Collection of my music demos from over the decades

Masquerade As Angels - Reflection (1982 demo)

Masquerade As Angels - Feeling Power (1982 demo)

Instrumental version of a song originally recorded with John Hawkins singing.  David Esensee plays guitar (although this version might be me).  The late Gary Guthrie and I play and program the synths and drum machine.

Almost Anyone - Dreams Of The Blind

2004 digital remix from the original 4 track cassette recording.

Almost Anyone - Where Was I When I Left (2004 Mix)

1992 demo from my band Voodoo Dali, itself a merger between my old band Tanz Waffen and our friends in the band Mark of Kane.

Nanz - guitar, synth
Kris Nelson - vocals, bass guitar, synth, programming
Jeff Campbell - guitar, synth, programming
Mike Soliz - drums, programming
Chris Chambers - guitar, synth, programming


Voodoo Dali - Chaindrive

Early demo of the band that would become Tanz Waffen.  Recorded at home on a reel to reel about 1983-84.

Fun Couple - Inuendo

Nanz - vocals, guitar, synth
Kris Nelson - vocals, bass guitar, synth, programming
Jeff Campbell - guitar, synth, programming
Mike Soliz - drums, programming
Chris Chambers - guitar, synth, programming


Voodoo Dali - 10 A.M.

Nanz - guitar, synth
Kris Nelson - vocals, bass guitar, synth, programming
Jeff Campbell - guitar, synth, programming
Mike Soliz - drums, programming
Wade Williams - bass guitar 

Voodoo Dali -Spiral Down

From the 3rd and final incarnation of the band.

Believe it or not the samples at the beginning was actually a call left on our (Nanz and Jeff) voicemail.  Come to find out there was a guy (we never met him) who had almost the same phone number as us and most likely he was getting calls for Tanz Waffen (the band we were in at the time of the call) and he didn't know what it was, decided to get drunk and call and harass us.  

We never did figure out exactly who he was, but his drunken ramble was too good not to use.

Nanz - vocals, guitar, synth
Kris Nelson - vocals, bass guitar, synth, programming
Jeff Campbell - guitar, synth, programming
Mike Soliz - drums, programming


Voodoo Dali - Red Ink Fate

The 4th of the 4 Razormaid remixes that Joseph Watt did for Tanz Waffen.  

Recorded in 1988 in Austin, TX at Cedar Creek studios.  
Engineeered by Ron Rogers

Nanz - Vocals, lyrics
Jeff Campbell -  Synths, programming

Remixed by Joseph Watt for Razormaid Records

© Tanz Waffen - All rights reserved

Photography by Kendall Kelsoe


Tanz Waffen - Big Strong Man (Razormaid Mix)

Austin, TX early synth pioneers Talmadge D'Amour were an amazing band.  Arguably the first band in Texas to use synthesizers in both an alternative way but also attracting large crowds (ie: not so underground that no one knew who they were).  

The eventually garnered enough notice to get played on MTV's Basement Tapes show.

This is one of the four songs recorded by the band in the studio in 1982.  

John Hawkins - Vocals, Synth
Bill Neubauer - Guitar, Guitar synth, synth, programming
Gary Guthrie - Synth, guitar, programming
Seth Bovey - Bass

The band was in existence from about 1981-1982 splintering in late 1982 after the departure of Bovey, with Guthrie and Hawkins joining me (Jeff) for a new band called Almost Anyone which had the honor of opening New Order's first show in Texas in 1983.  

The 3 remaining members of the band (Guthrie sadly passed away in 2003) reunited in 2007 with me replacing Guthrie.  

The band released new recordings of original songs, dropping the "D" in Talmadge, in 2011 which was a full length CD entitled Ophelia.  

I had dropped out of the band by then, and both Hawkins and Bovey eventually bowed out too, leaving Neubauer holding the torch with Jamie Steward Bancroft on vocals and Austin Schell on bass.  Current status of the band is unknown.  

