Artist Biography
Initially conceived by Adi Newton of Clock DVA in the late '70s as a multimedia performance project, the Anti Group, later known by the initials T.A.G.C. (the C stands for "Conspiracy," "Collective," or "Communications") showcased Newton's more experimental side. The Anti Group didn't become more than theoretical mumbo-jumbo until after Newton departed Clock DVA in the mid-'80s. The loosely defined group, consisting of Newton with D.A. Heppenstall, D.F. D'Silva, B.R.D.L. Harden, Mark Holmes, Robert Baker, and Oskar M, debuted at the Atonal Festival in Berlin in February 1985, with a multimedia show called The Delivery that was later that year released as an LP. Also that year saw the release of the 12" single "Ha/Zulu" with help from members of Cabaret Voltaire. Whereas these early records cross-pollinated improvised jazz with industrial, each subsequent release, now under the T.A.G.C. banner, experimented in some new direction. The music on Digiteria, with many of the same crew as The Delivery, is based around ancient magic cults and tribal rhythms, whereas Teste Tones offered minimalist electronic experiments. The sound-and-visual project Burning Water, also from this time and released on CD several years later, offers a far more ambient sound.
Throughout the late '80s T.A.G.C. released a number of 12" singles that were eventually compiled on the CD Audiophile, along with an EP. These slabs of experimental electronic rhythms, slightly more accessible than the full-lengths, eventually pointed to the direction Newton would go once Clock DVA was re-formed in 1988. Since 1990, with the prolific DVA consuming more of Newton's time, only one further T.A.G.C. album has seen light, the CD Iso-Erotic Calibrations, recorded over three years and released in 1994. ~ Rolf Semprebon
Hometown
Sheffield
Genre
Industrial