Alien Sex Fiend recorded a cassette (The Lewd, the Mad, the Ugly and Old Nick) with Youth of Killing Joke, which brought them to the attention of the UK music press, along with the appearance of their track "R.I.P." on the Batcave club compilation, The Batcave: Young Limbs and Numb Hymns 1983, released by London Records in 1983.
They signed to the Cherry Red sub-label Anagram Records, releasing their first single, "Ignore the Machine", in August 1983. The single was immediately successful on the UK Independent Chart, reaching No. 6. Their debut studio album, Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain, was released by Anagram on 1 November 1983, followed by Acid Bath in 1984. They released the world's first 11" single, "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)", that October.
The band also recorded two BBC Peel Sessions in 1984. At the May session, they recorded "Attack!!!", "Dead and Buried", "Ignore the Machine" and "Hee Haw"; at the August session, "In God We Trust", "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)" and "Boneshaker Baby".
In October 1985, their third studio album Maximum Security reached No. 100 on the UK Albums Chart and remained there for the week of 12 October. They also had two top 100 singles with "Dead and Buried" in August 1984 (No. 91) and a reissued "Ignore the Machine" in March 1985 (No. 99). Throughout the early 1980s, their work was frequently in the UK Indie Chart and remained a fixture on American college radio.
The band also became popular in Japan, and in 1985, they released a live album recorded there, Liquid Head in Tokyo. Freshwater left later in 1985, and the band continued as a trio, supporting Alice Cooper on his "The Nightmare Returns" tour in 1986 and releasing "It" the Album that October. The band was reduced to a duo of the Wades when James left following the release of 1987's Here Cum Germs.
In early 1988, the band, as the Dynamic Duo, recorded a one-off 12" single "Batman Theme" with recording and live engineer Len Davies, before continuing as Alien Sex Fiend, incorporating electronics and sampling even more into their sound on the album Another Planet, released in November 1988. They reverted to a four-piece with the 1989 addition of two prior guest collaborators, drummer/guitarist Andrew Wilson (a.k.a. Rat Fink Jr., formerly of the Turnpike Cruisers) and keyboardist/guitarist Simon "Doc" Milton, who made their official debut on that year's Too Much Acid? double-live album. Their seventh studio album, Curse, was released in October 1990.
Fink and Milton departed in 1992, following that year's Open Head Surgery album and its subsequent tour (documented on The Altered States of America live album).
The Wades then became a duo once again and provided the soundtrack for the Digital Image Design game Inferno in 1994.
In the mid 1990s, the band's video for "Zombified" appeared on the MTV show, Beavis and Butthead, subjected to their usual commentary.
In 1996, the Wades launched their own 13th Moon label, issuing three further albums: Nocturnal Emissions (1997), Information Overload (2004) and Death Trip (2010).
On 9 November 2018, Alien Sex Fiend released Possessed, their first album in eight years, on Cherry Red.
Music style
Alien Sex Fiend has been described as gothic rock, deathrock and industrial. Glenn Danzig has cited the group's sonorous and echoing sounds as having influenced the mixing for several of the recordings for his group Samhain.
Later projects
Fink published a book in 2000, Once Upon a Fiend, recalling his experiences in the band. He later drummed for Blackpool bands United States of Mind and Dog Food before joining Uncle Fester in 1999, who changed their name to UFX in 2006. Fink currently serves as frontman of Vince Ripper and the Rodent Show, a duo also featuring Vince "Ripper" Cornwall. They perform Alien Sex Fiend and the Cramps material, and have released two albums, It's Fun to Be a Monster and Boneyard a Go Go!!!.
