Andrew Poppy has always done things a little differently. Back in 1981, he helped launch The Lost Jockey, a sprawling experimental ensemble digging into the hypnotic, repetitive sounds pioneered by minimalist heavyweights like Glass, Reich, and Andriessen.
By the mid-’80s, he’d landed at ZTT Records, the famously adventurous label run by Paul Morley and Trevor Horn. There, Poppy pushed minimalist ideas into a more pop-oriented world. His album 'Alphabed' blended classical composition with studio experimentation, layering sequencers, samples, and synths alongside vocals from the likes of Annette Peacock, Ashley Slater, Udo Scheuerpflug, and Dee Lewis.
Around the same time, Poppy was also getting deeply involved in London’s experimental theatre scene, collaborating with the Institute of Contemporary Arts on visually ambitious productions like "Secret Gardens" and "Midday Sun". That eventually evolved into a series of chamber operas and music theatre works, including "The Songs of the Claypeople" and the wonderfully strange "The Uranium Miners Radio Orchestra Play Scene’s From Salome’s Revenge". Later projects included "Baby Doll", commissioned by the National Theatre Studio, and "Ophelia/Ophelia" in 1996.
The ’90s saw Poppy return to concert music with a string of ambitious chamber works and orchestral commissions. Pieces like "14 Poem and Toccatas", "Ember", and "Eight Movements for Piano Trio" helped cement his reputation as a composer equally at home in avant-garde concert halls and experimental studio spaces. In 1997, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra commissioned "Horn Horn", a concerto for two alto saxophones and orchestra. Around the same time, pianists Jed Distler and Tania Chen began performing selections from "Fruits and Shavings", his collection of solo piano works.
Outside the classical world, Poppy’s résumé gets even more eclectic. Over the years he’s worked in the studio with bands like The The, Erasure, and Nitzer Ebb, while also composing for theatre productions directed by figures such as Kenneth Branagh. Choreographers including Michael Clark and Heidi Latsky have also created dance works set to his music. Add film and TV scoring into the mix, plus a stint as head of music at the National Film and Television School in the late ’90s, and you get the picture: Andrew Poppy has quietly built one of the most fascinatingly unpredictable careers in modern music.
Nasty Rox Inc. were one of those late-1980s groups that arrived before the music industry really knew what to do with rock and club culture colliding together. At a time when most guitar bands and dance acts stayed in completely separate lanes, Nasty Rox Inc. were already throwing together live bass, guitars, hip-hop scratching, go-go rhythms, funk grooves and heavy club production. Their sound sat somewhere between underground warehouse culture and experimental pop, which made them stand out during the rise of UK dance music and the early acid house era.
The core lineup featured Dan Fox on vocals, John Waddell on guitar, Mark "Leo T" Townsend on bass, alongside DJ and production figures who gave the project its club edge. Dave Dorrell played a huge role in shaping their identity and was famously described as the group’s “pop instigator,” which was somewhere between creative director, producer and manager. Dorrell already had a strong reputation in the London club scene, and his influence helped push the project toward a more futuristic blend of rock attitude and dancefloor energy.
Another important early figure was Nellee Hooper, who worked as the group’s DJ before leaving to focus on production work. Hooper would later become one of the most respected producers of the 1990s through collaborations with acts like Massive Attack, Soul II Soul, Björk and Madonna. After his departure, he was replaced by CJ Mackintosh, whose turntable skills and club credibility brought another layer of energy to the lineup. Mackintosh later became a major name in UK dance culture through remix work, Ministry of Sound residencies and his involvement in M/A/R/R/S and the classic single “Pump Up the Volume.”
Nasty Rox Inc. recorded for ZTT Records, the label known for ambitious and genre-bending projects connected to producer Trevor Horn. Their 1988 album 'Ca$h' captured the group’s chaotic hybrid style, bouncing between hip-hop beats, live funk instrumentation, industrial textures and dancefloor experimentation. Tracks like “Escape From New York” showed exactly what made them unusual at the time: they sounded like a club act and a live band fighting for control of the same song.
Even though Nasty Rox Inc. never became a massive mainstream act, they ended up feeling ahead of their time. Long before rap-rock, big beat or dance-punk became common, they were already treating turntables, live instruments and club production as parts of the same language. Their work now feels like an early blueprint for the crossover culture that exploded during the following decade.
Novecentowas one of the most distinctive Italian acts to emerge from the vibrant European pop scene of the 1980s. Formed in 1984 by brothers Pino Nicolosi and Lino Nicolosi together with bassist Rossana Nicolosi and vocalist Dora Carofiglio, the group quickly built a reputation for sleek productions, sophisticated arrangements, and a style that constantly evolved over the years. Their sound first leaned heavily into Italo disco and synthpop, full of shimmering keyboards, dance grooves, and catchy melodies that fit perfectly into the mid-80s European club scene.
