Systems of Romance

Today’s band is a curios anomaly that walks the line between minimal synth and beat poetry. Algebra Suicide formed in Chicago in the early 1980s. Essentially a two piece affair, the band combined the analog electronic sounds and thin, direct guitarwork of Don Hedeker with the beat-inspired poetry of Lydia Tomkiw, a published poet at the time of the band’s formation. The band’s unique style earned them some critical acclaim during their tenure.

The band’s discography consists of several EPs and a few full length records (mostly compilations) throughout the eighties and early nineties. The band seldom performed live, but often incorporated multimedia visuals for a trifecta of literary, visual, and musical approach. The band presumably split in 1994, and both Don and Lydia pursued solo ventures. However, in 2007, Lydia Tomkiw passed away in her home in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 48…

Here’s the information for the band’s first full-length record, 1988’s The Secret Like Crazy. The album originally appeared on vinyl and cassette, but was reprinted on CD in limited capacity in 1992 via RRRecords.

Algebra Suicide- The Secret Like Crazy LP
1. Little Dead Bodies
2. Somewhat Bleecker Street
3. Gist
4. Why No Action Is Taken
5. Father’s By The Door
6. Tractor Pull
7. Tuesday Tastes Good
8. In Bed With Boys
9. Sinister
10. True Romance At The World’s Fair
11. Tonight
12. Please Respect Our Decadence
13. Heat Wave
14. No War Bride
15. Let’s Transact
16. Lethargy
17. Amusing One’s Self
18. Recalling The Last Encounter
19. Seasonal Zombies
20. Agitation

*download it here*

Dark Entries records has just reissued a compilation of Algebra Suicide material, four tracks of which were sourced from this LP.  Well worth picking up if you want to hear more and support the band!
For a more suitable discography and proper biography of Algebra Suicide, click below:
Algebra Suicide on Trouserpress dot com
official page via Clive Barker’s website (a little outdated)

This entry was posted on June 20, 2008 at 5:21 pm and is filed under 1980s, 1988, 1990s, algebra suicide, chicago, minimal, poetry, spoken word . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.