“An Island in the Darkness” is the centerpiece of the Strictly Inc. project, a one-off collaboration between Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks and Wang Chung vocalist Jack Hues. At nearly 18 minutes long, this sprawling, symphonic track isn’t just a song - it’s a journey, a statement of intent, and arguably one of Banks’s most ambitious post-Genesis compositions. Coming at the end of an otherwise pop-leaning album, it stands apart: moody, progressive, unapologetically complex.
Musically, the piece evokes the spirit of 1970s progressive rock - think The Cinema Show, Supper’s Ready, or even Banks’s solo epic The Fugitive - but with a more modern (for 1995) production sheen. The track weaves through multiple movements, shifting tempo, mood, and texture with orchestral flair. From ethereal piano passages to dramatic synth swells and intricate instrumental interludes, Banks's compositional fingerprints are everywhere: lush harmonies, classical phrasing, and keyboard-led dynamics that recall the best of his Genesis-era writing.
Jack Hues, best known for synth-pop hits with Wang Chung, proves to be a surprisingly fitting vocalist for such a demanding piece. His delivery is understated but emotionally nuanced; never overpowering the song’s grandeur, but giving it just enough human edge to carry its introspective weight. The lyrics, co-written with Banks, are elliptical and philosophical, dealing with themes of isolation, self-examination, and quiet despair. The “island” becomes a metaphor for detachment - possibly from society, from a lover, or from oneself.
What makes “An Island in the Darkness” compelling is its refusal to compromise. In an era dominated by three-minute radio singles and grunge’s raw brevity, Tony Banks chose to end his album with a near-18-minute epic that owes more to Wind and Wuthering than anything on MTV. The track’s pace is unhurried, its structure meandering in the best possible way - like a symphony, it’s meant to be absorbed as a whole, not in fragments.
Critically, Strictly Inc. received a muted response, and the album quickly fell into obscurity. But “An Island in the Darkness” has since gained a kind of cult admiration among Genesis fans and prog aficionados, who recognize it as one of Banks’s most fully realized solo works. It’s an elegant, brooding, and musically rich piece that rewards repeated listens - not just for its complexity, but for the emotional subtlety hidden beneath its virtuosity.
In many ways, the track is a testament to Tony Banks’s singular musical identity: cerebral yet emotive, structured yet searching. If Genesis (post Gabriel and Hackett) was always a three-headed beast, “An Island in the Darkness” is a glimpse of what one head dreamed in solitude: grand, introspective, and unmistakably Tony.
Musically, the piece evokes the spirit of 1970s progressive rock - think The Cinema Show, Supper’s Ready, or even Banks’s solo epic The Fugitive - but with a more modern (for 1995) production sheen. The track weaves through multiple movements, shifting tempo, mood, and texture with orchestral flair. From ethereal piano passages to dramatic synth swells and intricate instrumental interludes, Banks's compositional fingerprints are everywhere: lush harmonies, classical phrasing, and keyboard-led dynamics that recall the best of his Genesis-era writing.
Jack Hues, best known for synth-pop hits with Wang Chung, proves to be a surprisingly fitting vocalist for such a demanding piece. His delivery is understated but emotionally nuanced; never overpowering the song’s grandeur, but giving it just enough human edge to carry its introspective weight. The lyrics, co-written with Banks, are elliptical and philosophical, dealing with themes of isolation, self-examination, and quiet despair. The “island” becomes a metaphor for detachment - possibly from society, from a lover, or from oneself.
What makes “An Island in the Darkness” compelling is its refusal to compromise. In an era dominated by three-minute radio singles and grunge’s raw brevity, Tony Banks chose to end his album with a near-18-minute epic that owes more to Wind and Wuthering than anything on MTV. The track’s pace is unhurried, its structure meandering in the best possible way - like a symphony, it’s meant to be absorbed as a whole, not in fragments.
Critically, Strictly Inc. received a muted response, and the album quickly fell into obscurity. But “An Island in the Darkness” has since gained a kind of cult admiration among Genesis fans and prog aficionados, who recognize it as one of Banks’s most fully realized solo works. It’s an elegant, brooding, and musically rich piece that rewards repeated listens - not just for its complexity, but for the emotional subtlety hidden beneath its virtuosity.
In many ways, the track is a testament to Tony Banks’s singular musical identity: cerebral yet emotive, structured yet searching. If Genesis (post Gabriel and Hackett) was always a three-headed beast, “An Island in the Darkness” is a glimpse of what one head dreamed in solitude: grand, introspective, and unmistakably Tony.