Frank Tovey: A Retrospective in Sound and Vision
To describe Frank Tovey, aka Fad Gadget, it’s best to start with the things the musical explorer wasn’t. Born in 1956, Tovey began his career in the late-1970s and remained active through the ’90s (passing away suddenly in 2002). Though he kicked around London during the heyday of punk and post-punk, his 10 albums–four as Fad Gadget, six as Tovey–aren’t quite angry or angular enough to fit inside those categories (not neatly, at any rate). More often, he’s presented as a synth-pop pioneer, even as he turned towards folk and trip-hop in his final years. Compared to label mates Depeche Mode and Mute founder Daniel Miller’s The Normal, Tovey is a trickier figure–a trickster, if you will. Some selections may be dark or experimental, but they’re unusually warm for such synthetic creations. They’re not quite gloomy enough for the goth crowd, and not quite slick enough for commercial radio–though signature number “Collapsing New People” deserved to conquer the airwaves. Tovey also collaborated with Non’s Boyd Rice and Wire’s Robert Gotobed and developed a reputation for highly theatrical performances.
Ultimately, his new four-disc compilation, A Retrospective in Sound and Vision, is as accessible as it is eclectic. It’s also a model retrospective in that Mute compiled the set with affection and an unprecedented degree of archival access. On the two CDs, singles mix with demos, side projects, and fan favorites, while the DVDs feature videos, a pair of concerts, and a documentary (the booklet includes liner notes from Marc Almond and photographer/filmmaker Anton Corbijn). By dodging every designation around, Fad Gadget may be difficult to describe, but Frank Tovey’s music has hardly aged a day. Highly recommended.