John Foxx

The Profile

John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh) is an English musician and visual artist, founder and original singer of Ultravox. He began a solo career in 1980 with the synth-pop landmark Metamatic, followed by The Garden and The Golden Section, and later returned with the ambient series Cathedral Oceans in 1997. He remains active across electronic and ambient music.

Founder and original vocalist of Ultravox; solo debut Metamatic (1980); key singles include Underpass, No-One Driving, and Europe After the Rain; later ambient work includes Cathedral Oceans (from 1997); collaborations include Harold Budd (Translucence + Drift Music) and Robin Guthrie (Mirrorball).

Reviews praise Foxx’s stark electronic turn on Metamatic and its robotic, alienated atmospheres. The Garden is viewed as a more romantic, pop-leaning follow-up with memorable choruses. Cathedral Oceans marks his 1997 return with gentle, crystalline ambient pieces and treated vocals, lauded for clarity but noted for repetition. Overall sentiment is strongly positive.