Rational Youth
| Rational Youth | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Pop, new wave, synthpop |
| Years active | 1981-1986, 1997-2002‚ 2009-present |
| Labels |
YUL Records Capitol Records Energy Rekords Vinyl On Demand Artoffact Records |
| Associated acts |
Men Without Hats Digital Poodle |
| Members | Tracy Howe Gaenor Howe |
| Past members |
Bill Vorn Kevin Komoda Angel Calvo Jean-Claude Cutz Denis Duran Dave Rout Mario Spezza |
Rational Youth is a Canadian new wave synthpop band that was originally active between 1981 and 1986, and continues as a touring and recording unit.
Rational Youth was formed in 1981 in Montreal, Quebec, by synthesizer players Tracy Howe and Bill Vorn, both of whom idolized the German synthpop pioneers Kraftwerk. The band is considered to be one of Canada's first synthpop groups.
Howe's music career began as a singer and drummer for Montreal punk band The Normals. Howe was later a drummer and singer in Montreal band Heaven Seventeen (not to be confused with England's Heaven 17), considered to be one of the first punk bands to use synthesizers. One of Heaven Seventeen's keyboard players was Ivan Doroschuk, who later formed Men Without Hats. Howe also later joined Men Without Hats, as a guitarist, prior to forming Rational Youth with Vorn.
The band was formed in the summer of 1981 by Howe and Vorn, joined by keyboardist Mario Spezza. The band's second professional engagement was opening for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, in Montreal.
The band recorded their first single "I Want To See The Light" in 1981 for YUL Records, an independent label established by Marc Demouy, a record importer and retailer, and Pat Deserio. Demouy also became the band's manager. Shortly after the single was issued, Spezza left and was replaced by Kevin Komoda (keyboards).
The Howe/Vorn/Komoda trio then recorded the album Cold War Night Life, which was issued in early 1982 and was the first all-synth pop release in Canada. It became one of the biggest-selling Canadian independent albums at the time.
Vorn left the band at the beginning of 1983 to resume communication studies at university. He earned a doctorate in communication studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and is a full professor in the Department of Studio Arts at Concordia University. He has been active in the field of robotic art since 1992.
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