Lead into Gold

The moniker Lead into Gold takes its inspiration from the ancient art of alchemy. Essentially operating as Paul Barker's one-man endeavor, the project featured the skilled avant-garde bassist who teamed up with Alain Jourgensen during the latter part of the 1980s to produce multiple influential and powerful Ministry records. Paul had previously performed in the Seattle-based group the Blackouts alongside Roland Barker and recurring future associate Bill Rieflin. After the Blackouts signed to Wax Trax!, Jourgensen—already working under the Ministry name—quickly joined forces with Barker, generating an assortment of outlets that included RevCo, 1000 Homo DJs, and Lard. The pair assumed the pseudonyms Hypo Luxa and Hermes Pan respectively, modeled on two free-wheeling Greek prostitutes. Amid this barrage of intense activity, Lead into Gold arose as Barker's own undertaking. He composed and performed every track on the project's lone album Age of Reason as well as the extended singles Faster Than Light, Idiot, and Chicks and Speed: Futurism.