Trans-X

Trans-X is a Canadian 1980s synth band formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are known for their hit song "Living on Video" which charted worldwide.

History

Trans-X was started by Canadian musician Pascal Languirand, previously known for his albums in the ambient, cosmic and space music genres. In 1982 he recruited Montreal Keyboardist /Programmer Steve Wyatt as the second half of the Trans-X duo. Together they recorded a demo that got Trans-X a recording contract for a single (Vivre sur Video).

Steve Wyatt played some synthesizer and did some programming on Vivre sur Video (Living on Video). He also composed "Digital World" and played all the instruments on the track, which was on the flip side of the single. "Digital World" can also be found on the maxi-single and on the Living on Video album. Steve Wyatt left Trans-X sometime in late 1983.

Pascal later recruited Montrealer Laurie Ann Gill as the second half of the Trans-X duo. Gill can be seen in the early videos where she performed backing vocals for synthpop group Nudimension. When their first song "Living on Video" was released it was an instant hit in Canada and the single later sold two million copies and reached British and European Top ten charts on its 1985 re-release.^[1]

Later in 1983, Trans-X released another song "Message on the Radio" which did not make the charts, and Trans-X ended the year with another single, "3D-Dance". "Message on the Radio" was made into a video in Toronto, Canada. The video was produced by Emil Dittrich of Toronto and Carol Linnane of Boston.

All songs were featured on the subsequent album, Living on Video.^[2][3] In 1986, Languirand decided to retire as Trans-X after his latest album Living on My Own failed to chart outside of Canada. After the album was released Languirand went silent for a few years and decided to continue his solo career with new age, ambient and space music instead of electronica.

In 1994, Languirand returned as Trans-X performing live with Nadia Sohaei.^[4] In 1998, he released the Greatest Hits album. Later Languirand recorded a remake of his main hit under the title "Living on Video 2003" and released The Drag-Matic Album, produced by Michel Huygen of Neuronium. One more new version of this hit, "Living on Video 2k6" was released on 6 May 2006.^[5]

As of 2010, Languirand lived in Mexico and was preparing a new album by Trans-X for release.

In early 2012, Languirand had been seen performing live together with Truc Quynh, better known as "TQ", a lady of Vietnamese descent, now a relatively well-known Italo-Disco-singer. With TQ Languirand has been collaborating at least since 2004. However, on the 2010-single "I Want To Be With You Tonight", on the L. O. V. 2011 album from 2011 and on the Hi-NRG album that was released in 2012 in Mexico, Languirand was vocally accompanied by Corina Lawrence, a woman with Argentinian roots. With Lawrence he has been working together since 2008.^[6] On the other hand, in 2013, Languirand sang a song together with Truc Quynh, entitled "My Fascination", being recorded on audio and video. The song became part of TQ's later album Out of the shadows which was released in late 2014. Although Languirand was involved in singing that song, "My Fascination" was not a Trans-X project. Over the years, Languirand more and more became interconnected with other artists, and especially after 1986, not solely working for Trans-X, but also letting space for other projects. Sometimes, therein he lent his voice to others, sometimes he worked for others as a producer, etcetera. "My Fascination" is an outcome from those 'other projects'.

In 2012, Luis Broc joined the electronic drummer and in 2014 he joined Ramón Serratos in the SFX, synthesis and as a DJ of the band in the live performances, both of Mexican origin. During 2016 they make a series of tours in South America, reaffirming the taste for the genre in diverse audiences in countries like Chile, Peru and Colombia, in the hand of the project Discolocos, documentary film (of the young filmmaker David Davila) that reflects the world of The followers of the high energy since the 80's and that remains to date in Mexico and in which Trans x is a protagonist alongside a family that represents the faithful followers and where the power of music and its Generative capacity. From the film Discolocos is the original motion soundtrack created by Pascal Languirand of classic themes of the 80 in his tribute to the High Energy and Italo Disco, with the collaboration in the voices of Willie Chambers, Jessica Williams, Claudja Barry, Tobias Bernstrup, Stephan Groth, Cynthia Manley, Eskil Simonsson, Conrad Kaneshiro, Christina Criscione and JD Hall.

Discography

Singles

• "Living on Video" (1983)
• "Message on the Radio" (1983)
• "3-D Dance" (1983)
• "Vivre Sur Vidéo" (1983)
• "Living on Video" (1985) – remix (No. 9 UK,^[7] No. 61 U.S. Billboard Hot 100,^[8] No. 43 Sweden, No. 25 Belgium (Flanders), No. 3 Belgium (Wallonia), No. 7 Netherlands, No. 1 France)
• "Ich Liebe Dich (I Love You)" (1986)^[9]
• "Monkey Dance" (1986)
• "Maria" (1988)
• "Funkytown / Living on Video" (1991)
• "Living on Video" (1991)
• "A New Life on Video" (1995)
• "To Be... Or Not To Be" (1995)
• "Living on Video 2002" (2002)
• "Living on Video 2K6" (2006)
• "I Want To Be With You Tonight" (2010)
• "L. O. V. 2012" (2012)
• "Fascination 2012" (2012)
• "Imagination 2012" (2012)
• "Into the Light 2012" (2012)

Albums

• Message on the Radio (1983)
• Living on Video (1983)
• On My Own (1988)
• Trans-X xcess (1995)
• 010101 (2001)^[10]
• The Drag-Matic Album (2003)
• L.O.V. 2011 (2011)
• Hi-NRG (2012)
• Anthology (2014)

Solo albums by Pascal Languirand

• Minos (1978) (LP only)
• De Harmonia Universalia (1980) (LP only)
• Vivre Ici Maintenant (1981) (LP only)
• Gregorian Waves (1991)
• Ishtar (1993)
• Renaissance (2002)
• LSD (as Cybernium; collaboration with Michel Huygen) (2003)
• Incanta (2005)

Citations

External links

• Official Myspace page by Trans-X
• Official Pascal Languirand Myspace page
• Article about Pascal Languirand
• Official site by Cybernium – collaboration project by Pascal Languirand and Michel Huygen