In 1986, Love and Rockets released Express, an album that cemented their psychedelic vision and officially marked their break from the shadow of Bauhaus. Dreamy but grounded, raw but polished, Express was a statement—a Technicolor explosion of sound that pulsed with layered guitars, mystic undertones, and an unshakable sense of confidence.
As part of our The Making Of series, we had the chance to sit down with bassist and co-founder David J, who revisited the making of Express ahead of his visit to Miami on April 8. He’ll be spinning vinyl at Technique Records during an in-store DJ set and meet-and-greet, followed by an afterparty at the waterfront hideaway Gramps Getaway.
“We were flying in the face of Thatcherism”
The mid-’80s were a tense time in the UK. Under Margaret Thatcher, greed was glorified and the working class pushed to the margins. For Love and Rockets, the response wasn’t political sloganeering—it was psychedelic rebellion.
“We were offering an alternative mindset,” David says. “Flying in the face of Thatcherism… there was this resurgence of psychedelic music happening, not that we were influenced by it directly—it was just something in the air.”
This shift wasn’t entirely new. All three members—David J, Daniel Ash, and Kevin Haskins—had long been enamored with the psych sounds of the ’60s, from Syd Barrett–era Pink Floyd to garage rock gems found on Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets compilation. But it wasn’t until they left Bauhaus—and its darker sonic constraints—that they could fully unleash the “Technicolor genie.”
Less overdubs, more edge
Unlike their 1985 debut (Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven), Express was shaped with the live stage in mind. “We wanted to play these songs live, so let’s not go overboard with the overdubs, lads,” David laughs. The band had been touring heavily in the U.S. and was confident, tight, and bursting with energy.
Songs were written individually by David or Daniel, then brought into rehearsal where they'd be reshaped collectively. “It was very open and collaborative. Neither of us were precious about our own songs—we’d let them evolve into something else entirely.”
And evolve they did. Tracks like “Kundalini Express” drew directly from David’s real-life experience of spontaneous kundalini awakening—something he didn’t fully understand at the time but would later recognize as a full-blown mystical experience. “It was a cascade of golden radiant substance,” he says. “A cosmic gift I hadn’t asked for.”
Even the record’s lush optimism—heard in tracks like “It Could Be Sunshine”—reflected the band’s mindset. “We were bristling with confidence. We knew what we wanted to say.”
An album that still resonates
Decades later, Express remains a touchstone—not just for fans of Love and Rockets, but for entire waves of bands and fans drawn to the dreamy tension of psychedelic post-punk. Songs like “All In My Mind” (in both its upbeat and acoustic versions) continue to resonate, while “An American Dream” feels more politically relevant now than when it was written.
“There’s compassion in that song,” David reflects. “It’s about the dream going sour—but it’s still hopeful.”
The album’s legacy is alive not only in the music but in how it’s shared. David now uses Patreon as his creative hub—bypassing traditional industry models to deliver demos, covers, and artwork directly to fans. “It’s a leap in the light,” he wrote. “Not the dark.”
From cosmic visions to spinning 45s
On April 8, Miami audiences will get the chance to experience another side of David J: the DJ. His set at Technique Records will feature 7-inch 45s pulled from his personal collection—post-punk, new wave, glam, and even deep cuts from the ’60s and ’50s. “It’s like sequencing an album,” he says of the process. “Every track leads into the next, and if people want to dance, all the better.”
But it’s more than nostalgia. It’s about passing the torch.
“I love it when younger people come up and ask me what I just played,” he says. “I hold up the sleeve, and I can see the spark. They’ll go home and fall down a rabbit hole. That’s what John Peel did for me. Now I get to do it for someone else.”
Catch David J at Technique Records on April 8, followed by an afterparty at Gramps Getaway. Entry is free and open to the public.
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