The first big breakthrough came with the debut single "Movin' On" in 1984. The track became a major success, selling more than 100,000 copies and giving the group immediate visibility across Italy and several international markets. That same year, Novecento received the “Revelation of the Year” award during the television event "Azzurro 1984", confirming that they were far more than another short-lived dance act from the decade.
As the years passed, Novecento kept reinventing their sound. The glossy disco energy of the early singles gradually opened the door to funk influences, soft rock textures, jazz-inspired arrangements, and polished pop rock songwriting. Albums released throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s showed a growing interest in sophisticated production and international sounds, which helped the group gain listeners outside Italy as well. Dora Carofiglio’s voice became one of the defining elements of their identity, shifting effortlessly between soulful ballads and upbeat dance tracks.
A major part of Novecento’s appeal came from the Nicolosi family’s songwriting and production skills. Pino handled keyboards and arrangements with a style strongly influenced by American funk and contemporary jazz, while Lino brought melodic guitar work and production ideas that gave many recordings a rich, layered atmosphere. Their collaborations with international artists and producers during the late 80s helped strengthen their reputation among collectors and fans of European pop and funk.
After recording seven albums and spending more than a decade exploring different styles, Novecento officially disbanded in 1997. Even after the split, interest in their catalog remained strong among fans of Italo disco and sophisticated European pop. The group reunited briefly in 2002 and later returned again in 2008, attracting renewed attention with the single "Cry". That comeback introduced their music to a younger audience while longtime listeners welcomed the return of a group that had always stood apart from many of their contemporaries thanks to their polished sound and willingness to experiment.
Anne Pigalle doesn’t fit neatly into a single artistic box. Born in France, she built her identity around the idea of the chanteuse, then expanded it into something far more layered. Her work moves between music, literature, performance, and visual art, always carrying that unmistakable Parisian mood, romantic, slightly decadent, and touched with theatrical flair.
She first gained attention in the mid-1980s, when alternative pop was brushing up against art-school experimentation. Her debut album 'Everything Could Be So Perfect' (1985) set the tone: a sound that feels like stepping into a late-night cabaret where synth textures and chanson coexist in the same dim glow. It never leaned fully into mainstream pop, yet it wasn’t completely underground either. There’s a careful elegance running through it, paired with a sense of distance that gives everything a distinctive edge.
Her music is only part of the picture. Pigalle also writes, performs, photographs, and paints, treating all these forms as interconnected pieces of a larger artistic vision. Her lyrics often feel like fragments of poetry, intimate, melancholic, sometimes playful, sometimes elusive. Themes like love, illusion, and identity keep resurfacing, often framed through a stylized femininity that feels both classic and quietly subversive.
As time went on, her work leaned more into multimedia territory, blending spoken word, visual storytelling, and performance art. Her live appearances can feel closer to small theatrical pieces than traditional concerts, drawing from cabaret traditions while reshaping them through a contemporary lens. That hybrid approach places her somewhere between a singer-songwriter and a gallery artist, which seems entirely intentional.
Her visual art -especially photography and painting- continues exploring similar ideas: beauty, fragility, transformation. There’s a strong sense that everything she creates belongs to the same evolving narrative, each project adding another layer rather than standing alone.
Anne Pigalle never really chased mainstream visibility. Her career reads more like a carefully constructed artistic universe than a conventional path, and stepping into it means entering something personal, stylized, and deliberately outside the usual lines.
After the original line-up of Propaganda disbanded, German vocalist Claudia Brücken (b. 7 December 1963, Berchenz, Germany) joined the electronics composer and vocalist Thomas Leer to form Act. Staying at Trevor Horn’s ZTT Records label, the pair’s first single, "Snobbery & Decay", revealed their continued experimentation in the studio, and they appeared on the BBC Television science programme "Tomorrow’s World" discussing new music technology. "Absolutely Immune" followed in September 1987 (plus a remix, "Absolutely Immune II"). In March I988, Act issued "I Can’t Escape From You", backed by a bizarre reworking of the Smiths’ "Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now", before unleashing their only album, 'Laughter, Tears And Rage', in June. Like their singles, this combined an array of studio wizardry with superbly crafted songs. Brücken went on to record a solo album, 'Love: And A Million Other Things'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Jamie Rae, born Jeff Fillingham on 21 November 1967, is one of those quietly enduring figures on the Scottish live entertainment scene who’s built a career through sheer consistency and connection with audiences. Raised in a musical environment as the son of Maureen Hart, he grew up surrounded by performance culture, which clearly left its mark early on. That kind of upbringing tends to shape instincts you can’t really teach, and in his case it translated into a natural ease on stage.
