Representative Albums: "Avant Hard," "Loud Like Nature," "On the Wires of Our Nerves"
Representative Songs: "Plug Me In," "Metal Fingers in My Body," "Revenge of the Black Regent"
Biography
Name-checking a diverse cast of progenitors including Varése, Xenakis, and Robert Moog, as well as Can and Stereolab, Add N to X are electro-historians of a sort, collectors of vintage synthesizer technology, and fierce propagators of the man-machine aesthetic (the cover of their second album features member Ann Shenton on the operating table with a synthesizer either being inserted or taken out of her organ cavity). The trio formed when Shenton met Barry Smith in 1993; both were fans of vintage synth and the proto-electronica crafted in the 1960s and '70s by such luminaries as Wendy Carlos, Pierre Henry and even Roxy Music. After becoming Add N to X one year later, Shenton and Smith recruited theremin expert Steven Claydon plus an organic rhythm section for their live show, consisting of Stereolab's Andy Ramsay on drums and Rob Hallam from the High Llamas. After the debut Add N to X album Vero Electronics was released in 1996 on Blow Up, the group toured America, where their propulsive live show earned more comparisons to Suicide than an ostensibly sympathetic group like Tortoise. On the Wires of Our Nerves appeared in 1998 and Avant Hard followed in April of 1999. The following year they released Add Insult to Injury, which saw the group move in a more accessible, pop direction. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
The original band members were Andrew Aveling, Barry Smith (aka Barry 7) and Ann Shenton. Steven Claydon replaced Aveling in 1997
After several releases on small labels, they turned down offers from major labels and signed to large independent label Mute Records in 1998, and achieved a modest commercial success before splitting in 2003.
Most of their songs and video clips have been adult/sex-related; the video for "Metal Fingers in My Body" is an animated short featuring a female having sex with a robot, and their video for "Plug Me In" is famous for featuring porn actresses playing with sex toys.
In 1994 Andrew Aveling met Justin Anderson from Freaky Realistic[citation needed] and together they started a band named Radix Couplment[citation needed]. Andrew was dating Ann Shenton at this time[citation needed] and got her involved on the project[citation needed]. Andrew then asked his friend Barry (Former Radio Prague DJ Smith)[1] if he too would be interested in joining[citation needed]. They then spent some time gigging under this name before a fall out which led to Justin's departure from the band. There being only three remaining Andrew then renamed the group Add N to X[citation needed]. They released Vero Electronics (1996) on the Blow Up label, and after did many other recordings for the next album.
They kept the name but placed brackets around the X due to legal reasons. They then enlisted Steven Claydon who remained with the group until its dissolution.
1997 saw the band twice awarded Single of the Week by the NME (for The Black Regent and King Wasp).[1]
The group performed live regularly, often augmenting their core three-piece line up with either one or two acoustic drummers, and sometimes additional musicians playing extra synths and/or electric guitar.
They often utilized distinctive artwork for the videos and record sleeves, a fetishistic collage of sexual imagery with analogue electronic equipment, based in part on the movie and book Demon Seed
The band signed to Mute Records and released three more albums, Avant Hard, Add Insult to Injury, and Loud Like Nature. They also released the single Little Black Rocks In The Sun, which was issued on 10 inch hexagonal vinyl. Shenton was reportedly overwhelmed by the pressures of the Loud Like Nature tour, and either left the group or was fired.[citation needed] In 2003 Smith and Claydon continued touring the United States without Shenton. The band broke up shortly thereafter. Barry Smith runs the Horseglue Records store and label with his partner Ethan Reid. Ann Shenton has formed a new group, Large Number. and record label White Label Music. Steven Claydon is now known for his artwork and in 2006 was included in a group show at Tate Modern.