Dr. Calculus - Designer Beatnik (1986)

Dr Calculus mdma was a recording project created by Stephen Duffy and Roger Freeman in 1984. Having both left the band Pigbag, Chris Hamlin introduced Roger Freeman to Stephen Duffy in Beaumont's Bar, Birmingham ( Record Mirror publication incorrect ! ) in Spring 1982. Hamlin and Freeman then proceeded with musical instruments to Turin, Italy for several months where Freeman worked out what would later become horn sections on the Dr Calculus recordings. Arriving in London at the end of 1983 friends of Freeman in the fashion industry mentioned to him a new drug called Ecstasy coming in from California.

In 1984 Stephen Duffy bumped into Roger Freeman at the White Trash nightclub in London and suggested doing a recording together. Using spare studio time from Stephen's solo work they recorded the first Dr Calculus single Programme 7. From this the Ten Records label let them record another single Perfume From Spain and the album Designer Beatnik, released in the Summer of 1986. This included prototype chill out / house tracks which segued together to run non-stop for forty minutes.

Guest appearances on the album included former Pigbag members Ollie Moore and Chris Lee, bass player Guy Pratt and vocalists Francoise Gigandet, Tricia Ronane, Jeni Innocent, Caroline Dodd and Junior Gee with Tamsin Anne de Roemer providing ambient soumds she had recorded in Japan. It was co-produced and engineered by Paul Staveley O'Duffy and the sleeve artwork was by Stephen's brother Nick. Several members from the Dr Calculus project appeared as Stephen Duffy's backing band on UK Channel Four television's music programme The Tube on 14th February 1986.

Following little reaction from the music press at the time Stephen went on to form The Lilac Time while Roger landed a job in a London warehouse just as the Acid House Party scene was starting up.

The Dr Calculus Designer Beatnik album is now available as a download from Virgin Records.

Roger Freemann

Thus a bone of contention begins, prescient brilliance or addled nonsense. At pretty much the same time as the death knell was being sounded for Stephen Anthony James Duffy part one, out comes Designer Beatnik. Self indulgence never sounded so good, along with help from Roger Freeman and Francoise Gigandet. Given the right moment this was aural ecstasy and the forging of a relationship in vinyl that would last at least until 2003. This was the first released synergy between Stephen and his brother Nick, even though it was only violin on Just Another Honey, it paved the way for sustained excellence and 7 albums. For some very odd reason Designer Beatnik never made the digital age, and although assigned a catalogue number of DIXCD 45, the shiny version of Designer Beatnik never appeared beyond a rumour.

Essential listen: If you can get through the upbeat first track Blasted with Ecstasy and you are hungry for more then stick with it. Take your mind back to 1986 and this kind of stuff just didn't happen. But be warned: this is not for the sonically unadventurous.

Essential buy: It is was record players were invented for, buy one, stick the LP on it, a good copy should come in at around £ 10, and you will not regret it.

Chris

~ Click on the cover images for more details ~

	Artist/Composer	Title	Release Year	Format	Cat. Number	Label	Country	Length	Tracks
	Dr. Calculus	Designer Beatnik	1986	LP	DIX 45	Virgin 10 Records	United Kingdom	41:31	11
	Dr. Calculus	Designer Beatnik	1986	Cassette	CDIX 45	Virgin 10 Records	United Kingdom	41:31	11
	Dr. Calculus	Programme 7	1986	7 inch	TEN 32	Virgin 10 Records	United Kingdom	08:28	2
	Dr. Calculus	Programme 7	1986	12 inch	TEN 32-12 (Int. 601 626)	Virgin 10 Records	United Kingdom	15:12	3
	Dr. Calculus	Perfume From Spain	1986	7 inch	TEN 131	Virgin 10 Records	United Kingdom	08:47	2
	Dr. Calculus	Perfume From Spain	1986	12 inch	TEN T 131	Virgin 10 Records	United Kingdom	13:26	2