Blue Plate Special: Anything Box
Born from the neon-soaked clubs of New Jersey in 1986 and eventually finding a home in the sun-drenched landscapes of Long Beach, Anything Box is a living testament to the evolution of electronic music. Named after Zenna Henderson’s tale of a child who conjures a vivid, invisible world between her hands, the band’s identity is rooted in the interplay between imagination and reality. Their sound is a shifting tapestry that began with the bright, synth-driven dance beats of the 1989 hit “Living in Oblivion” and matured into “elektrodelic” experimentation. This sonic journey weaves together the shimmering textures of classic New Wave with the grit of alternative guitars, ranging from the vulnerable, cinematic melancholy of their German-recorded sessions to the high-energy, beat-box-infused grooves that defined their later independent eras.
The visual soul of Anything Box is inextricably linked to the artistry of founder Claude Strilio, whose oil paintings and digital works serve as the face of their discography. These images provide a surreal, tactile backdrop to lyrics that often explore the “softer side” of human emotion—themes of memory, hope, and the “future past.” From the dark, Joy Division-influenced shadows of their mid-90s recordings to the expansive, ambient explorations of their recent releases, the band remains a vanguard of the synth-pop genre. By blending lo-fi intimacy with polished electronic precision, Anything Box continues to invite listeners into an ever-expanding universe where the invisible box of the mind is filled with enduring melody and light.
Some of my favorites from their catalog:
Living in Oblivion – from the album Peace (1990)
A Moment’s Shifting – from the album Hope (1993)
World Without Love – from the album Worth (1992)
Dead Stars – from the album Distances (2025)
Welcome to the End – from the album The Universe is Expanding (2001)
Beat of Life – from the album Worth (1992)
Doubt – from the album Elektrodelica (1997)
