01	Entracte						01:21
	02	Mata Hari						04:42
	03	Anna Christie						03:05
	04	Grand Hotel						03:47
	05	Entracte II						01:34
	06	Ninotchka						04:41
	07	Conquest						03:54
	08	Queen Christina						07:16
	09	Camille						05:42
	10	Freudlose Gasse						04:00

Tuxedomoon
Formed 1977 in San Francisco, CA
Years Active
Group Members Blaine L. Reininger Steven Brown Luc van Lieshout Peter Principle Frankie Lievaart Ivan Georgiev
Genres Rock
Styles New Wave, Alternative Pop/Rock
Labels Crammed Discs (4), Ralph (3), EFA (3), CBoy (2)
See Also All Movie Guide Entry

Tuxedomoon was an avant-garde, electronic-oriented collective whose music ranged from new wave pop to jazz fusion to more experimental synthesizer soundscapes (usually including saxophone and violin), which were frequently married in concert to performance-art shows. Tuxedomoon was formed in San Francisco in 1977 by two electronic music students at San Francisco City College, Blaine L. Reininger (keyboards, violin) and Steven Brown (keyboards, other instruments). Brown's local theater connections supplied equipment and occasional vocalists in Gregory Cruikshank and Victoria Lowe, plus more frequent contributions from singer and performance artist Winston Tong. Punk and new wave were opening up the San Francisco music scene at the time, and Tuxedomoon landed an opening slot for Devo in 1978 at around the same time they cut their first single, "Pinheads on the Move." Lowe quit the band before their first EP, No Tears, which featured off-and-on members Michael Belfer (guitar) and Paul Zahl (drums). Tong and Belfer departed temporarily, and Peter Principle (b. Peter Dachert) joined as a full-time member. Tuxedomoon signed to the Residents' Ralph Records in 1979, which eventually got them overseas exposure. Feeling that their ideas were more in tune with the European electronic music scene, the band toured Europe after 1980's Half Mute, for which Tong returned with filmmaker and visual artist Bruce Geduldig. After 1981's Desire, the band relocated permanently to Rotterdam, where Reininger began to branch out as a solo artist. Tuxedomoon was also hired to score a Maurice Bejart ballet, the results of which were released in 1982 as Divine. Reininger left for a solo career in 1983 and was replaced by Frankie Lievaart and horn player Luc Van Lieshout. In between side projects and scoring, the band sought an international deal for their forthcoming LP Holy Wars; it was eventually released in 1985 and became the band's biggest commercial success. Tong left the group for good that year, leaving Brown and Principle the only remaining San Francisco members; multi-instrumentalist Ivan Georgiev was hired to replenish the group's sound for 1986's Ship of Fools album and tour. 1987's jazz-fusion-oriented You was Tuxedomoon's final studio album, although scoring work from past projects was subsequently reissued in Belgium. In addition to Reininger, Brown, Principle, and Tong have all recorded as solo artists. — Steve Huey



1980 Half Mute Ralph
1981 Desire Ralph
1982 Divine Operation
1983 A Thousand Lives by Picture Ralph
1985 Holy Wars Crammed Discs
1986 Ship of Fools Crammed Discs
1987 You Crammed Discs
1987 Pinheads on the Move CramBoy
1987 Suite En Sous-Sol-Time to Lose Crammed Discs
1988 Ten Years in One Night [live] Play Boy
1991 The Ghost Sonata Les Temps
1998 Joeboy in Mexico Opcion
2000 Half Minute Import
2002 Live In St. Petersburg Acoustic
2003 No Tears/What Use: Remixes & Originals EFA