18th Dye

Biography

Drone-heavy, fuzzed out debut LP Done, produced by Iain Burgess (Naked Raygun, Ministry, Big Black), was released in Germany in 1992 before the band gained a recording and distribution deal with US Independent label Matador Records in 1994, having been championed by Yo La Tengo. The self-produced six song EP Crayon followed in 1994.

In 1995, 18th Dye moved to Danish label Cloudland Records and recorded their second album, Tribute to a Bus, recorded by Steve Albini at Black Box Recording Studio in Noyant-La-Gravoyère, France. More dynamic and diverse than previous recordings, its blend of noise and melody suggest influences such as Sonic Youth, The Wedding Present and Wire. It is characterised by oblique English-as-second-language, maths based lyrics.

The band recorded three Peel sessions: in July 1994, March 1995 and February 1999. They broke up in 1999 with Büttrich and Breinholm-Bendtsen going on to form Kikkert and later Test, while Rädeker has played with the bands Evonike and Wuhling. They reformed in the summer of 2005 and have begun to debut new songs at recent shows around Europe. In November 2007, 18th Dye signed a new recording contract with Danish-based record label Crunchy Frog Records (The Raveonettes, Junior Senior, Heavy Trash, PowerSolo, The Naked, epo-555).

In 2008, a third album Amorine Queen was released and the band toured the US before breaking up again in 2009. A press statement said of the split "It is not possible for us to compose, create and act as a band any more. We have decided to stop the band at this point.

After the split Breinholm-Bendtsen established a company in Copenhagen where he designs leather bags.

Discography

Albums/EPs

• Done – 1992
• Crayon (EP) – 1993
• Tribute to a Bus – 1995
• Left (compilation) – 1998
• Amorine Queen – 2008

Singles

• Whole Wide World / Fragile Stars – 1994
• Dive / Coffee Cup Revisited – 1994
• Dive / Can You Wink? / Plumbing & Soon Forgetting – 1994
• Play W/ You / Gout S.F. / F. – 1995

References

References

1. (2010). "The Official Crunchy Frog Site".
2. Jenkins, Mark. (9 June 1995). "18TH DYE'S NOISY BUS' RIDE". The Washington Post.
3. (24 July 1994). "18th Dye at John Peel Sessions 1994".
4. (26 March 1995). "18th Dye at John Peel Sessions 1995".
5. (28 February 1999). "18th Dye at John Peel Sessions 1999".
6. (2005). "Test's Official Website".
7. Jarman, David. (August 1997). "Wuhling – Extra 6 Review". College Media Inc.
8. (24 November 2008). "18th Dye – reunited & touring (dates)".
9. (2008). "PUNKCAST#1486".
10. Honigman, Ana Finel. (24 August 2009). "Bag Man – Piet Breinholm". The New York Times.