John later went on to front the band Crust to much success and is currently writing and recording music with me under the name Masquerade As Angels (with releases coming in 2016).

This recording is the original band recording from 1982.

All rights reserved for Talmadge D'Amour©

Talmadge D'Amour - Occident

Long before (well, 2-3 years before) the dawn of Tanz Waffen, when I (Jeff) was in a band called Almost Anyone with the late Gary Guthrie, we decided to invite Nanz to sing with us in the studio.  We opted for the song "Devour the City", the bones of which Nanz and I had written around 1981 (and somewhere I think a recording exists of that version).

At any rate, it was the only song we did with her in our brief but illustrious career (opening for New Order's very first show in Texas in 1983 being the pinnacle).   To be specific, we recorded this in a not-great 8 track studio up on Burnet Road in Austin with an engineer who, as I recall, was a bit more focused (in a smarmy way) with Nanz than he was focused on recording our music.  Perhaps also noteworthy for having an old-school reverb chamber since I don't think digital reverb had been invented yet.

By 1985, Almost Anyone had fizzled and Nanz and I had started Tanz Waffen and re-worked this song into what some of you may be familiar with, and it also became our 1st Razormaid release that same year.

Enjoy!

Almost Anyone - Devour The City (1983 version)

Mark of Kane came of age in Austin, TX in the late 1980's.  Blending influences ranging from The Opposition to The Cure to The Sisters of Mercy (and in later works, bands like Skinny Puppy), they forged a unique sound in the Texas landscape long dominated by more "roots-driven rock".

Along with the band Tanz Waffen (good friends and frequent collaborators), they made an indelible, if all too brief, impression on the Austin sound.  In 1987 they opened for Skinny Puppy in a series of shows across Texas.  They also, along with Tanz, also share a notorious (now forgotten) moment of intentionally not showing up for a SXSW performance in protest of how the organization booked shows at the time.

The band released their debut cassette "Against" (which features this track among others), and later the cassette "Agroculture" before vocalist/guitarist Phillip Oldham opted out of the band, leaving the remaining duo to edge more into electronic dance territory.  

This later incarnation of the band eventually released 3 songs with Razormaid Records.

By 1991, with the sonic landscape changing around the globe, the remaining 2 members of Mark of Kane merged with Tanz Waffen into a new band called Voodoo Dali which moved further into guitar-driven industrial rock territory.

Phillip Oldham - Guitar, Vocals (lead on this song), drum programming
Kris Nelson - Bass Guitar, Vocals, drum programming
J. Wade Williams - Synthesizers, drum programming

Written, Performed and Produced by Mark of Kane
© Mark of Kane, all rights reserved

Engineered and Recorded by Ron Rogers
Band photo by Pat Blashill


Mark Of Kane - It's For You

Mark of Kane came of age in Austin, TX in the late 1980's. Blending influences ranging from The Opposition to The Cure to The Sisters of Mercy (and in later works, bands like Skinny Puppy), they forged a unique sound in the Texas landscape long dominated by more "roots-driven rock".

Along with the band Tanz Waffen (good friends and frequent collaborators), they made an indelible, if all too brief, impression on the Austin sound. In 1987 they opened for Skinny Puppy in a series of shows across Texas. They also, along with Tanz, also share a notorious (now forgotten) moment of intentionally not showing up for a SXSW performance in protest of how the organization booked shows at the time.

The band released their debut cassette "Against" (which features this track among others), and later the cassette "Agroculture" before vocalist/guitarist Phillip Oldham opted out of the band, leaving the remaining duo to edge more into electronic dance territory.

This later incarnation of the band eventually released 3 songs with Razormaid Records.

By 1991, with the sonic landscape changing around the globe, the remaining 2 members of Mark of Kane merged with Tanz Waffen into a new band called Voodoo Dali which moved further into guitar-driven industrial rock territory.

