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{{Short description|Belgian band}}
{{Multiple issues
|unreliable= January 2013
|rewrite= January 2013
|cleanup= September 2008
}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| image_size =
| name = The Neon Judgement
| name = The Neon Judgement
| image =
| image = 2014-07-26 The Neon Judgement (Amphi festival 2014) 009.JPG
| caption =
| caption =
| image_size =
| image_size =
| background = group_or_band
| alias =
| alias =
| origin = [[Leuven]], [[Belgium]]
| origin = [[Leuven]], Belgium
| genre = [[New Wave music|New Wave]]<br />[[Synthpop]]<br />[[Electronic body music|EBM]]
| genre = {{ hlist | [[New wave music|New wave]] | [[Industrial music|industrial]] | [[synthpop]] | [[Electronic body music|EBM]] }}
| years_active = 1981&ndash;present
| years_active = 1981&ndash;2015
| label = DanceDelic D<br />Le Son du Maquis<br />[[Play It Again Sam]]
| label = {{ hlist | DanceDelic-D | Le Son du Maquis | [[PIAS Recordings|Play It Again Sam]] }}
| website = {{url|http://www.theneonjudgement.com/}}
| associated_acts =
| current_members =
| website = [http://www.theneonjudgement.com]
* Dirk Timmermans
| current_members = Dirk Da Davo<br />TB Frank
* Frank Vloeberghs
| past_members =
| past_members =
| notable_instruments =
}}
}}


'''The Neon Judgement''' is a [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[New Wave music|New Wave]] band, formed in [[Leuven]] in 1981 by members Dirk Da Davo (keyboards/vocalist) and TB Frank (guitarist/vocalist). These Belgian musicians have ofted been considered the pioners of Electronic Body Music (EBM) together other Belgian band Front 242. The high-tech genre form the early 80´ies, combining industrial and electro music, from which later originated new beat and techno.
'''The Neon Judgement''' is a [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[New wave music|new wave]] band, formed in [[Leuven]] in 1981 by Dirk Da Davo (born Dirk Timmermans, keyboards/vocalist) and TB Frank (born Frank Vloeberghs, guitarist/vocalist). They have often been cited, alongside fellow Belgian band [[Front 242]], as the pioneers of [[electronic body music]] (EBM),<ref name="assimilate">{{cite book |last1=Reed |first1=S. Alexander |title=Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music |year=2013|location=New York|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199832583|oclc=1147729910|via=the Internet Archive|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/assimilatecritic0000reed |page=157}}</ref> an electronic dance genre from the early 1980s combining [[industrial music|industrial]] and [[electronic music|electro]] music.


==History==
Davo Da Davo and TB Frank veered between minimalistic industrial drones and odd, new wave-ish synth pop and dance music, underlain by cold, mechanical rhythms. Their initial music is aggressive, danceable and dominated by synthesizers and drum-machines. A bit later on in their career the guitar also gets a prominent place in their music..
Dirk Timmermans (aka Dirk Da Davo) and Frank Vloeberghs (aka TB Frank) combined minimalist industrial drones and new wave synthpop and dance music, with cold, mechanical rhythms. Their early work was aggressive, danceable and dominated by synthesizers and drum-machines. Later in their career, their work featured prominent guitars. Their early influences included [[The Velvet Underground]] and [[Pink Floyd]].<ref name="peek-a-boo-5">{{cite journal |last1=Becu |first1=Didier |title=Interview: The Neon Judgement |journal=Peek-A-Boo Music Magazine |date=April 2012 |issue=5 |page=8 |url=http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/files/201204-PAB-magazine-n-5.pdf |access-date=8 February 2022 |location=Ghent, BE}}</ref>


