Biography
Formed around a collection of vintage analog synthesizers and modern digital sequencers, the electro trio Wrangler took their name from an explicit aim to coax fresh sounds out of older equipment. The lineup unites Ben Edwards (Benge), Phill Winter (Tunng), and Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire), and their output merges synth pop, techno, machine funk, and EBM in a relaxed, spontaneous manner. On releases such as the 2020 album A Situation the group confronts contemporary crises and technological shortcomings without sacrificing dance-floor momentum.
Edwards and Winter first applied the Wrangler name to a 2008 split single alongside Scanner, crafting their contribution on a 1968 Moog Modular 3C that incorporated a sample of the late Robert Moog’s voice. In 2012 the 7-inch Mind Your Own Sequence appeared on disco_r.dance; its A-side presented a version of Delta 5’s “Mind Your Own Business” that featured Lone Taxidermist, while Mallinder provided vocals for the B-side “Sequence On.” Once Mallinder became a permanent member, the trio issued their first album, LA Spark, on the MemeTune label in 2014. They have since reworked material by John Foxx, Gazelle Twin, Solvent, and additional artists. White Glue followed in 2016 and was soon succeeded by the remix collection Sparked (Modular Remix Project). Another remix EP, Three Memes, surfaced in 2018. That same year the three Wrangler members joined John Grant in the project Creep Show, which delivered the debut album Mr Dynamite. Bella Union, the label behind the Creep Show release, subsequently signed Wrangler and put out A Situation in 2020.
Edwards and Winter first applied the Wrangler name to a 2008 split single alongside Scanner, crafting their contribution on a 1968 Moog Modular 3C that incorporated a sample of the late Robert Moog’s voice. In 2012 the 7-inch Mind Your Own Sequence appeared on disco_r.dance; its A-side presented a version of Delta 5’s “Mind Your Own Business” that featured Lone Taxidermist, while Mallinder provided vocals for the B-side “Sequence On.” Once Mallinder became a permanent member, the trio issued their first album, LA Spark, on the MemeTune label in 2014. They have since reworked material by John Foxx, Gazelle Twin, Solvent, and additional artists. White Glue followed in 2016 and was soon succeeded by the remix collection Sparked (Modular Remix Project). Another remix EP, Three Memes, surfaced in 2018. That same year the three Wrangler members joined John Grant in the project Creep Show, which delivered the debut album Mr Dynamite. Bella Union, the label behind the Creep Show release, subsequently signed Wrangler and put out A Situation in 2020.
Albums
Singles
