DOKTOR AVALANCHE
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band, formed in 1980 in Leeds. Singer-songwriter Andrew Eldritch and the drum machine called Doktor Avalanche are the only points of continuity among the line-ups. The original incarnation of Doktor Avalanche was a BOSS DR-55 (“Doctor Rhythm”); the Doktor was later replaced by a Roland TR-606, soon followed by a TR-808, and, briefly, a TR-909. On one album, First and Last and Always, an Oberheim DMX bore the Doktor name. In recent years, the “Digital Doktor” has been moved to a custom-built laptop designed by Eldritch and constructed by an English military software and hardware company. Doktor Avalanche also “runs” the on-line advice column on the group’s website. (More from Wikipedia)
The Sisters of Mercy (named for a well-known Irish religious order) was one of my favorite bands of the 1980’s alternative rock explosion, particularly their video of “This Corrosion” that I saw numerous times on the late-night MTV alternative rock showcase 120 Minutes. (The extended version of “This Corrosion” on their album Floodland was not nearly so effective). Andrew Eldritch is the only continuous member of the band (along with a drum machine called Doktor Avalanche that really is something special), though the grim visage of Patricia Morrison on the video for “This Corrosion” is at least as memorable as his own.
(October 2014)