He first came to wider attention fronting the pop group The MacDonald Brothers’ touring productions and later carved out his own identity as a solo performer. Over the years, Jamie Rae became especially well known across Scotland’s theatre circuit, holiday parks, and cabaret venues, where versatility is everything. His shows usually blend classic pop, light rock, and crowd-pleasing standards, delivered with a style that leans more toward entertainment than strict vocal showcase.
What sets him apart is that old-school entertainer vibe, the kind where the performance isn’t just about singing songs, but about holding a room. He’s spent decades working audiences of all sizes, which has given him a reputation as a reliable live act who knows exactly how to read a crowd and keep energy levels where they need to be.
Outside the spotlight, there’s always been a strong sense of family influence in his story. Being the son of a working performer like Maureen Hart meant he understood the realities of the industry early: the travel, the hustle, the need to stay adaptable. That grounding seems to have helped him sustain a long-running career without chasing trends too hard.
While he might not be a chart-dominating name, Jamie Rae represents a different kind of success in the music world, one built on longevity, live connection, and staying power in a scene that often overlooks artists who thrive away from mainstream headlines.
The Untouchables were a Ska and Soul band from the Silver Lake, Los Angeles, formed in 1981 as part of the embryonic L.A. mod revival, and after being inspired by the ska revival/punk rock band The Boxboys. Since some couldn't play instruments, they either hastily learned, or became vocalists. The original lineup included: Kevin Long (vocals), Chuck Askerneese (vocals), Terry Ellsworth (rhythm guitar), Clyde Grimes (guitar), Rob Lampron (drums), Herman Askerneese (bass) and Jerry Miller (vocals, timbales). The Untouchables debuted in 1984 with 'Live & Let Dance' recorded for England's Stiff Records, They released 'Wild Child' in 1985 but after the 1986 EP 'Dance Party', The Untouchables were silent for several years. Finally, 1989's 'Agent Double O Soul' appeared, with the Edwin Starr soul nugget covered therein. The 1990 live album 'Decade of Dance' was the group's last. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Makin' Time came out of the Black Country area around Wolverhampton in the mid-80s, right when the mod revival scene was having another spark. They were part of that wave of young bands looking back to the sharp style and energy of the 60s, but with their own twist, mixing punchy pop with a strong dose of soul influences.
The lineup was tight and pretty classic: Mark McGounden on vocals and guitar, Fay Hallam on organ and vocals, Martin Blunt on bass, and Neil Clitheroe on drums. Each of them brought something distinct, but it was Hallam’s Hammond organ and voice that often gave the songs that extra kick, while McGounden handled much of the songwriting drive.
They got going around 1984 and quickly built a reputation as a lively act, landing a deal with Countdown Records and putting out their debut single “Here Is My Number,” produced by Pat Collier. Their first album 'Rhythm and Soul' dropped in 1985, followed by 'No Lumps of Fat or Gristle Guaranteed' a year later. The records captured that mix of catchy pop hooks and retro soul vibes, but despite the buzz and strong live shows, mainstream chart success never really clicked.
The whole thing was short-lived, wrapping up after just a couple of years and two studio albums. Still, the story didn’t end there. Martin Blunt went on to join The Charlatans, while Fay Hallam built a long career through different projects and solo work. McGounden moved into other bands like The Upper Fifth, and Clitheroe also stayed active in music.
Even without big chart hits, Makin’ Time left a solid mark on the mid-80s UK scene. They were one of those bands that captured a moment -young, stylish, and full of energy- bridging the gap between mod nostalgia and something fresher, with just enough attitude to keep things interesting.
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer Jakko Jakszyk (aka Jakko M. Jakszyk or the mononymous Jakko) spent years as a valued contributor to British prog and art rock before gaining his widest recognition in the 2010s as lead singer and guitarist in a reboot of King Crimson, a band he had loved since first hearing the durable and groundbreaking proggers in the late '60s (when his age in years had scarcely reached double-digit territory). Born Michael Lee Curran in 1958 in Highgate, London, as a teenager he intended to become a professional soccer player, but he failed his trial with Watford Football Club. Already playing guitar in his bedroom, he also enjoyed acting, and joined the National Youth Theatre at the age of 14. His first band, a trio named Soon After, was formed a year later. In 1975, Soon After won third place in a Melody Maker National Rock Competition.
Jakszyk eventually found acting work after leaving school, participating in the Sixty Four Spoons troupe, whose marriage of punk rock attitude with classical musicianship and bawdy music-hall humor created a memorable sight around the lesser venues of England. Through the Spoons, he met keyboardist Dave Stewart (Egg, Hatfield and the North, National Health), with whom he toured England and Europe, before appearing on Stewart's recording of "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?" with Colin Blunstone and Barbara Gaskin. He signed a solo recording contract with Chiswick Records in 1981. A series of singles ensued while an album, 'Silesia', was released only in Germany. Jakszyk then moved to Stiff Records for more singles and a second album.
