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Jeffrey Plewman, aka NASH THE SLASH, was an iconic Canadian progressive electronic musician best known for his experimental violin and mandolin compositions. Declared the godfather of electronic and industrial music in Canada by his peers, Nash pushed the envelope of his art by using technology in his recordings and live performances in groundbreaking ways. 

 

In 1981, Nash signed to Richard Branson’s new Virgin Records' indie label Dindisc in the UK. He gained success and developed a solid fan base across Europe, The United States and Canada touring with the likes of Gary Numan, Iggy Pop and The Tubes.  He worked with famed producer Daniel Lanois on his single Dance After Curfew in 1982 which became a huge hit in eastern Europe.  

 

His enigmatic alter ego persona and infamous stage costume, a white tuxedo and his face wrapped in bandages, were influenced by classic horror and German Expressionist filmmaking. While it may have put him into the realm of outsider artist, his use of projected visuals, elaborate staging and new electronic music technologies, captivated audiences and solidified him as a true original and innovator. 

 

Nash passed away suddenly at the age of 66 in 2014 and since then, Nash’s Estate has worked to preserve his incredible story and remarkable legacy.  In 2014, his trademark costumes and instruments were donated to the National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta where he was inducted as a Canadian Innovator. His Vladimir Bosnar custom skull mandolin, white tuxedo and top hat is currently on display in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame wing. In 2015, a distribution deal with Artoffact Records in Toronto spawned the re-release of his first six albums from the 1980s and all of his music is available for digital download and streaming across all major platforms.

 

In 2018, Nash’s Estate and Side Three Media announced that production was beginning on a Nash the Slash documentary titled Nash the Slash - Rises Again!.  In 2020, the film was one of only four films in Canada to be awarded the Hot Docs - Slaught Family Fund grant and is now expected to be released theatrically and on select streaming platforms in 2023.

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FM

 

Before Nash’s solo career, he was one of the founding members of the successful Canadian progressive rock bands - FM. The band's first album, Black Noise which was released in 1977, charted worldwide and went gold in Canada.  Nash left the band in 1978 and focused his efforts on his solo career. He rejoined FM from 1983 to 1988, followed by a brief reunion from 1994 to 1996, and continued collaborations throughout the years. In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine named FM’s album Black Noise #48 on their Top 50 Progressive Rock Albums of All Time list.

 

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FILM & SOUNDTRACKS

Nash composed and performed soundtrack music for silent films, television productions, and contemporary filmmakers. He presented his silent film compositions Un Chien Andalou (1929), Nosferatu (1922) as public performances in movie theatres to accompany screenings of the films. He composed the soundtracks to major motion film productions including The Kidnapping of the President (1980), A Trip Around Lake Ontario (1984), Bruce McDonald’s first two films Roadkill (1989) and Highway 61 (1991), Black Pearls (1991), and Blood and Donuts (1995). Excerpts from tracks on the FM album Tonight, co-written by Nash the Slash, appear in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988). Nash also composed the entire soundtrack for the first two seasons of Cold Blood - True Crime Scene (Canadian TV series 2008-12). For many years, Nash collaborated with the surrealist painter Robert Vanderhorst. Their ongoing collaboration project, which they called Two Artists, involved audiovisual performances called View From The Gallery, which took place in 1978 and again in 2004/2005.