Circle X

Circle X was an American experimental rock band, formed in 1978 in Louisville, Kentucky. They were part of the late 1970s/early 1980s No Wave scene.

Background

Early career

Circle X formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1978 when art students Bruce Witsiepe and Tony Pinotti abandoned the punk band No Fun to join brothers Rik Letendre and Dave Letendre, who played in the I-Holes – both bands of which were considered the first punk bands in Louisville. By the end of 1978, the four had relocated to New York City, joining in on the No Wave scene and building a reputation for themselves.

The band then relocated to Dijon, France, touring for nine months with their new manager, Bernard Zekhri. The band received strong attention from the press and the public, whilst the band were writing new material.An untitled four-song EP, for then-nascent Celluloid Records, was released in 1980.

Following this, the band returned to New York, where they recorded their debut studio album, Prehistory, in 1981. The album went unreleased until 1983, when it was released by the California-based consortium of Enigma and Index Records.

Circle X (EP)

Circle X (officially untitled) is an EP and the debut release by American experimental rock band Circle X. It was on 12" vinyl in 1980 in France, through then-nascent record label Celluloid.

Background

CMJ described the album as a "raw, alien, dense set of four tuneless almost-not-even-songs made of spattered guitar, drums and Tony Pinotti's wrecked, howling voice".

Track listing

Critical reception

Trouser Press opined that the EP was "practically unmatched in its day. [...] Nothing sounded like this in 1979. Circle X caught the tail end of the no wave scene and out-waved it with a mere four ear-splitting compositions."

Re-issues

Circle X was later re-issued on CD in 1996 through label Dexter's Cigar. It was re-issued on 12" vinyl in Germany in 2009 through label Insolito.

Personnel

References

External links