Albums
Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain (1983)
Acid Bath (1984)
Maximum Security (1985)
"It" the Album (1986)
Here Cum Germs (1987)
Another Planet (1988)
Curse (1990)
Open Head Surgery (1992)
Inferno (1994)
Nocturnal Emissions (1997)
Information Overload (2004)
Death Trip (2010)
Possessed (2018)
Magic
Alien Sex Fiend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You, you seek magic
You, you know all the tricks
You, you seek magic
You, you know all the tricks
Drinking down a rainbow
Sleeping in the clouds (aaah)
You, you seek magic
(You, you seeka the magic)
The sea is all blue
And full of dead things (dead, dead)
Beneath me lie dinosaurs & kings
(Ali li ali li)
Surrealistic narcissistic figure standing
Looking d-o-w-n into the pond (plop)
I was a sacrifice to her charm
I was a sacrifice to her charms
(Ali li ali li)
You, you, you
You, you seek magic
You, you know all the tricks
You, you seek magic
And you, you know all the tricks (don't you?)
Drinking down a rainbow
Sleeping in the clouds (ah)
You, you seek the magic
And you, you know all the tricks
Magic, magic, magic, magic
You, you, yeah
You,you seek magic, magic, magic, magic
(Ali li, ali li)
The Alien Sex Fiend's "Magic" is a song with cryptic and mysterious lyrics that seem open to interpretation. The song is essentially about seeking magic, knowing all the tricks, and exploring surrealism. The lyrics are designed to evoke a mysterious and otherworldly experience, inviting the listener to delve into a world of surrealist imagery and dark mysticism.
The opening verses of the song where the lyrics repeat "you, you seek magic" reveal a desirous longing for something just beyond reach. This "magic" is portrayed as something fleeting and enigmatic, almost like a form of escape from the mundane reality. Drinking down a rainbow and sleeping in the clouds are presented as otherworldly experiences that only the select few who seek magic may experience.
Another verse talks surrealistically about the sea being full of dead things while beneath lie dinosaurs and kings. The lyrics appear to be pointing towards the past as something that has lived but is now dead. It embodies a sense of loss and melancholy. The lyrics further are about sacrifice and seduction, where the singer is held hostage to someone's charms.
Overall, the lyrics of "Magic" are relatively abstract and open to interpretation, but they consistently convey a sense of mystery, longing and desire. The song draws the listener in, challenging them to find metaphysical meaning behind its elusive and surrealistic messages.
Line by Line Meaning
Magic
The song is about seeking and knowing magical tricks.
You, you seek magic
The singer addresses someone who is seeking magic tricks.
You, you know all the tricks
The singer points out that the addressee already has knowledge of magic tricks.
Drinking down a rainbow
The artist describes one of the magical tricks that the addressee seeks.
Sleeping in the clouds (aaah)
The artist describes another magical trick that the addressee seeks.
(You, you seeka the magic)
The singer repeats the opening line for emphasis.
The sea is all blue
The singer describes a surreal, dreamlike environment.
And full of dead things (dead, dead)
The artist contrasts a beautiful setting with images of death.
Beneath me lie dinosaurs & kings
The artist continues to describe a fantastical setting, with prehistoric creatures and royalty present.
(Ali li ali li)
The artist repeats a nonsense word for its sound and musical effect.
Surrealistic narcissistic figure standing
The singer describes a character as both surreal and self-absorbed.
Looking d-o-w-n into the pond (plop)
The artist describes the character's actions, which include peering into a body of water.
I was a sacrifice to her charm
The singer refers to themselves as having fallen victim to someone's allure.
(Ali li ali li)
The singer repeats the nonsense word for its sound and musical effect.
You, you, you
The singer addresses the addressee again.
And you, you know all the tricks (don't you?)
The artist confirms that the addressee still knows all the magic tricks.
Magic, magic, magic, magic
The artist repeats the titular word for its sound and musical effect.
You, you, yeah
The singer addresses the addressee again, acknowledging their presence.
You,you seek magic, magic, magic, magic
The singer closes with a repetition of the theme of seeking magic tricks.
(Ali li, ali li)
The artist repeats the nonsense word one final time for its sound and musical effect.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NICHOLAS WADE, CHRIS WADE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind