Martyn Ware

Ware was born and grew up in Sheffield, England. After leaving King Edward VII School,{{Cite web|url=https://twnews.co.uk/gb-news/martyn-ware-interview-the-heaven-17-synth-pioneer-on-sheffield-music-and-architecture|title=Martyn Ware interview: The Heaven 17 synth pioneer on Sheffield, music and architecture|website=Martyn Ware interview: The Heaven 17 synth pioneer on Sheffield, music and architecture}} he worked in the computer industry.{{citation|url=http://illustriouscompany.co.uk/distinguishing-features/martyn-ware|title=Martyn Ware|author=Clark, Vince|access-date=14 June 2016|archive-date=26 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226044120/http://www.illustriouscompany.co.uk/distinguishing-features/martyn-ware|url-status=dead}} With his first wages, he bought a Korg 700 monophonic keyboard and started experimenting with electronic sound.{{citation|url=https://roli.com/article/martyn-ware|title=Martyn Ware: Creating "new musical textures"|access-date=14 June 2016|archive-date=10 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810173953/https://roli.com/article/martyn-ware|url-status=dead}}

In the 1970s, Ware and synth player Ian Marsh teamed up to play as The Future and then as the Dead Daughters. In 1977, they formed the Human League with vocalist Philip Oakey and soon added Adrian Wright as "Director of Visuals" to create slide shows for their performances. They recorded a demo and signed with the indie label Fast in 1978. The band was commercially and artistically successful, issuing "Being Boiled" as their first single, but Ware and Marsh left in 1980 over internal tensions, forming the British Electric Foundation.{{citation |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-human-league-mn0000895443/biography|title=The Human League|author=Ankeny, Jason|access-date=14 June 2016}}

The British Electric Foundation was an experimental production project that employed artists including Tina Turner, Sandie Shaw, and Gary Glitter. The band's first album in 1980 was the instrumental cassette-only release Music for Stowaways, followed in 1982 by Music of Quality and Distinction, Vol. 1 which featured vocalist Glenn Gregory. By this time, Ware and Marsh had already teamed with Gregory to form Heaven 17. Their first release was the single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang," which was banned by the BBC. In 1983 they released the hit song "Temptation" which reached #2 on the music charts. The band went on hiatus in 1988, but reformed in 1990 and released Music of Quality and Distinction, Vol. 2. In 2005 Marsh left the band, but Ware and Gregory continued production.{{citation |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/heaven-17-mn0000668922/biography|title=Heaven 17|author=Ankeny, Jason|access-date=14 June 2016}}

Ware has collaborated with Vince Clarke (as The Clarke & Ware Experiment) on two music projects; the Pretentious album (1999), and Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle (2001).{{cite web|title =Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle: Review |first=Tim |last=DiGravina |publisher=Allmusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=album|id=spectrum-pursuit-vehicle-r535082/review|pure_url=yes}} |access-date =16 April 2011}} He has also contributed programmes to Internet radio stations.

In the late 2000s Ware created a touring production called "The Future of Sound", featuring audiovisual artists working on the boundaries between music, art and technology, including United Visual Artists and The Sancho Plan.{{cite web|title =The Future of Sound According to Martyn Ware|url =https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/2763/1/the-future-of-sound-according-to-martyn-ware |access-date =13 Jun 2023}}{{cite web|title =Martyn Ware on the Future of Sound|date =12 February 2007 |url =https://we-make-money-not-art.com/future_of_sound/ |access-date =13 Jun 2023}}

Ware also completes sound installations as a "sonic muralist".{{citation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/07/martyn-ware-synth-star-to-sonic-muralist-heaven-17|title=From Heaven 17 to sonic muralist: how Martyn Ware wants to redefine art|author=Thorpe, Vanessa|newspaper=The Observer |date=7 November 2015|access-date=14 June 2016}} In 2016 he released an 82-minute soundscape called Sounds of Our Shores, made up of sea coast sound clips sent in by the public.{{citation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/21/martyn-ware-seas-inside-us-all-seaside-sounds-human-league|title=Martyn Ware's seaside soundscape: a feeling of calm in a manic world|date=20 March 2016|author=Morris, Steven|newspaper=The Guardian }}

He curated and produced 'Everything You Can Imagine Is Real' for the UK's National Portrait Gallery in 2017, to coincide with their Picasso Portraits exhibition. The event was inspired by Picasso's circle in Montmartre in the first decade of the 20th century. He arranged for the gallery to become an artists’ colony featuring a wild cross-pollination of ideas, music, poetry, performance, art, film and dance. It included acts as diverse as the Radiophonic Workshop, Scanner, Feral Five and White Noise.

