Midnight Configuration releases ‘Radford’, a collection of rare, early tracks
Midnight Configuration
The goth rock act Midnight Configuration releases “Radford”, a collection of rare and previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1993 and 1995. Discovered during a reorganization of the Nightbreed Recordings studio archives, these tracks document the band’s early sound development.
Recorded on a 4-track porta-studio at 13 Osbourne Street in Radford, Nottingham, the tracks capture the band’s initial sound, influenced by Chrome, Killing Joke, Play Dead, and Hawkwind. The music carries a heavier tone than the band’s debut album, “Gothtec”, with lower-pitched, distorted vocals.
Despite the effects of time on the tapes, the music remains intact. These restored tracks, mastered at Nightbreed Studio in August 2024, thus provide an authentic record of the band’s formative years.
Radford is the first of two volumes and out now. The next release will feature early versions of songs from “Gothtec” and “The Kissing Skull”.
About Midnight Configuration
Midnight Configuration emerged in the early 1990s as one of the defining bands of the UK gothic and industrial underground. Founded by Trev Bamford in Nottingham, England, the band formed under the umbrella of Bamford’s own label, Nightbreed Recordings. With a sound that fused darkwave atmospheres, gothic aesthetics, and industrial beats, Midnight Configuration carved out a distinct niche in the gothic subculture.
The origins of Midnight Configuration trace back to Trev Bamford’s involvement in various gothic and post-punk projects during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Bamford had already established Nightbreed Recordings as a label dedicated to supporting and promoting dark alternative music. Midnight Configuration allowed Bamford to experiment with merging industrial and gothic elements, drawing influence from bands like Killing Joke, Chrome, Hawkwind, and Play Dead.
Initially, the band’s music leaned heavily into darkwave and post-punk roots, combining dense, atmospheric synthesizers with drum machines and heavily distorted guitars. These early influences also extended into lyrical themes, exploring death, occultism, and societal decay, themes that would become central to the band’s identity. Bamford’s vocal style in the early recordings was marked by deep, distorted vocals.
In 1994, Midnight Configuration released their debut album “Gothtec” that blended gothic rock with industrial and electronic music.
Following the success of “Gothtec”, Midnight Configuration released “The Kissing Skull” (1995). This album expanded on their sound with more complex song structures, while continuing to explore themes of occultism, death, and sexual politics.
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Midnight Configuration released several more albums, including “Funeral Nation” (1998) and “Dark Hours of the Southern Cross” (2004).
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