'80s hit techno-pop musician to perform at The Canyon
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

HI-TECH- Thomas Dolby, who left the music business for several years to join the Silicon Valley boom, returned to his musical roots which include composing, performing and recording. Dolby will bring his unique electronic music to The Canyon club on Fri., April 14.

An original techno-pop musician has returned to the music scene after a 15-year absence and is now on a six-week tour that includes a stop at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills.

True to his technological roots, Thomas Dolby will perform stateof-the-art computerized music, combining it with 1940s oscilloscopes and former Royal Navy field test equipment to produce his mix of original and new material.

Dolby, best known for his 1980s hits "She Blinded Me With Science" and "Hyperactive," will perform at 8 p.m. on Fri., April 14.

A native of England, Dolby got his start in the late 1970s underground electronic scene in London, becoming well-known throughout Europe.

Born Thomas Morgan Robertson, he took the name Dolby after friends, impressed by his studio skills, gave him the nickname after Dolby Laboratories, a renowned entertainment technology developer.

His music spread to the United States in the early 1980s. He credits MTV with his American success.

"MTV was just on the peak and very influential then," Dolby said.

He worked with a number of high-profile artists including Def Leppard, Peter Gabriel and Joni Mitchell.

He has also written and produced film scores, including one for the upcoming "Mission Impossible 3."

Dolby left the music business in the early 1990s after becoming discouraged with industry expec

tations. He felt he was expected to produce songs similar to his hits, rather than being allowed to experiment.

"I felt hemmed in by the industry and the expectations put on me," Dolby said. "I considered myself edgy but the record company was not interested in developing that."

Instead, Dolby became a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, founding Beatnik Inc., a top provider of ring-tone technology operating in more than 500 million cellphones. Although he remains on the Beatnik board, he said this was a good time to return to music.

"I like what's going on in the music world," Dolby said.

He credits the Internet and its consequent direct contact with fans with having encouraged him to make a comeback.

"In the old days music was sold as units and it was soulless," Dolby said. "Now I have a database of fans and I know the names of everyone."

For information, visit www. thomasdolby.com or call (818) 879-5016.