About this item

Originally released in 1982, ‘I, Assassin’ is Gary Numan’s sixth studio album and fourth under his own name.

Combining fretless bass with heavy rock drumming, Numan further refined his dark, sparse, funky-electro style, mixing it with impenetrable, slurred vocals.

Numan recorded and wrote most of the music between January and March 1982, following his infamous round the world trip in a light aircraft and a near-death crash onto a British road while co-piloting a spiralling Cessna. Three of the album’s songs made it into the UK Top 20. According to Numan, who was still only 24-years-old at the time, “the round-the-world flight, the plane crash, these were big things that helped me shape a new opinion of myself. Those experiences gave me a self-confidence, a genuine strength that I hadn’t had before.” Twenty years later, the singer enthused, “I still think it’s one of the best albums I’ve made.”

I, Assassin’s heavily percussive approach led to several tracks becoming unexpected intruders on American dancefloors, notably the 12” single of ‘Music For Chameleons’ and a specially remixed US version of ‘White Boys And Heroes’.

‘I, Assassin’ stands out as a record fiercely propelled by powerful rhythms in songs laced with an earthy cynicism.

“‘I, Assassin’ also utilizes the warped elasticity of fretless bass lines underneath his customary monotone vocalising and abstract lyricism. Highlighted by the upbeat synthetic funk of ‘We Take Mystery To Bed’ & ‘White Boys’, ‘I, Assassin’ is an in-depth examination of genuine dance music roots.” - URB Magazine.

TRACK LISTING

White Boys And Heroes
War Songs
A Dream Of Siam
Music For Chameleons
This Is My House
I, Assassin
The 1930’s Rust
We Take Mystery (To Bed)