Code of Ethics hit on the Christian music scene in 1991 with their brilliant debut Visual Paradox for R.E.X. Music (later re-issued on Forefront), having already released an independent cassette demo a year prior. The album was a synth-pop triumph, taking the best of techno-pop and alternative dance and fusing them into a singular whole that was as danceable as Information Society, but as catchy as Pet Shop Boys or Erasure.
I once had a chance to catch the band live, opening for The Prayer Chain. Yes, it was a slightly odd pairing. I had at that time become heavily immersed in the guitar-driven alternative rock scene, and as such I hadn’t expected much from Code of Ethics. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. Their live show was top-notch, which is difficult to pull off for music that is so dependent on technology.
Sadly the band peaked on their debut, and nothing else the group created ever struck me in quite the same way (save for one or two tracks from the appropriately-titled Mix EP). While I could easily have chosen literally any song from Visual Paradox, I’ve chosen to feature the devotional “Hold Me.”
Ah, Code of Ethics… I got into their music from the music video for Soul Bait. I have a love for electronic rock, and Code of Ethics had that sound that appealed to me. I bought Soul Bait and their album after, but never looked at their earlier work. Thanks to this, I know what I’ll be listening to tomorrow.
In my opinion, their early material is their best, but to each their own.
Oh for sure, and that’s the only material I was familiar with for years until this post. I may come to the same conclusion, I just haven’t had the chance to fully sample it yet. Soul Bait and Blaze are both albums that just take me back to happy times in my youth group. I’m excited to hear what I’ve missed.