The Very Long Fuse

Breaking Circus was a post-punk band from the 1980s, based in Chicago & later Minneapolis.

They began as a vehicle for Steve Björklund (started with bassist Bruce Lange in 1983), veteran of the '80-'83 Chicago punk explosion (as a member of the seminal Strike Under &, later, Terminal Beach).

The eight-song 12" 45 rpm The Very Long Fuse is terse, post-punk vitriol set to a banging dance-beat of a Roland TR-606 drum machine. As evidenced by songs like "(Knife In The) Marathon", Björklund was moving into slightly more melodic territory than Strike Under with some songs...tunes with somewhat conventional rock riffs & hooks. Other tracks revealed glimpses of a style that would soon be associated with the Chicago underground scene...songs like"The Imperial Clawmasters' Theme" & "Precision" with their sharp, jagged & guitar-powered noisy "industrial" sound that was also being pioneered by Steve Albini & Big Black.

By the time The Very Long Fuse was released, Bruce Lange had left the band, leaving only Björklund. Steve moved to Minneapolis. There he hooked up with drummer Todd Trainer & bassist Flour (Pete Conway), the rhythm section for the band Rifle Sport. Now with a full trio lineup, Breaking Circus was now a viable band.

(L-R: Todd Trainer, Steve Björklund, Flour, & fill-in guitarist Phil Harder.)

I believe that Breaking Circus's discography was only released once on its initial vinyl run on the Homestead label, & has yet to be reissued on CD.

Breaking Circus - The Very Long Fuse, Homestead Records Homestead 0012, 1985.

Side 1:
Precision
(Knife in the) Marathin
Lady in the Lake
Soul of Japan

Side 2:
The Imperial Clawmasters' Theme
Monster's sanctuary
Christian Soldiers
Morning

Enjoy,
NØ