Elegant Machinery

Elegant Machinery
In concert at "Sala Zero", Tarragona, in January 2016
Background information
Origin	Sweden
Genres	Synthpop Electropop
Years active	1988–1999, 2004–2011, 2016-Present
Labels	Energy Rekords, A Different Drum, Contrasena
Members	Robert Enforsen Johan Malmgren
Past members	Richard Jomshof Leslie Bayne Jonas Kröjtz Jimmy Machon Thomas Gaarn
Website	elegantMACHINERY.se

Elegant Machinery is a Swedish synthpop band. Borrowing heavily from Depeche Mode, they are one of few recent bands dedicated to making traditional synthpop music. Along with such bands as Page, S.P.O.C.K, Sista Mannen På Jorden and Kiethevez they define the sound of the Swedish synthpop movement.

Heavily influenced by acts like Yazoo, The Human League, Depeche Mode, Rational Youth. Robert Enforsen, Richard Jomshof and Leslie Bayne started the band in 1988 under the name Pole Position.

Robert Enforsen joined the band as lead vocalist in 1989, and the band released their first demo, at which point they changed their name to Elegant Machinery, a name derived from the album by DATA, a British synthpop group of the 1980s led by Norwegian Georg Kajanus.

Due to Leslie Bayne's stagefright, Johan Malmgren joined the band as a tour musician in 1992. He later became a permanent member.

The band was very successful in Sweden, with a number of successful singles and various awards. In the rest of Europe, their biggest break into the mainstream was with the single Process, which reached number 5 in the Spanish charts.

Breakup, reunion, breakup and reunion

Elegant Machinery disbanded in 1999.

In 2001, the band temporarily reunited (with Johan temporarily replaced by Jarmo Ollila of Daily Planet) for their first-ever American appearance, followed by a performance in Mexico. Over the next few years, the band performed a number of times in Europe.

In October 2004, after a successful gig at Romo Night in Gothenburg, the band decided to work on new music. Johan, Richard, and Robert have been joined by original member Leslie Bayne.

In November 2007, it was announced that the band had signed with German label Out of Line. A new single "Feel the Silence" was released in January. The current line-up consists of Robert Enforsen, Richard Jomshof and Leslie Bayne.

In early April 2011, there were rumours that the band had split once again. This was later confirmed by the group's management. Jomshof denied the rumours that the split had anything to do with his political career with the Sweden Democrats and cited other personal differences as reasons for the breakup.

In 2016, Robert Enforsen and Leslie Bayne reformed Elegant Machinery with new part-time member Jonas Kröjtz. They released a new EP on October 14, 2016, entitled, "I"

Since 2019 Elegant Machinery has consisted of Robert Enforsen and Johan Malmgren. Leslie Bayne left the band in March 2023. A new album is currently taking shape.

Side projects

During the band's hiatus, Robert Enforsen worked on a number of side projects, including Enforce, Hype, Gobble & Gag, and Red Light District. Meanwhile, Johan Malmgren joined the Swedish band S.P.O.C.K as a keyboardist, programmer and composer. Johan and Robert also produced the debut album "Lost in a Maze" of the Swedish-British band Univaque in 2004.

Discography

Albums

• Degraded Faces (1991)
• Shattered Grounds (1993)
• Yesterday Man (1996)
• A Soft Exchange (2008)

Singles / EPs

• Safety in Mind (1990)
• Process (1992)
• Hard to Handle (1993)
• Repressive Thoughts (1994)
• Watching You (1995)
• Myself With You (1996)
• Fading Away (1998)
• Words of Wisdom (1998)
• Feel the Silence (2008)
• Move (2008)
• Brave new world (with Technology featuring Robert Enforsen) (2009)
• EP I (2016)

Compilations

• A Decade of Thoughts (1998)

DVDs

• Archives (2005)

External links

• Band home page
• German Fanpage