The Neon Judgement recorded most of its output for the Play It Again Sam label in Belgium, beginning with 1986's Mafu Cage. Their first American release did not come until 1987, with the sex-themed concept album Horny As Hell. Subsequent recordings included Blood and Thunder (1989), The Insult (1990), and Are You Real (1992).
The band self-released a pair of cassettes before landing their first single, 1982's "Factory Walk."<ref name="peek-a-boo-5" /> Most of their subsequent output was on the Belgian Play It Again Sam label, beginning with 1986's ''Mafu Cage''. Their first American release came in 1987, with the sex-themed concept album, ''Horny As Hell''<ref name="trouser-press">{{cite web |last1=Robbins |first1=Ira |title=Neon Judgement |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/neon-judgement/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=10 May 2021}}</ref> which included the well-received dance track, "Miss Brown.<ref name="peek-a-boo-5" /> Subsequent recordings included ''Blood and Thunder'' (1989), ''The Insult'' (1990), and ''Are You Real'' (1992). The duo took a three-year hiatus in 1992, returning in 1995 with ''At Devil's Fork'', an LP recorded with percussionist Ben Forceville entirely in a wooded area.


The band stopped performing in 1998, but reformed in 2004 and started performing live again to promote a series of remixes and re-releases of their material. The touring continued into 2006, with the band stating on their website that "Live, The Neon Judgement will continue to give art terrorism a good name, finding new ways of marrying noise and beauty, machines and magic".
The duo took a three-year hiatus to rethink the direction of their music, after which they returned in 1995 with At Devil's Fork, an LP recorded with percussionist Ben Forceville entirely in a wooded area.


Timmermans is also part of the side project Neon Electronics, for which he started his own record label Dancedelic-D and he both reworks old classics and composes new material.
The band briefly stopped performing in 1998, but reformed in 2004 and started performing live again to promote a series of remixes and re-releases of their material. The touring continued into 2006, with the band promising on their [http://www.theneonjudgement.com/ website] that, "Live, The Neon Judgement will continue to give art terrorism a good name, finding new ways of marrying noise and beauty, machines and magic".


In November 2005, the Neon Judgement played at the Machina Festival at the Broadway Club in [[São Paulo]], [[Brazil]]. The festival celebrated the first eight years of the site FiberOnline and the launch of the label Fiber Records. Fiber Records released the DVD ''The Neon Judgement – Live at Machina Festival'' in 2005 featuring the whole concert of 13 songs.<ref name="sideline-2007">{{cite web |last1=Van Isacker |first1=Bernard |title=The Neon Judgement live at Machina Festival DVD out now |url=http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=26694_0_2_1_C |website=Side-Line |access-date=17 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210092952/http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=26694_0_2_1_C |archive-date=10 Feb 2012 |date=25 Oct 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Dirk Da Davo is also have in the side project Neon Electronics, for which he started his own record label Dancedelic-D and he both reworks old classics and composes new material.


In 2007, the band released the compilation album ''Redbox''.<ref name="sideline-2007-2">{{cite web |last1=Van Isacker |first1=Bernard |title=The Neon Judgement announces 'Redbox' |url=http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=25107_0_2_1_C |website=Side-Line |access-date=17 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206142103/http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=25107_0_2_1_C |archive-date=6 Feb 2012 |date=10 Aug 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The release followed the 100% vintage 2&nbsp;CD ''Box'' released in October 2005. ''Redbox'' mainly contains the band's work during the second half of the 1980s. The album also features [[remix]]es from acts such as David Carretta, Blackstrobe, Lifelike, and Helmut Kraft. ''Redbox'' also contains a new cover version of "[[Heroes (David Bowie song)|Heroes]]" by [[David Bowie]].
At November 2005, the Neon Judgement did a show at the Machina Festival at the Broadway Club in [[São Paulo]], [[Brazil]]. The festival celebrated the first eight years of the site FiberOnline and the launch of the label Fiber Records. Fiber Records released the DVD ''The Neon Judgement – Live at Machina Festival'' in 2005 featuring the whole concert of 13 songs.<ref>[http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=26694_0_2_1_C The Neon Judgement live at Machina Festival DVD out now]</ref>


The band released another album, ''Smack'', in 2009.
In 2007, the Neon Judgement released the compilation album ''Redbox''.<ref>[http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=25107_0_2_1_C The Neon Judgement announces ''Redbox'']</ref> The release comes after the success of the 100% vintage 2&nbsp;CD ''Box'' released in October 2005. ''Redbox'' mainly contains the band's work during the second half of the 1980s. The album also features [[remix]]es from acts such as David Carretta, Blackstrobe, Lifelike, and Helmut Kraft. ''Redbox'' also contains a brand new recording, namely a cover version of "[[Heroes (David Bowie song)|Heroes]]" (by [[David Bowie]] and [[Brian Eno]]).