In late 2020 he began a series of podcasts entitled Electronically Yours in which he interviewed various influential figures from the world of music, art, film, comedy and TV that he has encountered during his 40-year career within the industry. Interviewees have included Midge Ure, Peter Hook, Gary Numan and Sandie Shaw.{{cite web|title =Electronically Yours with Martyn Ware|url =https://anchor.fm/martyn-ware |access-date =11 May 2021}}

In September 2024, Ware said Rockstar Games had asked to license "Temptation" for its upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto VI for {{USD|7,500}} per writer; Ware countered with an offer for {{USD|75,000}} or "a reasonable royalty" but said Rockstar declined. Ware responded "Go fuck yourself", citing the estimated {{USD|8.6 billion}} revenue earned by the game's predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V.{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/heaven-17-reject-7500-offer-from-grand-theft-auto-vi-for-use-of-temptation-3791720 |title=Heaven 17 reject $7500 offer from 'Grand Theft Auto VI' for use of 'Temptation' |last=Pilley |first=Max |work=NME |date=8 September 2024 |accessdate=9 September 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/heaven-17-singer-tells-rockstar-to-go-fk-yourself-after-iniquitous-gta-6-royalties-offer |title=Heaven 17 songwriter tells Rockstar to 'go f**k yourself' after 'iniquitous' GTA 6 royalties offer |last=Blake |first=Vikki |work=Eurogamer |date=8 September 2024 |accessdate=9 September 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/gta-6-music-licensing-controversy-heaven-17-temptation/ |title=Actual Former Rock Star Blows Up 'GTA 6' Offer to License a Song for $7,500, After 'GTA 5' Grossed $9 Billion |last=Prada |first=Luis |work=Vice |date=9 September 2024 |accessdate=11 September 2024 }} Naomi Pohl, the general secretary of the Musicians' Union, felt Ware's reaction was unsurprising and said the game's high profile would not necessarily translate to higher exposure for the song, noting that "streaming doesn't sustain careers".{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjrdwzgq30go |title=Grand Theft Audio? The tricky business of music and gaming |last=Richardson |first=Tom |work=BBC News |date=10 September 2024 |accessdate=11 September 2024 }}

File:Martyn Ware 2014.jpg in 2014]]Ware created a 3D surround sound auditorium for the National Centre for Popular Music in Sheffield – a museum of contemporary music and culture, launched with £15 million of National Lottery money, which opened in March 1999 and closed in July 2000. BBC News described the centre as having been "shunned" by visitors, and, despite a £2 million relaunch, the Centre closed. Despite this, Ware later used the surround sound technology to launch an Arts Council subsidised touring project called "The Future of Sound".{{citation |title=The Future of Sound According to Martyn Ware|author=Hellqvist, David|date=23 March 2009 |url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/2763/1/the-future-of-sound-according-to-martyn-ware|access-date=15 June 2016}}

Ware's 3D music has also been used in an unusual noise suppression experiment undertaken in Brighton in 2011 on behalf of the Noise Abatement Society (NAS).{{cite web|last=Lester|first=Ahren|title=Noise Abatement Society experiment uses d&b audiotechnik loudspeakers|url=http://www.audioprointernational.com/news/read/noise-abatement-society-experiment-uses-d-b-audiotechnik-loudspeakers/03910|publisher=Audio Pro International|access-date=31 January 2012}} During this experiment, which was an entry for the John Connell Technology Award, a six-point sound field was created using ethereal sound textures. This was played in the main shopping street in the city, West Street, with the intention of distracting people from the traffic noise.

In the meantime, film made of the street during the time the sound was being produced was analysed by the psychobiologist Harry Witchel to assess whether the ambient sound made any difference to hearers' behaviour.{{citation |url=http://thebadgeronline.com/sound-experiment-to-take-place-on-west-street|title=Sound experiment to take place on West Street|date=1 November 2011|access-date=15 June 2016}} Early results suggested that it did have a beneficial effect for the public both during the day and anecdotal evidence suggested it served as a calming influence during the "clubbers rush" in the evening. Suggestions have been made that the experiment could be rolled out more widely in the future.

