The Sound

Korova

The Sound formed in South London in 1979 from the remains of the punk band the Outsiders, around Adrian Borland on vocals and guitar, Graham Bailey on bass, Mike Dudley on drums and Bi Marshall on keyboards; Adrian Janes, a former Outsider, co-wrote lyrics without being a member. Their debut EP Physical World (1979) came out on manager Stephen Budd's Tortch label, was played by John Peel and was favorably reviewed in the NME. Korova, the home of Echo and the Bunnymen, signed them from rough mixes that Budd had financed. Jeopardy (November 1980) was followed by From the Lions Mouth (November 1981, produced by Hugh Jones at Rockfield Studios in Wales), by which time Max Mayers, formerly of Cardiacs, had replaced Marshall. They toured Europe with the Comsat Angels and did best in the Netherlands.

All Fall Down (1982) was made in response to Korova's demands for a more commercial record and was panned, and band and label parted. Later records were Heads and Hearts (1985, Statik), the live album In the Hothouse (recorded at the Marquee in August 1985) and Thunder Up (1987, Play It Again Sam). The band split in early 1988. Max Mayers died on December 26, 1993 and Adrian Borland on April 26, 1999. Reissues came from Renascent, including The BBC Recordings (2004) and the Dutch Radio Recordings (2006); Dudley's tribute band #IN2THESOUND formed in 2022. Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover called them just one of the finest bands of the 1980s, and Trouser Press compared them to the Psychedelic Furs and Echo and the Bunnymen. A documentary, Walking in the Opposite Direction by Marc Waltman, showed at IDFA in 2016.