40th Anniversary Edition of Thomas Dolby's 'The Flat Earth' Coming This Month
The album will be released on June 21st.
By: Josh Sharpe Jun. 17, 2024
Thomas Dolby’s brand of introspective synth-pop and often funk-infused songs, rich ineloquent storytelling, has had a multi-dimensional influence in the electronic music world since establishing his career in the 1980s. Known for his hugely successful “She Blinded Me With Science” and “Hyperactive”, Dolby is widely regarded as having a musically polymathic and singular talent.
It was with THE FLAT EARTH, Dolby’s second album, released in 1984, where he enriched and developed his signature synth keyboard sound. Peaking at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 25 on Billboard’s album chart in the US, the album encompasses a host of influences, with hints of nostalgic jazz, funk-tinged Motown R&B and pan-global sounds. Led by the Top 20 UK single “Hyperactive”, critics were effusive about the album’s lush sound and maturity of its lyrical themes.
In celebration of 40 years of The Flat Earth, BMG is releasing an expanded, 40th Anniversary Edition of the album.
The release is accompanied with newly upscaled HD videos of singles from the album: the giddy pop magic of “Hyperactive”, the taut, thrilling “Dissidents” and the lavish “I Scare Myself”, available on Thomas’s Youtube channel. As well as the complete tracklisting from the original record, the special release of the anniversary edition includes live tracks, rare mixes and alternate versions of songs from the iconic album, which tell the story of a songwriter and performer reaching new musical heights.
Thomas will be headlining the Totally Tubular Festival across the USA this summer and appearing in the UK in August, including a headline show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
TRACKLISTING
Dissidents
The Flat Earth
ScreenKiss
White City
Mulu the Rain Forest
I Scare Myself
Hyperactive!
GetOut of My Mix (Dolby's Cube)
Puppet Theatre
Dissidents: The Search for Truth, Pt. 1 Francois Kervorkian Mix
Hyperactive! Heavy Breather Subversion AKA 12" Mix
May the Cube Be With You
Don't Turn Away
The Devil Is an Englishman
Puppet Theatre (alt)
Dissidents (Single Edit)
I Scare Myself (Single Edit)
Therapy/Growth (Demo)
Audio Lecture/White City (Live)
Marseille (Live)
I Scare Myself (Live)
New Toy (Live)
Dissidents (Live)
The Flat Earth – (Live)
THOMAS DOLBY 2024 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
Totally Tubular Festival headlining with opening artists Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins), Modern English, Men Without Hats, The Romantics, Bow Wow Wow, Tommy Tutone, The Plimsouls.
Born in London, England as Thomas Morgan Robertson, he acquired the nickname Dolby during his school years, due to tinkering with electronic gear and keyboards.His resultant synth style became part of the new wave movement of the early1980s but his musical leanings incorporate other genres into his music, with the exploration of funk, rap, dance and Zydeco, covering the George Clinton penned song “Hot Sauce” on the Aliens Ate My Buick album (Clinton tookDolby on a fishing trip before inviting him to work with him in the studio);hosting guest musicians Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia on “The Beauty of the Dream”,and Eddie Van Halen on “Eastern Block”—released on the album Astronauts andHeretics; and Michael Doucet of Beausoleil on violin for “I Love You Goodbye” and “Silk Pyjamas”.
Thomas formed the tech company Beatnik, an interactive audio company that ultimately developed the polyphonic ringtone technology that was used in billions of phones during the 2000s. Since then he has released several albums including the live album The Sole Inhabitant, and A Map of the Floating City, a richly expansive album of new material. The release was accompanied by a multiplayer online game by the same name, which Thomas developed and designed.
As a constant creator, Thomas also wrote, filmed and performed on tour his film The Invisible Lighthouse, centered around the shutdown of the lighthouse he grew up near. The film was shown with live music and narration and won the DIY Film Festival Award for Best Picture. Thomas is also the author of The Speed of Sound (Macmillan/Flatiron), a chronicle of his life in the music business and beyond.
In addition to Dolby’s extensive solo musical career as influential synth keyboardist and songwriter, Thomas has collaborated with the Thompson Twins on the album Set, co-wrote “Magic’s Wand” with Whodini, and played keyboards on on Robyn Hitchcock’s first album. He contributed the iconic opening keyboard for Foreigner’s hit song “Urgent” and “Waiting On A Girl Like You”, as well as recording as the session keyboard player on Def Leppard’s 1984 Pyromania album.
He also performed with David Bowie’s band at Live Aid in 1985, produced on Joni Mitchell’s album Dog Eat Dog, and appeared in Pink Floyd’s Live InBerlin for their iconic performance of The Wall.
Thomas also is known for his film score during the eighties and nineties, including feature films Fever Pitch, Gothic directed by Ken Russell, and the animated FernGully: The Last Rainforest. Thomas has also contributed songs for director Barry Levinson’s comedy Toys starring Robin Williams and Michael Gambon. He has scored for video games including Double Switch, Cyberia, and Rocket Science Games’ Obsidian.
Having just completed his second book, titled Prevailing Wind, Thomas also teaches at Johns Hopkins University as head of the Peabody Conservatory’s MusicFor New Media program. His songs have appeared in numerous commercials, videogames, film and TV shows including Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory, Mission Impossible 3, and South Park.
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