''Shifting City'' is an album by
John Foxx
John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh; 26 September 1948) is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a ...
and
Louis Gordon
Louis Gordon (born 1965) is an English musician notable for his collaboration with John Foxx. He has worked with Foxx on a number of albums since 1995. His solo work has also been released on the Toffeetones record label.
Biography
John Foxx had ...
, released in 1997
(although some sources cite 1995 as the release year).
Released simultaneously with Foxx's ambient album ''
Cathedral Oceans
''Cathedral Oceans'' (after 2003 also referred to as ''Cathedral Oceans I'') is an album of ambient music by John Foxx, released in 1997. Alongside ''Shifting City'' released on the same day, it marked Foxx's return to the music scene after an ab ...
'', ''Shifting City'' was Foxx's first album release since ''
In Mysterious Ways'' (1985).
Stylistically ''Shifting City'' marked a return to the electronic sound of Foxx's 1980 solo album ''
Metamatic
''Metamatic'' is the debut solo album by John Foxx, released in 1980. It was his first solo project following his split with Ultravox the previous year. A departure from the mix of synthesizers and conventional rock instrumentation on that ban ...
'', although it also shows an influence of 1960s
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
-style
psychedelia
Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic dr ...
, a style which Foxx had already experimented with on 1983's ''
The Golden Section
''The Golden Section'' is a 1983 album by English musician John Foxx. A progression from the sound of '' The Garden'' (1981), Foxx called ''The Golden Section'' "a roots check: Beatles, Church music, Psychedelia, The Shadows, The Floyd, The V ...
''.
A 2 CD special edition was released in October 2009, including three previously unreleased bonus tracks. Disc Two of this special re-issue contains the previously released “The Omnidelic Exotour” material, recorded live by Foxx and Gordon at
A Certain Ratio
A Certain Ratio (abbreviated as ACR) are an English post-punk band formed in 1977 in Flixton, Greater Manchester by Peter Terrell (guitar, electronics) and Simon Topping (vocals, trumpet), with additional members Jez Kerr (bass, vocals), Martin ...
's Warehouse in Ancoats,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
and at Metamatic Studio in 1997.
Track listing
1997 original release
# "The Noise" (Foxx) – 4:17
# "Crash" (Foxx, Gordon) – 5:24
# "Here We Go" (Foxx, Gordon) – 7:03
# "Shadow Man" (Foxx) – 7:26
# "Through My Sleeping" (Foxx) – 5:03
# "Forgotten Years" (Foxx, Gordon) – 5:43
# "Everyone" (Foxx, Gordon) – 5:48
# "Shifting City" (Foxx) – 3:36
# "Concrete, Bulletproof, Invisible" (Foxx, Gordon, Leven) – 5:42
# "An Ocean We Can Breathe" (Foxx, Gordon) – 6:23
* "Through My Sleeping" (originally titled "Leaving") and "Concrete, Bulletproof, Invisible" are rerecordings of material originally recorded by Foxx with
Nation 12
John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh; 26 September 1948) is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a ...
.
On Nation 12's ''Electrofear'' album the tracks are credited to John Foxx, Shem McAuley, Kurt Rodgers and Simon Rodgers.
[''Electrofear'' CD liner notes]
2009 Special edition
CD1
# "The Noise"
# "Crash"
# "Here We Go"
# "Shadow Man"
# "Through My Sleeping"
# "Forgotten Years"
# "Everyone"
# "Shifting City"
# "Concrete, Bulletproof, Invisible"
# "An Ocean We Can Breathe"
# "Shadow Man" (Early Version - Mono mix)
# "Quiet Men" (Subterranean Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Just for a Moment" (Subterranean Omnidelic Exotour)
CD2
# "20th Century" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Burning Car" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Overpass" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "This City" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Hiroshima Mon Amour" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Just for a Moment" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Quiet Men" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Dislocation" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "An Ocean We Can Breathe" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Through My Sleeping" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "The Noise" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Shifting City" (Omnidelic Exotour)
# "Endlessly" (Omnidelic Exotour)
Personnel
* John Foxx: vocals, synthesisers, rhythm machines
* Louis Gordon: synthesisers, rhythm machines, backing vocals
References
{{Authority control
John Foxx albums
1997 albums