Edit history

Following on from their international hit single ‘Delta V’ on the International Play MPE Charts (No. 2 in the UK and Latin America, Top 15 in the US Mainstream, No.1 American College Radio and No.2 on US Alternative charts), Melbourne alternative electronic duo Schism 21C will release their 4th single 'Red Field' on Wednesday the 19th of November 2025 on digital format. Their first three digital singles have been 'Think Tank' (released October 2024) and 'Prey / Pray' (released February 2025), and Delta V (released July 2025) and their album 'Only the Shell Remain' was released in April 2025 on digital, CD and vinyl. Red Field was written by Schism's original keyboardist Christopher Gordon and it's the 4th song on the 'Only The Shell Remains' album. It is probably the most commercial and accessible song on the album and is a song about inner anguish, struggle and trust, with a number of psychological cryptic inner characters. Lyrically its a real life struggle expressed in the mind, one that’s an inner psychological projection that swimming about internally in someone’s consciousness in an unsettling way. The lyrics have both an inner and outer emotional dimension to them. Musically it’s a synth anthem and sonically this electronic version has a war setting, adding to the dramatic background version of this song, but it is an actual or psychological war? Schism 21C is the reformed reboot of popular early 80’s Melbourne Indie band ‘Schism’ which is today made up today of a duo from its original founding members: lead singer, theatrical frontman and major Schism songwriter Simon ‘Circus’ Rashleigh and programmer, drummer, keyboardist and producer Gordon ‘Gordo’ Graham. Their new album which was recorded over a 2 to 3 year period was released in April 2025 on Vinyl, CD and Digital, reimagines the earliest of the original songs of Schism. Schism was a major unsigned force as part of Melbourne’s Alternative music scene during the early 1980’s packing out venues with their highly visual and theatrical headline shows as well as sharing the stage with the likes of The Birthday Party, Hunters and Collectors, INXS, Dead Can Dance, Beargarden, Real Life, Pseudo Echo and Plays with Marionettes at venues such as The Crystal Ballroom, Macys, The Jump Club and The Venue at Earls Court to name but a few. Their 1982 self- titled cassette album garnered some great interest and airplay on 3RRR and 3PBS in Melbourne as well as being exported to Japan and Germany in small amounts by Melbourne Indie record stores such as Missing Link and Gaslight Records. After five different lineup changes they folded in 1983 and then became the synth wave band ‘illustration’ which lasted until 1985. Jumping 40 years into the future to the 2020’s, founding Schism and illustration member and drummer (and now also a programmer / producer) Gordon Graham started to experiment with the original recordings of Schism and illustration at his home built ‘Thanchilt Street Studio’ (named from a Schism lyric) in Gisborne South in 2022, turning all the original digitized Schism and illustration recordings from the 2000’s into midi code and reimagining Schism’s earliest songs from its earlier post-punk-prog era and some songs from the ‘illustration’ era using his Apple Logic digital audio workstation. The album was recorded in Schism’s own Thranchilt Street studio and was completed at Toyland Studios in Northcote, Melbourne mixed and mastered by Co - Producer and engineer Adam Calaitzis. The album by Schism 21C is titled ‘Only the Shell Remains’ after the comical and popular live Schism song about an old disused cathedral being turned into an Amusement Centre and religious theme park. The album features the performance of both Gordon Graham and Simon Circus on keyboards (some of it played physically, but much of it programmed) with Simon recording all fresh new vocals with a deeper and more mature voice than his 80’s self. The album was released in April 2025 and is being distributed on their private record label ‘Schistration Music’ Schistration Music is a business partnership between Simon Rashleigh and Gordon Graham. Meanwhile, Schism 21C who relaunched their live show at Odeon Richmond Nightclub in Melbourne mid 2025 are now in preparation for more gigs in early 2026 and planning to tour interstate. Publicity for the album and Schism21C is being conducted by Stuart Coupe Publicity.