Client (band)

{{Short description|English electronic music group}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Client

| image = Client 2005 Kulturfabrik Krefeld.JPG

| image_size = 250

| landscape = yes

| caption = Client performing at Kulturfabrik Krefeld in Germany on 17 September 2005. From left: Sarah Blackwood, Kate Holmes

| origin = London, England

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| years_active = 2002–present

| label = {{flatlist|

}}

| associated_acts = {{flatlist|

}}

| current_members = * Kate Holmes (Client A)

  • Nicole Thomas (Client N)
  • Live only
  • Mush Berrier (Client M) – bass
  • Charlotte Hatherley (Client C) – bass
  • Emma Fox (Client F) – bass
  • Client X

| past_members = * Sarah Blackwood (Client B)

}}

Client (frequently stylised as CLIEͶT) are an English electronic music group from London, formed in 2002. They are most popular in Germany where they have had limited commercial success. They typically combine airline hostess uniforms or shiny fetish fashion outfits with glamour-girl aesthetics and harsh electronics to create a sound reminiscent of early forays into electronic sound manipulation and new wave. Their uniforms have become their trademark.

History

Image:Client 2005 Hotel Shanghai.JPG, Germany in June 2005]]

The original band members were formerly known only anonymously as Client A and Client B, to the extent that their faces were not shown on any publicity photos; it has since been revealed that they are Kate Holmes (as Client A) and Sarah Blackwood (Client B). Holmes, formerly of Frazier Chorus and Technique, later started the fashion label Client London, and is married to Alan McGee (founder of Creation Records and discoverer of Oasis). Blackwood is the lead singer of Dubstar.

In late 2005 a new member, Client E, joined the group. This was Emily Mann, who was a contestant on the Channel 5 reality show Make Me a Supermodel, an artist, and an active DJ, usually performing as Emily Strange. Client E left the band in June 2007. In November 2007 Charlotte Hatherley joined the band as Client C, to fill the vacant role of bassist on their European and Scandinavian tours.

Client was the first act signed to Depeche Mode member Andy Fletcher's record label, Toast Hawaii. They have toured with Depeche Mode and Erasure.

Client have collaborated with several high-profile musicians and directors. Their video for "Pornography" was directed by French director Jamie Deliessche from video production company Schmooze. It features Carl Barât (of The Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things) on vocals. The song "Down to the Underground" features Pete Doherty, also of The Libertines, and frontman of Babyshambles. The song "Overdrive" features Martin L. Gore of Depeche Mode. The song "Where's the Rock and Roll Gone" features Tim Burgess of The Charlatans. Client have collaborated with Die Krupps, Moonbootica and Replica on selected tracks and also have done a special duet, "Suicide Sister" with Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb.

It was announced in October 2006 that Client had parted ways with the Toast Hawaii label.{{cite web |url=http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=P17566_0_2_0 |title=Client quit Toast Hawaii and complete new album |publisher=Side-Line |date=3 October 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216094328/http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=P17566_0_2_0 |archivedate=16 February 2009 |accessdate=2 October 2006}} In November 2006, Client signed with Out of Line in German-speaking Europe, SubSpace Communications in Scandinavia, Metropolis Records in North America, Noiselab in Latin America and their own label Loser Friendly Records in the UK and Ireland.

It was confirmed in December 2010 that Blackwood had left the band and a new member was being recruited to front the band.{{cite web |url=http://www.client-online.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134:sarah-left-client&catid=35:news&Itemid=59 |title=Sarah Blackwood left Client (official press release) |publisher=client-online.eu |date=19 December 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720154706/http://www.client-online.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134%3Asarah-left-client&catid=35%3Anews&Itemid=59 |archivedate=20 July 2011 |accessdate=19 December 2010 |url-status=dead }} In July 2011, Holmes announced that Xan Tyler—with whom Holmes formed the synthpop duo Technique in the mid-1990s—would take over live lead vocals for the band, replacing Blackwood.{{cite web |url=http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=46538_0_2_0_C |title=Xan Tyler (Technique) joins Client |publisher=Side-Line |date=12 July 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923013643/http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=46538_0_2_0_C |archivedate=23 September 2011 |accessdate=15 July 2011}} However, this never came to fruition.{{cite web |last=Lai |first=Chi Ming |url=http://www.electricity-club.co.uk/xan-tyler-interview/ |title=XAN TYLER Interview |publisher=The Electricity Club |date=7 December 2014 |accessdate=14 July 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714124734/http://www.electricity-club.co.uk/xan-tyler-interview/ |archivedate=14 July 2015}}

