Needle Time

48 Chairs - 70% Paranoid [CACHE 020LP UK 2018 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released in 1982 on Relentless Records. Sneaking out at the back end of 2018 was this reissue of another lost Mancunian gem. 48 Chairs were formed when John Scott (of Gerry And The Holograms) and sax supremo Lol Coxhill banded together with a whole number of manc musical illuminaries to produce a unique blend of quirky new wave, tongue in cheek pub-rock, ska and punk-jazz, all with a post-punk attitude. Quite surprisingly, the only single  Snap It Around  was listed by Frank Zappa as one of his favourite singles of all time. The incredible catchy soca-ska of Rhino Whip just gets stuck in your head and is a personal fave. As an album 70% Paranoid defies definition, and original copies are hard to find due to its limited distribution. Thankfully Finders Keepers were able to persuade those responsible to allow a reissue upon an unsuspecting new audience.  A1 Snap It Around A2 Rel...

Gerry And The Holograms ‎- Gerry And The Holograms [CACHE 018LP UK 2017 24-Bit FLAC] Time now for a little Mancunian music folklore. C.P. Lee and John Scott launched this electro spin-off from Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias with a self-titled single on Absurd Records in 1979 and followed it with the world's first every non-record. The record title Meet The Dissidents was more than just a nod to those Californian wacky popstars The Residents. The Emperor's New Music was a seven inch single glued into its own inner sleeve and therefore impossible to play. Those who did manage to extract said vinyl from sleeve and remove all the glue residue were rewarded with a totally blank track on both sides. Art for art's sake. Finders Keepers have compiled a whole treasure trove of unreleased recordings from the Gerries into this fascinating long player. Stand outs for me are the title track single, the simple instrumental pop of Tubular Belles , the twisted  Increased ...

Crispy Ambulance - Sexus [FBN 18 BEL 1984 24-Bit FLAC] The fourth and final single released by Crispy Ambulance, Sexus was part of their live set from around 1982 onwards. Whilst not as post-punk as From The Cradle To The Grave or as splendidly dreary as Deaf and The Presence , Sexus is an upbeat number in the Crispy repertoire, fronted as usual with Alan Hempsall's manic vocal style. The very experimental & moody Black Death/Life is Knife spans the 8 minute b-side. Apologies for the occasional crackle on the flipside but I wanted to preserve the audio quality as much as possible without the use of noise removal software. Enjoy. A1  Sexus B1  Black Death / Life Is Knife

Isolation Ward - Absent Heart [TWI 135 BEL 1983 24-Bit FLAC] Isolation Ward formed in 1979 in Brussels and released their debut single Lamina Christus on Crépuscule Francais in 1982. The single, produced by Peter Principle, is highly regarded as a Cold Wave classic and features on the b-side of this 12" single. The follow up Absent Heart was released as on Les Disques du Crépuscule in 1983. Support slots to Siouxsie and The Banshees, 23 Skidoo and The Birthday Party exposed Isolation Ward to a wider audience and everything was perfectly positioned for a debut album the following year.  Unfortunately the band disintegrated only to be revived briefly when they finally released the album Point De Départ on their own cassette label Presence. Isolation Ward play moody bass-driven post-punk evoking influences from North Western Britain and other Benelux acts such as The Names. The kind of stuff which seems to go down well in these parts. A1  Absent Heart B1  ...

Faction - Bag [TMLP 29 UK 1988 24-Bit FLAC] Standard format, multi-sample indie-electro-dance much like Data, Intimate Obsessions and whole wrath of others from Nico's old backing band led by Eric Random collaborator, Graham Dowdall. There are some really good highlights on this platter, especially when they reflect back to their minimalist influences. Your blogster recommends The Other Kind , Poussez and Water + Light especially. This is a reworking of my original 2015 blog posting, tidied up, re-balanced and re-sampled. A1  The Eagle Has Landed A2  Into Silence A3  Poussez A4  Reds B1  Listen Buddy (Domination Mix) B2  Mauer B3  Fear B4  Water + Light B5  The Other Kind

The Impossible Dreamers - Spin b/w Think Almost Twice - Chikiba [SUPRAA 003 FRA 2008 24-Bit FLAC] A new 2019 rip of an old ESWA blog post - the original was perhaps a little too loud ....from what I understand is a French pressed bootleg released a few years back, Spin is an obscure early 80's b-side by Exeter band The Impossible Dreamers. Think heavy bass driven, percussion laden with horns, think 23 Skidoo, A Certain Ratio, Maximum Joy and Pig Bag ....get my drift? I've no clue as to Think Almost Twice's pedigree, but Chikiba is a 70s-style funk disco instrumental but more likely to be French retro-funk rather than the real thing. Having said that, it is rather good! A1 The Impossible Dreamers - Spin B1 Think Almost Twice - Chikiba

