Freur Biography

Freur was an arty synth-pop band from Cardiff, Wales notable for two reasons: first, vocalist Karl Hyde and keyboardist/programmer Rick Smith went on to form the seminal electronica group Underworld; secondly and far less importantly, the group initially used an unpronounceable glyph as its name over a decade before the concept occurred to Prince. The idea was for the quintet to keep itself as remote and distant as possible, both as an artistic statement and publicity gimmick, and it did help in the latter department early on. In addition to Hyde and Smith, who formed the group in 1981, Freur included ex-Fabulous Poodles drummer Bryn Burrows, Alfie Thomas, and John Warwicker. A record deal was inked in 1983, and a demo version of their debut album's title track, "Doot Doot," became a minor hit in Britain and a smash success in Europe. However, the album was unable to support the single's success with any consistency, and the title of 1985's Get Us Out of Here proved prophetic, as the band split up. Smith and Hyde later formed an early version of Underworld with two other Freur alumni in 1988, but the latter pair was long gone by the time Underworld achieved its most influential incarnation.