Steve Jansen
| Steve Jansen | |
|---|---|
Steve Jansen in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Born | 1 December 1959 |
| Origin | Sydenham, London, England |
| Genres | New wave, pop, art rock, experimental rock |
| Instruments | Drums, electronic percussion, keyboards, sampler |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Labels |
Medium Productions Samadhi Sound |
| Associated acts |
Japan The Dolphin Brothers Rain Tree Crow David Sylvian Jansen Barbieri Karn (JBK) Nine Horses |
| Website | www |
Steve Jansen (born Stephen Batt, 1 December 1959, in Sydenham, London, England) is an English musician and composer.
Jansen was born in South East London into a family of five and was educated at Catford Boys' School, leaving at 16. A self-taught musician since age 11, he switched from the guitar to drums at age 15 after feeling limited due to being left-handed.
He was a founding member of the group Japan, along with his brother David Sylvian (vocals, guitars and keyboards), Mick Karn (bass guitar), Richard Barbieri (keyboards), and Rob Dean (guitar), having all met at Catford. Japan began as an amateur group in 1974, while their first studio album entitled Adolescent Sex was released in 1978, followed by Obscure Alternatives the same year. Both albums saw polarized reviews and poor sales domestically in the UK, but were commercially successful overseas. The band's third album Quiet Life marked a significant departure from their original alternative glam rock style, with the change in sound causing them to be unintentionally associated with the New Romantic movement by critics, though this was repeatedly refuted by the members themselves.Virgin Records released Japan's final studio albums, Gentlemen Take Polaroids and Tin Drum, while the band had their last live performance on 16 December 1982. Japan suffered from personal and creative clashes and decided to split during a period when they were beginning to experience significant commercial success both in their native UK and internationally. The band briefly reunited in 1991 under the name Rain Tree Crow and released a self-titled album.
A fan of New York Dolls, Jansen adopted his stage name from David Johansen, while his brother took Sylvian from Sylvain Sylvain.
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Wikipedia