Although Goteki as a touring band is now defunct, we are currently working on one final album. We had too many unreleased songs that needed to burst out into space, so stay tuned and point your satellites at March 2008, on frequency 88.
Here was the statement that killed the touring band 2 years ago....
It's with a heavy heart that I have an announcement for you...
After six years of wonderful chaos, I've decided to retire Goteki. We've had an amazing time, met awesome people and travelled all around the world. We'd like to thank all of you, for making Goteki the crazy rock n roll adventure that it was.
Our final performance will be at Elektrofest 2006 on the 30th of April, so we hope to see some of you troopers there.
Why? Because as the Hagakure says, a timely, dignified end is important in all things.
Will we be back? I wouldn't be surprised, but not as Goteki. We're addicted to music and I doubt I'll be able to walk away from it. Whatever happens in the future though, this IS the end of Goteki.
Thankyou phuturestars, and goodbye.
Ross Tregenza, Goteki
March 9 2006.
Goteki started life as a very different beast - the infamous Sneaky Bat Machine. It all began in a broken down apartment in Bristol in the mid nineties, with Sneaky writing crap-fi spacegoth tracks with an 8 bit tracker on an archaic mac ( which is now being used to rest beers on ). After a lot of plotting, planning and eeeeevil laughter he decided to inflict these tunes on the world. Tapes were assembled and shoved into the hands of unsuspecting victims across the UK. As time passed the idea of performing live seemed sensible, regardless of Sneaky's massive public speaking phobia. Sneaky drafted in two suitably decadent friends to play synth - Maxislag and Evil C - and off they went.
2-3 bat throwing, alien dancing, keyboard losing years passed and Sneaky pulled an album togther ( Disco 4 the Dead ) along with a single for the ubiquitous 'Boneshaker'. Changes were afoot however, Maxi wanted to leave ( and did ), Evil C became Crash 303, and a new member was drafted in, in the form of the glowing fingered, mismatched pupilled, Vincent Price impersonating Doktor A. Forward wind six months and the boys decide the idea of spending the next twenty years of their life singing about dead stuff doesn't *actually* sound that appealing. After much debate the band changes it's name to GOTEKI ( a name of a hovercar racing team from the game WIPEOUT ).
In early 2000, FIGHT THE SAUCERMEN is released on Wasp Factory records. Now championing the UK 'cyber' movement, the boys head back to the stage around the UK and Europe. 2 more years of losing keyboards, crashing cars, and forgetting lyrics and Sneaky brings out GOTEKI O/S - A 17 track monster album that involved a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Literally.More time is spent gigging, remixing etc possibly with less loss of keyboards and less forgotten lyrics. To much acclaim, the remix album 'GOTEKI O/S:Corrupted Files' is released, twisting the O/S tracks into scarey new forms, involving space guitars and trumpets. Late in 2003, Sneaky becomes disillusioned with the direction of the band and decides it's time for a sharp turn off the plotted course. Line-up changes ensue. After 3 years of evil shenanigans and wolverine claws, the mighty Doktor A finishes his tour of duty. New members Ali_Star and Yan Yan are drafted in. Crash takes the role of Synth Lead, Ali_Star takes Synth Bass, Yan Yan on electro-pads, and Sneaky still at the helm on vox. The new band heads across the ocean and finally gives the US it's first taste of Goteki at the convergence festival. They drank all the beer in North America and pointed guns at each other.
2004, Sneaky begins work on the dirtier, funkier, more aggressive new direction. More changes are afoot though, with the EBM scene that Goteki frequent featuring far too many bands with a load of bored looking electrogeeks frowning at their knobs. To avoid this, and to show some respect for the audience, the decision is made to drop the synths, in favour of live bass and guitar, plus a much heftier dollop of live drumming. Yanyan's drumming roll is upgraded, Ali switches to electric bass and Crash's long long tour of duty ends after many a year of synth mangling, beer destroying synth n roll fun, to be replaced with new live guitarist/ladyboy Edy Green, Sneaky drops the nickname, in favour of real name Ross Tregenza. Sounds like a fake name anyway. And he's weirdly proud of being Cornish.
