Biography
cEvin Key established industrial trailblazers Skinny Puppy and has maintained an active presence across multiple endeavors from the early 1980s forward, encompassing new wave, techno, ambient, IDM, and dub. Inventive production methods and compositional techniques have consistently drawn acclaim throughout these efforts, particularly his pioneering sampling methods alongside intricate layering of rhythms, melodies, and distortion. He launched Skinny Puppy in 1982 while performing with Canadian synth pop outfit Images in Vogue, initially treating the venture as an experimental outlet. Nivek Ogre assumed frontman duties, and the ensemble rapidly gained notice for provocative live shows and videos that highlighted concerns like animal testing, paired with their aggressive sound blending industrial, funk, electro, and noise. Landmark releases such as Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse (1986) and Too Dark Park (1990) continue to shape the electro-industrial landscape and retain devoted followings among the group's intense supporters. Additional outlets during Skinny Puppy's first era included the psychedelic Tear Garden, formed alongside Edward Ka-Spel of the Legendary Pink Dots, and the experimental collective Hilt. Following the 1995 breakup, Key focused on Download and platEAU, both leaning into techno and ambient textures, while issuing sporadic solo material including 1998's Music for Cats. Skinny Puppy reformed in the early 2000s to resume touring and album releases such as 2004's The Greater Wrong of the Right, as Key's other ventures persisted primarily via independent outlet Subconscious Communications. The 2010s saw the creation of experimental dub outfit Dubcon with Ryan Moore of Twilight Circus, which delivered albums including 2016's Martian Dub Beacon.
Born Kevin William Crompton in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he explored synthesizers and drums during adolescence and performed with several local acts before securing his initial steady position as drummer for Vancouver new wave group Images in Vogue. The ensemble achieved domestic success with singles such as "Lust for Love" (1983) and "Call It Love" (1985) while supporting Roxy Music and Duran Duran. Crompton initiated Skinny Puppy as an experimental side project in 1982, soon recruiting vocalist Kevin Ogilvie after encountering him at a gathering; the pair adopted the aliases cEvin Key and Nivek Ogre to distinguish their shared given name. Their first recording, the self-released 1984 cassette Back & Forth, drew interest from Nettwerk, which issued the mini-album Remission that year and followed with full-length Bites in 1985. Departing Images in Vogue due to its commercial orientation, he devoted full attention to Skinny Puppy. Additional contributors including Dwayne Goettel and engineer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie joined as the group maintained high productivity through the 1980s and early 1990s, producing roughly one album annually and achieving club and alternative radio success with tracks like "Dig It" (1986) and "Testure" (1989). The Tear Garden originated in 1985 after Key connected with Legendary Pink Dots leader Edward Ka-Spel; more psychedelic and occasionally pop-leaning than his primary band, the project began with a self-titled 1986 EP and continued with 1987's Tired Eyes Slowly Burning, while 1992's The Last Man to Fly often earns regard among fans as an underappreciated gem. He further engaged with experimental collective Hilt (originally the Flu) and limited side efforts such as the cinematic Doubting Thomas alongside Goettel and the Wax Trax!-signed Cyberaktif with former Puppy member Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly.
After 1992's Last Rights, Skinny Puppy inked a deal with Rick Rubin's American Recordings and moved to Malibu, California, for the subsequent album. Internal conflicts postponed sessions, however, prompting Ogre's exit; Goettel's 1995 death from a heroin overdose led the remaining members to reconvene and complete the record. Released as The Process in 1996, it was positioned as the group's concluding statement. Key assumed leadership of Subconscious Communications, the label Goettel and Phil Western had established years earlier. All three had participated in the experimental electronic collective Download, which became Key's central focus after Skinny Puppy dissolved. Contributions from figures including Mark Spybey of Dead Voices on Air and Genesis P-Orridge of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV shaped releases such as The Eyes of Stanley Pain (1996) and III (1997), which leaned more toward IDM and ambient than industrial. Key and Western simultaneously launched platEAU, a druggy techno variant that surfaced with 1997's Music for Grass Bars. His 1998 solo effort Music for Cats, featuring several Download associates, preceded The Ghost of Each Room in 2001. In 2003, Key and Ken "Hiwatt" Marshall reworked mid-1980s recordings for The Dragon Experience.