By 1985, Jakszyk had joined Mark Dean's Innervision/MDM record label for album number three. In 1987 he formed an all-acoustic Indo-fusion band named Dizrhythmia, which included Danny Thompson on double bass and various Indian classical musicians. A self-titled album, released by Antilles Records, found critical favor both in the U.K. and U.S. Jakszyk then moved to New York to join avant-garde rock band The Lodge, whose personnel included ex-Henry Cow members John Greaves and Peter Blegvad, plus Anton Fier of the Golden Palominos on drums. After contributing to and arranging material on Sam Brown's 'Stop!' album, he joined with Tom Robinson to tour and co-write the album 'We Never Had It So Good'. Jakszyk joined Level 42 as lead guitarist in 1991, by which time his session credits included Swing Out Sister, Gary Moore, and Mica Paris. In June 1994, the Resurgence label released 'Kingdom of Dust', a mini-album recorded with three ex-members of Japan: Richard Barbieri, Steven Jansen, and Mick Karn. It was followed by the Jakszyk solo album 'Mustard Gas & Roses' in 1995. During the '90s, Jakszyk also undertook 'The Road to Ballina', a biographical project involving both music and spoken word that was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in December 1996, and released by Resurgence in a CD version early the following year.
In 2002, Jakszyk took a key but not yet recognized step toward later membership in King Crimson by forming the Crimson repertory outfit 21st Century Schizoid Band along with other KC alumni including Ian McDonald, Mel Collins, Peter Giles, Michael Giles, and Ian Wallace. The group toured in the U.K., North America, and Japan over the next five years, and self-released a handful of live albums, before disbanding upon Wallace's death in 2007. Meanwhile, Jakszyk had tapped both previous and new collaborators -including Stewart, Collins, McDonald, Wallace, Soft Machine's Hugh Hopper, and notably Robert Fripp, King Crimson's guiding force for nearly a half century- for appearances on his 2006 double-CD 'The Bruised Romantic Glee Club', which comprised one disc of heartfelt personal songs and a second disc of classic prog, avant-prog, and art rock covers originally recorded by the likes of Crimson, Soft Machine, and Henry Cow.
Following 'The Bruised Romantic Glee Club's release and after hearing Jakko sing "Islands" at Ian Wallace's funeral, Fripp invited Jakszyk to collaborate with him, and their project ultimately expanded to include saxophonist Collins for the 2011 Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins album 'A Scarcity of Miracles', which also featured participation from previous Crimson drummer Gavin Harrison and bassist Tony Levin. King Crimson was not active at the time, but by the fall of 2013 Fripp announced that the legendary prog outfit would indeed be re-forming, and the following year the lineup was set, building on the foundation of 'A Scarcity of Miracles' participants Jakszyk, Fripp, Collins, Levin, and Harrison, and also adding previous bandmember Pat Mastelotto and newcomer Bill Rieflin. This largest ever King Crimson aggregation, with Jakszyk on vocals and second guitar (and even adding an eighth member, Jeremy Stacey), covered Crimson repertory from 1969's 'In the Court of the Crimson King' onward. For the next several years, the band toured worldwide and released a number of well-received live albums, including 2016's 'Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind' and the following year's 'Heroes' EP, featuring the David Bowie title track, on which Jakszyk delivered a fine singing performance and Fripp revisited the guitar sustain he had played on the original Bowie song in 1977.
Jakszyk has also produced several artists, appeared on television programs including "French and Saunders" and "Birds of a Feather", and written about music widely in such publications as Melody Maker and Musicians Only. His television incidental music has been heard on the BAFTA-nominated "Chef", "Jo Brand Through the Cakehole", and "Birds of a Feather". [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Passion Puppets were a British new wave band that caught radio listeners with one clever single, "Like Dust," before abruptly vanishing. Seemingly an ode to Italian Western films, "Like Dust," a cult hit on Canadian radio in the '80s, is more often remembered than the group that actually performed it. Formed in 1983 in Camden, England, Passion Puppets featured Ray Burmiston (vocals), Miki Screene (bass, vocals), Andy P. (guitars), Dave Rollins (guitars), and Simon Langford Godfrey (drums). Passion Puppets released three singles, "Like Dust," "Voices," and "Beyond the Pale," on Stiff Records in the U.K. between 1983 to 1984. In 1984, the band released its only album, 'Beyond the Pale', distributed in the U.S. by MCA Records. The LP didn't sell well and the group split up soon thereafter. Burmiston embarked on a career as a photographer, snapping pictures of pop stars for record companies and British teen magazines. In 1994, an extended version of "Like Dust" appeared on 'Hardest Hits, Vol. 1', introducing the out-of-print record to a new generation of fans; it was the first time the band had ever been heard on CD. In 2000, Burmiston recorded an album called 'Miniworld' under the name Kicking the Moon. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
