FAD GADGET - 4M, 1982

Fad Gadget was the stage name of Frank Tovey, widely considered to be one of the most significant cult acts of the post-punk boom. He was the first to sign to Mute Records and released several singles and four full-length albums that stretched the boundaries of pop music during the late ’70s and early ’80s. He distinctively used synthesizers in conjunction with sounds from found objects such as power tools and razors. Vocal samples from his newborn baby (which apparently inspired “Love Parasite”) can even be heard throughout this track. Fad Gadget’s live performances were notoriously confrontational, including Tovey covering himself in tar and feathers, leaping into the audience, and playing instruments with his head while singing bleak, sarcastic, and darkly humorous lyrics.