Born on September 16: Colin Newman (Wire), sonic constructions on the edge of a razor's edge

Colin Newman was born in Salisbury (UK) in 1954 and is best known for founding the unclassifiable Wire with Bruce Gilbert in 1976.

With their often minimalist approach shrouded in abrasive sounds, Wire have undoubtedly contributed to redefining the contours of British rock. With nearly 20 albums to their name and, wait for it, almost half a century of activity, they have never placed a single note in the English Top 40. They even take a certain pride in this, and are well aware that some of their songs, like "Mannequin," "I Am the Fly," "Outdoor Miner," and "Three Girl Rhumba," have nevertheless become indie rock anthems.

Indeed, founded in 1976, Wire quickly distinguished itself from the punk scene. They retain its raw energy, but in their plethora of albums, each song is a pretext for a rigorous sonic exploration that often borders on the experimental. Some of their albums, such as the very first "Pink Flag" (1977) or "The Drill" (1991), propel them to the height of a demanding, obsessive, complex, yet also strangely addictive avant-gardism. With "Chairs Missing" (1978) and "154" (1979), Newman refined a sonic language that combined melody and dissonance, as did Michael Stipe of R.E.M. or Damon Alban of Blur.

Alongside Wire, which he has never relinquished leadership of, Colin Newman also pursued a solo career whenever his band pressed pause. Starting in 1980 with the album "A-Z" for the 4AD label, he explored a more pop and melodic side of his creativity. His later recordings, always with a typically English sense of humor, "Provisionally Entitled The Singing Fish" (1981) and "Not To" (1982) thus reclaimed the byways he so loved to explore. In a final snub, he even titled "Commercial Sucide" (1986), his first attempt at contemporary music for the Belgian label Crammed Discs! Even though this one included a handful of more atmospheric and accessible melodies like "Their Terrain" or "2-Sixes" featuring the vocals of Malka Spiegel (Minimal Compact), who, by the way, later become his partner.

In the 1990s, he added a new string to his bow by founding the Swim~ label, dedicated to electronic and experimental music, most often in collaboration with Malka. Together, they work as a duo, sometimes under the name Immersion (7 albums nonetheless), focusing on essentially sonic textures, and sometimes under the name Githead, whose five albums can be described as experimental post-punk, for lack of a better label.

At once discreet yet omnipresent, a key figure in British independent music, Colin Newman has been bustling with activity since the mid-1970s. He celebrates his 71st birthday today...

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Portrait of Colin Newman in Brussels (Belgium) on June 28, 1986, at the release of his album "Commercial Suicide"