The band hit the ground running in 2005, with an armoury of unreleased material clamouring for fame. The band decide to take a calculated risk and release their new album REVOLUTION online only, in mp3 format. The process of finding a new label was taking too long and the new songs were too cool to sit in the dark for another six months. March also sees the release of Timesplitters 3, with an even more prominent role for Goteki - the new game featuring original goteki tracks as actual level music as well as deathmatch mode songs ( plus a very odd song about monkeys ). Things get even more surreal in March as singer Ross takes on the role of guitarist for freshly reformed 80's superstars VISAGE, taking to the stage with them for their first two performances of their much hyped comeback.
After a lot of arm twisting by Goteki fans, the band conceed and release "Revolution" on CD, on Alphastar Records. The CD version ( released 18th Nov 05 ) features 2 extra tracks and comes as a super sexy 8 page foldout digipak. The beginning of 06 sees the end of YanYan's your of duty as she heads off to focus on her excellent work as a photographer and model.
But as the Hagakure says, "A good end is important in all things" March 2006, after six crazy years, Ross retires Goteki, and the band's twsited, joyous journey comes to an end. Will the boys be back? Maybe, somehow, somewhere. Whatever the future holds,
Goteki is over.
THE END
KEY RELEASES
1996-2000 ( under previous band name Sneaky Bat Machine )
1998 - Disco 4 the Dead ( Darkbeat Records )
1999 - Boneshaker ( Darkbeat Records )
2000 - Fight the Saucermen EP ( Wasp Factory Recs )
2002 - Goteki O/S ( Wasp Factory Recs )
2003 - Goteki O/S: Corrupted Files ( Wasp Factory Recs )
2005 - Revolution ( Online only release - www.goteki-store.com )
2005 - Sex & Violence ( Myspace only release )
2005 - Revolution ( CD Version - Alphastar Records )
2008 - PREPARE FOR 88
GOTEKI REMIXES & COVERS
2000 - The Chaos Engine: Protein ( Sneakys Happy Robot mix )
2000 - NIN: Suck ( Recovered in Nails Volume 2 ( tribute ))
2001 - Man(i)kin: SKIN ( Goteki remix )
2002 - Void Construct: Anodyne Impulse ( Shadow Moses rmx )
2002 - Carol Masters: Connect ( Goteki Love Interruptus rmx )
2003 - Veronika Zemonva: Touch Me ( various remixes )
2003 - Seize: Dont Let Me ( Dont Let Goteki rmx )
2004 - Psyche: X-Rated ( Gotekis Restrained rmx )
2004 - Syaranosui: Utakata ( Gotekis Vocoded Samurai rmx )
2004 - Syaranosui: Utakata ( Gotekis Geisha Machine rmx )
2004 - Zoot Woman: Woman Wonder ( Goteki rmx )
2004 Icon of Coil: Disconnect ( Goteki rmx )
2005 - Fairlight Children - Invade My Heart Tonight ( Goteki's Bass Invader remix )
2005 - O.V.N.I - Pyrotechnic ( Goteki's Mercury Rising remix )
2005 - CNX - Regenerate ( Goteki Degenerate remix )
COMPUTER GAMES ( remixes & original music )
2002 - Timesplitters 2: Goteki TS Remix
2002 - Ross provides voice for 'Ghost' and 'Chinese Chef' characters, Timesplitters 2
2005 - Timesplitters 3: Deathmatch: Like A Robot
2005 - Timesplitters 3: In-game track: Like A Monkey
2005 - Timesplitters 3: Deathmatch: Mind The Gap
2005 - Timesplitters 3: In-game track: Who's Da Mummy ( feat Graeme Norgate )
2005 - Timesplitters 3: In-game track: Like A Robot ( instrumental )
2005 - Timesplitters 3: Deathmatch: Timesplitters 2 theme ( Goteki remix )
2005 - Ross provides voice for 'Ghost' again
2006 - Project Gotham Racing 3 - In-game track: Shinjuku Lullaby
2007 - Ross Tregenza works for Free Radical on HAZE
Official Website - http://www.goteki.com
