BAARD

Almost three decades ago, in the year 1982, the independent Swedish label Apollo Records released a 7-inch vinyl single, which not only had a lasting influence on the minimal electronic genre but also marked the first musical output by Alexander Bard.

How did it all come about?

From 1980 to 1983, Alexander alternated between the Netherlands and Germany where he earned his money as an “experimental artist”. After showing a keen interest in video and performance art, he was introduced to Jack Moore in Amsterdam. Jack was a pioneer in this field and allowed Alexander to explore his passion further by mentoring him.

Shortly after, he acquired a set of computers and synthesizers, made his first attempts at composing music and built himself a little studio.

Whilst pursuing this path, he came across Conny Plank in Cologne, the now deceased but legendary producer of Kraftwerk and the likes of Eurythmics, Can, Ultravox et al. Together they recorded a series of sound experiments, extensively using samples, years ahead of its breakthrough in the music industry.

Having gathered a vast wealth of knowledge, he finally decided to publish his own material under the project name of BAARD. Two female dancers, Juicy Lucy and Lola Gorgonzola, were elected to be part of the line-up.

One of the very few pictures of the BAARD line-up.
From left to right: Juicy Lucy, Alexander Bard, Lola Gorgonzola.

“I found them in a strip joint. They weren’t exactly Einsteins but they both had their hearts and boobs in the right places. If the world would have been ready to encompass their large personalities, they could very well have become the real Army of Lovers,” recalled Alexander.

The first (and only) commercial release of this short-lived combo was the 7-inch “Life In A Goldfish Bowl”.

“[The record] is basically one of the first synth punk-singles; a melange of the two dominating styles at that time,” he explained.

The B-side contained yet another classic of the electronic New Wave: “Saviour For The Nations”. Both tracks were, astonishingly, composed with a Casio toy synth.

Over the years, it became a scarce collector’s item for both adepts of the genre as well as Army of Lovers fans. This popularity prompted Rhona Meuter of Genetic Music, a German label specialized in minimal electronic media, to contact Alexander regarding a re-pressing of the single in its original format and artwork. He was enthusiastic about the idea and immediately gave the green light.

The final product, which was put out in the fall of 2002 and available through Genetic Music’s website at a reasonable price of 6.50 EUR, contained remastered versions of each song plus an inlay sheet with lyrics.

“Life In A Goldfish Bowl” cover art

In 2002, Alexander revealed that there’s more old BAARD material in the vaults and even hinted that he might dig it out someday. One song he particularly remembers was called “The Moon Shines Bright In Rangoon Tonight”.