Electro Pioneer Dies Suddenly

Frank Tovey aka Fad Gadget died suddenly this week (April 4) at his London house, after reportedly suffering from a stroke. As Fad Gadget, he helped pioneer Britain's early 80s electro pop scene, writing one of the greatest club anthems of the decade, Back To Nature, which dominated alternative dancefloors from New York's Danceteria to London's Kit Kat club. He also helped launch Mute Records, which went on to launch Depeche Mode and more recently Moby.

"Frank played a big part in helping to lay the foundations of what the label was to become in the ensuing years, I will miss him greatly," Mute chief Daniel Miller told rock portal side-line.com.

His sudden death came just weeks after he'd completed his first European tour in years and followed the release of his superb compilation The Best Of Fad Gadget." Though rarely recognised by the mainstream, he attracted great devotion as a genuinely cult artist and, judging by comments on his website, had enjoyed meeting his fans on the road.

"Be patient my little rodents, I know you crave blood but these things take time. You may not see me again for a few months while I check my circuits, reprogram my nerve system and regenerate some new flesh for you to devour."

http://www.fadgadget.co.uk/html/main1.html

http://www.side-line.com
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