The Gadgets

The Gadgets

The Gadgets are a United Kingdom group associated with art punk, minimal wave and post-punk, and also described as an 1980s synth-pop and experimental act. The line-up is inconsistent across releases, but Colin Lloyd-Tucker is a member, and Matt Johnson and John Hide are named as earlier members. The group operates from the late 1970s through the 1980s, with its core work concentrated in the early period.

Career and recordings

The group records several albums that define its output: Gadgetree (1979), Love, Curiosity, Freckles & Doubt (1980), The Blue Album (1983) and The Fruits of Ackledama (1986). The first two albums are described as built around sparse electronic ideas and darker themes, with Colin Lloyd-Tucker’s vocal range central to their sound. The Blue Album stands as the most prominent release in the catalogue, with a more pop-oriented approach and greater use of conventional instruments. The Fruits of Ackledama continues the group’s theatrical style, although it appears after the departures of Tucker and Johnson.

Members and connections

Colin Lloyd-Tucker later works with Kate Bush and Simon Turner. Matt Johnson, also identified with The The, is part of the group’s earlier line-up. The band is presented as obscure and difficult to pin down through official references to its personnel, with the membership changing over time.

Availability

Plastic Head Records issues the group’s recordings in digital form.