Various Artists - An On-U Journey Through Time & Space [10" ON-U DP57 UK 2015 24-Bit FLAC] This was the RSD2015 On-U 10" dubplate, a compilation of tracks baked off master reels. The Mothmen album was also re-released, though a rip from my original album did feature on ESWA well before then. Creation Rebel's space-dub classic Starship Africa re-appeared on vinyl for RSD2017, so therefore by simple deduction, I'd say a rush of Dub Syndicate reissues followed soon after. A1   Doctor Pablo & The Dub Syndicate - Dr Who? A2   Dub Syndicate - Crucial Tony Tries To Rescue The Space Invaders (With Only 10p) B1   The Mothmen - Tardis B2   Creation Rebel - Starship Africa Pt.1

African Head Charge - Super Mystic Brakes [10" ON-U DP 59 UK 2016 24-Bit FLAC] The revitalised On-U Sound have spent most the last few years baking reel to reel tapes to prepare for a number of iconic reissues. Found among those reels was this unreleased early eighties session recorded as African Head Charge featuring Sherwood as Crocodile, playing the the lowest notes I have ever heard as a bass line (be warned your speakers will rock), Style Scott on Drums and Bonjo I on percussion. The horn section was likely supplied by on-u dub sax stalwart Deadly Headley. These 'lost' tracks were released on this limited 10" dubplate as part of RSD 2016. A1     Beri Version AA1  Realigned Dub AA2  The Race (Part 2)

London Underground - Watching West Indians In The Cold [ON-U DP 4 UK 1982 24-Bit FLAC] One of the best and rarest singles to come from On-U Sound for those who may have missed it first time around. A1   Strange Things A2   Conspiracy AA   Why Do Fat Men Have Such Skinny Thoughts?

Creation Rebel - Independent Man [10" ON-UP DP 3 UK 1982 24-Bit FLAC] Some classic dub to open up a short run of ten inch dub plates from the On-U Sound label. From the comments I received on the old blog and by email, it would seem quite a few of you found ESWA through my original rips and posts a few years ago. So for your enjoyment here's a pounding rip of an original On-U Sound 10" dub plate from penguinflight 's archive. Enjoy. A1   Independent Man B1   Creation Rebel

Basement 5 - In Dub [IPR 2038 UK 1980 24-Bit FLAC] Discogs seems to think that this is a 12" single, it is not, In Dub  is a 33 and a third mini album, ripped here from an original 1980 UK pressing to 24-bit FLAC. Martin Hannett does dub ...yes please!  A1 Paranoiaclaustrophobia Dub 5:16 A2 Work Dub 3:51 A3 Games Dub 3:55 B1 Immigrant Dub 7:17 B2 Holocaust Dub

Various Artists - Streets [BEGA 1 UK 1977 24-Bit FLAC] Subtitled : Select highlights from independent British labels  The fledgling Beggars Banquet label released just two singles from The Lurkers and some dubious non-pc reggae from Johnny Gotting. It was this important compilation which broke the label setting out the stall for the future of British indie music. This is a punk/new-wave compilation pulling together a mish-mash of singles from The Lurkers, The Members, Slaughter and The Dogs, The Nosebleeds (featuring Vini Reilly) and John Cooper Clarke. You also get classics from The Snivelling Shits (here as Arthur Comics) and noisy Manc-punks The Drones among many others. Many of you may recall The Reaction's Talk Talk Talk ....well, you would hope Mark Hollis does. Important is likely an under statement. A1 The Doll - Trash A2 The Members - Fear On The Streets A3 The Lurkers - Be My Prisoner A4 Arthur Comics - Isgodaman A5 The Art Attacks - Arabs...

Nasmak - Nasmak Plus Instruments, Instruments Plus Nasmak [PLUREX 1800 NLD 1980 24-Bit FLAC] So how do I follow that last post.....? Truus de Groot from Plus Instruments shares vocal duties with Nasmak's own Joop Van Brakel, produced by Wally Van Middendorp. This album is likely one of the most important records to come out of the Dutch new-wave/post-punk scene. Some of you will likely never have heard of the cohorts, however Nasmak were one of the first Dutch new wave bands to get airplay in the UK, championed by John Peel, they also secured that all important Peel Session in June 1982. Plus Instruments continue to perform and record complex but minimal electronica. A1 (Song To A) Dummy A2 Notions A3 Food For Thought A4 Stratego A5 Neckermann A6 Pig Problems B1 Eyes B2 So B3 Big Man (The Soundtrack) B4 Spy B5 Special Agreement B6 Heartbeat B7 Eleven

