# Freur > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Freur > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Freur.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freur > Source revision: 1337930137 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Welsh new wave/synth-pop band This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Freur" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Freur Origin Cardiff, Wales Genres New wave[1] synth-pop[2] art pop[3] Years active 1982–1986 Label CBS Spinoffs Underworld Past members Karl Hyde Rick Smith Alfie Thomas John Warwicker Bryn Burrows **Freur** were a Welsh [new wave](/source/New_wave_music) and [synth-pop](/source/Synth-pop) band featuring [Karl Hyde](/source/Karl_Hyde) and [Rick Smith](/source/Rick_Smith_(musician)), who went on to form the [electronic](/source/Electronic_music) band [Underworld](/source/Underworld_(band)). It was their second band, following their art school collaboration, the Screen Gemz. Their best known song is "Doot-Doot", which peaked at No. 59 on the [UK singles chart](/source/UK_singles_chart), but became a hit in New Zealand, where it reached number 17. ## History Freur logo, as used on a test pressing of the "Doot Doot" 7". Note both rubber stamp of official designed logo, and handwritten version. The band was formed in the early 1980s in [Cardiff](/source/Cardiff), [Wales](/source/Wales) by Hyde, Smith and Alfie Thomas. It originally had only a graphic 'squiggle' for a name. In 1983, after recruiting John Warwicker and drummer Bryn Burrows (formerly of the [Fabulous Poodles](/source/Fabulous_Poodles)), they got a [recording contract](/source/Recording_contract) with [CBS Records](/source/Columbia_Records). As the label insisted on a pronounceable name, the band made the compromise that the squiggle was pronounced *Freur*. Their first and only hit single (No. 17 in Italy, No. 17 in New Zealand, No. 24 in Germany, No. 36 in the Netherlands[4] and No. 59 in the UK Singles Chart), was "Doot-Doot" (1983).[5] The track was written in the style of popular synth-pop bands of the time, such as [Tubeway Army](/source/Tubeway_Army), [the Human League](/source/The_Human_League), [Depeche Mode](/source/Depeche_Mode), [Heaven 17](/source/Heaven_17) and [Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark](/source/Orchestral_Manoeuvres_in_the_Dark).[6] It was [recorded](/source/Sound_recording_and_reproduction) and [co-produced](/source/Record_producer) by Alex Burak at The Point studio in [London](/source/London), which was controlled by Rupert Merton of Point Music publishing. Merton (who also had an early version of the [Thompson Twins](/source/Thompson_Twins) on his roster of artists) signed Freur. The band released five further singles after "Doot-Doot", between 1983 and 1985: "Matters of the Heart", "Runaway", "Riders in the Night", "The Devil and Darkness" and "Look in the Back for Answers". All failed to dent the UK charts. Freur released two studio albums: *[Doot-Doot](/source/Doot-Doot)* (1983) and *[Get Us out of Here](/source/Get_Us_out_of_Here)* (1986). The second LP was only released in Germany and the [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands). Freur also composed and performed the soundtrack to the movie *[Underworld](/source/Underworld_(1985_film))* (also called *Transmutations*), written by [Clive Barker](/source/Clive_Barker). Warwicker left the band in 1986 and Freur went into recess. In 1987, Hyde, Smith, Thomas and Burrows, along with bassist Baz Allen signed to [Sire Records](/source/Sire_Records) under a new name, [Underworld](/source/Underworld_(band)), and found some success with the single "[Underneath the Radar](/source/Underneath_the_Radar_(song))" (1988) (it peaked in Australia at No. 5),[7] before initially folding in 1990. The band re-formed in 1991 under the same name to become the successful dance and [electronica](/source/Electronica) act responsible for a number of well received albums and the 1996 hit single "[Born Slippy .NUXX](/source/Born_Slippy_.NUXX)". The *[Guinness Book of British Hit Singles](/source/British_Hit_Singles_%26_Albums)* would list Freur under the symbol, with the translation by the side, until the late 1990s. John Warwicker is a video artist in the [graphic design](/source/Graphic_design) collective [Tomato](/source/Tomato_(design_collective)), whose founders include Hyde and Smith. The now defunct UK magazine *[Sounds](/source/Sounds_(magazine))* referred to the band as "Elephant with a stick of Rhubarb" because of the shape of the squiggle. ## Band members - [Karl Hyde](/source/Karl_Hyde) – vocals, guitars - [Rick Smith](/source/Rick_Smith_(Underworld)) – keyboards - Alfie Thomas – bass, keyboards, guitars, back vocals - Bryn Burrows – drums - John Warwicker – video synthesiser, graphics ## Discography ### Studio albums - *[Doot-Doot](/source/Doot-Doot)* (1983) - *[Get Us out of Here](/source/Get_Us_out_of_Here)* (1986) ### Soundtrack albums - *[Transmutations](/source/Underworld_(1985_film))* (1985) (unreleased) ### Singles Year Title UK [8] GER [9] NL [9] NZ [9] Album 1983 "Doot-Doot" 59 24 36 17 Doot-Doot "Runaway" – – – – "Matters of the Heart" – – – – "Riders in the Night" – – – – 1984 "The Devil and Darkness" – – – – Get Us Out of Here 1985 "Look in the Back for Answers" – – – – 1986 "The Piano Song" – – – – ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Indie Labels Thrive by Mining Majors' Catalogs for Reissues"](https://books.google.com/books?id=YQgEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22new+wave%22&pg=PA116). