Another View
The Abstraction Years 1979-81
Adrian Smith of Luton spent three years playing in punk-inflected bands with his brother Derek (Those Nervous Surgeons, Half Nervous) before retreating alone to a bedroom and a synthesizer in 1979. What emerged was something no one in his immediate environment was making: long, atmospheric, analogue pieces built from hand-played sequences, emotionless production, and a palpable air of melancholia. His first two tapes, From the Silent Days and Absolutely Safe, were given only to friends, having n…