Colourbox

All Music Guide:

One of the legendary 4AD label's earliest and most under-recognized acts, Colourbox were among the first artists outside of the realm of hip-hop to rely heavily on sampling techniques; ultimately, their arty blue-eyed soul -- a fusion of far-ranging influences spanning from classic R&B to dub to industrial -- reached its commercial and creative apotheosis through their work on M/A/R/R/S' seminal "Pump Up the Volume" project, a reflection of the group's longstanding interest in the burgeoning underground dance music scene of the 1980s.

Colourbox were primarily the work of London-based brothers Martyn and Steven Young, who recruited vocalist Debbion Currie to sing on their 1982 4AD debut, "Breakdown." Curry was replaced by Lorita Grahame in time for the trio's 1983 re-recording of the same track, this time produced by Mick Glossop. Colourbox's self-titled debut EP -- a collection of dub and scratching experiments heralding their first plunge into sampling technology, edited down from three hours of studio sessions -- appeared later that same year, with the single "Say You" following in 1984. After another 12", "Punch," the group issued 1985's "The Moon Is Blue," a teaser for its upcoming full-length LP, also a self-titled affair; "Baby I Love You So" and "The Official Colourbox World Cup Theme" both appeared the following year.

In 1987, at the behest of 4AD chief Ivo Watts-Russell, the Young brothers teamed with labelmates A.R. Kane as M/A/R/R/S to record a single fusing the rhythms and beats from classic soul recordings with state of the art electronics and production. Complete with scratches by champion mixer Chris "C.J." Mackintosh and London DJ Dave Dorrell, "Pump Up the Volume" -- a breakthrough effort heralding sampling's gradual absorption from hip-hop into dance music and ultimately the pop mainstream -- soon topped the British charts, the first 4AD release to accomplish that feat. Plans for a follow-up never materialized, however; stranger still, despite M/A/R/R/S' success, both the Youngs and Colourbox seemed to vanish, with no future recordings forthcoming.

Wikipedia:

Colourbox were an English electronic musical group on the 4AD label, releasing a number of records between 1982 and 1987. The band was formed by brothers Martyn and Steve Young, along with guest singers, until Lorita Grahame joined as a permanent member in 1983.

Colourbox stood apart from their then-4AD labelmates - bands such as Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, and This Mortal Coil (although the Young brothers contributed to tracks on the latter project's first two albums It'll End in Tears and Filigree & Shadow). Their sound was eclectic, drawing from reggae and soul influences (with covers of tracks by U-Roy and Augustus Pablo released as singles), beat-box driven hip-hop rhythms, blue-eyed soul, as well as a fusion of far-ranging influences spanning from classic R&B, to dub and industrial.

Career

Following their debut single "Breakdown" and "Tarantula" in late 1982 (and a reissue in mid-1983), a four-track mini-album simply titled Colourbox was released in November 1983, displaying the band's fledgling experimental sound. After a handful of singles, Colourbox's first full-length studio album - also self-titled - followed in August 1985, which further refined the band's diverse palette, mixing sample-splattered power-punk instrumentals with elegaic piano pieces ("Just Give 'em Whiskey" and "Sleepwalker" respectively), commercial pop ("The Moon Is Blue" and "Suspicion") and more reggae and soul covers (U-Roy's "Say You" and The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On"). It was to remain the band's only proper album.

In 1986, the band issued two completely different singles simultaneously on the same day: one was an instrumental initially intended as a World Cup anthem ("The Official Colourbox World Cup Theme"); the other, a cover of Augustus Pablo's "Baby I Love You So," featured third member Lorita Grahame on vocals.

The band had an international hit in 1987 with "Pump Up the Volume," a collaboration with A.R. Kane under the name M/A/R/R/S. The song was notable for being constructed almost entirely from samples of other records, a novelty for a popular record at that time. The pressures of sudden success and the long-running litigation caused by the use of samples resulted in the band never to record as Colourbox again.

For a brief time following Colourbox's dissolution, Martyn Young served as a producer on records by acts as diverse as The Christians and fellow labelmates The Wolfgang Press, whilst former singer Lorita Grahame lent her vocals to a record released by short-lived One Little Indian act Hit the Roof (on a cover of Edwin Starr's "Contact"). Since then, little has been heard from any of the group members, save for a brief return to promotional duties for Martyn Young in 2001, to oversee the release of the Colourbox compilation Best of Colourbox 82/87.

4AD announced a self-titled box set of four compact discs, compiling all of their catalogue (the full length album with its companion remix album in full, a 7" mix CD, a 12" mix CD, and the first EP with two BBC Radio sessions and a previously unreleased mix of "Arena") would be issued on 21 May 2012. The collection, marking the 30th anniversary of the group, was sequenced by Martyn Young.