Martin Reverby, better known by his stage name Martin Rev, (born December 18, 1947) is an American musician who was one half of the influential synth-punk band Suicide.[1] Rev has also released several solo albums for a number of record labels, including ROIR and Puu. His style varies widely from release to release, from harsh and abrasive no wave (Martin Rev) to light bubblegum pop (Strangeworld) to heavy synthesizer rock (To Live).

Martin Rev
Rev performing at Le Confort Moderne in Poitiers, France in 2012
Rev performing at Le Confort Moderne in Poitiers, France in 2012
Background information
Birth nameMartin Reverby
Born (1947-12-18) December 18, 1947 (age 76)
Brooklyn, New York, United States
GenresProto-punk, electronic, experimental, minimal, minimal synth, no wave, industrial, synth-punk, synth-pop
OccupationMusician
InstrumentKeyboard
Years active1966–present
LabelsROIR, Puu, Lust/Unlust, New Rose

He was a student of Lennie Tristano.[2]

Rev also works with Stefan Roloff, doing soundtracks for Roloff's video work.[3][4] He contributed to the Raveonettes' 2005 album, Pretty in Black.[5]

In 2008, while Rev was working on the album Stigmata, his wife Mari died.[6] The album, dedicated to her, is strong in religious imagery with most songs being titled in Latin.[6] Kris Needs called the album a "brilliantly executed excursion into modern electronic classical music".[6]

Discography

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Rev, live in Madrid, September 10, 2005
  • Martin Rev (Lust/Unlust JMB-228, 1980)
    • Mari (4:25)/ Baby O Baby (4:47)/ Nineteen 86 (4:35)/ Temptation (7:18)/ Jomo (4:40)/ Asia (4:00)
    • reissued 1997 as Marvel with bonus tracks "Coal Train" (5:28) and "Marvel" (12:00)
    • reissued 2002 as Martin Rev with bonus tracks "Coal Train", "Marvel", "5 To 5" (2:00), "Wes" (4:16), "Daydreams" (5:22)
  • Clouds of Glory (New Rose ROSE-052, 1985)
    • Rocking Horse (5:35)/ Parade (6:34)/ Whisper (4:00)/ Rodeo (6:30)/ Metatron (6:15)/ Clouds of Glory (6:20)
    • initial copies in red vinyl
    • extra CD track "Island" (6:27)
  • Cheyenne (Marilyn FM-1006-CD, 1991)
    • Wings of the Wind / Red Sierra / Dakota / Cheyenne / River of Tears / Buckeye / Little Rock / Prairie Star / Mustang
    • Most of the album - all but the first and last track - is heavily based around the instrumental recordings of Suicide's second album with Ric Ocasek from 1980 expanded and remixed by Martin Rev.
    • The Mind Expansion label re-released Cheyenne on CD with the bonus tracks "Pony", "Durango" and "Coyote".
  • See Me Ridin' (ROIR RUSCD-8220, 1996)
    • See Me Ridin' (1:51)/ Pillars (2:33)/ I Heard Your Name (2:02)/ No One Knows (2:30)/ Mine (1:41)/ Ten Two (1:34)/ Small Talk (2:08)/ Secret Teardrops (2:45)/ I Made You Cry (2:18)/ Here We Go (1:40)/ Mari Go Round (4:45)/ Hop And Scotch (1:53)/ Told The Moon (1:51)/ Yours Tonight (3:53)/ Tell Me Why (3:18)/ Post Card (1:29)
  • Strangeworld (PUU PUU-17, 2000)
    • My Strange World (3:05)/ Sparks (3:30)/ Solitude (3:07)/ Funny (2:50)/ Ramblin' (3:15)/ Trouble (3:16)/ Splinters (5:26)/ Cartoons (3:05)/ One Track Mind (3:06)/ Chalky (4:55)/ Jacks And Aces (3:35)/ Reading My Mind (3:35)/ Day And Night (1:58)
  • To Live (File-13 Records FT-46, 2003)
    • To Live (5:10)/ In Your Arms (5:56)/ Black Ice (3:23)/ Gutter Rock (4:02)/ Shimmer (5:04)/ Painted (4:16)/ Places I Go (4:21)/ Lost in the Orbits (2:50)/ Jaded (4:51)/ Our Roads (3:31)/ Search For Stone (3:33)/ Water (3:24)/ Stormy (5:00)
  • Les Nymphes (File-13 Records FT-68, 2008)
    • Sophie Eagle / Narcisse / Triton / Venise / Valley of the Butterfly / Les Nymphes Et La Mer / Dragonfly / Phaetone / Nyx / Daphne / Cupid
    • with bonus track "Bodies" on iTunes.
  • Stigmata (Blastfirstpetite PTYT 040, November 30, 2009)
    • Laudamus / Te Deum / Jubilate / Dona Nobis Pacem / Gloria / Sanctus / Salve / Spiritus / Domine / Exultate / Magnum Mysterium / Anima Mea / Sinbad's Voyage / Paradisio
  • Demolition 9 (Atlas Realisations ARCD006, May 26, 2017)
    • Stickball (0:54) / Salve Dominus (1:16) / Deus (0:59) / Pace (0:48) / My Street (2:15) / Te Amo (0:42) / Into The Blue (0:41) / Requiem (1:00) / Now (2:34) / Blayboy (1:03) / In Our Name (1:55) / Never Mind (1:09) / Vision Of Mari (1:23) / Warning (0:38) / Salvame (1:07) / Dies Irae (1:24) / RBL (1:26) / Venitas (0:47) / Stretch (0:37) / Creation (2:01) / Toi (1:20) / Pieta (0:32) / It's Time (0:34) / Tacha's Toy (1:03) / Back To Philly (1:23) / Stelle (1:30) / Inside Out (2:14) / Beatus (1:45) / Tuba (0:29) / Reve (0:31) / Concrete (1:20) / She (1:14) / Darling (2:24) / Excelsis (1:31)
      • "Demolition 9 is New York electronic music pioneer Martin Rev’s ninth solo album, and first new material since 2009. Composed of 34 wildly divergent vignettes – only one of which reaches three minutes in length – he describes it as autobiographical “yearning for joy and the unattainable perfection of the artistic ideal.”"[7]

References

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  1. ^ Palmer, Robert (January 23, 1981). "MUSIC OF SUICIDE DUO AN AFFIRMATION OF LIFE". The New York Times. p. 15.
  2. ^ Alexandre Breton. Alan Vega - Conversation with an Indian. Le Texte Vivant. ISBN 9782367230443.
  3. ^ "Videos". when6is9.de.
  4. ^ Dave Maher (September 30, 2008). "Suicide's Martin Rev Releases New Solo Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  5. ^ David Fricke (November 19, 2004). "The Raveonettes Go Pop". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Kris Needs (January 2010). "Martin Rev - Stigmata". Record Collector. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  7. ^ Martin Rev (May 26, 2017). "Martin Rev DISCOGRAPHY Demolition9". Martin Rev. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
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