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Vol. 106, no. 44. 29 October 1994. p. 116. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0006-2510](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0006-2510). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Simpson, Paul (2003). [*The Rough Guide to Cult Pop*](https://books.google.com/books?id=F7hpXcrqA-8C&dq=%22freur%22&pg=PA93). [Rough Guides](/source/Rough_Guides). p. 93. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-84353-229-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84353-229-8). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Robbins, Ira. ["Freur"](https://trouserpress.com/reviews/freur/). *[Trouser Press](/source/Trouser_Press)*. Retrieved 1 December 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["charts.nz – Freur – Doot-Doot"](https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Freur&titel=Doot-Doot&cat=s). charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 May 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Roberts, David (2006). *British Hit Singles & Albums* (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 215. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-904994-10-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-904994-10-5). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Davet, S. (14 August 1996). ["Underworld – Un sous-monde sans pitié"](https://www.lesinrocks.com/musique/concert/underworld-un-sous-monde-sans-pitie-99766-14-08-1996/). *[Les Inrockuptibles](/source/Les_Inrockuptibles)* (in French). Retrieved 12 February 2026.{{[cite magazine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_magazine)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["australian-charts.com – Underworld – Underneath The Radar"](http://www.australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Underworld&titel=Underneath+The+Radar&cat=a). Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 December 2009. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Freur"](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/20345/freur/). [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company). Retrieved 25 May 2019. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NZ_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NZ_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-NZ_9-2) ["Freur – Doot-Doot"](https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Freur&titel=Doot-Doot&cat=s). *Charts.org.nz*. Retrieved 25 May 2019. ## External links - [Discography: Freur/Underworld/Lemon Intereupt](ftp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/users/lazlo/discographies/freur)[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] – Detailed discography to 1999 - [Freur fan page](https://web.archive.org/web/20091026062833/http://geocities.com/~junebugtd7/freur.html) - [Freur biography on BBC Wales](https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/freur/) - [Band History page](https://web.archive.org/web/20080527164317/http://www.bigscreensatellite.co.uk/history.htm) v t e Underworld Karl Hyde Rick Smith Darren Emerson Studio albums Underneath the Radar Change the Weather Dubnobasswithmyheadman Second Toughest in the Infants Beaucoup Fish A Hundred Days Off Oblivion with Bells Barking Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future Drift Series 1 Strawberry Hotel Live albums Everything, Everything Live in Tokyo Live Here Now series Compilations 1992–2002 The Bells the Bells 1992–2012 The Anthology A Collection Digital projects Riverrun Drift Soundtracks Breaking and Entering Sunshine Isles of Wonder Singles and EPs "Underneath the Radar" "Stand Up" "Mmm Skyscraper I Love You" "Rez" "Spikee" "Dark & Long" "Cowgirl" "Dirty Epic" "Born Slippy" "Rowla" "Pearl's Girl" "Born Slippy Nuxx" "Juanita" "Moaner" "Push Upstairs" "Jumbo" "King of Snake" "Bruce Lee" Beaucoup Fish Singles "Two Months Off" "Dinosaur Adventure 3D" "Crocodile" "Scribble" "The First Note Is Silent" "Caliban's Dream" Teatime Dub Encounters Other songs "And I Will Kiss" Related articles Discography Freur Someday World High Life Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND National United States Artists MusicBrainz --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Freur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freur) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freur?action=history)). 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