' on 4 November 2005, as a torrent download for members of their official website pweination. However, an announcement on the official website in March 2006 confirmed that Mansell and March would no longer be involved in the project due to other work commitments, effectively ending the PWEI reformation. However the remaining band members continued as Vileevils
Vileevils
Vileevils was an electronic dance duo, formed when the 2005 reunion of Pop Will Eat Itself failed to become a full-time project. Singer Clint Mansell and guitarist Richard March were too busy with side projects to dedicate themselves to writing and performing new material, and so the remaining...
, and released the tracks "Retro Dreaming" and "Street Fightin" for download via the pweination website.
A secret, one-night PWEI reunion was scheduled to happen at the Vileevils show at Stourbridge Rock Cafe on 9 June 2007, but was foiled when Mansell was unable to obtain a visa in time to fly back to the UK. March still appeared at the show, and after the Vileevils set they played the planned PWEI songs, sans Mansell.
PWEI World Service: 2010–present
On February 23, 2010, a press release was issued to those on the dPulse Recordings mailing list, stating that Crabb would be discontinuing work on the Vileevils project, to concentrate on reviving Pop Will Eat Itself with a new PWEI album, new band and tour dates to be announced. On 11 May 2010, PWEI released the "Axe of Men 2010" single on a CDCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
/DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
combination, featuring "Axe of Men 2010", a remastered "Sonic Noise Byte", and a DVD with Vileevils material.
In July 2011, a new line-up was announced, featuring Graham Crabb as the only original member. In October that year the album, New Noise Designed By A Sadist, was released on Cooking Vinyl, to be followed by a UK tour.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
||
| 1987 | Box Frenzy Box Frenzy Box Frenzy is the debut album from the group Pop Will Eat Itself. It was released in 1987 by Chapter 22 Records in the UK and Rough Trade Records in the US, and re-released in 2003 with bonus tracks by Castle Records.... |
- | - |
| 1989 | This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! is the second album by UK based Grebo band, Pop Will Eat Itself.- Track listing :... |
24 | 169 |
| 1990 | Cure for Sanity Cure for Sanity Cure for Sanity is the third album by UK based Grebo band, Pop Will Eat Itself.-Track listing:#"The Incredible P.W.E.I. vs The Moral Majority"#"Dance of the Mad Bastards"#"88 Seconds... & Still Counting"#"X Y & Zee"#"City Zen Radio 1990/2000 FM"... |
33 | - |
| 1992 | The Looks or the Lifestyle? The Looks or the Lifestyle? The Looks or the Lifestyle? is the fourth album by UK based Grebo band, Pop Will Eat Itself. This album is considered to the blueprints to the later album Dos Dedos Mis Amigos, as it features a heavier and darker sound on some of the tracks... |
15 | - |
| 1994 | Dos Dedos Mis Amigos Dos Dedos Mis Amigos Dos Dedos Mis Amigos is an album from UK alternative band Pop Will Eat Itself. The album was somewhat different from PWEI's other albums, as it had more of an industrial influence and fewer samples were used.-The album:... |
11 | - |
| 2011 | New Noise Designed by a Sadist New Noise Designed by a Sadist -Track listing:# "Back 2 Business"# "Chaos & Mayhem"# "Nosebleed Turbo TV"# "Captain Plastic"# "Mask"# "Equal Zero"# "Oldskool Cool"# "Seek & Destroy"# "Disguise"# "Wated "# "Wasted "... |
187 | - |
Live albums
- Weird's Bar and Grill (Live) (1993) UK #44
- The Radio 1 Sessions 1986-87 (1997)
- Reformation: Nottingham Rock City 20.01.05 (2005)
- Reformation: Birmingham Carling Academy 22.01.05 (2005)
- Reformation: Birmingham Carling Academy 23.01.05 (2005)
- Reformation: London Shepherds Bush Empire 24.01.05 (2005)
- Reformation: London Shepherds Bush Empire 25.01.05 (2005)
Compilations
- Now for a Feast! (1988)
- 16 Different Flavours of Hell (Best of) (1993) UK #73
- Wise Up Suckers (BMG best of) (1996)
- PWEI Product 1986-1994 (Anthology) (2002)
- The Best Of (2008)
EPs
- 2000 Light Ales from Home (1986) under the name 'Wild And Wandering'
- The Poppies Say GRRrrr! (1986)
- Poppiecock (1986)
- Very Metal Noise Pollution (1989) UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#45 - Amalgamation (1994)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| 1987 | "Sweet Sweet Pie" | - | - | Now for a Feast! |
| "Love Missile F1-11" | - | - | ||
| "Beaver Patrol" | - | - | Box Frenzy | |
| 1988 | "There Is No Love Between Us Anymore There Is No Love Between Us Anymore "There Is No Love Between Us Anymore" is a single by Pop Will Eat Itself released in 1988 from the album Box Frenzy... " |
66 | - | |
| "Def. Con. One Def. Con. One "Def. Con. One" is a single by Pop Will Eat Itself released in 1988 from the album This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! , It samples the songs "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges, Funkytown by disco band Lipps Inc. and Crazy Horses a 1972 hit by The Osmonds. The title comes from the... " |
63 | 30 | This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! | |
| 1989 | "Can U Dig It? Can U Dig It? "Can U Dig It?" is a dance single by Pop Will Eat Itself, released in 1989 from the album This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!.... " |
38 | - | |
| "Wise Up! Sucker Wise Up! Sucker "Wise Up! Sucker" is a single by Pop Will Eat Itself released in 1989 from the album This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This! The single peaked on the UK Singles Chart at #41.... " |
41 | - | ||
| 1990 | "Touched by the Hand of Cicciolina" | 28 | - | Cure for Sanity |
| "Dance of the Mad" | 32 | - | ||
| 1991 | "X Y & Zee" | 15 | 11 | |
| "92 Degrees" | 23 | - | ||
| 1992 | "Karmadrome" / "Eat Me Drink Me Love Me" | 17 | - | The Looks or the Lifestyle? |
| "Bulletproof!" | 24 | - | ||
| 1993 | "Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies!" | 9 | - | |
| "R.S.V.P. / Familius Horribilus" | 27 | - | Dos Dedos Mis Amigos | |
| 1994 | "Ich Bin Ein Auslander Ich Bin Ein Auslander "Ich Bin Ein Auslander" is a single by Pop Will Eat Itself released in 1994 from the album Dos Dedos Mis Amigos The song peaked at #28 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994... " |
28 | - | |
| "Everything's Cool" | 23 | - | ||
| 2010 | "Axe of Men 2010" | - | - | |
| 2011 | "Chaos & Mayhem" | - | - | New Noise Designed by a Sadist |
Videos
- Unspoilt by Progress VHS (1991)
- Reformation: Birmingham Carling Academy 23.01.05 DVD (2005)