Renaldo & The Loaf

Renaldo and the Loaf is an English musical duo active in the late 1970s and most of the 1980s, consisting of a pathologist (David Janssen or "Ted the Loaf") and an architect (Brian Poole or "Renaldo Malpractice", most often simply "Renaldo M"). By their own assertion, they achieved their unique sound in part by striving to get unnatural synthesizer-like sounds using only what instruments they had available (acoustic ones). To that end they routinely used muffled and de-tuned instruments, and, often to striking effect, tape loops / manipulation. The two released four full-length albums, one collection, various songs on compilation albums, and several self-produced demos. They were "discovered" by The Residents when Poole dropped off a tape at their Ralph Records headquarters in San Francisco, during a visit to the U.S. After being signed to Ralph, they collaborated with The Residents on Title in Limbo. Songs for Swinging Larvae was released in 1981 on Ralph Records. It was not the duo’s first album but it was the first released on vinyl. Lyrics were taken from disparate sources such as Sherlock Holmes stories and Samuel Beckett's play, Endgame. In 1981, Graeme Whifler directed a short video, Songs for Swinging Larvae, accompanied by a medley of music from the album, and produced by The Residents' managers, the Cryptic Corporation. The film, based on a true story, concerns a kidnapped child, and "poses ancient questions regarding home and heart". Premiered at an art museum, the film was banned from some television programs and film festivals due to its controversial nature. It was included first in The Residents' Video Voodoo video collection, and later on the comprehensive Icky Flix DVD.The LP and video iterations of Songs for Swinging Larvae were followed by Arabic Yodelling in 1983. Renaldo and the Loaf had already recorded Struvé and Sneff in 1979, and had been distributing it, on demand, on home-made cassette tapes ever since; Ralph Records finally re-issued a remastered version in 1984. As the 1980s advanced, the duo found it increasingly difficult to complete projects, and they both had demanding day jobs and family lives. Some Bizzare Records' involvement injected enough motivation for the completion of The Elbow Is Taboo in 1987, with a shift to a more refined electronic sound, but the process had been less than rewarding. By 1988, the collaboration had lost its steam, and the duo disbanded after recording a sea shanty, "Haul on the Bowline," which appeared only on a Ralph various artists release. Brian/Renaldo contributed to sporadic recordings in the 1990s. In 2006, upon the launch of the new Renaldo and the Loaf website, the duo were reunited for the first time in the better part of two decades. Their latest album, entitled Gurdy Hurding, was released in October 2016 and is the pair's first new album in 29 years.