The band's most recent album is ''Smack'', released in 2009.

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==Discography==
==Discography==
===Albums===
*''Suffering'' (mini-album) (1981)
*''MBIH!'' (mini-album) (1985)
*''Mafu Cage'' (1986)
*''Horny as Hell'' (1988)
*''Blood and Thunder'' (1989)
*''The Insult'' (1990)
*''Are You Real'' (1991)
*''At Devil's Fork'' (1995)
*''Dazsoo'' (1998)
*''Smack'' (2009)
*''We Never Said You're No Good'' (2012)


===Compilation albums===
* '''Suffering (Tape) (1980)'''
*''The Neon Judgement 1981-1984'' (1985)
Factory Walk - Sweet Revenge - Harem - The Machine - Army Green (WO III) - Schyzophrenic Freddy
*''The First Judgements'' (1987)
*''General Pain and Major Disease'' (1989)
*''The First Judgements'' (2005 re-release)
*''The First Judgements - Outbox'' (2005)
*''Box'' (2005)
*''Redbox'' (2007)
*''Remixed Box'' (2007)
*''A Fashion Party - Live @ AB Bxl'' (2008)
*''Early Tapes'' (2010)


===Singles and EPs===
* '''TV Treated (Tape) (1980)'''
TV Treated - Stay Mad - Sister Sue - On My Own
* "TV Treated" (1982)
* "Factory Walk" (1982)
* "Cockerill Sombre" (1983)
* "Concrete" (1984)
* "Tomorrow in the Papers" (1985)
* "Awful Day" (1986)
* "Voodoo Nipplefield" (1986)
* "A Man Ain't No Man When A Man Ain't Got No Horse, Man" (1987)
* "Miss Brown" (1987)
* "TV Treated" (1989)
* "Games of Love" (1989)
* "1313" (1989)
* "Alaska Highway" (1990)
* "Baby's On Fire" (1991)
* "A Nicer Person" (1995)
* "Out Of My Mind" (1998)
* "Jazzbox" (1998)
* "Machine Life" (2005)
* ''Smack EP'' (2010)


==Gallery==
* '''Factory Walk - (7" single) / ABP (1980)'''
<gallery>
side a. Factory Walk
2014-07-26 The Neon Judgement (Amphi festival 2014) 002.JPG
side b. Sweet Revenge
2014-07-26 The Neon_Judgement (Amphi festival 2014) 004.JPG
</gallery>


==References==
* '''Concrete - (7" single) / ABP (1981)'''
{{Reflist}}
side a. Concrete (It Feels So Strong)
side b. Concrete (NY Stoney Wall Doll)


==External links==
* '''Cockerill Sombre - (12") / ABP (1982)'''
{{Commons category|The Neon Judgement}}
a1. Please, Release Me, Let Me Go-Go
a2. Too Cold Too Breathe
b1. The Fashion Party
b2. 1 Jump Ahead


* {{Official site|http://www.theneonjudgement.com/}}
* '''MBIH! - (mini-album) (MLP) / ABP (1983)'''
01. MBIH!
02. I Wish I Could
03. Let's Get Born
04. Tomorrow In The Papers
05. Brain Dance
06. Sister Sue
07. See That!


{{Authority control}}
* '''The Neon Judgement 1981-1984 - (LP) (1984)'''
01. The Fashion Party
02. Concrete (It Feels So Strong)
03. Too Cold To Breathe
04. One Jump Ahead
05. Nion
06. TV Treated
07. Please, Release Me, Let Me Go-Go
08. I Must Be On My Own
09. Factory Walk
10. Concrete (N.Y., Stoney Wall Doll)

* '''Tomorrow In The Papers - (7¨/12¨/CDS) (1985)'''
01. Tomorrow In The Papers
02. Who Do You Love

* '''Awful Day - (12") (1986)'''
01. Awful Day
02. TV Treated (New Version)
03. The Man (Remix)

