Tuxedomoon

Released in 1981, Desire is the second studio album by the avant-garde collective Tuxedomoon, and one of their most iconic works. Issued by the Italian label Expanded Music (catalogue number EX 01), this record fully embodies the band’s experimental, cosmopolitan, and unclassifiable spirit born in San Francisco but deeply rooted in the European post-punk scene of the early '80s.

A cinematic and free-form work

Far removed from conventional rock or new wave formats, Desire unfolds like a series of fragmented, often dreamlike or unsettling atmospheres. The band freely blends minimalist electronics, expressionist violin, cold, pulsing bass, freeform saxophone, and ghost-like vocals. The result is a soundscape that evokes German expressionist theatre as much as the soundtrack to some imaginary noir film.

The opening track, "East/Jinx/...", immediately sets the tone: hypnotic rhythms, creeping basslines, and distorted synths. "Incubus (Blue Suit)" unfolds like a piece of mutant jazz, unhinged and unpredictable, while "Again" offers a melancholic, almost romantic lull — yet the album remains steeped in urban alienation and latent tension, mirroring both a world in crisis and a band constantly on the move.

A turning point for Tuxedomoon

Desire is often seen as a pivotal album in Tuxedomoon's career. After their early releases on Ralph Records (home to The Residents), this album marks the beginning of their European exile, eventually leading them to settle in Brussels, where they would become key figures of the emerging cold wave movement. Partially recorded in Europe, Desire reflects this cultural shift: less abrasive than Half-Mute, darker and more introspective, but equally bold and uncompromising.