Circle X (EP) explained

Circle X
Type:	ep
Artist:	Circle X
Cover:	Circle X cover.jpg
Released:	1980
Genre:	No wave
Label:	Celluloid
Next Title:	Prehistory
Next Year:	1983

Circle X (officially untitled^[1]) is an EP and the debut release by American experimental rock band Circle X. It was on 12" vinyl in 1980 in France, through then-nascent record label Celluloid.^[1]

Background

CMJ described the album as a "raw, alien, dense set of four tuneless almost-not-even-songs made of spattered guitar, drums and Tony Pinotti's wrecked, howling voice".^[2]

Critical reception

Trouser Press opined that the EP was "practically unmatched in its day. [...] Nothing sounded like this in 1979. Circle X caught the tail end of the no wave scene and out-waved it with a mere four ear-splitting compositions."^[3]

Re-issues

Circle X was later re-issued on CD in 1996 through label Dexter's Cigar. It was re-issued on 12" vinyl in Germany in 2009 through label Insolito.

Personnel

• David Letendre – drums, guitar
• Rik Letendre – guitar, drums
• Tony Pinotti – vocals
• Bruce Witsiepe – guitar

Notes and References

1. Web site: Circle X Bio . . 14 March 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20000930184802/http://www.matadorrecords.com/bios/bio_circle.html . 30 September 2000 . dead .
2. Wolk . Douglas . June 1996 . Singles . . 14 March 2013.
3. Web site: trouserpress.com :: Circle X . Mamone . Jordan . . 14 March 2013.