Ware is a visiting professor at Queen Mary University of London, a member of BAFTA, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a founder of 5D – the future of immersive design. In 2012 he received an Honorary Doctorate in Science from the University of London.{{citation |url=http://eecs.qmul.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/items/record-producer-awarded-honorary-degree-by-eecs.html|title=Human League's Martyn Ware awarded Honorary Doctorate|access-date=19 July 2018}} He received a "Gold Badge Award" from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, & Authors (BASCA) in 2017.[http://www.goldbadgeawards.com/gold-badge-awards-2017/ Gold Badge Awards 2017], goldbadgeawards.com He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield in 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-11 |title=Martyn Ware of The Human League and Heaven 17 to become Doctor of Music at the University of Sheffield |url=https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/martyn-ware-human-league-and-heaven-17-become-doctor-music-university-sheffield |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=www.sheffield.ac.uk |language=en}}

In November 2020, Ware launched a podcast, Electronically Yours.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-13|title=Martyn Ware Launches New Podcast Series|url=https://tileyard.co.uk/stories/martyn-ware-launches-new-podcast-series/|access-date=2021-05-25|website=Tileyard|language=en-US}} It shares the title with his forthcoming autobiography.{{cite book|url=https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/martyn-ware/electronically-yours/9780349135120/|publisher=Little Brown|title=ELECTRONICALLY YOURS by Martyn Ware|date=25 February 2022 |isbn=978-0-349-13512-0 |accessdate=2022-05-31}}

Ware speaks regularly on music policy from the perspective of a creative person. His speaking engagements have included:

"The future of copyright in Europe" at the British Library on 11 February 2011 for Copyright for Creativity;[http://copyright4creativity.eu/project/c4c-london-event-february-2011/ The future of copyright in Europe], 11 February 2011, Copyright for Creativity, London

"The needs of creators, archivists, and educators in transforming creative works" at the European Parliament in Brussels on 14 June 2011;[http://copyright4creativity.eu/project/c4c-brussels-event-june-2011/ The needs of creators, archivists, and educators in transforming creative works], 14 June 2011, Copyright for Creativity, Brussels and two outreach events in Brussels{{Cite web|url=http://www.copyright4creativity.eu/bin/view/Public/C4C_to_Co-host_Two_Outreach_Events_in_Brussels_with_Consumers_Library_Organisations|title=events}} in May 2012 in the Library of the European Parliament. He was also a keynote speaker at the Silicon Dreams festival in Leicestershire on 6 July 2013, where he performed with Heaven 17.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130927065652/http://www.silicondreams.org.uk/pages/181.htm An Evening With Martyn Ware], 6 July 2013, silicondreams.org.uk.

Ware is married to Landsley and has two children, Elena and Gabriel.{{citation |url=https://writewyattuk.com/2015/10/01/heaven-17-plus-35-the-martyn-ware-interview|title=Heaven 17, plus 35 – the Martyn Ware interview|date=1 October 2015|access-date=14 June 2016}}

He is a longtime Sheffield Wednesday supporter.{{citation |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/martyn-ware-why-i-love-sheffield-wednesday-jl3bbs5pp|title=Martyn Ware: Why I love Sheffield Wednesday|date=25 September 2022|access-date=4 December 2023}}

In November 2019, along with 34 other musicians, Ware signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 2019 UK general election with a call to end austerity.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/25/musicians-backing-jeremy-corbyns-labour|title=Musicians backing Jeremy Corbyn's Labour|work=The Guardian|date=25 November 2019|access-date=1 December 2019}}{{cite news |last=Gayle|first=Damien|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/25/musicians-backing-jeremy-corbyns-labour|title=Stormzy backs Labour in election with call to end austerity|work=The Guardian|date=25 November 2019|access-date=1 December 2019}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• [http://www.heaven17.com Heaven17]
• [http://www.illustriouscompany.co.uk Illustrious Company] Illustrious Company is Ware's current ongoing project into 3D audio
• [http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/martyn-ware--designing-heaven Martyn Ware RBMA lecture]

{{Heaven 17}}

{{Human League}}

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Category:1956 births

Category:Living people

Category:English synth-pop new wave musicians

Category:English pop keyboardists

Category:English record producers

Category:Heaven 17 members

Category:Labour Party (UK) people

Category:Musicians from Sheffield

Category:Mute Records artists

Category:People educated at King Edward VII School, Sheffield

Category:The Human League members