Insight 23
{{notability|music|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Insight 23
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| landscape = yes
| origin = Los Angeles, California, United States
| genre = Industrial rock
| years_active = 1994–1997
| label = Fifth Colvmn
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|insight23.com}}
| current_members =
| past_members = * Blayne Alexander
- Brittain Alexander
- John Whatley
}}
Insight 23 were an American electro-industrial group based in Los Angeles, California, United States. The original incarnation consisted of vocalist Blayne Alexander, Brittain Alexander, and John Whatley. The band released the studio album Obsess in 1994 for Perception Rek.{{cite web |first=Eleanor |last=Ditzel |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000092169/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Insight 23 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}}
History
Insight 23 was formed in Los Angeles by vocalist Blayne Alexander, Brittain Alexander, and John Whatley. In 1994, the band debuted with two cassette releases for Perception Rek: the single Disease/The Hurt Hate Lies and full-length album Obsess.{{cite journal|first=Chris |last=Christian |url=https://sonic-boom.com/review/insight.23-1.html |title=Insight 23: Obsess |journal=Sonic Boom |date=September 1995 |volume=3 |issue=6 |access-date=August 31, 2020}} The following year Insight 23 sent a promotional package of demos to Fifth Colvmn Records, who had just reported securing a distribution deal with Caroline Records, and the label reissued their debut album on compact disc.{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000175353|pure_url=yes}}|title=Insight 23: Obsess > Overview |publisher=Allmusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}}{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_y5LAAAAYAAJ |title=Insight 23: Obsess |journal=Option |publisher=Sonic Options Network |date=1995 |volume=60-63 |issue=65 |pages=149}} A video was filed for the album's titletrack by Alexander's boss, who was credited as MarkB and at that time employed as a creative director for a company. The band filmed two more videos for "Disease" and "Two More Reasons". In 1996 a gun was pulled on vocalist Blayne Alexander at The Unicorn in Milwaukee which caused the band to cancel several tour dates.{{cite journal|first=Ed |last=Finkler |author-link=Ed Finkler |url=https://sonic-boom.com/interview/insight.23.interview.html |title=Interview with Insight 23 in Dekalb, Illinois |journal=Sonic Boom |date=May 5, 1996 |volume=3 |issue=6 |access-date=August 31, 2020}}
The band recorded new material in the form of the songs "Backwash" and "EnemyMind" and released it respectively on 1995's Forced Cranial Removal and 1996's World War Underground by Fifth Colvmn Records.{{cite journal |first=Larry |last=Miles |url=http://lundinoir.com/mag/bmv1_6.pdf |title=Various Artists: World War Underground |journal=Black Monday |date=1997 |issue=6 |pages=4 |access-date=August 31, 2020 |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512104116/http://lundinoir.com/mag/bmv1_6.pdf |url-status=dead }} The band also produced a cover version of Run–D.M.C.'s "Can You Rock It Like This" for the Re-Constriction Records compilation Operation Beatbox in 1996.{{cite journal|first=Jon |last=Worley |url=http://www.aidabet.com/archives/archV.html#OPERATION |title=Operation Beatbox |journal=Aiding & Abetting |date=October 7, 1996 |issue=120 |access-date=August 31, 2020}} In 1997 the band released "Disease", originally from their debut, on the various artist compilations Digital Wings 1{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0001093953|pure_url=yes}}|title=Various Artists: The Cyberden Compilation: Digital Wings > Overview |publisher=Allmusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}} and Industrial War: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Industrial Music.{{cite journal|last=Lic |url=http://industrialreviews.ru/review/3943/ |title=Various Artists: Industrial War: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Industrial Music |journal=Industrial Reviews |publisher=Leo Levin |date=1997 |access-date=August 31, 2020}} Blayne Alexander and Brittain Alexander joined Idiot Stare in 2001. After a ten year hiatus from releasing music the band recorded a cover of Chemlab's "Jesus Christ Porno Star" for Songs From the Hydrogen Bar: A Tribute to Chemlab in 2007.{{cite journal|first=Peter |last=Marks |url=http://releasemagazine.net/News/news0703a.htm |title=English Electro From MoMT |journal=Release Magazine |publisher=Musik & Media |date=Mar 15, 2007 |access-date=August 24, 2020}}
Discography
Studio albums
- Obsess (1994, Perception Rek)
Compilation appearances
- Forced Cranial Removal (1995, Fifth Colvmn)
- Operation Beatbox (1996, Re-Constriction/Cargo)
- World War Underground (1996, Fifth Colvmn)
- Digital Wings 1 (1997, The Cyberden)
- Industrial War: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Industrial Music (1997, Shanachie)
- Songs From the Hydrogen Bar: A Tribute to Chemlab (2007, MOMT)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|insight23.com}}
- {{YouTube|channel=UCVR0cK1e7WGB4wHtYtc-elQ|title=Insight 23}}
- {{Discogs artist}}
- {{MusicBrainz artist|id=c681e1f2-7471-4c66-9c01-3793c1624299}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Musical groups established in 1994
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1997
Category:1994 establishments in California
Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles
Category:Electro-industrial music groups