Moev

1981-1984
MOEV is an electronic band that began in 1981 in Coquitlam, BC Canada when Tom Ferris & Cal Stephenson started making noises in the Ferris family basement. Vocalist Madeline Morris then joined via a local ad followed by Mark Jowett on guitar. Their sound began as a wall of synthesizers, pre-programmed drum patterns, scattered guitar lines and layered vocals. The ep «Cracked Mirror» was released on Noetix in 1981 and was immediately picked up as a college radio favourite. Then Go! Records from San Francisco stepped in to release the ep «Rotting Geraniums» in June 1982 and the full length «Zimmerkampf» in September 1982. Moev played opening slots for The Fixx, The Cramps and Pete Shelley. By 1983, Morris left to pursue a solo career and Stephenson stepped in as vocalist. When Go! split up and Moev was left without a label, Nettwerk Records was then formed in order to release «Toulyev» in June 1984.

1984-1985
Mark Jowett asked vocalist Michella Arrichiello to join in 1984. With their new record label and singer on board, the band entered the studio to record Dusk and Desire which was released in 1985. The album was a bit poppier than early releases, and “Took Out The Lace” became a small club hit. (Interestingly, the album was distributed in the US by hip-hop label Profile.) After one tour Arrichiello left. Mark Jowett retired to concentrate on his A&R duties at Nettwerk Co-Founder/keyboardist Cal Stephenson left to go back to school.

1986-1989
Tom Ferris decided to restructure the band around himself and bassist Kelly Cook (formerly of French Letters). Dean Russell was recruited through a musician’s classified in the Georgia Straight and keyboardist Anthony Valcic signed up to make Moev a quartet. Then the band began two years of recording that became «Yeah Whatever». They set up their own studio, Limited Vision, hoping to rent it out every once in awhile to keep costs down. Unfortunately Limited Vision proved to be too successful for Moev’s own good-with bands like Grapes of Wrath, Skinny Puppy, Waterwalk and Sarah MacLachlan booking time, the Moev project was constantly being put on the back-burner. «Basically, a band with money had priority over us, ‘cause we had no money.» says Ferris. When Yeah Whatever was finally released in 1988, it combined dark, solemn, anthemic lyrics with disjointed beats, trickling electronics, and occasional spoken-word samples. They were signed to Atlantic Records after «Crucify Me» began to climb the college radio charts on Long Island, NY radio. “Crucify Me”, a largely instrumental track highlighted by the alienated spoken-word sample “Properly sedated” from the film THX1138, became another club hit. «Yeah Whatever» charted in Billboards Hot Dance Music Charts and «Crucify Me» charted in both Billboard and in Rolling Stone. Further singles “Wanting” and “Capitol Heaven” are fine exemplars for the album, which is driven throughout by strong sampled percussion and ever-present melodic bass guitar lines, often reminiscent of the bass guitar work of New Order’s Peter Hook. Moev then toured the US with Zymox.

1989-1993
Valcic left soon after Yeah Whatever. Moev released Head Down on Atlantic in 1990 which was produced by legendary producer John Fryer (Wire, Love & Rockets, Nine Inch Nails). Recorded in Vancouver and mixed at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles, «Head Down » established Moev as a staple of both the alternative dance and radio outlets. Although the majority of the instrumentation for Head Down was still electronic in nature, the feel of the album verged away from the industrial militarism of Yeah Whatever. Notable tracks include “In and Out”, the title track “Head Down” and «Noise» all which featured Sarah McLachlan on back-up vocals. The video for «Head Down», shot in the UBC trails in Vancouver received some MTV support. By 1992 Moev’s connection with Nettwerk Records had irrevocably broken down for all the usual, mundane rock n’ roll reasons. Sadly, Dean Russell passed away from complications from AIDS in 1993.

1994-2001
While Moev was on hold without a front person Tom Ferris went on to found «Econoline Crush», write and produce industrial band «Waiting For God» and co-wrote «Blackland» with Mike Balch (FLA, Ministry) which was featured on the tv show «Nikita». Ferris revived Moev in 1999 to record «Suffer» with his wife Julie on vocals and Drew Maxwell on guitar. The result was a heavier industrial sound. «Saviour» was featured on Diva X Machina compilation for female vocalists in industrial music and the ep «Suffer» was released on Cop International. The song «Crossfire» featured the return (albeit brief) of original member Cal Stephenson. Drew Maxwell left in 2001 to work on his own music

2002-2005
Tom and Julie Ferris start the band Lazarazu with Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath) and release «Floodlit» on The Orchard. They performed live on CBC’s Zed, Urban Rush, CITR and NXNE.

2007-present
Electronic pioneers Moev continue to make music based on melodic vocals, dance beats and a ton of loops. They are currently mixing «Ventilation», a double album with Moev music written and recorded over the last 10 years with a tour to follow…