Trans-X is a Canadian 1980’s synth band formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Known for the hit song “Living on Video” which charted worldwide.
Trans-X was started by canadian musician Pascal Languirand, previously known for his albums in the ambient, cosmic and space music genres. In 1982 he recruited Montreal keyboardist and programmer Steve Wyatt as the second half of the Trans-X duo. Together they recorded a demo that got Trans-X a recording contract for a single (Vivre sur Video).
Steve Wyatt played some synthesizer and did some programming on Vivre sur Video (Living on Video). He also composed “Digital World” and played all the instruments on the track, which was on the flip side of the single. “Digital World” can also be found on the maxi-single and on the Living on Video album. Steve Wyatt left Trans-X sometime in late 1983.
Pascal later recruited Montrealer Laurie Ann Gill as the second half of the Trans-X duo. Gill can be seen in the early videos where she performed backing vocals for synthpop group Nudimension. When their first song “Living on Video” was released it was an instant hit in Canada and the single later sold two million copies and reached British and European Top ten charts on its 1985 re-release.
Later in 1983, Trans-X released another song “Message on the Radio” which did not make the charts, and Trans-X ended the year with another single, “3D-Dance”. “Message on the Radio” was made into a video in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The video was produced by Emil Dittrich of Toronto and Carol Linnane of Boston.
All songs were featured on the subsequent album, Living on Video. In 1986, Languirand decided to retire as Trans-X after his latest album Living on My Own failed to chart outside of Canada. After the album was released Languirand went silent for a few years and decided to continue his solo career with new age, ambient and space music instead of electronica.
In 1994, Languirand returned as Trans-X performing live with Nadia Sohaei. In 1998, he released the Greatest Hits album. Later Languirand recorded a remake of his main hit under the title “Living on Video 2003” and released The Drag-Matic Album, produced by Michel Huygen of Neuronium. One more new version of this hit, “Living on Video 2k6” was released on 6 May 2006.
As of 2010, Languirand lived in Mexico and prepared one album by Trans-X for release. Corina Lawrence was the singer in live shows from 2008 to 2015. And the mexican producer, dj & musician Emilio Acevedo was part from the Trans-X band in Mexico City, he is member from the icon band Titan, one of the most important mexican electronic rock band, and he is famous with his side projects like Sonido Lasser Drakar and María Daniela y Su Sonido Lasser.
In early 2012, Languirand had been seen performing live together with Truc Quynh, better known as “TQ”, a lady of Vietnamese descent, now a relatively well-known Italo-Disco-singer. With TQ Languirand has been collaborating at least since 2004. However, on the 2010-single “I Want To Be With You Tonight”, on the L. O. V. 2011 album from 2011 and on the Hi-NRG album that was released in 2012 in Mexico, Languirand was vocally accompanied by Corina Lawrence, a woman with Argentinian roots. With Lawrence he has been working together since 2008.[6] On the other hand, in 2013, Languirand sang a song together with Truc Quynh, entitled “My Fascination”, being recorded on audio and video. The song became part of TQ’s later album Out of the shadows which was released in late 2014. Although Languirand was involved in singing that song, it was more an offspin than a pure Trans-X project. Over the years, Languirand more and more became interconnected with other artists, and especially after 1986, not solely working for Trans-X, but also letting space for other projects. Sometimes, therein he lent his voice to others, sometimes he worked for others as a producer, etcetera. To a certain extent, “My Fascination” is an outcome from such kind of collaborations.
In 2012, Luis Broc joined the electronic drummer and in 2014 he joined Ramón Serratos in the SFX, synthesis and as a DJ of the band in the live performances, both of Mexican origin. During 2016 they make a series of tours in South America, reaffirming the taste for the genre in diverse audiences in countries like Chile, Peru and Colombia, in the hand of the project Discolocos, documentary film (of the young filmmaker David Davila) that reflects the world of The followers of the high energy since the 80’s and that remains to date in Mexico and in which Trans x is a protagonist alongside a family that represents the faithful followers and where the power of music and its Generative capacity. From the film Discolocos is the original motion soundtrack created by Pascal Languirand of classic themes of the 80 in his tribute to the High Energy and Italo Disco, with the collaboration in the voices of Willie Chambers, Jessica Williams, Claudja Barry, Tobias Bernstrup, Stephan Groth, Cynthia Manley, Eskil Simonsson, Conrad Kaneshiro, Christina Criscione and JD Hall.
In 2018-2020, Mario Várguez (live synths) and Aletz Franco (live electronic drums) were guest musicians, they are band members from Ventormenta a mexican electro indie rock band. During 2019-2020, Lily Contreras was performing dance and backing vocals.
In 2020, Pascal Languirand launched a new album called “Dreams Are Made Of Fantasies”, distributed by the famous record label Cleopatra Records (LA, USA).
Pascal Languirand and Luana Viana de Souza from Itajai Brasil are married since May 7th, 2021. Luana also sings and dances at the new Trans-X show.
Back in the early 80s, a young Canadian singer / songwriter / producer named Pascal Languirand became one of the inventors of Hi-NRG, a propulsive dance pop crossover style of music that he performed with his group Trans-X. The Montreal based Trans-X hit big in 1986 when their club and radio hit “Living on Video,” topped dance and pop charts around the world. Characterized by prominent bass lines, driving electronic drums, and synthesizers playing swirling melodies, Hi-NRG held sway for more than a decade on dance floors all over Asia, North and Latin America, and Europe. But as do all musical trends, Hi-NRG finally had its day and the Dance scene evolved into House music, Techno, Trance, New Beat, and Hip Hop.
Languirand, however, remained true to his artistic soul. He developed his spiritual side of him, and released several New Age albums and dabbled in Trance, while living in the U.S., Spain, and Mexico. A few years ago, Languirand became aware of a young woman calling herself Pascalita who had taken to dressing like him in the mostly black garb that he favored, and even going so far as dying her hair de ella platinum and styling it in the distinctive Trans -X comb over. On one of Trans-X’s tours of Europe, they finally met. And in a whirlwind courtship that could be ripped from the pages of a fairy tale, they fell in love, and got married.
Pascalita, whose real name is Luana, introduced Pascal to a new form of party music that has inspired millions of fans from the “Gen Y” Generation. And thus, energized by their love for each other, the couple are currently recording a new album of music and a new live show they call TRANS-X PSY-ENERGY that joins a new global electronic movement advocating the cause of psychedelic love and universal peace .
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www.transx-music.com
www.facebook.com/transxofficial
Bokings Canada, Mexico & So. America: transxmusic@gmail.com
Bookings Europe & UK: mirrormanagency@gmail.com
Bookings USA: rob@bossagency.com