Magazine - Real Life [578 2368 UK 2018 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a vinyl album in 1978. With the resurgence of vinyl in the last few years, many labels have delved deeply into their back catalogues seeking out revenues from bands which they had given up on many years back. Some have got it very wrong with appalling rehashes/remasters from ruined source material. Hats off to Virgin for getting Real Life spot on. 2018 was a good year for re-releases, here is one of the very best, ripped to 24-bit at levels to encourage the listener to crank up the volume and play loud. From a band often described by Tony Wilson as prog... A1 Definitive Gaze A2 My Tulpa A3 Shot By Both Sides A4 Recoil A5 Burst B1 Motorcade B2 The Great Beautician In The Sky B3 The Light Pours Out Of Me B4 Parade

Killing Joke - Killing Joke [EGMD 5.45 UK 1980 24-Bit FLAC] Any album which kicks off with the anthemic singles Requiem and Wardance has to be considered a classic ....right? To me, these two singles define Killing Joke at their very best. I also count the disco-punk instrumental Bloodsport and the Berlin-influenced S.O.36. as personal favourites. All ripped here from an original 1980 pressing of this fine debut. A1 Requiem A2 Wardance A3 Tomorrow's World A4 Bloodsport B1 The Wait B2 Complications B3 S.O.36 B4 Primitive

Various Artists - Discreet Campaigns [ROR 1 UK Reissue Vinyl 2011 24-Bit FLAC] I hope nobody is expecting high resolution direct transfers from the masters of this important cassette compilation. I can say for sure that the naughty chaps behind this very grey market release have used the original retail cassette for this pink and grey splattered double vinyl set. The original cassette was nicely packaged in a wallet and booklet on Dec Hickey's Rorschach Testing Product label in 1985, becoming both vital and collectible as it contained unreleased versions of tracks by bands on Factory Records and 4AD, alongside many quality bands from the area around Bedford. The 2011 vinyl package attempts to mirror the merchandising ideas behind the idea ....and does a good job, except that a booklet would have been nice ...and unfortunately, a few spelling errors. Here you are folks, enjoy! A1 John Marc Gowans - The First Thing You Ever Said To Me (Edit) A2 Eyeless In Gaza - St...

Bonzo Goes To Washington ‎- 5 Minutes [SLX-13 USA 1984 24-Bit FLAC] There was once a time when American presidents had to be careful what they said on tape. Bootsy Collins and Jerry Harrison get funky with Ronald Reagan, cutting up his greatest gaff. I can only wonder what they could have done with the incumbent leader of the free world. A1 5 Minutes (C-C-C Club Mix) B1 5 Minutes (R-R-R Radio Mix) B2 5 Minutes (B-B-B Bombing Mix)

Fats Comet ‎- Don't Forget That Beat [RTT 157 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] Historically, I've covered all the Fats Comet and worthwhile Tackhead singles in a variety of finishes. Here is a new 2019 rip of the classic Don't Forget That Beat in full 24-bit glory. If you remember ESWA, then any record featuring Maxwell, Wimbish, McDonald and LeBlanc was likely to feature. A1   Don't Forget That Beat B1   Freak Out

Shara Nelson & The Circuit ‎- Aiming At Your Heart [ON-U MIX 2 UK 1983 24-Bit FLAC] There are two early On-U Sound singles (10" dub plates not included) which are both rare and highly collectible among label completists. One is the Akabu debut which is extremely rare as it was never commercially released, the other is the debut from Shara Nelson. I have been seeking out a decent copy for quite some time, so imagine my delight when I stumbled across a mint copy for a very fair price recently. This single marks a rare journey in soul/dance music for the label, but carries all the hallmarks of an Adrian Sherwood production. Whilst Shara Nelson's voice is a gentle delight, it is underpinned by the rough and raw beats you would expect from Sherwood. Very few copies were pressed and whilst the quality of pressing isn't great, I was able to coax a decent rip from the platter. Nelson went on to much bigger things with Massive Attack and as a solo artist, howeve...

The Cure - In Between Days [0-66882 US 1985 24-Bit] After the superb first four albums I began to lose interest as the original line-up had disintegrated and the back-combed one began to dabble in pop. This single was a brief chink of light (with a very familiar riff) after a few dodgy singles and then I could not find much more to like until the Disintegration album. This US pressing was always a bit of a holy grail at the time as the extended mix was never available in the UK, until of course, one or two savvy record retailers began importing them. I have the UK pressing too, but that is for another day.  A1 In Between Days B1 In Between Days (Extended Version) B2 Stop Dead

