Cardiacs
| Cardiacs | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Filth, Cardiac Arrest, The Obvious Identity, The Alphabet |
| Origin | Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, England. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1981–present (on hiatus) |
| Labels | Alphabet Business Concern |
| Associated acts |
The Sea Nymphs OceanLandWorld Spratleys Japs Panixphere |
| Website |
cardiacs.com cardiacs.net |
| Members |
Tim Smith Jim Smith Bob Leith Kavus Torabi Cathy Harabaras Melanie Woods |
| Past members | Sarah Smith Michael Pugh Peter Tagg Colvin Mayers Ralph Cade Mark Cawthra William D. Drake Graham Simmonds Marguerite Johnson Christian Hayes Jon Poole Sharron Fortnam Clare Lemmon Dawn Staple |
Cardiacs are an English rock band formed in 1977, originally as Cardiac Arrest, led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and Radiohead.
Cardiacs have released eight studio albums plus a number of live albums, compilation albums and singles between 1980 and 2007, and are best known for the 1988 minor hit single "Is This the Life?" They are also noted for attracting strongly diverse responses: they have remained one of Britain's leading cult rock bands during their four-decade-spanning career, but have also attracted virulent critical attack (including a lengthy editorial ban from the British music magazine New Musical Express).
The band has been on indefinite (and possibly permanent) hiatus following the 2008 hospitalisation of Tim Smith after a heart attack and series of strokes.
We are not a progressive rock band, progressive rock bands usually tend to have a particular style to them, however individual the bands sound is, there is usually a flavour there which is the prog flavour. We are a pop group...We are as punky as nothing. God forbid if anyone thought that we were a crazy "fusion" of punk and prog. If a word is needed then I would use "psychedelic" if anything.
Cardiacs' music is noted for balancing the attack and 'raw energy' of punk rock with the intricacies and technical cleverness of early British progressive rock. The band also incorporates elements of other musical forms such as ska, mediaeval music, folk music, heavy metal, hymns and corporate anthems. The music magazine Organ once commented that "one Cardiacs song contains more ideas than most other musicians' entire careers."
The broad combination of styles in the band's music has sometimes been referred to as "progressive punk" – or "pronk" – and has led to Cardiacs being labelled the primary exponents of this musical style. Tim Smith rejects the term, and prefers the description "psychedelic" or simply "pop". Musicians which the band have cited as Cardiacs influences include XTC, Van der Graaf Generator, Gong, early Split Enz, Devo, Gentle Giant, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, early Genesis, Deaf School and Wire. Smith has stated, "I don’t know what influences us really, I wouldn’t say that we are influenced by any actual bands in particular". Tim Smith has denied that Gentle Giant was an influence on the band, but Sarah Smith says that they were.
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