RUPERT HINE IS 'FIGHTING APATHY WITH SHOCK'

London, August 2019: In a newly re-mastered compilation entitled "Fighting Apathy With Shock" being released by Esoteric Recordings on August 30th, producer/writer & musician RUPERT HINE (under the guise of THINKMAN) is touching on themes - including the need to protect the environment and to be wary of our leaders - highly prophetic and still as relevant now, in today's political and musical landscape, as when they were written and recorded 30 years ago.

Rupert Hine Fighting Apathy With Shock

In fact one of the songs, 'Take Them to the Traitors' Gate', had - and still carries - the dedication: "This song is dedicated to HRH Prince Charles whose inspiration as a pioneer of causes has been invaluable." By the mid-80's, marketing had a stranglehold on the music industry, determining the paths of many promising musical careers. For an artist like Hine, who had always been deeply committed to conveying the authentic voices of creative artists, this was a challenging time. Something disruptive had to be done.

Following three highly innovative albums as a solo artist and a true purple patch as a producer for such artists as Howard Jones and Tina Turner, Hine returned to making records as a solo artist under the THINKMAN name. The debut album under this name, 'The Formula' was issued in 1985 and was a conceptual work. This was followed in 1988 by 'Life is a Full-Time Occupation' and in 1990 by 'Hard Hat Zone'.

Although Hine performed nearly all the music himself, other noted musicians such as The Fixx's Jamie West-Oram, Stewart Copeland of The Police and Cafe Jacques vocalist Chris Thomson appear on a few tracks. This project also continued Hine's creative partnership with lyricist Jeannette-Thérèse Obstöj. Meanwhile engineer Stephen W. Tayler's recording and mixing expertise were also employed to help create the THINKMAN sound.

With The Formula's release, there were public performances and followers of Hine's prior projects were intrigued to see him fronting the group: a departure from his earlier solo work. The four-piece, which appeared on television programs across Europe in support of the record, combined its music with a mission to call out the dangers of the all-too-powerful mass media.

Unusually, and with a finely judged sense of irony, the men who accompanied Rupert in public appearances were actors, not musicians. And THINKMAN was not a real band at all. Actors Greg Crutwell, Andy Baker and future comic star Julian Clary took on the roles of the other band members and the group appeared on numerous television programs, performing to a taped track with Hine often providing a live vocal. THINKMAN's cheeky determination to deliver great music behind a promotionally desirable artifice seems now to be a precursor to contemporary marketing.

The last album, 'Hard Hat Zone', was a solo record in terms of musical content. The band's message now shifted away from media topics and onto environmental issues - and a new team of supporting players were deployed for public appearances, these included Karl Hyde and Rick Smith of Underworld, whose first album was produced by Hine.

www.ruperthine.com

www.esotericrecordings.com

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Hine