JOHN FOXX - FROM TRASH

John Foxx & Louis Gordon – From Trash

Released:2006

Work on the fourth collaboration between John Foxx and Louis Gordon, began in early 2006 under the working title of Impossible. Recording progressed, and over the Summer, the duo played some of the new songs live on tour, prior to the album’s eventual release in November.

From Trash is typically Foxx, embracing his love of things which others may consider “trash”, such as science-fiction b-movies and comic books.. The recurring theme of adopting another persona is evident on “Another You” and “The One Who Walks Through You”.

From Trash is littered with Foxx’s trademark lyrical themes, accompanied by early Human League style synths and a cool, crooning vocal from John, with occasional bursts of backing vocals from Louis Gordon.

Some of the music connects to previous albums such as The Pleasures of Electricity and Crash and Burn, with “A Million Cars” standing out as one of the album’s most addictive tracks, along with the stomping synth-glam of “Friendly Fire” and the intensity of “Impossible”. Foxx’s admiration for Kraftwerk and The Beatles comes together in “A Room As Big As A City”, a track slightly reminiscent of Kraftwerk’s “Neon Lights”.

“From Trash” and an extended version of “Freeze Frame”, had previously appeared on the exclusive 2006 tour CD, The Hidden Man, and another vaguely familiar track is a new, slower and darker version of the Nation12 track “Your Kisses Burn”.

The album has a very filmic atmosphere, with the frequent injections of trashy science-fiction and the usual lyrical utopia that graces all of John’s finest works, placing the listener is a vast, evolving cityscape.

The overall sound of the album is much tighter and consistent, and at just over 45 minutes, it’s the perfect length. With all this in mind, From Trash almost feels like the culmination of the duo’s work over the past eleven years, offering a solid selection of songs in true Foxx fashion.