* '''Mafu Cage - (LP/CD) / PIAS (1986)'''
01. Awful Day
02. The Man
03. He's Gonna Drop
04. Be Nice To Me
05. Rise (I Hope One Day)
06. 1958
07. Voodoo Nipplefield
08. Dead Friend's Body
''Extra tracks on CD:''
09. Tomorrow In The Papers
10. Antoine
11. TV Treated
12. The Man (Remix)

* '''Voodoo Nipplefield - (12") (1986)'''
01. Voodoo Nipplefield
02. Antoine

* '''The First Judgements - (CD) / PIAS (1987)'''
01. The Fashion Party
02. Concrete (It Feels So Strong)
03. Too Cold To Breathe
04. Nion
05. TV Treated
06. Please, Release Me, Let Me Go-Go
07. I Must Be On My Own
08. Factory Walk
09. Concrete (N.Y., Stoney Wall Doll)
10. I Wish I Could
11. Let's Get Born
12. Tomorrow In The Papers
13. Brain Dance
14. Sister Sue
15. See That!

* '''A Man Ain't No Man When A Man Ain't Got No Horse, Man - (12"/CDS) (1987)'''
01. Chinese Black
02. I'm Half
03. Kid Shyleen
04. Wand'rin' Star

* '''Miss Brown - (7"/12") (1987)'''
01. Miss Brown
02. Hot Sally

* '''Horny as Hell - (LP/CD) / PIAS (1988)'''
01. Billy Tcherno And Pretty Petrouchka
02. Sultan Of Sex
03. Horny As Hell
04. The Bad Luck
05. Trashy Lady
06. The Sea
07. Hot Sally
08. I Stood In Between
09. STLG
10. Miss Brown

* '''TV TREATED - (12") (1989)'''
01. TV Treated
02. The Fashion Party

* '''General Pain and Major Disease - (LP/CD) / PIAS (1989)'''
01. Kid Shyleen
02. Tomorrow In The Papers
03. Miss Brown
04. Factory Walk
05. Chinese Black
06. Awful Day
07. TV Treated (New Version)
08. The Man (Remix)
09. The Fashion Party
10. I Wish I Could

* Games Of Love - (12"/CDS)(1989)
01. Games Of Love
02. No Truth To Tell
03. Games Of Love (Mojo Mix)
04. Conditioned Reflex

* '''Blood and Thunder - (LP/CD) / PIAS (1989)'''
01. Facing Pictures
02. 1313
03. Damned I Love You
04. Games Of Love
05. Don't Wish Me Luck
06. This City
07. Ritual Of Earth
08. Le Suicide Du Beau Serge
''Extra tracks on CD:''
09. Conditioned Reflex
10. No Truth To Tell

* '''1313 - (12"/CDS) (1989)'''
01. 1313 (Long Version)
02. To The Bone

* '''Alaska Highway - (12"/CDS) (1990)'''
01. Alaska Highway
02. Never Change
03. That Dance
04. Torture

* '''The Insult - (LP/CD)/ PIAS (1990)'''
01. The Insult
02. Alaska Highway
03. Here She Comes
04. I And I (Get A Hold)
05.Build A House
06. All The Colours
07. Never Change
08. The Right To Reject
09. Pink Coat
10 Out Of Heaven
''Extra tracks on CD:''
11. That Dance
12. Torture

* '''Baby's On Fire - (CDS) (1991)'''
01. Baby's On Fire
02. Baby's On Fire (Remix)
03. Are You Real (Remix)

* '''Are you real? - (CD) / PIAS (1991)'''
01. Are You Real
02. This Strange Effect
03. Heart Of Stone
04. Home
05. Forever Be Mine
06. Baby's On Fire
07. Jackson, Come Home
08. Julia
09. Sophisticated
10. Holster Hip
11. Are You Real (Remix)
12. Baby's On Fire (Remix)

* '''A Nicer Person - (MCD) (1995)'''
01. A Nicer Person (Great Remix)
02. Overruled (Judged Remix)
03. A Nicer Person (Dealer's Remix)

