【コラム】 デイヴィッド・カニンガム（David Cunningham） — ポストパンク／実験音楽の仕掛人とフライング・リザーズの系譜
Column en Experimental Post Punk
A sound system that deconstructs and reconstructs pop
| Text: mmr | Theme: An overview of David Cunningham’s history.Organize solo works, production work, and bands involved (Flying Lizards, This Heat, etc.) by year. |
Cunningham’s method consists in deconstruction of pop songs'' andusing the studio as part of the songwriting process.’‘Creating a sense of discomfort with simple riffs and catchy melodies through artificially awkward performances, mechanical processing, and tape collages—this is the essence of his “humorous experiments.”As a result, we have created a unique sound image that sits diagonally above the post-punk/new wave context.
Who is David Cunningham?
David Cunningham (1954–) is a producer/composer known as the man behind The Flying Lizards. As a bridge between experimental music and pop culture, they left a unique mark on the post-punk scene of the late 1970s.
- Flying Lizards: charted with “Money” (1979)
- This Heat: Involved in recording/engineering and giving shape to the band’s radical sound in the studio
- Improvisation scene: Collaborating with David Toop, Steve Beresford and others to develop electroacoustic exploration
David Cunningham and the Flying Lizards
| Year | Album | Artist | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Grey Scale | David Cunningham | First solo.An experimental work using a systematic composition method. | Amazon Search |
| 1979 | The Flying Lizards | The Flying Lizards | “Money” included.A monumental piece of experimental pop. | Amazon Search |
| 1981 | Fourth Wall | The Flying Lizards | Deeper experimentality.Acoustic processing and humor. | Amazon Search |
| 1995 | The Secret Dub Life of the Flying Lizards | Flying Lizards | Later edition.A re-evaluation work of dub-like processing. | Amazon Search |
This Heat — Discography and Cunningham Involvement
London in the late 1970s. This Heat made Cold War anxieties sound, and David Cunningham supported its recordings. Here, we will analyze the lyrics of each song from a socially critical point of view, and delve deeper into Cunningham’s recording techniques and equipment.
Relationship with This Heat
This Heat (1976–82) was an experimental rock band from London consisting of Charles Hayward, Charles Burrell, and Gareth Williams.Cunningham was deeply involved in recording and editing, providing technical support for the introduction of tape loops, feedback, and acoustic collage.
In particular, working in the Cold Storage Studio (an experimental studio converted from a refrigerated warehouse) became a place where Cunningham could demonstrate his technical skills.Cutting and splicing tapes, playing them backwards, and disassembling recording into 24 tracks gave rise to sounds that would later become directly connected to the post-rock and noise scene.
Lyric interpretation (Cold War criticism and social satire)
“This Heat” (1979)
- “Not Waving”: The title recalls a poem by Stevie Smith.Symbolizing individual loneliness and national alienation.
- “24 Track Loop”: No lyrics, but expresses the “mechanical repetition of capitalism” with sound.The infinite loop is a metaphor for the “age of stagnation.”
- “Horizontal Hold”: Quoted from TV terminology.A satire of “information manipulation” and “mass media control” during the Cold War.
“Health and Efficiency” (1980)
- “Health and Efficiency”: Although the title seems positive at first glance, the lyrics are full of ironic phrases about the “energy crisis” and “the health myth of industrial society.”An ironic anthem that takes a Cold War era slogan and turns it on its head.
“Deceit” (1981)
The band’s best work.The whole theme is fear and lies (Deceit) about nuclear war during the Cold War.
- “Sleep”: The lullaby-like lyrics whispering “sleep in peace” are actually ironic as “the world collapses while you sleep.”
- “Cenotaph”: Title referring to the Cenotaph.An indictment of the folly of humanity, which remembers and repeats wars.
- “A New Kind of Water”: New water = radioactive contamination.A metaphor for nuclear testing and nuclear war.
- “Independence”: It screams independence and freedom, but the lyrics are full of contradictions.Criticizes the fiction of nationalism.
“Made Available (Peel Sessions)” (1983)
The lyrics were clearer than the studio version, and the social commentary was delivered directly to listeners through the BBC broadcast.
David Cunningham’s recording techniques and equipment
Revox Tape Machine
- Make full use of Revox A77/B77 to perform tape loop and speed modulation.
- Core equipment for infinite loop processing using tape, such as “24 Track Loop”.
- Tape editing (cut & splice) connects different fragments and creates non-linear song structures.
Studer 24 Track Recorder
- Installed at Cold Storage Studio in London.
- Record each instrument individually and edit/layer them later.
- Cunningham developed the idea of ``turning the studio into an instrument’’ and later reconfigured the sessions.
- This allows improvisation to become a “constructed composition.”
Analog EQ and Outboard
- Uses Neve and Trident style EQ.
- The band’s vivid performance is purposefully
distorted'' andspatially arranged’’ to emphasize its experimental nature. - It was used to create an “acoustic discomfort” rather than a standard correction.
Field recording equipment
- Record environmental sounds with portable Revox or Nagra.
- Collage of factory sounds, city noises, and everyday sounds into songs.
- Noticeable in the environmental sound processing of “Health and Efficiency”.
Technological deep dive — turning the studio into a political space
Cunningham and This Heat weren’t just a sonic experiment, they practiced criticism through recording.
- “Mechanical repetition” of tape loops = endless cycle of capitalism
- Voice distorted by EQ = distortion of national propaganda
- Non-linear structure with 24-track editing = historical discontinuation and repetition
The studio was not just a recording space, but a testing ground for translating Cold War criticism into sound.
Discography
| Year | Album | Artist | Amazon Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | This Heat | This Heat | Amazon Search |
| 1980 | Health and Efficiency | This Heat | Amazon Search |
| 1981 | Deceit | This Heat | Amazon Search |
| 1983 | Made Available | This Heat | Amazon Search |
(Producer/Recording Technician)"] --> B["The Flying Lizards"] A --> C["This Heat
(Recording/editing participation)"] C --> D["Album: This Heat (1979)"] C --> E["Album: Deceit (1981)"] A --> F["Solo work
Grey Scale (1976)"] A --> G["Collaboration with Michael Nyman"]
Conclusion
- Lyric Interpretation: This Heat critiques the Cold War both lyrically and sonically.
- Cunningham’s recording philosophy: Uses equipment such as Revox, Studer, and EQ as “political metaphorical devices.”
- Historical significance of experimental music: Beyond post-punk, it is directly connected to the foundations of modern sampling/DAW culture and even AI music production.
Their music is still a group of works that should be reevaluated as ``recording = criticism = experiment.’’
David Cunningham himself was more than just an eccentric post-punk innovator; he was an innovator in recording technology.This Heat’s music, which utilizes equipment such as Revox and Studer and presents lyrics and sonic structures critical of the Cold War, would not have been possible without his tape manipulation and multitrack editing.
That legacy laid the foundations for today’s noise, post-rock, and experimental sound, and continues to take on new relevance in the era of AI-powered sonic reconstruction.
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