On 4 September 2013, Client debuted the music video for their single "You Can Dance",{{cite web |last=Tompson |first=Nick |url=http://www.55factory.net/platforms/136-20130911.php |title=Exclusive launch of Client's new video! |publisher=55Factory |date=11 September 2013 |accessdate=29 September 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212214421/http://www.55factory.net/platforms/136-20130911.php

|archivedate=12 December 2013}} which introduced new member Nicole Thomas, known as Client N.{{cite web |url=http://www.releasemagazine.net/client-introduces-new-vocalist-nicole-on-single-you-can-dance/ |title=Client introduces new vocalist Nicole on single "You Can Dance" |publisher=Release Magazine |date=14 November 2013 |accessdate=7 December 2013}}{{cite web |last=Lai |first=Chi Ming |url=http://www.electricity-club.co.uk/client-you-can-dance/ |title=CLIENT You Can Dance |publisher=The Electricity Club |date=15 September 2013 |accessdate=29 September 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002060629/http://www.electricity-club.co.uk/client-you-can-dance/ |archivedate=2 October 2013}} Their fifth studio album, Authority, was released on 21 March 2014 on Out of Line Music.{{cite web |url=http://www.outoflineshop.de/authority.html |title=Authority |publisher=Out of Line Music |accessdate=25 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326060007/http://www.outoflineshop.de/authority.html |archive-date=26 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}

Discography

=Studio albums=

=Compilation albums=

=Live albums=

  • Live at Club Koko (2006)
  • Live in Porto (2007)
  • Live in Hamburg (2009)

=Singles=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year

! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:9em;"| Album

scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| UK
Peak chart positions for singles in the United Kingdom:

  • "In It for the Money", "Radio" and "Pornography": {{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/13299/client/ |title=Client |publisher=Official Charts Company |accessdate=14 July 2015}}
  • "Price of Love", "Rock and Roll Machine" and "Zerox Machine": {{cite web |last=Zywietz |first=Tobias |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_C.HTM |title=Chart Log UK: Chris C. – CZR |publisher=Zobbel |accessdate=16 October 2010}}

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| GER
{{cite web |url=http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Client/single |title=Client {{!}} Single-Chartverfolgung |language=German |publisher=musicline.de. PHONONET |accessdate=16 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526095306/http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Client/single |archive-date=26 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}

scope="row"| "Price of Love"

| rowspan="3"| 2003

| 189 || –

| rowspan="3"| Client

scope="row"| "Rock and Roll Machine"

| 124 || –

scope="row"| "Here and Now"

| – || –

scope="row"| "In It for the Money"

| rowspan="2"| 2004

| 51 || –

| rowspan="3"| City

scope="row"| "Radio"

| 68 || –

scope="row"| "Pornography"

| 2005

| 22 || –

scope="row"| "Lights Go Out"

| 2006

| – || –

| rowspan="4"| Heartland

scope="row"| "Zerox Machine"

| rowspan="3"| 2007

| 199 || –

scope="row"| "Drive"

| – || 90

scope="row"| "It's Not Over"

| – || –

scope="row"| "Can You Feel"

| rowspan="2"| 2009

| – || –

| rowspan="2"| Command

scope="row"| "Make Me Believe in You"

| – || –

scope="row"| "You Can Dance"

| 2013

| – || –

| rowspan="2"| Authority

scope="row"| "Refuge"

| 2014

| – || –

colspan="5" style="font-size:90%"| "–" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

{{reflist|30em}}