Labels DoublevisionFonMCA Genre Industrial music | Years active 1981–1987 Active until 1987 | |
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Past members Alan CrossMark BrydonDee BoyleSim ListerJake HarriesJon Stuart Albums 10 Days in an Elevator, Clocks and Babies Members Mark Brydon, Jake Harries, Sim Lister, Alan Cross, John Stuart, Diarmuid Boyle, Simeon Lister Similar Richard James Burgess, Longpigs, Sly and Robbie, Clock DVA, Krush | ||
Chakk big hot blues
Chakk were an industrial funk band from Sheffield, who existed from 1981 until 1987. Members were Alan Cross, Mark Brydon, Dee Boyle, Sim Lister, Jake Harries and Jon Stuart. The band never achieved commercial success, but have been noted for their wide influence on later British dance music, particularly via Fon Studios.
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Their first single, "Out Of The Flesh", produced by Richard H. Kirk, on Cabaret Voltaire's Doublevision label, reached number 3 on the independent charts in 1984. The band recorded a John Peel session on 17 October 1984 ("Cut The Dust", "Sedative Ends", "No. 3 Sound", "Mother Tongues"). Their second single "You", released in 1985, was also an indie hit, reaching No. 14. They then signed an album deal with MCA Records, who released 10 Days In An Elevator. The initial version of the album was rejected and a rerecorded version was finally released in 1986; it did not sell well and the band was dropped later that year. They released a few more singles and split in 1987.
Non-MCA recordings from "You" onwards were released on their own Fon Records label ("Fuck Off Nazis" or "Fear of Nazis", from a piece of 1940s graffiti on a wall in Sheffield), which was started by the band with their manager, Amrik Rai (formerly a journalist for New Musical Express). Rai also ran a record shop of the same name for a time.
Brydon built Fon Studios with the MCA advance money (reportedly £100,000) in 1985 as it was cheaper to build a studio in Sheffield than to record in London. Fon Studios and the Fon Force production team became important to Sheffield music and paved the way for labels like Warp. Brydon did significant later work in production (including "House Arrest" by Krush) and started Moloko with Róisín Murphy.
Chakk were featured in Eve Wood's documentary films on the Sheffield music scene, Made in Sheffield (2009) and The Beat is the Law (2011).
Albums
Singles
Collaboration
Songs
Timebomb1988
Cut the Dust10 Days in an Elevator · 1986
Years I Worked10 Days in an Elevator · 1986