Assemblage 23
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Seattle, Washington, USA (1988 – present)
“Assemblage 23” is a one-man futurepop/ebm project, whose sole member is musician Tom Shear, based in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Prior to starting Assemblage 23, Shear experimented with music under the name “Man on a Stage”, beginning in the early 1980s. Most of Shear’s music at this point was instrumental, as he lacked the confidence to sing; the quality of the music itself was highly questionable by his own admission. Shear eventually began to add vocals to his music; at the same time, Shear was also playing bass in a punk band called the “Advocates”.
Assemblage 23 got its start in 1988, when at a “Depeche Mode” concert, founder Tom Shear heard the opening DJ spinning industrial dance music. Prior to hearing this type of music, Shear had been creating primarily synthpop and post-punk type music.
Hearing industrial music for the first time proved to be something of an epiphany for Shear, as he had finally found a form of music that combined the electronic sounds he loved from his synth-pop background with the heavier, darker aggression punk represented. Even so, the project was more of a hobby for Shear at this point; it took until 1998 for Assemblage 23 to gather enough positive acclaim to attract the attention of record labels.
Shear signed a deal in 1999 with the Canadian label Gashed! for a full-length album, “Contempt” (released in November 1999). A second album, “Failure”, followed in March 2001 and was released by Gashed! in North America and Accession Records in Europe. A single from “Failure”, “Disappoint”, was released on Accession in October 2001. The song dealt with Shear’s sense of loss after his father’s suicide on October 28, 1999.
Prior to starting Assemblage 23, Shear experimented with music under the name “Man on a Stage”, beginning in the early 1980s. Most of Shear’s music at this point was instrumental, as he lacked the confidence to sing; the quality of the music itself was highly questionable by his own admission. Shear eventually began to add vocals to his music; at the same time, Shear was also playing bass in a punk band called the “Advocates”.
Assemblage 23 got its start in 1988, when at a “Depeche Mode” concert, founder Tom Shear heard the opening DJ spinning industrial dance music. Prior to hearing this type of music, Shear had been creating primarily synthpop and post-punk type music.
Hearing industrial music for the first time proved to be something of an epiphany for Shear, as he had finally found a form of music that combined the electronic sounds he loved from his synth-pop background with the heavier, darker aggression punk represented. Even so, the project was more of a hobby for Shear at this point; it took until 1998 for Assemblage 23 to gather enough positive acclaim to attract the attention of record labels.
Shear signed a deal in 1999 with the Canadian label Gashed! for a full-length album, “Contempt” (released in November 1999). A second album, “Failure”, followed in March 2001 and was released by Gashed! in North America and Accession Records in Europe. A single from “Failure”, “Disappoint”, was released on Accession in October 2001. The song dealt with Shear’s sense of loss after his father’s suicide on October 28, 1999.
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Top Albums
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Failure
Assemblage 23
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Defiance
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Storm
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Compass
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Shoutbox
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DjGiz wrote:
Agree with Wolfsinthe.
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Wolfsinthe wrote:
I can't wait for the new album. I'm confident it will be amazing.
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treibrad wrote:
<3
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SunlessDawn wrote:
@skinnydrifter Ok that's the point. I was asking myself why do you never mention Assemblage 23 when talking about "futurepop titans". No bad releases, still getting better and better. Looking forward to Amphi 2012, will be my first Assemblage 23 concert!
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nakatadim wrote:
Both A23 and Neuroticfish are my favourite ebms
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skinnydrifter wrote:
Skin... I never could get into his vocals, but they're okay on the track Skin
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Moonchild_ wrote:
Horizon!
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stehh92 wrote:
Lullaby... ♥
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DjGiz wrote:
Check my "Spark" remix! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntGe8DO7MbY
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TheShadowstorm wrote:
http://isleptintheseclothes.wordpress.com/ music blog :p
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DjGiz wrote:
http://www.lastfm.it/music/Dj+Giz/Sono+Ancora+Qui+Vol.+1 My music... Check it!
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hitartizte wrote:
yay hes in my area :D future concert wishful thinkings...
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tyrosin wrote:
Не знал,что в штатах нормальная музыка есть.
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edruseru wrote:
Ohh please come to Norway<3
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DorkiDorri wrote:
Almost 12 years later & A23 still always in my top 3 all time favorites. I am excited to go to his show tomorrow!
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savioursyn wrote:
S.A.V.I.O.U.R. SYNDICATE - PROLOGUE "INFKTD - Checkmate God" vs. "SHOCKER/THABEL/OZIM - Fincher's SE7EN Tribute" preview and free download: http://www.lastfm.pl/label/S.A.V.I.O.U.R.+SYNDICATE Scoundrels And Villains I Owe Us Resurrection Make A Decision!
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onesteptosanity wrote:
"Failure" was the album that got me into (loving) this genre of music. Still loving it seven years after my first listen <3
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Neon_Spadezzz wrote:
'Awake' is my favorite song of theirs.
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SSSilhouette wrote:
King Of Insects!
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Chilangueitor wrote:
Alive <3
Videos
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Play
The Cruelest Year
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Play
at Amstelveen (Impermanence)
3 shouts
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Play
spark remix (audio only)
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Play
at Amstelveen (Spark)
1 shout
Events
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Jul
21
VIII. Amphi Festival 2012
Tanzbrunnen, Köln, Cologne, Germany
194 going
20 shouts
News
New Lost Signal EP Out Now on 23db Records!
27 Sep 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/officialassemblage23
Tom Shear's 23db label has released the first new music from
Lost Signal since 2006's critically acclaimed "Eviscerate".
The 5-track EP, entitled "Apparition" shows the project
…
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New Lost Signal EP Out Now on 23db Records!
27 Sep 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/officialassemblage23 -
27 Sep 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/officialassemblage23 -
21 Sep 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/officialassemblage23
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Recent Activity
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NimRato34 and atpunk added Assemblage 23 to their libraries. yesterday morning
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noomber tagged Assemblage 23 with industrial, futurepop and ebm. Thursday afternoon
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noomber, afni999999, hamunako and 2 other people added Assemblage 23 to their libraries. Thursday afternoon
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unassigned tagged Assemblage 23 with electronic and industrial. Wednesday afternoon
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Drakenhart and 2 other people added Assemblage 23 to their libraries. Wednesday afternoon
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justareggae tagged Assemblage 23 with futurepop and ebm. Tuesday evening
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justareggae, heathbar666, reGOREgitated and 5 other people added Assemblage 23 to their libraries. Tuesday evening
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eucaine wrote about Assemblage 23 in Favorite Albums of 2001. Sunday afternoon
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joaquin_honest added Assemblage 23 to joaquin_honest’s library. Sunday afternoon
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insolubility tagged Assemblage 23 with ‘ebm’. Sunday afternoon
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