'The Dark Poets' are an electronic breakbeat outfit from the UK. Mixing dark, moody breakbeat with blissed out warped electronica, they are Probably most well known in the public domain for their soundtrack work on Alex Chandons 'Cradle of Filth' horror movie 'Cradle of Fear' (As well as the official soundtrack album) and the currently internationally screening short film 'Borderline'.

In 2004 The Dark Poets were joined by vocalist Fran Lazarski - locked themselves away... and began to heavily experiment and record.

The Dark Poets are currently working on their debut album for the legendary electronic label 'Some Bizzare'. The (So far untitled) Album is scheduled to be released in 2007 along with UK tour. Also scheduled for release early next year on Some Bizzare is the cross-over album "Gary Lucas Vs The Dark Poets - Beyond the pale". Featuring a number of original Gary Lucas tracks and extensive electronic remixes of the guitar legends work by the 'Dark Poets' and Techno pioneers 'The Grid'.

'Crazy' is the first track to be released by the Dark Poets on the 'Some Bizzare' Label compilation album 'Redefining the prologue' - available at a record shop near you from October 16th 2006.

'Redefining the prologue' also features both rare and classic tracks from bands such as Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Mainstream Distortion, The The, Cabaret Voltaire, Meka, The Mff and Einsturzende Neubauten amongst many, many others:

Some Bizzare: Redefining the prologue 1981-2006 (Universal CD)

'Redefining The Prologue' - "Anyone with an interest in UK Electronic Music should immerse themselves in these 18 tracks" - Q magazine.


Some Bizzare: Redefining the prologue 1981-2006 (Universal CD)


25 years ago, Some Bizzare founder Stevo's dyslexia gave us a name that even today makes this writer fumble over its correct spelling. He also gave us music that was eclectic yet unified by being maverick, hard edged and largely electronic. There's more to it that that description, of course, and this 18 track anthology is more like a presentation than a journey through the past. This is put cheekily into context firstly with Soft Cell's "Memorabilia" - Monkey Farm Frankenstein's Mental Remix thereof - which unsentimentally ends with found speech "forget about it; it's better to have no memories."

To complicate matters, MFF's own "Just another victim from 2006 sounds as if it's come from the same Some Bizzare motherload, and "Accelerate" by Meka is cut from similar cloth as Soft Cell, albeit with a meatier 21st century digital sound. Dark Poets "Crazy", another 2006 track, with its fuzz Metal chords and monomaniacally sampled voice, is a bad trip inverse of handbag house.

Taking that into account, it's quite amazing that - by avoiding the cliches of the era - some of the 80s tracks sound remarkably current. Swans' "Time Is Money (Bastard)" (1985) is typically sour with cod-menacing vocals over a marching rhythm. But from the same year, Cabaret Voltaire's "Crackdown" and Einsturzende Neubauten's "Yu-Gung", with its Can-like beat -and even The The's "Twilight Of A Champion" (1983) - all sound suprisingly fresh. Bizzare indeed.


Mike Barns (Wire Magazine)


To hear a soundclip of The Dark Poet's 'Crazy' from the 'Some Bizarre: Redefining the Prologue' Album - Click on the 'Redefining the prologue' image below