Phillip Oldham - Guitar, Vocals, drum programming
Kris Nelson - Bass Guitar, Vocals, drum programming
J. Wade Williams - Synthesizers, drum programming

Written, Performed and Produced by Mark of Kane
© Mark of Kane, all rights reserved

Engineered and Recorded by Ron Rogers
Band photo by Pat Blashill


Against

Mark of Kane - Not From Balconies

Mark of Kane came of age in Austin, TX in the late 1980's. Blending influences ranging from The Opposition to The Cure to The Sisters of Mercy (and in later works, bands like Skinny Puppy), they forged a unique sound in the Texas landscape long dominated by more "roots-driven rock".

Along with the band Tanz Waffen (good friends and frequent collaborators), they made an indelible, if all too brief, impression on the Austin sound. In 1987 they opened for Skinny Puppy in a series of shows across Texas. They also, along with Tanz, also share a notorious (now forgotten) moment of intentionally not showing up for a SXSW performance in protest of how the organization booked shows at the time.

The band released their debut cassette "Against" but later, as they developed their sound further into industrial territory, they released their 2nd cassette "Agroculture".  

This song is featured on Agroculture, but this is a totally different recording recorded in a professional studio (as opposed to home)and was intended as a demo for producer the late Robert Racic (Severed Heads) in the hopes of a record deal.

By 1991, with the sonic landscape changing around the globe, the remaining 2 members of Mark of Kane merged with Tanz Waffen into a new band called Voodoo Dali which moved further into guitar-driven industrial rock territory.

Phillip Oldham - Vocals, Synthesizers, drum programming
Kris Nelson - Synthesizers, drum programming
J. Wade Williams - Synthesizers, drum programming

Written, Performed and Produced by Mark of Kane
Engineering & Production assistance by Jeff Campbell (Tanz Waffen)
© Mark of Kane, all rights reserved

Engineered and Recorded at the Firestation
Band photo by Pat Blashill


Mark of Kane

Mark of Kane - Cold Shoulder

From the 1st of the 3 versions of the band.  This was one of the very first recordings we did after merging the bands Tanz Waffen and Mark of Kane in late 1990 or early 1991.

Recorded at home as both bands often (but not always) did, typically recorded live to DAT (digital audio tape).

Nanz - vocals, guitar, synth
Kris Nelson - bass guitar, synth, programming
Jeff Campbell - guitar, synth, programming
Mike Soliz - drums, programming
Wade Williams - synth, programming

Voodoo Dali - Cruel Hope

Almost Anyone had a brief existence from 1982 to 1984.  The core members were myself (Jeff Campbell) and the late Gary Guthrie.  We both played various instruments depending on the song; guitar, bass & synths.  We took turns singing as well although neither of us aspired to be a singer.

We tried out a number of singers including Nancy who was later with me in Tanz Waffen and John Hawkins who had been with Gary before in Talmadge D'Amour and later found fame in Crust.  John and I have a current project together called Masquerade As Angels.

This song was originally laid down to 4 track cassette.  After Gary's passing in 2003, I found the original tape and transferred it to digital adding the guitar tracks that were missing and some digital effects.

In 2016, I was approached by DeadWax Records about including the song on an upcoming 2017 compilation album.  Thus I began the somewhat painstaking process of transferring the digital files to ProTools and making the mix as good as possible.

This mix is the end result.  Enjoy!

Jeff Campbell - Vocals, guitars, programming, engineering & productions

Gary Guthrie - Synths, Programming

© Almost Anyone - All Rights reserved

Where Was I When I Left

Almost Anyone - Where Was I When I Left (2017 Mix)

The Tanz Waffen classic, originally released on ZYX Records in 1990, Remixed in 2018 by DJ Rexx Arkana.

Tanz Waffen was born of the ashes of an Austin, TX band called the Secret Six (which in turn had been born of Jesse Sublett's band The Skunks, with some help from my old band Almost Anyone (featuring Jeff from TW and the late Gary Guthrie), in Austin Texas, somewhere around 1984. 

