I Start Counting

Pop experimentalists I Start Counting favored English artiness with a sense of fun. Unlike many other electronic groups from the '80s, I Start Counting never settled into a single formula; the band continued to tinker with its sound, shifting effortlessly from light to dark, accessible to avant-garde. The group released two albums (1986's My Translucent Hands and 1988's Fused) and seven singles throughout the decade, then switched to a more danceable sound and changed their name to Fortran 5 at the beginning of the '90s, later going by the names John Came and Komputer. Two albums of previously unreleased I Start Counting material, Re-Fused and Ejected, appeared in 2021. I Start Counting was formed in the early '80s by David Baker and Simon Leonard. In 1984, the duo was signed by Mute and released its debut single, the quirky "Letters to a Friend." The song easily distinguished itself from the glut of synthesizer-laden records from the mid-'80s with Baker's distinctly British talk-sing style and the psychedelic feel of the keyboards. The follow-up, 1985's "Still Smiling," was hailed as another instant classic from the band. Writing and recording songs from their basement, Baker and Leonard finally released an LP, My Translucent Hands, a year later. I Start Counting gained a significant cult following in the U.K. and the U.S., especially among American suburban teens who were discovering Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk in dance clubs. 1988's Fused, heavily influenced by house music, was the last album Baker and Leonard made under the I Start Counting name. Switching their appellation to Fortran 5, the duo ventured further into their bizarre imaginations, sampling the most unlikely of sources and challenging listeners with their unpredictable adventures in electronics. They said goodbye to I Start Counting with the 1991 compilation Catalogue. In addition to three Fortran 5 albums, the duo also released a more experimental album called Rhythmicon under the name John Came. In 1996, they rebranded themselves Komputer and made more overtly Kraftwerkian synth pop, releasing three albums before going on hiatus. In 2011, Mute released Konnecting..., a compilation gathering highlights from the duo's discographies as I Start Counting, Fortran 5, and Komputer. The deluxe digital editions gathered rarities from all three acts, including remixes by Adrian Sherwood, Moby, David Holmes, and others. Re-Fused and Ejected, two albums of previously unheard I Start Counting songs and demos recorded in 1985 and 1986, were released in 2021.
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