James Rays Gangwar
James Ray formed James Ray’s Gangwar with Damon Vingoe (bass/keyboards) Travis Earl (guitars) John Bainbridge (guitars). Gangwar are a very strong team, which shares the writing, producing and performing duties. Beginning to gig in late 1989, Melody Maker described hearing them live as “like discovering sex for the first time”.
The band created sounds that cross the decades, consistently offering something new and exciting. From Dios Esta De Nuestro Lado in 1992, and Third Generation 1993, Gangwar reached a peak with the truly outstanding Psychodalek album in 1996, characterised by steady, up-tempo dance rhythms and an infectious subterranean structure to the music. The relentless beats arrest the senses and grab the attention with guitars riff that assault as they ride, and aggressive, unsettling vocals. The lyrics reflect Ray’s concerns with social and political matters and regularly involve Christian iconography, samples, Americana kitsch and European social decay. The result is a crazy worldview, capturing stills of life on the verge of a new millennium. The gothic heritage is visible and its convergence with synth-based eighties sounds and nineties techno and trance forms a complex, intoxicating sound that has been described as “technogoth”, “electrogoth” and “new age techno”.
Whilst working in Gangwar, James Ray has also produced two solo albums under the name MK Ultra. This is This and Beluga Pop, both on Merciful Release Records. He has written novels and screenplays, most notably “Psychodalek” which goes hand in hand with the album of the same name. Both works explore the theme of schizophrenia and reflect Ray’s versatility and focus within the creative process. When asked about his opinion on trance music he responded by stating Trance is modern goth without the horror. It is this ability to broach boundaries, see connections and meld the diversities of life into something new and whole, that makes James Ray a creative artist of some note.
When “Psychodalek” was released Melody Maker dubbed Mr Ray “one of the coolest curmudgeons” in the rock business, a title which is arrogantly worn by the man behind the music. Ray has described himself as an “Electroassassin” and a “Cyberchrist”, but his canny observations of the contemporary music scene make it possible to bypass his arrogance and reach for the products of his eccentric but astute mind.
Gangwar are no more. Their output is still available internationally. James Ray continues with his involvement in 25men.
PS:
see also: James Ray and The Performance
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