Komputer

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Komputer
Genres Electronic
Labels Mute Records
Associated acts I Start Counting
Fortran 5
Website

www.komputer.org.uk (offline)

Komputer is a London-based electronic band, composed of Simon Leonard and David Baker.[1]

Background[edit]
Collaborating since 1982, Leonard and Baker were originally signed to Mute Records in 1984 under the
name I Start Counting [2] and continued with releases under the moniker Fortran 5[3] until the release
of Komputers debut album, The World of Tomorrow in (1998).

Simon Leonard and David Baker originally met at Middlesex University where they DJed together and, in
1982 began to collaborate on an electronic pop project, I Start Counting. Both had an abiding affection
for pop music as well as a deep love of music in general, although Leonard specialised more in
technology and David's bias was on the musical side. I Start Counting released two albums, and, in 1987,
supported Erasure on a European tour.

In 1990 the new material they were working on was sounding quite different from their electro pop
roots and it was decided that a new name, Fortran 5, would give the new dance/techno style a
completely fresh start. The duo also began to collaborate with a number of other artists including DJ
Colin Faver, Thrash of The Orb, Rod Slater of the Bonzos and Neil Arthur of Blancmange. Remixes were
provided by the likes of Vince Clarke, Moby, Joey Negro, David Holmes and Pascal Gabriel, while the duo
supplied remixes for other artists including Erasure, Inspiral Carpets and Laibach.

David and Simon then reacted to the tedium of mid 90's indie guitar music by returning to their
Kraftwerk inspired roots which again provoked a name change.The band takes samples from a variety of
sources: from Russian cosmonauts to rubbish compactors and mobile phone ringtones.

Komputer's first releases, the 'Komputer EP' and the subsequent album 'The World Of Tomorrow'; were
a respectful homage to the duo's German electronic heroes. Later material saw Komputer absorbing a
much wider variety of influences and creating their own unique style of English electronic pop/folk
music.

The duo never performed live as Fortran 5, but from the earliest days as Komputer, live shows were very
important, leading to many performances all over Europe, most recently appearing at the Short Circuit
presents Mute festival at Londons Roundhouse.

For Synthetik, the bands third album, the music gradually evolved over a long period of time, tracks
were tried out in live sets then discarded or reworked in the studio, maturing into a return to the more
traditional electro sound of the first album, The World Of Tomorrow, with the incorporation of a more
experimental and contemporary electronica approach.

External links[edit]
Official MySpace
Official Website
Footnotes[edit]
Jump up ^ Discogs, Komputer
Jump up ^ Discogs, I Start Counting
Jump up ^ Discogs, Fortran 5
Categories: English electronic music groupsEnglish New Wave musical groupsMute Records artists
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This page was last modified on 18 July 2013 at 14:25.

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