The name, occasionally a source of controversy, means Dance Weapon, translated from it's German origins.

One item worthy of note is that in the 1986-87 Austin Chronicle Music Awards, we won the award for "Best Texas Tape" (remember CDs had just been invented like a year earlier and were very pricey both to buy and to reproduce). We beat out the likes of Daniel Johnston & Jerry Jeff Walker in that category, which for some reason gives Nanz and I both a little pleasure.

We didn't intend to be a duo necessarily and often augmented our frequent live shows with percussionists - both to add musically and visually. Many thanks to the slew of percussionists we had - Marco Mazzoni (formerly Mark Gavini), Phillip, Louis Hicks and James Fener. Towards the end we added a permanent drummer, Mike Soliz, late of Austin's Watchtower.

We also used to occasionally augment our live shows with films, videos, and slides, so many thanks to Ken Kelsoe & James Schubert for their work there.

Three things stand out in our 6 years, and while we never really "made it", these three things still stand as some of the more important things in my life. First, we were fortunate enough to hook up with Razormaid Records and release 4 songs remixed by Joseph Watt. This gave us some exposure outside of Austin and enabled us to travel a bit and not go broke. Second, in 1986 we met the band Mark of Kane, formed lasting friendships and played many a show together, engineered for each other, and eventually merged into one band in 1991 called Voodoo Dali.

Lastly, in 1988 we met, befriended and eventually toured with (both opening as well as being her band) the new wave star Lene Lovich. 

Touring with Lene was as close as we came to "making it" and it enabled us to play all over the country at some great places. It is an experience I will not forget. Tanz Waffen never really had a "last show" or farewell as we simply "became" Voodoo Dali and picked right up where Tanz Waffen left off, originally playing many Tanz Waffen songs. 

DJ Rexx Arkana has been playing electronic dance music in clubs since 1987. He has worked with hundreds of bands over a thirty-year career, as well as with such notable labels as Wax Trax!, Nettwerk, Fifth Colvmn, Cleopatra and more. In addition to DJing and promoting, Arkana also has several of his own electronic music projects. Find more on the artist at www.rexxarkana.com

Tanz Waffen - Big Strong Man (Rexxtended Mix)

Recorded at Earth and Sky Studios in Austin, TX about 1984.

Jesse Sublett - Vocals
Jeff Campbell - Guitar, synth
Max Crace - Drums
Craig - Bass guitar
Gay Myrick - Backing Vocals
Louis Hicks - Percussion

Engineered & Mixed by Kerry Crafton

Secret Six - Fire In The Disco (studio Version)

Recorded at Earth and Sky Studios in Austin, TX about 1984.

Jesse Sublett - Vocals, Bass guitar
Jeff Campbell - Guitar, synth
Max Crace - Drums
Gay Myrick - Backing Vocals
Louis Hicks - Percussion

Engineered & Mixed by Kerry Crafton

Secret Six - My Love is Wild

Recorded at Earth and Sky Studios in Austin, TX about 1984.

Jesse Sublett - Vocals, Bass guitar
Gary Guthrie - Synthesizers
Jeff Campbell - Guitar
Kevin Tubb - Drums

Engineered & Mixed by Kerry Crafton

Secret Six - Smell the Rain

Recorded at Earth and Sky Studios in Austin, TX about 1984.

Jesse Sublett - Vocals, Bass guitar
Jeff Campbell - Acoustic & electric guitar, synth
Max Crace - Drums
Gay Myrick - Backing Vocals
Louis Hicks - Percussion

Produced by Liam Sternberg
Engineered & Mixed by Kerry Crafton

Secret Six - No More Weekends in Warsaw

Recorded at Earth and Sky Studios in Austin, TX about 1984.

Jesse Sublett - Vocals, Bass guitar
Gary Guthrie - Guitar
Jeff Campbell - Synthesizers
Kevin Tubb - Drums

Engineered & Mixed by Kerry Crafton

Jeff Campbell

Popular tracks