When I worked at a gas station, one of the major highlights was occasionally hearing Gary Numan’s “Cars” over the radio. Because “Cars” is a great song. It also happens to be a song that will never leave your brain, so don’t even attempt to get rid of it. Once my mind stops working, there is an above-average chance that my last words in life will be “Here in my car, I feel safest of all, here in my car, I feel safest of all, here in my car.”
“Cars” and my eventual mental deterioration aside, Gary Numan has had quite the long, important career. He’s been putting out records pretty consistently since the 70s, the most recent of which being 2006’s Jagged. That is, the most recent now, but not the most recent in a couple of months. You see, by then, we will have passed October 24, the date in which Numan puts out Dead Son Rising through his own Mortal Records. It is as if we are all traveling through time!
Composed of tracks that were initially demos meant for other projects, Dead Son Rising will continue Numan’s partnership with producer Ade Fenton. Like the aforementioned Jagged, Fenton produced and co-wrote Numan’s latest set, which is described as one of Numan’s “most atmospheric albums” while also featuring “very direct, streamlined electronic rock.” But if atmospheric records infuriate you and you love streamlined electronic rock and you also love Gary Numan and you occupy the world’s most specific Venn diagram overlap, then you should be sated by the concept of Numan’s next next album, Splinter. Though there is little information on the record aside from the fact that it’s set to come out next year, Numan has described Splinter as being a “bulldozer, riff-fest.”
Numan is currently out on a UK tour to promote this new album. If you would like to see the man live, you had better hurry, because this tour will be done in about a week’s time. Then again, you will have another chance to see him at the Battles-curated day of ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas festival on December 10. Remember when Gary Numan sang on Battles’ “My Machines”? You should, it was not long ago.
Gary Numan dates:
09.16.11 - Bournemouth, UK - Academy
09.17.11 - London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire
09.18.11 - Wolverhampton, UK - Civic Hall
09.19.11 - Leeds, UK - Academy
09.20.11 - Glasgow, UK - ABC
09.21.11 - Liverpool, UK - Academy
12.10.11 - Minehead, UK - ATP Nightmare Before Christmas
• Gary Numan: http://www.numan.co.uk
