Digital Poodle

Background

Formed in 1986 by vocalist/programmer Heiki Sillaste (aka Mouth 392), the project was considered Toronto's answer to the established Vancouver-based industrial acts like Skinny Puppy, and Front Line Assembly. Digital Poodle's sound can be best described as house/techno mixed with European Electronic body music (EBM) and occasionally skirting experimental and ambient soundscapes. Sillaste's lyrical themes and choice of audio sampling typically covered the ending of the Cold War, as well as the following political independence struggles in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.

Digital Poodle originally released a series of cassette tape demos and full release albums on Sillaste's own Shadow recording label. The first CD release was "Work Terminal" in 1992, which was distributed in North America under the Death of Vinyl label and in Europe on Germany's Hyperium Records label. The band's final release was the "Combat!" EP in 1997, which contained mainly remixed material from previous releases.

Other Digital Poodle studio members have included keyboardists Pupka Frey (of the band D.I.N.) and Reduct. Keyboard players Jean-Claude Cutz and Dave Rout were also associated with the band. Post Digital Poodle, both joined a later configuration of Rational Youth. Live shows of Digital Poodle featured the drummer/percussionists Kristian Helstrom and Andreas Gregor.

In 1995, Sillaste co-founded the Nice+Smooth Ultramedia label and has gone on to create 45 synthesizer-based albums and 120 compilation appearances. He has worked on other music projects in the genre of electronic dub, down beat, and house/techno music such as Kinder Atom and Lazer Caps, and is an accomplished graphic designer. He has also worked on music and sound for television shows such as CSI: Miami and commercials for Nissan.

Compilation appearances