Assemblage 23

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ounded in 1988 by Tom Shear (vocals/programming), Assemblage 23 is essentially a one-man EBM project with Paul Seegers (keyboards) and Mike Jenney (drums) assisting during live shows. Prior to starting Assemblage 23, Shear experimented with music under the name Man on a Stage, beginning in the early 1980s. Most of his music during this time was instrumental since he lacked the confidence to sing. This was further handicapped by the quality of the music itself was highly questionable by his own admission. Shear eventually began to add vocals to his music while also playing bass in a live act called the Advocates. Assemblage 23 was officially started in 1988, after Shear heard the industrial dance music played by an opening DJ for Depeche Mode.

Shear signed to Canadian label 'Gashed!' in 1999 to release Contempt (1999). A second album followed in the form of Failure (2001). A single from the album, Disappoint arrived in 2001, a track dealing with Shear's loss after his father's suicide on October 28, 1999; it also featured a sample from the film In the Line of Fire.

'Metropolis Records' would pick up Shear in late 2001, after he had a falling out with the former company, to release Contempt and Failure. A remix release, Addendum, was also released in November of 2001 on 'Accession'.

The discography of Shear's Assemblage 23 would go on the feature Defiance (2002), Storm (2004), Meta (2007), Compass (2009), Bruise (2012), Endure (2016) and Mourn (2020).