Blancmange release new single and John Grant remix ahead of latest album, ‘Private View’

🇺🇦 Side-Line stands with Ukraine - Show your Support

(Photo by Helen Kincaid) Out on 30 September via London Records is Blancmange’s upcoming album “Private View”. Benge returns as a key collaborator, and David Rhodes (Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Scott Walker) returns as the guitarist, having previously performed with the band on 1982’s debut “Happy Families” (as well as several other Blancmange albums). The new album will be followed by an extensive UK tour that runs from 1 October through to a London Assembly Hall appearance on 10 December, with Stephen Mallinder, Bernholz, Oblong, Rodney Cromwell and Alice Hubble as special guests across the tour.

But first they release a new single, “Reduced Voltage”, alongside a John Grant remix of the track. You can view the accompanying video, created by Harvey Wise, right below.

The new single is accompanied by a remix from long-time collaborator, John Grant who adds: “I have loved Blancmange for close to four decades, so it’s such an honor to be asked to remix a track off the new record. It was a blast and it’s my first. Hope you enjoy.”

You can listen to the John Grant remix below.

London Recordings · Reduced Voltage (John Grant Remix)

Blancmange formed in Harrow, London, in 1979. The band were a duo for much of their career, composed of Neil Arthur (vocals) and Stephen Luscombe (keyboards). Their first real exposure came via the track “Sad Day” on the “Some Bizzare Album” compilation, alongside acts such as Soft Cell and Depeche Mode. This led to them signing a recording contract with London Records. In December 1981 they supported Japan on their “Visions of China” UK tour. What followed were five UK top-20 singles: “Living on the Ceiling”, “Waves”, “Blind Vision”, “Don’t Tell Me” (their best single we would say) and of course also their excellent cover of ABBA’s “The Day Before You Came”. They released three albums during that decade: “Happy Families” (1982), “Mange Tout” (1984) and “Believe You Me” (1985).

The duo parted in 1986 but reformed in the late 2000s, and in 2011 released their fourth album, “Blanc Burn”. Luscombe left following the release due to ill health, and since then Arthur alone has continued to perform under the Blancmange name, releasing nine new studio albums along with a re-recording of the band’s debut album, titled “Happy Families Too…”. He has also been involved in a further three collaborative albums as Fader (with Benge) and Near Future (with Jez Bernholz).

An instrumental album by Blancmange, “Nil by Mouth II”, was released on 22 November 2019 as a limited-edition run of 1000 copies. The album was released on a larger scale on cd in June 2020. A new album, titled “Mindset”, preceded by a single with the same title in February, was released in June 2020.

Extensive UK tour throughout October, November and December

Here are the upcoming UK dates.

1 Oct – Rough Trade East, London
6 Oct – The HMV Empire, Coventry – w/ Bernholz
7 Oct – The Junction, Cambridge – w/ Oblong
8 Oct – Subscription Rooms, Stroud – w/ Oblong
13 Oct – Arts Centre, Colchester – w/ Oblong
14 Oct – University Y Plas, Cardiff – w/ Oblong
15 Oct – Cheese and Grain, Frome – w/ Oblong
20 Oct – Sub 89, Reading – w/ Oblong
21 Oct – The Level, Nottingham – w/ Oblong
22 Oct – Glassbox Theatre, Gillingham – w/ Oblong
27 Oct – The Fleece, Bristol – w/ Alice Hubble
28 Oct – The Boilerroom, Guildford – w/ Alice Hubble
29 Oct – Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne – w/ Alice Hubble
4 Nov – Exeter Theatre, Exeter – w/ Rodney Cromwell
5 Nov – The Brook, Southampton – w/ Rodney Cromwell
10 Nov – The Mill, Birmingham – w/ Alice Hubble
11 Nov – Kanteena, Lancaster – w/ Alice Hubble
12 Nov – The Forum Theatre, Barrow-in-Furness – w/ Alice Hubble
17 Nov – Corn Hall, Diss – w/ Rodney Cromwell
18 Nov – Gorilla, Manchester – w/ Stephen Mallinder
19 Nov – Hangar 34, Liverpool – w/ Stephen Mallinder
24 Nov – The Wardrobe, Leeds – w/ Stephen Mallinder
25 Nov – The Leadmill, Sheffield – w/ Stephen Mallinder
26 Nov – The Riverside, Newcastle – w/ Stephen Mallinder
1 Dec – The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen – w/ Stephen Mallinder
2 Dec – The Liquid Room, Edinburgh – w/ Stephen Mallinder
3 Dec – Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow – w/ Stephen Mallinder
9 Dec – Concorde 2, Brighton – w/ Stephen Mallinder
10 Dec – Islington Assembly Hall, London – w/ Stephen Mallinder

Bernard - Side-Line Staff Chief editor

Bernard Van Isacker is the Chief Editor of Side-Line Magazine. With a career spanning more than two decades, Van Isacker has established himself as a respected figure in the darkwave scene.

See Full Bio

Since you’re here …

… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.

If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The donations are safely powered by Paypal.