Eyeless in Gaza
Eyeless in Gaza is a post-punk/new wave musical duo of Martyn Bates and Peter Becker, based in Nuneaton, United Kingdom. They have described their music as "veer[ing] crazily from filmic ambiance to rock and pop, industrial funk to avant-folk styles." Formed in 1980, the group went into hiatus in 1987 as Martyn Bates pursued a number of solo projects and collaborations, re-emerging in 1993.
Becker, a laboratory technician, had played in a covers band before buying and experimenting with a Wasp synthesizer (he released a solo cassette-album in June 1980 and a second a year later). Bates, a hospital worker, had previously been a member of Reluctant Stereotypes, and released a cassette of experimental electronic music in January 1980. Shortly afterwards they met and together they formed Eyeless in Gaza, both contributing vocals and several instruments. The band name is a reference to the novel Eyeless in Gaza by Aldous Huxley. Bates has said he chose the name "for the sound of it... I was reading the Huxley book when I met Pete... It sounded perfectly nice." But Bates has also acknowledged an allusion to the "biblical myth" of Samson, saying, "I feel attracted by religion. I feel that people don't pay enough attention to the spiritual side of their life; it is a very interesting side of the human psychism and it fascinates me."
After a self-released single, they signed to Cherry Red Records, releasing debut album Photographs as Memories in February 1981. After three further albums for Cherry Red and an album for Norwegian label Uniton, they added Aztec Camera drummer Dave Ruffy for single Welcome Now (1985), recruiting former Sinatras/In Embrace drummer Joby Palmer for the next album, Back from the Rains.
The group then went on hiatus after Becker married and relocated to Spain, with Bates concentrating on solo work. They reunited in 1990 to collaborate with Anne Clark on her album The Law Is an Anagram of Wealth. In 1991 Bates formed Hungry I with former Primitives drummer Steve Dullahan.
They returned in 1993 with singer Elizabeth S for the Fabulous Library album and continued as a duo since. Bates also recorded between 1994 and 1998 with M.J. Harris (Napalm Death/Scorn) under the name Drift, and in the early 2000s with keyboardist Alan Trench in Twelve Thousand Days. He has also continued to release solo material. In 2012, Martyn Bates and Peter Becker appeared on Right North, the eleventh album, a double digipack, of the international collective 48 Cameras.
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