{{Short description|American musical group}} {{redirect|Blayne Alexander|the journalist|Blayne Alexander (journalist)}} {{notability|music|date=September 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Insight 23 | image = | caption = | image_size = | landscape = yes | origin = Los Angeles, California, United States | genre = Industrial rock | years_active = 1994–1997 | label = Fifth Colvmn | associated_acts = | website = {{URL|insight23.com}} | current_members = | past_members = * Blayne Alexander * Brittain Alexander * John Whatley }}
'''Insight 23''' were an American electro-industrial group based in Los Angeles, California, United States. The original incarnation consisted of vocalist Blayne Alexander, Brittain Alexander, and John Whatley. The band released the studio album ''Obsess'' in 1994 for Perception Rek.<ref name="allmusicbio">{{cite web |first=Eleanor |last=Ditzel |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000092169/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Insight 23 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}}</ref>
==History== Insight 23 was formed in Los Angeles by vocalist Blayne Alexander, Brittain Alexander, and John Whatley. In 1994, the band debuted with two cassette releases for Perception Rek: the single ''Disease/The Hurt Hate Lies'' and full-length album ''Obsess''.<ref name="sonicboomobsess">{{cite journal|first=Chris |last=Christian |url=https://sonic-boom.com/review/insight.23-1.html |title=Insight 23: ''Obsess'' |journal=Sonic Boom |date=September 1995 |volume=3 |issue=6 |access-date=August 31, 2020}}</ref> The following year Insight 23 sent a promotional package of demos to Fifth Colvmn Records, who had just reported securing a distribution deal with Caroline Records, and the label reissued their debut album on compact disc.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000175353|pure_url=yes}}|title=Insight 23: ''Obsess'' > Overview |publisher=Allmusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}}</ref><ref name="optionmag95">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_y5LAAAAYAAJ |title=Insight 23: ''Obsess'' |journal=Option |publisher=Sonic Options Network |date=1995 |volume=60-63 |issue=65 |pages=149}}</ref> A video was filed for the album's titletrack by Alexander's boss, who was credited as MarkB and at that time employed as a creative director for a company. The band filmed two more videos for "Disease" and "Two More Reasons". In 1996 a gun was pulled on vocalist Blayne Alexander at The Unicorn in Milwaukee which caused the band to cancel several tour dates.<ref name="sonicboominterview">{{cite journal|first=Ed |last=Finkler |author-link=Ed Finkler |url=https://sonic-boom.com/interview/insight.23.interview.html |title=Interview with Insight 23 in Dekalb, Illinois |journal=Sonic Boom |date=May 5, 1996 |volume=3 |issue=6 |access-date=August 31, 2020}}</ref>
The band recorded new material in the form of the songs "Backwash" and "EnemyMind" and released it respectively on 1995's ''Forced Cranial Removal'' and 1996's ''World War Underground'' by Fifth Colvmn Records.<ref name="blackmonday">{{cite journal |first=Larry |last=Miles |url=http://lundinoir.com/mag/bmv1_6.pdf |title=Various Artists: ''World War Underground'' |journal=Black Monday |date=1997 |issue=6 |pages=4 |access-date=August 31, 2020 |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512104116/http://lundinoir.com/mag/bmv1_6.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The band also produced a cover version of Run–D.M.C.'s "Can You Rock It Like This" for the Re-Constriction Records compilation ''Operation Beatbox'' in 1996.<ref name="a&areviews">{{cite journal|first=Jon |last=Worley |url=http://www.aidabet.com/archives/archV.html#OPERATION |title=Operation Beatbox |journal=Aiding & Abetting |date=October 7, 1996 |issue=120 |access-date=August 31, 2020}}</ref> In 1997 the band released "Disease", originally from their debut, on the various artist compilations ''Digital Wings 1''<ref name="allmusicdigitalwings">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0001093953|pure_url=yes}}|title=Various Artists: ''The Cyberden Compilation: Digital Wings'' > Overview |publisher=Allmusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}}</ref> and ''Industrial War: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Industrial Music''.<ref name="industrialreviewsindustrialwar">{{cite journal|last=Lic |url=http://industrialreviews.ru/review/3943/ |title=Various Artists: ''Industrial War: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Industrial Music'' |journal=Industrial Reviews |publisher=Leo Levin |date=1997 |access-date=August 31, 2020}}</ref> Blayne Alexander and Brittain Alexander joined Idiot Stare in 2001. After a ten year hiatus from releasing music the band recorded a cover of Chemlab's "Jesus Christ Porno Star" for ''Songs From the Hydrogen Bar: A Tribute to Chemlab'' in 2007.<ref name="releasemagazinechemlabtribute">{{cite journal|first=Peter |last=Marks |url=https://releasemagazine.net/News/news0703a.htm |title=English Electro From MoMT |journal=Release Magazine |publisher=Musik & Media |date=Mar 15, 2007 |access-date=August 24, 2020}}</ref>
==Discography== '''Studio albums''' * ''Obsess'' (1994, Perception Rek)
'''Compilation appearances''' * ''Forced Cranial Removal'' (1995, Fifth Colvmn) * ''Operation Beatbox'' (1996, Re-Constriction/Cargo) * ''World War Underground'' (1996, Fifth Colvmn) * ''Digital Wings 1'' (1997, The Cyberden) * ''Industrial War: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Industrial Music'' (1997, Shanachie) * ''Songs From the Hydrogen Bar: A Tribute to Chemlab'' (2007, MOMT)
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|insight23.com}} * {{YouTube|channel=UCVR0cK1e7WGB4wHtYtc-elQ|title=Insight 23}} * {{Discogs artist}} * {{MusicBrainz artist|id=c681e1f2-7471-4c66-9c01-3793c1624299}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Musical groups established in 1994 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1997 Category:1994 establishments in California Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles Category:Electro-industrial music groups Category:American industrial rock musical groups Category:Fifth Colvmn Records artists