Band Profile – Disco Inferno

Starbound – Tribute Site

Not to be confused with 70s disco megahit, DI was a trio of Londoners who, in the late 80s decided to formed a band under the influence of Wire and Joy Division (as well as general output of Factory label). In the next decade, they produced a number of albums and singles, with each subsequent record moving them away from imitating their influences to creating a sound of their own.

Initially, the band (who were still in their teens when they started a group) included Ian Crause, Paul Willmott, Danish Gish and Rob Whatley. Gish, however, left the band in order to form Bark Psychosis and thus the band started touring/performing as a trio.

They first record was “Entertainment / Arc In Round” single, followed by a 1991 full-length “Open Doors, Closed Windows”. Trouser Press pointed out that LP “reveal a band with a very big collection of Joy Division records and a very large suitcase full of effects pedals.” Later, their full-length and Science EP were combined on “In Debt” album.
Further on, the band produced another batch of singles, including “Summer’s Last Sound”, “The Last Dance” and “A Rock To Cling To”, the latter of which contained 10+ minutes long title track that indicated the band’s growing interest in abstract and experimental music.
Their next full-length was 1994 “D.I. Go Pop”, which, as All Music Guide website pointed out ” resembles no other album so much as Wire’s 154 for the modern day — very English, encompassing a variety of styles and approaches, seemingly totally cryptic yet more touching to the mind, body and soul than anyone might have expected.”
By the mid 90s, the band released It’s A Kid’s World EP, but band leader Ian Crause felt that he’s stuck in a creative rut. The band released one more album – 1996 “Technicolour” and split up, frustrated by release lack of success and financial success. AMG pointed out that “the follow-up to their experimental masterstroke concerns itself with an attempt at being more conventionally structured, but they remain bizarre.” As usual, the record included plenty of noises, samples, but the guitar was also prominent in the mix, adding a layer to the band’s sound. The album also included what’s considered to be one of the most inventive uses of sampling – “It’s A Kid’s World” incorporated bits of Iggy Pop track “Lust For Life”, fragments of TV shows, flute and guitar, and according to AMG, its a “magnificent track that redeems Technicolour from being a garden variety experimental pop record.”
Shortly before their demise, the band also produced “Mixing It Session” EP, which included six tracks (all named after a particular animal) recorded for BBC show of the same name.  AMG described it as demonstration of the “sense of humor and playful disposition” that the band had.” AMG also pointed out that six new compositions are all weird — even weirder than anything the band recorded beforehand.” with sounds ranging from “cartoony dub groove” of “Tortoise” to “Shrew”, supposedly “the soundtrack to the before-and-after sequence of a redecorating show hosted by Foghorn Leghorn.”
After the band was done, Ian Crause started recording new material as Floorshow, but none of it emerged, except for compositions that he released under his own name in 2000. In 2004, One Little Indian label reissued Technicolour and D.I. Go Pop albums.
Band Members:
Daniel Gish (Bark Psychosis)
Ian Crause
Paul Willmott
Robert Whatley
Discography:
Entertainment / Arc In Round 7″ (Che Trading, 1991)
Open Doors / Closed Windows LP (Che Trading, 1991)
Science 12″ (Che Trading, 1991)
In Debt CD (Che Trading, 1992 / Carrot Top, 1995)
Summer’s Last Sound 12″ / CD (Cheree, 1992)
From The Devil To The Deep Blue Sky 12″  / CD (Rough Trade, 1993)
The Last Dance 12″ / CD (Rough Trade, 1993)
D.I. Go Pop CD (Rough Trade, 1994 / Bar/None, 1994 / One Little Indian, 2004)
It’s A Kid’s World CD (Rough Trade, 1994)
Second Language CD (Rough Trade, 1994)
Technicolour CD (Rough Trade, 1996 / One Little Indian, 2004)
The Mixing It Session CD (Tugboat, 1999)
Compilation Tracks:
“Bleed Clean” + “Glancing Away” on Does The Word Duh Mean Anything To You? (Che Trading, unknown year)
“Lost In Fog” on Ambient 4: Isolationism (Virgin, 1994)
“Starbound” on The Day We Killed Grunge (B.S.O.) (Caroline (Spain), 1994)
“Second Language” on Volume Ten (Volume, 1994)
MP3: It’s A Kid’s World
Technicolour
When The Story Breaks
Don’t You Know

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Set Sail

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Arc In Round