* '''At Devil's fork - (CD) / SPV (1995)'''
01. Ugly Face
02. I Don't Mind
03. A Nicer Person
04. Right Now
05. Understand
06. Overruled
07. She Lies In The Sun
08. So Help Me, God!
09. Serve
10. It Is What It Is
11. Concrete (Dip Me In Heat)
12. TV Treated (1995)
13. Chinese Black (Revisited)

* '''Out Of My Mind - (CDS) (1998)'''
01. Out Of My Mind (Radio Edit)
02. Out Of My Mind (Dub Mix)
03. Out Of My Mind (Mad Mix)
04. Out Of My Mind (Transkit Mix)

* '''Jazzbox - (CDS) (1998)'''
01. Jazzbox
02. Jazzbox (NBG Mix)
03. Jazzbox (Plastika Mix)
04. Jazzbox (Transkit Mix)

* '''Dazsoo - (CD) / KK records (1998)'''
01. Dis Go On
02. Mirror
03. Itchy
04. Out Of My Mind
05. Hdrom Temptation
06. Jazzbox
07. Turki
08. Up In Flames
09. What A Day
10. O.R.P.
11. Slow Motion

* '''TV Treated - Tiga MIxes - (12") (2003)'''
01. TV Treated (Tiga's Treated Vox)
02. TV Treated (Tiga's Dub For Ivan)
03. TV Treated (Original)

* '''Fashion Party - Hedman Remix / Pulsinger Remixes (12") (2004)'''
01. Fashion Party (Headman Remix)
02. Fashion Party (Black Carpet Remix)
03. Fashion Party (Original Mix)

* '''The First Judgements - (2-12") (2005 re-release)'''
''Disc One:''
01. The Fashion Party
02. Concrete (It Feels So Strong)
03. Too Cold To Breathe
04. One Jump Ahead
05. Nion
''Disc Two:''
01. TV Treated
02. Please, Release Me, Let Me Go-Go
03. Factory Walk
04. I Must Be On My Own
05. Concrete (N.Y., Stoney Wall Doll)

* '''The First Judgements - Outbox - (12") (2005)'''
01. Factory Walk (The Hacker Remix)
02. Nion Nion (Terence Fixmer Remix)
03. The Fashion Party (Millimetric Remix)

* '''The Neon Judgement - Box (2CD) / PIAS (October 10, 2005)'''
''‘INBOX01’ / CD1''
01. TV Treated – (1982)
02. Tomorrow In The Papers – (1985)
03. The Fashion Party – (1983)
04. Factory Walk – (1982)
05. I Wish I Could – (1985)
06. Concrete (It Feels So Strong’) – (1984)
07. Nion –(1985)
08. Too Cold To Breathe – (1983)
09. Please, Release Me, Let Me Go-Go – (1983)
10. I Must Be On My Own – (1985)
11. S.T.L.G – (1985)
12. Brain Dance –(1985)
13. The Fashion Party(live)
14. Concrete (live) (N.Y., Stoney Wall Doll)
15. Sister Sue (live)

''‘OUTBOX02’ / CD2 (Remixes)''
01. Factory Walk - “ The Hacker RMix”
02. Nion – “Terence Fixmer RMix”
03. Fashion Party –“ Millimetric RMix”
04. TV Treated – “Tiga Vox RMix”
05. Too Cold To Breathe – “Vive La Fête RMix”
06. Tomorrow In The Papers – Implant’s ‘Krafty RMix’
07. TV Treated –“ Neon Electronics 3D RMix”
08. Fashion Party – “Headman RMix”
09. Machine Life (previously unreleased recorded 1980)
10. Schizofrenic Freddy (previously unreleased recorded 1980)
11. Sweet Revenge (b side first single – previously unreleased version- recorded 1980)
* '''‘Mixing9ties’ - (Digital release) (2006)'''
01. Jazzbox
02. A Nicer Person
03. Jazzbox (NE rmx)
04. Overruled
05. Turki
06. So Help Me God!
07. Serve
08. Itchy
09. Johnny
10. Out Of My Mind (Swirl People rmx)
11. We R In Love (prev.unreleased)
12. Right To Reject (NE rmx)
13. Spirals (prev.unreleased)
14. Mirror
15. Are You real? (rmx01)
16. Dis Go On
17. Jackson (rmx001)
18. Great Rabbits

