Stephen Luscombe, the founding keyboardist of the 1980s English synth-pop band Blancmange, has passed away.
Videos by Suggest
Bandmate Neil Arthur announced the sad news on
Facebook Sunday, writing: “Heartbroken. RIP Stephen. Love you forever.”The cause of death has not been disclosed, but Luscombe left Blancmange in 2011 after experiencing an abdominal aortic aneurysm, according to Stereogum.
He was 70 years old.
Born in Middlesex, England, on Oct. 29, 1954, Luscombe studied at the University of Westminster’s Harrow School of Art in London. There, he and Arthur, along with Laurence Stevens, formed Blancmange in 1979. After Stevens’ quick departure, Luscombe and Arthur continued as a duo, naming the band after the dessert.
Blancmange’s breakthrough came in 1981. Their song “Sad Day” was featured on the Some Bizarre Album compilation, which also included tracks from Depeche Mode and Soft Cell.
Blancmange’s first album, Happy Families, came out in 1982. It made it into the top 40 in the UK and included popular songs such as “God’s Kitchen,” “I’ve Seen The Word,” “Feel Me,” and their most famous song, “Living On The Ceiling.”
Stephen Luscombe and Neil Arthur Disbanded Blancmange in 1986, Only to Reunite in 2011
Their second album, Mange Tout (1984), reached the top 10. However, the 1985 follow-up, Believe You Me, was not as commercially successful. This led to Blancmange’s amicable breakup the following year.
After the band dissolved, Luscombe collaborated with Pandit Dinesh, Peter Culshaw, Priya Khajuria, and Asha Bhosle on New Demons (1989), an album featuring Indian-influenced music.
Blancmange reunited in 2011 with their fourth studio album, Blanc Burn. However, their comeback was cut short when Luscombe suffered an aneurysm, forcing him to leave the band.
Arthur continued Blancmange as a solo project, releasing over a dozen studio albums. In May, Blancmange played their first North American shows in over 40 years, starting with an appearance at Cruel World Festival in Pasadena.