Seventh Wave

After the breakup of the British progressive outfit Second Hand, Kieran O'Connor and Ken Elliott came together to form Seventh Wave. This pairing represented one of the first synth duos, a pop format that would gain major traction during the 1980s. In rapid succession during the mid-70s the duo issued two albums that highlighted their broad instrumental range. Ken Elliott drew from an extensive lineup of period synthesizer equipment such as ARP, clavinet, Moog, Crumar strings, and Mellotron, while Kieran O'Connor pursued an orchestral direction with his assortment of percussion instruments. The debut album balanced pop-rock and prog synth in somewhat awkward fashion, yet the subsequent release developed the prog synth approach with clearer focus. Both albums later appeared on CD reissues, offering a look at a distinctive though under-recognized venture into early synth rock.