Def FX' debut release was a four-track EP, 'Water', in June 1991 via Phantom Records. It featured the song, "Surfers of the Mind", which Joanna Palmer of Tharunka described as "a violent whirlpool of high-voltage house metal where Horne puts her larynx through a militant aerobic workout, while the cool delivery of Lowry's 21st century gospel raps around her." The track appeared on national radio station, Triple J's listeners' poll for 1991. They toured Australia and promoted it with the band's first music video. 'Water' was produced by Nick Mainsbridge. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1992 the EP was nominated for Best Independent Release and Producer of the Year.
They followed with a second EP, 'Surge', in November, which included the track, "Under the Blue". A third EP, 'Blink' (June 1992), included the track, "Sex/Game/Sucker". Gardner was replaced on guitar by Dave Stein late in 1992. Lowry summarised the group's attitude to signing with a major label, "It was always important to stay independent long enough to set the parameters of the band, so that anyone who came on board would be clear what the band was like and how it should be marketed."
Their first album, 'Light Speed Collision', was released in November 1992 in a vinyl-only format via Phantom Records; it appeared in CD format through EMI in the following February. The album included guest vocals by New Zealand pop singer, Margaret Urlich. For its United States version, on RCA/BMG in June 1993, the band used the name, Definition FX, to avoid confusion with a US band, Das EFX. They reordered the tracks and added material from two of their EPs. Lowry explained to Nic Haygarth of The Canberra Times that "People get the misconception that because we're a technology-based band we do a lot of our work and development of songs in the studio, but I suppose what we do there is attempt to transfer the live show to record, and we might put up a very rough mock-up of a song and start playing it."
The second album, 'Baptism', released in 1993, is a compilation of three Australian-released EPs 'Water', 'Surge' and 'Blink' as well as a 12-inch single, "Surfers of the Mind". 'Baptism' featured the track, "Make Your Stash", which is apparently so rare that Horne had no idea of its existence when presented it for autographing by a dedicated Def FX fan. The single was rather atypical of Def FX, in that it had no cover art and no B-sides, which had characterised their EPs. The band usually preferred to make each release, be it album or EP, a conceptual work that made full use of the compact disc format that had recently come into commercial prominence. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993 'Blink' was nominated for Best Independent Release.
Three more EPs followed 'No Time for Nowhere' (March 1993), 'Space Time Disco' (June) and 'Post Moronic' (September 1994). At the end of 1993 Basha had departed and his duties on bass guitar were taken up by Van Kriedt. 'Post Moronic' appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart in the top 50. One of its tracks, "Masses Like Asses", was listed on the Triple J Hottest 100, 1994.
'Ritual Eternal' (1995), their third album, is more experimental: including tracks without standard guitars and others with Charlie McMahon on didgeridoo (ex-Gondwanaland Project), who also joined Def FX on tour. It was recorded and produced almost entirely by Lowry, following the cancellation of their contract with EMI, and was issued via independent label Cicada Music and distributed by MDS. McFarlane felt the CD was "over-ambitious". 'Ritual Eternal' introduced their new bass guitarist, Peter Tasker, who was forced out of the band months later and replaced by Sean Fonti (ex-Massappeal, Caligula). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1995 they were nominated for Best Independent Release for their third album.
In November 1995 they issued a single, "Psychoactive Summer", which also reached the top 50 on the ARIA Charts. It was followed by their fourth album, 'Majick', in mid-year, which peaked at #21 on the ARIA Albums Chart. It provided four singles. The band dissolved in May of that year with the split announced by Horne on ABC-TV's Saturday morning youth variety show, Recovery.
With Horne and Basha as the sole original members, Def FX reunited and embarked on a national tour in May–June 2012, performing in east coast state capitals. Joining the pair were electronic musician Ant Banister (Clan Analogue) on keyboard and vocals and Wiley Cochrane on guitar, as well as an appearance by Jesse Basha (son of bassist Martyn Basha). From October to November 2013, they reformed again to play shows in Adelaide, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney and Brisbane. More recently in 2019 they reformed again for a sold-out east coast Australia tour. In 2023, they reformed for another east coast tour.
Members
Fiona Horne (vocals), Sean Lowry (vocals, sampler, keyboards), Larry Van Kriedt (saxophone, programming, bass), Blake Gardner (guitar), Martyn Basha (bass), David Stein (guitar), Sean Fonti (bass), Charlie McMahon (didgeridoo), Peter Tasker (bass), Sean Fonti (bass), Ant Banister (keyboards), Wiley Cochrane (guitar)
SINGLES
We Are Now ["Surge" EP] | 12 JAN '92 | #88 |
Sex Game Sucker ["Blink" EP] | 21 JUN '92 | #71 |
No Time for Nowhere
| 14 MAR '93 | #67 |
Space Time Disco
| 4 JUL '93 | #70 |
Psychoactive Summer
| 10 DEC '95 | #42 |
Spell on You
| 21 APR '96 | #51 |
I'll Be Your Majick
| 28 JUL '96 | #67 |
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_FX
http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/
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