David M. Allen (born 29 June 1953) is an English

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

and mixer. He is mostly known for his work with new wave,

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

and

goth rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...

bands including

the Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

the Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band formed in Leeds in 1980. After achieving early underground fame, the band experienced a commercial breakthrough in the mid-1980s, sustaining their success until the early 1990s, when they halted th ...

the Chameleons The Chameleons are an English rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in 1981. The band's classic line-up consisted of bassist and vocalist Mark Burgess (now known as Vox), guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer Jo ...

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...

, the Mission, the Associates,

the Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic music, electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their t ...

Clan of Xymox Clan of Xymox, also known as simply Xymox, are a Dutch rock band formed in 1981 best known as pioneers of dark wave music. Clan of Xymox featured a trio of singer-songwriters – Ronny Moorings, Anka Wolbert, and Pieter Nooten – and gained ...

Gianna Nannini Gianna Nannini (; born 14 June 1954) is an Italian singer and songwriter. Her most notable songs include "America" (1979), "Fotoromanza" (1984), "I maschi" (1987), "Meravigliosa creatura" (1995), "Sei nell'anima" (2006) and "Bello e impossibile ...

Shelleyan Orphan Shelleyan Orphan were a British alternative music group that came to prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. They played a style of pop influenced by chamber music, and which featured dual male-female vocals. Career In 1980, Caroline Crawley a ...

and others. He also produced

Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, rapper, occasional disc jockey, and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a numb ...

's hit album ''

Man A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...

''. He created Blank Multimedia in 1994, which operated from the home of

XFM Radio X is a British national commercial radio station focused on alternative music, primarily indie rock, and owned by Global. The station launched in 1989 as a pirate radio station named Q102, before being renamed Xfm in 1992. The station b ...

from 1995 to 1997, designed websites for

Chrysalis A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages the ...

and

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...

, and made an interactive cross-platform CD+ featuring The Plunge Club with music from Andy M. Wright. Blank also organised a 24-hour Internet art gallery, groundbreaking for the era. In 2022, for

Record Store Day Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...

UK, he released a vinyl album, ''DNA of DMA'' on the Themsay label. This is an historical artefact from 1980 consisting mainly of solo written and produced tracks. These tracks led to a position of programmer and engineer at Genetic Studios in early 1981. This vinyl album was made record of the week by ''JunoDaily''.JunoDaily
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Production discography (selection)

Studio albums

The Members The Members is a British punk rock, punk band that originated in Camberley, Surrey, England. In the UK, they are best known for their single "The Sound of the Suburbs", reaching No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979, and in Australia, "Radio" ...

– '' Going West'' *

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

– '' The Top'' *

– ''

Concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

'' *The Cure – ''

The Head on the Door ''The Head on the Door'' is the sixth studio album by English rock band the Cure. It was released on 30 August 1985 by Fiction Records. Preceded by the single " In Between Days" which had reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart, ''The Head on t ...

'' *The Cure – ''

Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me ''Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me'' is the seventh studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 26 May 1987 by Fiction Records. The album was recorded at Studio Miraval in Correns, France. Robert Smith described the album as "like an end ...

'' *The Cure – '' Disintegration'' *The Cure – ''

Wish A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used. Sociology Several cu ...

'' *12 Drummers Drumming – ''Loveless'' *

The Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band formed in Leeds in 1980. After achieving early underground fame, the band experienced a commercial breakthrough in the mid-1980s, sustaining their success until the early 1990s, when they halted th ...

– '' First and Last and Always'' * Richard Strange and The Engine Room – Going Gone *

The Chameleons The Chameleons are an English rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in 1981. The band's classic line-up consisted of bassist and vocalist Mark Burgess (now known as Vox), guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer Jo ...

– '' Strange Times'' *The Chameleons – ''

Why Call It Anything ''Why Call It Anything'' is the fourth album of original material and fifth studio album overall by the English rock band the Chameleons. It was recorded from 2000 to 2001 and released 1 July 2001 on record label Artful. The album marked their ...

'' * The Associates – ''Waiting for the Love Boat'' *

Wire file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...

– '' Manscape'' *

– '' Scandalo'' *Stefan Eicher – ''Combien de Temps'' *Stefan Eicher – ''My Place'' *Poems for Laila – ''La filette triste'' *Gianna Nannini – '' X Forza E X Amore'' *Gianna Nannini – '' Dispetto'' * The Damned – '' Not of This Earth'' *

Frente Frente! (or Frente) is an Australian folk-pop and indie pop group which originally formed in 1989. The original line-up consisted of Simon Austin on guitar and backing vocals, Angie Hart on lead vocals, Tim O'Connor on bass guitar (later replac ...

– ''

Shape A shape is a graphics, graphical representation of an object's form or its external boundary, outline, or external Surface (mathematics), surface. It is distinct from other object properties, such as color, Surface texture, texture, or material ...

'' * Feline – ''

Save Your Face ''Save Your Face'' is the debut album by British alternative rock group Feline and was released worldwide in 1997. It was preceded by "Just As You Are", the video of which was picked up by MTV Europe. The following year, the album was repackaged ...

'' * Fra Lippo Lippi – ''

Songs A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usuall ...

'' *

– ''

'' * The Mission – '' Aura'' *The Mission – '' The Brightest Light'' *David M. Allen – ''The Genetic Tape'' *

Sennen Sennen () is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Sennen village is situated approximately west-southwest of Penzance.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land's End'' Sennen parish is bounded by ...

– ''Lost Harmony'' *

The Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler (singer), Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from ...

– '' Book of Days''

Live albums

– ''

'' *

– '' Giannissima''

Singles

Dead or Alive A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...

– " Misty Circles" *

– "

It's Called a Heart "It's Called a Heart" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released as a single on 16 September 1985. "It's Called a Heart" was one of two new songs on the 1985 compilation albums '' The Singles 81→85'' and '' Catching Up ...

" * Fra Lippo Lippi – "

Shouldn't Have to Be Like That "Shouldn't Have to Be Like That" is a song by Norwegian new wave band Fra Lippo Lippi, first released in 1985 on their third studio album ''Songs'', on the band's own label, Easter Productions. The song was remixed for the 1986 international rei ...

" *Yassassin – "Pretty Face" *Yassassin – "Cherry Pie" *The Cure - "Love Cats" *The Cure - "Close to Me" *The Cure - "A Night Like This" *The Cure - "Inbetween Days" *The Cure - "Push" *The Cure - "Why Can't I Be You" *The Cure - "Catch" *The Cure - "Just Like Heaven" *The Cure - "Lullaby" *The Cure - "Lovesong" *The Cure - "Fascination Street" *The Cure - "High" *The Cure - "A Letter to Elise" *The Cure - "Friday I'm in Love"

Remixes

– "

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

" *

Thomas Leer Thomas Leer (born Thomas Wishart, 1953) is a Scottish musician. He has released a number of albums and singles as a solo artist, and was also one half (the other being Claudia Brücken) of the 1980s electropop band Act. Biography Born in Port ...

– "Heartbeat" *

The Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic music, electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their t ...

– " Life on Your Own"

Films

– '' The Cure in Orange'' *Conny Plank: The Potential of Noise (2017)

References

External links

David M. Allen Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, David M. Living people English record producers English audio engineers English male singers English male songwriters English rock musicians English new wave musicians 1953 births People from Twickenham