Circle Confusion

Circle Confusion was an independent industrial rock band formed in 1985 that toured the upper Midwest and released a well-reviewed record with some modest international sales successes in the late 1980s, before disbanding in the summer of 1989.
Early history
Beginnings
Formed in August 1985 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the initial members were Richard Williams (vocals, drum machine programming), Paul Staskowski (guitar) and Parvin Panahi (bass).
Within two months, they had recorded and released a three song demo cassette (Fly/Arctic Days/Interfear) that was recorded with engineer/co-producer Phil Seiden, owner of Tool & Die studios. Their first gig was at the Halfway Inn at East Quad at the University of Michigan with Slaughterhouse and Spahn Ranch.
With heavily processed and distorted guitar effects and a preference for thick tribal drum motifs created by the drum machine dubbed “Juggernaut”, the band's initial sound fit in the realm of darker/heavier acts like Joy Division, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Swans and Big Black.
Demos and Personnel Changes
The widely distributed demo garnered both local and national interest and by the summer of 1986 the band earned an opening slot in Chicago opening for Big Black. Around this time, more demos were recorded (Our Attitude and (In the Name of) Survival) and they were submitted to various independent labels of interest to the band.
Near the end of the summer of 1986, the band was approached by C'est La Mort Records of Baker, Louisiana near Baton Rouge about appearing on a soon to be released compilation named “Dr. Death's Volume 1” featuring the likes of Boston's Throwing Muses (4AD records artist) and England's Breathless. (In the Name of) Survival was chosen by the label director and appeared as track 2 on side 2 when it was released toward the end of 1986.
Parvin Panahi chose to leave the band and was replaced on bass in November 1986 by James Burg (now James Danoff-Burg). Shortly thereafter, the band was chosen to open for Throwing Muses at the renowned St. Andrews Hall in Detroit during their US tour.
Early 1987 saw the band performing live more as well as recording more tracks with Phil Seiden. After the band's list of original songs expanding into the range of 15-20 regularly played tracks, they decided to move forward with the production of an album that could then be promoted to interested labels for future release.
Album and Tour
Meat Department
For much of the late spring/early summer 1987, the band recorded album tracks at Seiden's Tool & Die studios in Ann Arbor. Near the end of the sessions, the band was contacted by the label director of C'est La Mort records and told that Patrick Mathe, president of New Rose Records in Paris France, was very interested in putting out an album by the band and that he would be contacting the band shortly. As recording was wrapping up, a deal was struck and plans began for final mixing/mastering of the tapes with artwork development to be done by the label.
On 15 January 1988, a test pressing was completed. One month later, the album was released in Europe and as an import to the US with the title Meat Dept., as Arty 4 release, under the division label of New Rose called Lively Art.
The tracks were as follows:
Side 1 Turkish Royalty, Arctic Days, (In the Name of) Survival, Death to Stars, You Bait
Side 2 The Executioner's Song, She Sells My Life, Intensity, Our Attitude, False Bastards
Touring
The next few months saw the band promoting the album in the States and garnered positive reviews, both locally and nationally and charting highly on various college radio station charts. Around this time, the band finally found a drummer that met their criteria for live performances and Aaron Jones was added to the line-up, rehearsals ensued and Juggernaut was retired.
Thus newly re-established, the band embarked on numerous local gigs in the Detroit area that culminated in once again opening for Throwing Muses in May 1988, traveling to Morgantown, WV, Pittsburgh PA and Toronto, Ontario for a mini tour in early June with the band triumphantly opening for the Pixies on their Surfer Rosa tour at Rick's American Cafe in Ann Arbor.
End of Circle Confusion
The band continued to search for a licensing deal for the release of the album in the US, but nothing workable came to fruition. Additionally, at this time, Staskowski and Danoff-Burg were in the final stages of determining their plans for graduate school which meant relocation and, for all practical purposes, the end of the run for the band in summer 1989.
Richard and Aaron (on bass), formed a band in early 1990 dubbed Black Jesus with a Detroit area guitarist and drummer. Demos were recorded and a few gigs played but in short order, the band broke up.
The former members of Circle Confusion now are professionals in other non-music related fields (Williams: Project Management; Danoff-Burg: Research Scientist; Staskowski: Physician; Jones: Printing; Panahi: not known), but several of them continue to play in local bands and their music continues to influence.
Primary sources
Lively Art home page
Circle Confusion discography
History of Circle Confusion
Review of Executioner's Song

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