Caligula

Blending funk basslines with heavy metal riffs, hip-hop rhythms, and keyboard textures drawn from the lineage of KLF, Pop Will Eat Itself, and Faith No More, Caligula forged a singular sound. The group assembled in Sydney, Australia, during 1990 and issued its debut mini-album, Caligula, in 1991, followed within months by the EP Got One. Momentum from those recordings prompted nationwide touring, among them opening appearances for Pop Will Eat Itself in 1992 and Depeche Mode in 1994. Two additional domestic EPs appeared as well: Bluff in 1992 and I.C.U. (Before) in 1993. A cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Tears of a Clown” delivered the band’s strongest Australian chart result, reaching number 25 in February 1994. Further sonic exploration led to the full-length album Rubenesque, issued in Australia in March 1994.