Atomium Monday

One of the highlights of our trip to Brussels last week was the Atomium. It was constructed for the 1958 World Trade Fair, a celebration of the Atomic Age and science generally (with a slice of the Cold War and the space race thrown in too). The Atomium is 335 feet tall, nine stainless steel spheres with connecting tubes and designed by Andre Waterkeyn, a modernist tribute to scientific progress and Belgian engineering skills- an atomic unit cell magnified 165 billion times, a feat of the post- war scientific world. 

Now we live in a world where people don't believe in vaccinations any more.

The Atomium is on the outskirts of Brussels, a train/ tram ride to the north of the city (Brussels is very well served for comprehensive, cheap and efficient public transport). It's part of a park which also includes the Heysel stadium which as anyone familiar with football in the 1980s will know has a history and tragedy of its own. 

The grounds from the World Trade Fair are still there and a few of the late 50s buildings and pavilions but the centrepiece is the Atomium, a mere 16 euros to enter. The view from the sphere at the top is impressive too. Above this there is a restaurant with space age tables and chairs. 

Inside the Atomium is just as exciting as outside- the spheres house an exhibition filled with promo material, posters, leaflets, accounts and photos from the fair and the construction of the Atomium. Over 41 million people visited Expo 58. At this time the Second World War was only thirteen years in the past, rationing had only just ended in the UK, the world was still recovering from a collective trauma, Europe as much as anywhere- the Atomium must have seemed like the future had landed right in front of them, in Belgium. 

As well as the museum some of the spheres are home to an installation of sound and light which were right up my straat. 

Yes, it would be a great place to hold a party. 

It's also ridiculously photogenic and viewed in 2026 beautifully retro- futuristic. I could have moved in and stayed for the rest of the week. 

Mondays at this blog are usually designated as Monday's Long Song. This is eight minutes of Natural Transition by Atomic Moog, a French electronic duo, from an EP released in 2022 that works as an Atomium soundtrack in both band name and sound. 

Natural Transition

To Brussels With Love

We're off to Brussels today, an early morning flight to the Belgian capital for a half term break, three days and two nights. We haven't been to Brussels before but it looks like it has plenty to offer- preliminary research indicates no fewer than nineteen record shops as well as plenty of establishments serving Belgian beer and frites. Waffles. The Atomium. The European parliament. Lots of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Modernist architecture and design to gaze at as well as art galleries and museums. 

Also, some very local and musical connections. Brussels is the home of Factory Benelux and Le Disques Du Crepuscule, and the latter still operates out of the city re- issuing Factory albums. LDDC was set up in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honore with James Nice taking over the running of the label more recently (James is the author of Shadowplayers, the definitive Factory biography). 

In 1979 Le Disques Du Crepuscule released a cassette titled From Brussels With Love, a deluxe tape package in a plastic wallet with twenty one tracks including several by Factory artists- The Durutti Column, ACR, The Names and Martin Hannett- along with Brian Eno (an interview), Harold Budd, John Foxx, Michael Nyman and more. 

The Durutti Column were on From Brussels With Love twice, Sleep Will Come and Piece For An Ideal. The second of those is just two minutes long, Vini's guitar ringing out loud and clear with piano and some percussion. 

Piece For An Ideal

Factory's association with Brussels was pretty deep and Factory acts often played in the city, usually at Plan K, a five story arts venue in a former sugar refinery on, appropriately enough, Rue de Manchester. In 1979 Joy Division played there with Cabaret Voltaire and William Burroughs. Burroughs headlined- Ian Curtis approached Burroughs, a hero of his, for a chat. Burroughs told him to fuck off. Ian was suitably chastened apparently. 

On 13th August 1981 Durutti Column were recorded playing live in Brussels, a gig which included Vini's song For Belgian Friends, one of my favourite DC songs. It was included on last year's expanded and remastered Return Of  The Durutti Column re- issue, along with Conduct, Self- Portrait and Sketch For Summer. You can hear all those at Bandcamp and the live version of For Belgian Friends is here. 

In 1983 The Durutti Column were filmed playing For Belgian Friends live in Madrid, Vini and Bruce Mitchell in sparkling form. 

In 2020 Aficionado, the Manchester based, Balearica/ anything goes label, released a four track EP with a cover of For Belgian Friends by Dream Lovers as one of the quartet of songs, a sleepy, entrancing cover of the song that is worthy of standing alongside Vini's original.