Blancmange release their fifth album Semi Detached on March 23. It’s effectively a solo album by singer Neil Arthur, as it’s the first without keyboardist Stephen Luscombe, who has longterm health problems.

The 10 tracks include a cover of Can’s 1976 song I Want More and the instrumental MKS Lover, with the first single Paddington out on March 9. Guests include Kate Bush’s guitarist David Rhodes, while the self-produced album was mixed by Babyshambles producer Adam Fuest.

Blancmange

 

The eight-minute opening song The Fall is named after the band, who were an early inspiration to Arthur. He said: “I sent Mark E Smith our first EP and we exchanged a few letters, his being ones of humorous encouragement.” Speaking of the song Deep In The Mine, Arthur said: “I imagined a cavernous yet claustrophobic space with endless passages running off it.”

Blancmange recently finished a joint tour with Heaven 17, which came about after Arthur met Heaven 17 singer Glenn Gregory at Classic Pop’s synthpop summit joint interview with Howard Jones and Thomas Dolby.

Blancmange

Photographer: Hanaknizova

 

Semi Detached tracklisting:
The Fall
I Want More
Paddington
It Didn’t Take Long
MKS Lover
Like I Do
Deep In The Mine
Acid
Useless
Bloody Hell Fire