* ''' Red Box - (CD) (2007)'''
01. Heroes
02. Chinese Black
03. Miss Brown
04. Awfull Day
05. The Man (remix)
06. Games of Love
07. 1313
08. Kid Shyleen
09. Voodoo Nipplefield (edit)
10. Are You Real?
11. Jazzbox
12. Right To Reject (Neon Electronics rmx)
13. Awfull Day (David Carretta rmx)
14. Chinese Black HK ''In my manoir" rmx
15. 1313. (Blackstrobe rmx)
16. Miss Brown (Lifelike rmx) "re-edit"

* ''' A Fashion Party - Live @ AB - (CD) (2008)'''
01. Introduction
02. The Fashion Party
03. Concrete (It Feels So Strong)
04. Too Cold To Breathe
05. One Jump Ahead
06. Nion
07. TV Treated
08. Please Release Me, Let Me Gogo
09. I Must Be On My Own
10. Factory Walk
11. Concrete (NY, Stoney Wall Doll)

* '''Smack - (CD) (2009)'''
01. Smack (Radio Edit)
02. The Great Consumer
03. I Cut Loose
04. The Speed of Sound
05. Leash
06. Hey You
07. We are Confused
08. Little Red Shoes
09. Listen
10. Smack (Extended Mix)

* '''Smack EP - (Digital Release) (2010)'''
01. The Great Consumer (Dj 3000 Remix)
02. Leash (Christopher Kah Remix)
03. I Cut Loose (Bodyspasm Vs DDD Remix)
04. We Are Confused (radical G Remix)
05. Smack (3D re - edit)
06. The Great Consumer (DJ 3000 Vocoder emix)
07. Leash (original version)
08. The Great Consumer (original version)

* '''Early Tapes - (Vinyl) (2010)'''
A Side
Factory Walk
Sweet Revenge
Harem
The Machine
Army Green (WOIII)

B Side
Schyzofrenic Freddy
TV Treated
Stay Mad
Sister Sue
On My Own

* '''Early Tapes - (Digital + Hard Copy) (2010)'''
Factory Walk
Sweet Revenge
Harem
The Machine
Army Green (WOIII)
Schyzofrenic Freddy
TV Treated
Stay Mad
Sister Sue
On My Own
Extra Tracks:
Shyzofrenic Freddy (live, recorded @ Arno'z, Leuven (Belgium) June 25, 1982)
Concrete (Vegas) (live, recorded @ Arno'z, Leuven (Belgium) June 25, 1982)
Sexhead ( Dirk Da Davo), taken from the 1987 12" release 'Where Even Angels Fall"

==External links==
* [http://www.theneonjudgement.com/ The official site of The Neon Judgement]
* [http://www.neon-electronics.org/ The official site of Neon Electronics]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Neon Judgement, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neon Judgement, The}}
[[Category:Post-punk music groups]]
[[Category:Belgian post-punk music groups]]
[[Category:Belgian industrial music groups]]
[[Category:Belgian industrial music groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1981]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1981]]
[[Category:Belgian New Wave musical groups]]
[[Category:Belgian new wave musical groups]]
[[Category:Electronic body music groups]]
[[Category:English-language musical groups from Belgium]]

Latest revision as of 22:05, 2 February 2024

The Neon Judgement
Background information
OriginLeuven, Belgium
Genres
Years active1981–2015
Labels
Members
  • Dirk Timmermans
  • Frank Vloeberghs
Websitewww.theneonjudgement.com

The Neon Judgement is a Belgian new wave band, formed in Leuven in 1981 by Dirk Da Davo (born Dirk Timmermans, keyboards/vocalist) and TB Frank (born Frank Vloeberghs, guitarist/vocalist). They have often been cited, alongside fellow Belgian band Front 242, as the pioneers of electronic body music (EBM),[1] an electronic dance genre from the early 1980s combining industrial and electro music.