Amid ongoing side projects and Subconscious Communications duties, Key rejoined Skinny Puppy unexpectedly in the early 2000s. The band performed a reunion show at a German festival in 2000, documented the following year on Doomsday: Back and Forth Series 5: Live in Dresden. He subsequently handled drumming for Nivek Ogre's ohGr project, after which Skinny Puppy commenced new recordings. The Greater Wrong of the Right appeared in 2004, and the group sustained regular touring and album output. Key issued Zombie Battle 2019!, the debut from his Japan-inspired solo endeavor BananaSLOTH, in 2009. He and longtime Subconscious associate Ryan Moore of Twilight Circus established dub project Dubcon, debuting with 2013's U.F.O. Pon di Gullyside before Martian Dub Beacon in 2016. The 2018 cEvin Key solo collection Brap and Forth Vol. 8 gathered mostly unreleased mid-1980s outtakes and demos.
Born Kevin William Crompton in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he explored synthesizers and drums during adolescence and performed with several local acts before securing his initial steady position as drummer for Vancouver new wave group Images in Vogue. The ensemble achieved domestic success with singles such as "Lust for Love" (1983) and "Call It Love" (1985) while supporting Roxy Music and Duran Duran. Crompton initiated Skinny Puppy as an experimental side project in 1982, soon recruiting vocalist Kevin Ogilvie after encountering him at a gathering; the pair adopted the aliases cEvin Key and Nivek Ogre to distinguish their shared given name. Their first recording, the self-released 1984 cassette Back & Forth, drew interest from Nettwerk, which issued the mini-album Remission that year and followed with full-length Bites in 1985. Departing Images in Vogue due to its commercial orientation, he devoted full attention to Skinny Puppy. Additional contributors including Dwayne Goettel and engineer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie joined as the group maintained high productivity through the 1980s and early 1990s, producing roughly one album annually and achieving club and alternative radio success with tracks like "Dig It" (1986) and "Testure" (1989). The Tear Garden originated in 1985 after Key connected with Legendary Pink Dots leader Edward Ka-Spel; more psychedelic and occasionally pop-leaning than his primary band, the project began with a self-titled 1986 EP and continued with 1987's Tired Eyes Slowly Burning, while 1992's The Last Man to Fly often earns regard among fans as an underappreciated gem. He further engaged with experimental collective Hilt (originally the Flu) and limited side efforts such as the cinematic Doubting Thomas alongside Goettel and the Wax Trax!-signed Cyberaktif with former Puppy member Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly.
After 1992's Last Rights, Skinny Puppy inked a deal with Rick Rubin's American Recordings and moved to Malibu, California, for the subsequent album. Internal conflicts postponed sessions, however, prompting Ogre's exit; Goettel's 1995 death from a heroin overdose led the remaining members to reconvene and complete the record. Released as The Process in 1996, it was positioned as the group's concluding statement. Key assumed leadership of Subconscious Communications, the label Goettel and Phil Western had established years earlier. All three had participated in the experimental electronic collective Download, which became Key's central focus after Skinny Puppy dissolved. Contributions from figures including Mark Spybey of Dead Voices on Air and Genesis P-Orridge of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV shaped releases such as The Eyes of Stanley Pain (1996) and III (1997), which leaned more toward IDM and ambient than industrial. Key and Western simultaneously launched platEAU, a druggy techno variant that surfaced with 1997's Music for Grass Bars. His 1998 solo effort Music for Cats, featuring several Download associates, preceded The Ghost of Each Room in 2001. In 2003, Key and Ken "Hiwatt" Marshall reworked mid-1980s recordings for The Dragon Experience.
Amid ongoing side projects and Subconscious Communications duties, Key rejoined Skinny Puppy unexpectedly in the early 2000s. The band performed a reunion show at a German festival in 2000, documented the following year on Doomsday: Back and Forth Series 5: Live in Dresden. He subsequently handled drumming for Nivek Ogre's ohGr project, after which Skinny Puppy commenced new recordings. The Greater Wrong of the Right appeared in 2004, and the group sustained regular touring and album output. Key issued Zombie Battle 2019!, the debut from his Japan-inspired solo endeavor BananaSLOTH, in 2009. He and longtime Subconscious associate Ryan Moore of Twilight Circus established dub project Dubcon, debuting with 2013's U.F.O. Pon di Gullyside before Martian Dub Beacon in 2016. The 2018 cEvin Key solo collection Brap and Forth Vol. 8 gathered mostly unreleased mid-1980s outtakes and demos.
Albums
bRap and fOrth, vol. 9
2023
Resonance
2021
Brap and Forth, Vol. 8
2018
The Dragon Experience
2003
The Ghost of Each Room
2001
Music for Cats
1998
Singles
