History of John Foxx in Timeline

John Foxx is a multifaceted English artist known primarily for his contributions to music. He gained initial recognition as the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox. In 1980, Foxx transitioned to a solo career, marked by the release of his influential album 'Metamatic'. Beyond music, he is also involved in various artistic pursuits, including photography, graphic design, writing, teaching, and lecturing, demonstrating a wide range of creative talents.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

September 2007: Remastered Metamatic release and ICA showcase

In September 2007, a remastered edition of Metamatic was released as a two-CD pack. Also in September 2007, a showcase of Foxx's work was held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, featuring a performance and Q&A session, followed by a live performance of the entire Metamatic album and a DVD showing of Cathedral Oceans.

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December 2007: Cinemascope exhibition at the Coningsby Gallery

In December 2007, John Foxx exhibited some of his photographic works in an exhibition called Cinemascope at the Coningsby Gallery in west London. The images were part of three collections, "Grey Suit Music", "Tiny Colour Movies" and "Cathedral Oceans".

April 2008: Release of A New Kind of Man live album

On April 28, 2008, the live album A New Kind of Man, taken from the Metamatic performances in 2007, was released on Metamatic Records.

June 2008: Presentations of solo work in Barcelona, Durham, and Genoa

In June 2008, Foxx presented three different pieces of his solo work within one week. This began with a showing of Tiny Colour Movies at the Caixaforum in Barcelona on June 14, 2008, followed by a performance of Cathedral Oceans III inside the Great Hall at Durham Castle, England on June 18. He then travelled to Italy and presented an extract from The Quiet Man at the 14th Festival Internazionale di Poesia in Genoa.

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December 2009: Announcement of John Foxx and the Maths project and release of "Destination" / "September Town" single

In December 2009, the Metamatic website announced the new musical project John Foxx and the Maths, a collaboration with Benge. In December 2009, the initial download-only single "Destination" / "September Town" was released by Townsend Records and later via iTunes.

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March 2010: Mark Reeder Remix of "Underpass" for Metatronic Compilation

In March 2010, Berlin producer Mark Reeder remixed the track "Underpass" (Reeder Sinister Subway Mix) for John Foxx's CD/DVD retrospective compilation Metatronic.

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June 2010: Preview of new tracks at Short Circuit electronic music festival

On June 5, 2010, John Foxx and the Maths previewed some new tracks at the Short Circuit electronic music festival at The Roundhouse in London.

September 2010: Article on design work in Creative review

In September 2010, John Foxx's design work was the subject of an article in the UK monthly Creative review.

December 2010: Participation in John Cage's 4'33" recording

In December 2010, John Foxx participated in the recording of John Cage's 4'33" as part of the Cage Against the Machine collective.

January 2011: Announcement of Interplay album

In January 2011, the new album Interplay by John Foxx and the Maths was announced. The album was later released on March 21.

April 2011: Performance at Back to the Phuture electronic music event

In April 2011, John Foxx and the Maths performed at the Back to the Phuture electronic music event, featuring live sets from Foxx, Gary Numan, Mirrors and Motor, plus a DJ set by Daniel Miller. Tracks from the new album and Foxx's past works were played.

July 2011: Announcement of UK tour and The Shape of Things album

In July 2011, a nine-date UK tour by John Foxx and the Maths was announced, along with live performances in Poland and Belgium. A second album, The Shape of Things, was also announced and was initially only available for purchase at tour venues.

October 2011: Recording of Pink Floyd cover and free download offer

In October 2011, John Foxx and the Maths recorded a cover version of the Pink Floyd track "Have a Cigar" for a tribute CD issued by Mojo magazine. It was then announced that the version on the CD was not the completed version, and a free download of the finished version was offered via the Mojo website.

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October 2011: Artrocker articles and interview

In the run up to the John Foxx and the Maths Interplay tour in October 2011, Artrocker ran a series of articles on Foxx, including a filmed interview taken at The Garden studios in London. The corresponding printed version Artrocker (Issue 115) also featured Foxx and Gary Numan together in an in-depth interview.

January 2013: Announcement as support act for OMD's English Electric tour

In January 2013, it was announced that John Foxx and the Maths would be the support act for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's English Electric spring tour.

March 2013: Participation in On Vanishing Land project and première of Electricity and Ghosts

In March 2013, John Foxx participated in the On Vanishing Land project, which evokes a walk along the Suffolk coastline. On March 7, Foxx premièred a new piano work entitled Electricity and Ghosts with accompanying films made by himself and Karborn as part of the event presentation.

April 2013: English Electric tour

John Foxx and the Maths supported Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's English Electric spring tour which ran from March 30 to April 14, 2013.

May 2013: Release of Exponentialism EP

In May 2013, "Exponentialism", an EP of four cover versions of John Foxx tracks by I Speak Machine and Gazelle Twin, was issued on Metamatic records.

May 2013: Re-issue of Underpass on 12-inch vinyl

In May 2013, the track "Underpass" was re-issued as a special edition 12-inch vinyl. The disc features two new remixes and new artwork by Jonathan Barnbrook.

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June 2014: Announcement of honorary degree from Edge Hill University

In June 2014, it was announced that John Foxx was to receive an honorary degree from Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire.

July 2014: Award of honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree

On July 21, 2014, John Foxx was made an honorary Doctor of Philosophy during a ceremony at Edge Hill University.

2015: Contribution to Blue Velvet Revisited soundtrack

In 2015, John Foxx contributed to the soundtrack of the feature-length film Blue Velvet Revisited, along with Cult With No Name and Tuxedomoon, consisting of footage shot during the making of David Lynch's film Blue Velvet.

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May 2019: Announcement of new album

In May 2019, John Foxx's official Facebook account announced that John Foxx and the Maths were back in the studio working on a new album, this time with Robin Simon on guitar.

July 2020: Release of Howl album

In July 2020, John Foxx and the Maths released the album Howl.

August 2020: Howl charts in the UK Albums Chart

In early August 2020, Howl reached No. 80 in the UK Albums Chart, becoming the first John Foxx and the Maths album to chart in the UK, and Foxx's first charting album in the UK since 1985.