History[edit]

Dirk Timmermans (aka Dirk Da Davo) and Frank Vloeberghs (aka TB Frank) combined minimalist industrial drones and new wave synthpop and dance music, with cold, mechanical rhythms. Their early work was aggressive, danceable and dominated by synthesizers and drum-machines. Later in their career, their work featured prominent guitars. Their early influences included The Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd.[2]

The band self-released a pair of cassettes before landing their first single, 1982's "Factory Walk."[2] Most of their subsequent output was on the Belgian Play It Again Sam label, beginning with 1986's Mafu Cage. Their first American release came in 1987, with the sex-themed concept album, Horny As Hell[3] which included the well-received dance track, "Miss Brown.[2] Subsequent recordings included Blood and Thunder (1989), The Insult (1990), and Are You Real (1992). The duo took a three-year hiatus in 1992, returning in 1995 with At Devil's Fork, an LP recorded with percussionist Ben Forceville entirely in a wooded area.

The band stopped performing in 1998, but reformed in 2004 and started performing live again to promote a series of remixes and re-releases of their material. The touring continued into 2006, with the band stating on their website that "Live, The Neon Judgement will continue to give art terrorism a good name, finding new ways of marrying noise and beauty, machines and magic".

Timmermans is also part of the side project Neon Electronics, for which he started his own record label Dancedelic-D and he both reworks old classics and composes new material.

In November 2005, the Neon Judgement played at the Machina Festival at the Broadway Club in São Paulo, Brazil. The festival celebrated the first eight years of the site FiberOnline and the launch of the label Fiber Records. Fiber Records released the DVD The Neon Judgement – Live at Machina Festival in 2005 featuring the whole concert of 13 songs.[4]

In 2007, the band released the compilation album Redbox.[5] The release followed the 100% vintage 2 CD Box released in October 2005. Redbox mainly contains the band's work during the second half of the 1980s. The album also features remixes from acts such as David Carretta, Blackstrobe, Lifelike, and Helmut Kraft. Redbox also contains a new cover version of "Heroes" by David Bowie.

The band released another album, Smack, in 2009.

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

  • Suffering (mini-album) (1981)
  • MBIH! (mini-album) (1985)
  • Mafu Cage (1986)
  • Horny as Hell (1988)
  • Blood and Thunder (1989)
  • The Insult (1990)
  • Are You Real (1991)
  • At Devil's Fork (1995)
  • Dazsoo (1998)
  • Smack (2009)
  • We Never Said You're No Good (2012)

Compilation albums[edit]

  • The Neon Judgement 1981-1984 (1985)
  • The First Judgements (1987)
  • General Pain and Major Disease (1989)
  • The First Judgements (2005 re-release)
  • The First Judgements - Outbox (2005)
  • Box (2005)
  • Redbox (2007)
  • Remixed Box (2007)
  • A Fashion Party - Live @ AB Bxl (2008)
  • Early Tapes (2010)

Singles and EPs[edit]

  • "TV Treated" (1982)
  • "Factory Walk" (1982)
  • "Cockerill Sombre" (1983)
  • "Concrete" (1984)
  • "Tomorrow in the Papers" (1985)
  • "Awful Day" (1986)
  • "Voodoo Nipplefield" (1986)
  • "A Man Ain't No Man When A Man Ain't Got No Horse, Man" (1987)
  • "Miss Brown" (1987)
  • "TV Treated" (1989)
  • "Games of Love" (1989)
  • "1313" (1989)
  • "Alaska Highway" (1990)
  • "Baby's On Fire" (1991)
  • "A Nicer Person" (1995)
  • "Out Of My Mind" (1998)
  • "Jazzbox" (1998)
  • "Machine Life" (2005)
  • Smack EP (2010)

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Reed, S. Alexander (2013). Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 157. ISBN 9780199832583. OCLC 1147729910 – via the Internet Archive.
  2. ^ a b c Becu, Didier (April 2012). "Interview: The Neon Judgement" (PDF). Peek-A-Boo Music Magazine (5). Ghent, BE: 8. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  3. ^ Robbins, Ira. "Neon Judgement". Trouser Press. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  4. ^ Van Isacker, Bernard (25 Oct 2007). "The Neon Judgement live at Machina Festival DVD out now". Side-Line. Archived from the original on 10 Feb 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  5. ^ Van Isacker, Bernard (10 Aug 2007). "The Neon Judgement announces 'Redbox'". Side-Line. Archived from the original on 6 Feb 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2021.

External links[edit]

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