{"id":4267,"date":"2011-11-13T20:29:23","date_gmt":"2011-11-14T03:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=4267"},"modified":"2011-11-13T20:29:46","modified_gmt":"2011-11-14T03:29:46","slug":"thomas-dolby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2011\/11\/thomas-dolby\/","title":{"rendered":"THOMAS DOLBY"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>THOMAS DOLBY<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From \u201980s hitmaker to modern-day tech innovator,\u00a0 science has been good to him<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contrary to the title of his\u00a0biggest radio hit, London native Thomas Dolby has never been blinded by science. In fact, the preoccupation with technology hinted at in synthesizer-happy 1980s classics like \u201cShe Blinded Me With Science,\u201d \u201cHyperactive!\u201d and \u201cOne of Our Submarines\u201d has allowed him to flourish well into the new millennium. After his radio hits dried up he turned his attention to establishing the tech company Beatnik, specializing in music-related software and cellphone ringtones. And now he is using the internet to take control of his musical destiny\u2014his first album of new studio material since 1992, A<\/em> Map of the Floating City<\/em>, is accompanied by a web-based social-networking game.<\/p>\n

Dolby first cultivated a tech-friendly image with the video for \u201cShe Blinded Me,\u201d which famously found him committed to a fictional \u201cHome for Deranged Scientists.\u201d \u201cI knew I couldn\u2019t compete with pinup boys like Duran Duran, Adam Ant or Sting,\u201d Dolby says. \u201cSo I invented that mad-scientist character. It wasn\u2019t much of a stretch, because I was always a geek anyway.\u201d He soon became in demand as a keyboardist and producer for acts like Def Leppard, Foreigner, David Byrne, Roger Waters and Prefab Sprout. \u201cI went from performing with Stevie Wonder at the Grammys to being in David Bowie\u2019s band at Live Aid within a matter of weeks,\u201d he marvels. \u201cThe opportunities were there, so I took full advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along the way he moved to California, then back to England, where he now lives in a tiny hamlet in East Anglia. His return to Britain coincided with his decision to recommit himself to making new music. Dolby\u2019s new effort finds him taking a more organic tack than the synthesized sound that branded him early on, but also shows he\u2019s as adventurous as ever. The conceptually ambitious Floating City<\/em> is built around three imaginary geographical settings that represent the places he\u2019s resided over the past 30 years: England, the U.S. and once again, England.<\/p>\n

Aided by several special guests like Mark Knopfler, Imogen Heap and Regina Spektor, Floating City<\/em> is personal and reflective, tempered by an after-hours vibe and a hint of Americana. \u201cI\u2019ve always liked that music,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd having spent so much time in America, I believe I\u2019m able to incorporate it.\u201d There are even some jazzier elements, most prominently on \u201cLove Is a Loaded Pistol.\u201d \u201cI felt like I was channeling Billie Holiday,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Dolby recorded in an energy-efficient studio built around a 1930\u2019s lifeboat perched in his garden (\u201cIt doesn\u2019t float,\u201d he concedes), and his new music is being released without the aid of a record label. \u201cAfter my last label folded, it occurred to me that I don\u2019t really need a middleman,\u201d he says. \u201cI can record at home and upload it on my own. There\u2019s no need to share the revenues\u2014I can do it all myself.\u201d He\u2019s aware that he faces a challenge easing back into the spotlight after being away so long. \u201cThere are lots of kids who were born after my initial records and have no idea who I am,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd a lot of my old fans have lost touch and aren\u2019t aware I\u2019ve returned. So I almost feel like I\u2019m starting over. But I do think the new record is every bit as good as my early work. I\u2019m prouder of this album than anything I\u2019ve done before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013Lee Zimmerman<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI can record at home and upload it on my own. There\u2019s no need to share the revenues\u2014I can do it all myself.\u201d<\/h2>\n

\n<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THOMAS DOLBY From \u201980s hitmaker to modern-day tech innovator,\u00a0 science has been good to him Contrary to the title of his\u00a0biggest radio hit, London native Thomas Dolby has never been blinded by science. In fact, the preoccupation with technology hinted at in synthesizer-happy 1980s classics like \u201cShe Blinded Me With Science,\u201d \u201cHyperactive!\u201d and \u201cOne of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[970,2615,2805],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4267"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4267"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4271,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4267\/revisions\/4271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}