Rock history is full of unique and impactful bands, and e (lowercase!) is one of them. I think their band name is really unique, with special emphasis on the fact that it’s a lowercase letter e instead of a capital E. It’s a unique way to make you remember them. This experimental new wave project was born out of the Vancouver punk scene around 1980 and brought a new wave to the music scene at the time.
We should note that it was a cool thing that the 1980’s could make music so edgy.
The band was founded by Gary Middleclass (also known as Gary Bourgeois), a musician who recorded with underground punk bands Generator and the more famous Payola$. He joined forces with bassists Michael Wonderful, Brock Rock and Aleh to create the band’s initial lineup. With the help of producer Bob Rock, the group recorded synthesizer songs with electronic and punk influences and released their debut 7″, Reaction / Coincidence.
Subsequently, e’s music evolved, adopting a more minimalist approach and becoming part of the New Wave movement. The band’s youthful energy and minimalist synthesizers filled their upbeat albums, showcasing the energy of West Coast style punk rock. e’s only 12″ vinyl release, “Suspension Syndrome”, featured all of their tracks and showed them at their most experimental.
After 35 years, this vinyl is still fresh, and once again, the e band’s uniqueness is evident. Looking back at their music, we can not only feel the essence of punk music at the time, but also the charm of the new wave movement. Compared to other traditional punk bands, the uniqueness of e is their pursuit of experimentation. They never stuck to traditional rock instruments, but incorporated elements of synthesizers into their music, creating a completely new style of music. This bold, new experimentation made them stand out in the music scene at the time and set an example for later musicians to follow, gradually developing a style. It can be said that they were the leaders and pioneers of this style.
So, what do you think of the music of the band e? Do you think their music is still influential in today’s music scene?