To be honest, I only heard about Jeff & Jane Hudson earlier this year when fellow Halifax label boss Matt Samways of Electric Voice Records told me he was releasing a new 12" for them. The stripped down 80's synth jams he was posting at the time sounded intriguing—my interest was peaked.
As the story goes, Jeff & Jane Hudson spent some time in the late 70s exploring early punk rock in their Boston band The Rentals (not to be confused with that Weezer related 90s outfit) before moving to New York during the fertile years of the No Wave movement in the early 80s. Jeff & Jane quickly carved out their niche, creating music that was detached yet emotive. They utilized drum machines, synthesizers, quick bursts of guitar, and melodic vocals to craft a signature sound as original as anything coming from the best groups of their day. Eventually becoming a New York staple during this era, they'd go on to share bills with the likes of Suicide, Duran Duran, Siouxie & the Banshees, Sonic Youth, Lydia Lunch,PIL and many more. But despite being one of the most innovative and compelling bands of the early '80s synth movement, Jeff & Jane's contributions became more and more obscured as the decades passed. Luckily, in early 2011 Captured Tracks and Dark Entries teamed up to reissue the duo's classic 1983 LP 'Flesh' along with select single material and tracks from their 1981 EP 'World Trade'. The reissue brought much deserved attention back to this trailblazing outfit.
As the story goes, Jeff & Jane Hudson spent some time in the late 70s exploring early punk rock in their Boston band The Rentals (not to be confused with that Weezer related 90s outfit) before moving to New York during the fertile years of the No Wave movement in the early 80s. Jeff & Jane quickly carved out their niche, creating music that was detached yet emotive. They utilized drum machines, synthesizers, quick bursts of guitar, and melodic vocals to craft a signature sound as original as anything coming from the best groups of their day. Eventually becoming a New York staple during this era, they'd go on to share bills with the likes of Suicide, Duran Duran, Siouxie & the Banshees, Sonic Youth, Lydia Lunch,PIL and many more. But despite being one of the most innovative and compelling bands of the early '80s synth movement, Jeff & Jane's contributions became more and more obscured as the decades passed. Luckily, in early 2011 Captured Tracks and Dark Entries teamed up to reissue the duo's classic 1983 LP 'Flesh' along with select single material and tracks from their 1981 EP 'World Trade'. The reissue brought much deserved attention back to this trailblazing outfit.
And just recently, Halifax's Electric Voice answered the call to step up the Jeff & Jane revival by releasing this killer 12" single, the duo's first new synth based material in decades. The record consists of two tracks, 'In My Car' and 'Computer Jungle', backed with alternate club mixes. These new songs are a throwback to the sound that originally propelled Jeff & Jane to so much success in the early 80's; although, I'm not sure that any of the tracks on their 80's records are quite as infectious. If pushed to find a comparison, I'd say the mix of hook-laden melodies, quirky synth lines, and a darker hidden meaning remind me in ways of Kraftwerk's 80's dance departure 'Computer World', not a bad piece of music to evoke. That being said, all of Jeff & Jane's music, including this new record, clearly stands on its own. The 'In My Car' 12" is pressed on heavy, coloured vinyl in a limited edition of 500 copies. Art by Jeff Hudson.
Electric Voice Records
Jeff & Jane Hudson's Official Site
Buy Record From DIVORCE
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