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Howard Devoto was the cutting edge of British post-punk during the late '70s and '80s.
A founding member of Buzzcocks, Devoto went on to form similar-minded bands, Magazine and Luxuria, and later returned to the studio in 2002 with former Buzzcocks co-founder, Pete Shelley, as the two record together for the first time in a quarter of a century.
Devoto first attracted attention in 1976 when he and Shelley formed Buzzcocks. They co-wrote all the early material, including ‘Boredom’, 'Breakdown' and 'Orgasm Addict’ etc. Howard only played a few gigs with the group before leaving in early 1977, but importantly appeared on their debut 'Spiral Scratch’ EP.
He released only one solo album, 'Jerky Versions of the Dream’ (1983), but resurfaced five years later with guitarist Noko and formed, Luxuria. Together, they recorded two albums.
After a lengthy sabbatical while Devoto occupied himself as a curator / librarian in a photography agency, Magazine reformed to record one final album in 2011 – the critically acclaimed, 'No Thyself’.
2024’s 'Designoid’ is a collection of previously unreleased archive recordings from the turn of the century, when Howard was once again working with fellow founding Buzzcock, Pete Shelley.
Songs and instrumentals, idiosyncratic as ever, and including a 21st century re-working of ‘Breakdown’, as originally featured on the Buzzcocks’ debut and seminal self-released EP, ‘Spiral Scratch’. It is twinned with the Buzzkunst album, 'Special Sauce’.
