Toxik Ephex

Toxik Ephex is a Scottish anarcho-punk band, who was first formed in 1979 as The Abductors by founding member Fred "Inspector Blake" Wilkinson.

[1][2][3][4] The Abductors were formed by Gary 'Wee Eck' Dawson on vocals, Keith Thomson on drums, Steve 'Stepe' Dempster on bass and Fred 'Inspector Blake' Wilkinson on guitar.

In September 1985, Dod Copland replaced Dawson on vocals with Frank Benzie joining on guitar soon after, thus forming the classic (and most familiar) Toxik Ephex line-up.

Wilkinson is interested and involved in folk music, and Copland (an accomplished piper in his own right) often started gigs playing his bagpipes which won over the crowds in Europe.

This fusion of Scottish folk and bagpipes combined with punk can now be heard in various bands such as Dropkick Murphys and The Real McKenzies.

Topplers Records from Scotland have gone on to reissue most of their back catalogue, with plans afoot to re-released everything on a double CD set.