The Essence - Only For You [DONG 41 UK 1988 24-Bit FLAC] Hans Deiner managed to keep Dutch indie rocksters The Essence going for nearly ten years, finding reasonable success on the continent, however no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break the British market. Listen to Only For You and you will only think of one band, the problem for Hans is he clearly only thinks of that one band on every song he writes and sings on. I am not going to mention who this other band is, so if you don't know of Hans' fixation , just give this single a listen and you'll soon get who I mean. In actual fact, the song itself is quite good, the only problem is....  well I'll let you decide that for yourselves. A1 Only For You B1 Jump And Fall B2 Angelic

Trisomie 21 ‎- Passions Divisées [DE 193 USA 2017 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a vinyl album in France during October 1984. Google says the correct pronunciation is  tree-zho-mee vahnt-ay-un, which is derived from the medical term for the extra chromosome resulting in Down Syndrome. Here is the splendid Dark Entries repress of the debut full-length album from these Francophone gloomsters. Simple drum machine beats and programmed synthetics underpin T21's bass-driven post-punk coldwave. The instrumentals Is Anybody Home and  Djakarta  are slightly more uplifting than the drearier tracks such as Love For A Life and Relapse , the opening See The Devil In Me sets the tone for what is actually a very good listen. A1 See The Devil In Me (Special Mix) A2 Relapse A3 Djakarta A4 Moving By You B1 Is Anybody Home? (Part I) B2 La Fête Triste B3 No Way B4 Love For A Life

Nitzer Ebb - Basic Pain Proceedure [PYLON 30 USA 2012 24-Bit FLAC] The earliest known recordings from Essex grunters, Nitzer Ebb, originally self-released and sold as a cassette tape around 1983. Mastered here from a red and white vinyl reissue on Pylon Records. Less of the body pumping & the tight leather trousers and more stripped back electronica using live percussion, plus I will suggest that Douglas J. McCarthy sounds incredibly like Peter Murphy on these tracks. Suicide and Bauhaus may well have been influences. A1 Faded Smiles A2 Tradition A3 The Home A4 Star B1 The Passage B2 The Book B3 Crane B4 Trust Ran In Colours

Portion Control - Step Forward [JAMS 44 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC] A brand new 2019 rip of an old ESWA favourite. Portion Control continued their development from minimal and experimental work on the early tapes and records, to this harder edgier sound. For me this was them at their peak, and the Illuminated Records releases are my favourites.  The introduction of sequencers allowed Ilford's finest to hone their sound for a wider audience, with the assistance of a support slot to Depeche Mode on tour. This album contains PC classics such as Under the Skin (which hints of New Order's 5-8-6 ), the superb Tex-Mex , the early newbeat of Tongue Beat , fans of minimalist beats will delight in Havoc Man , and the wonderful Scramble which should have been a single. hints of Never reissued, this LP is in great demand in collector's circles. Portion Control did feature the tracks on a compilation cd-boxset a few years ago but these were brickwalled to death. Son Of Go Tal...

Cabaret Voltaire - Sensoria [CVS 312 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC] Digging out an old favourite once more, recompiled from my original 24/96 FLAC files, re-balanced and re-made as 24/48 FLAC. Let this one boom from your speakers and everything will feel right again. Do right! A1   Sensoria B1   Cut The Damn Camera

Trisomie 21 - Joh'Burg And Two Other Songs [BIAS 32 BEL 1986 24-Bit FLAC] Not quite Belgian, however T21 were from Lille, which historically was in Flanders, now in the area known as French Flandres.  I originally posted the cd single of this many moons ago on the old blog, I was rather chuffed to find this original mint condition vinyl copy recently. I compared this back then to early (1982-era) New Order, throw in a bit of Clan Of Xymox and you'll figure out what I mean. Great Stuff! A1 Joh' Burg B1 Il Se Noie B2 La Fête Triste

Second Still - Equals [WSR-023 BEL 2018 24-Bit FLAC] Out of LA come Second Still, though they do have that 1982 Belgian sound ...let's call it the second wave of cold wave. Recently supporting Clan Of Xymox in the USA, these chaps only seem to release music on vinyl or CD in Belgium and France. This particular EP comes in a lavish die-cut sleeve in a limited edition of 300.  By the time you have heard the first opening bars of In Order , I know that some of you may well love this.... A1 In Order A2 Ashes B1 Automata B2 Opening B3 Altar

Pixies - Here Comes Your Man [AD 909 UK 1989 24-Bit FLAC] A quick peek into one of penguinflight's boxes and this pops out. Pixies go pop with what is often referred to as the Tom Petty Song, however I can hear more Velvets than Petties. Most certainly one of the best 7" pressings I have ever ripped. Enjoy! A1 Here Comes Your Man B1 Into The White

The Chills - House With A Hundred Rooms [FNUK 11T UK 1987 24-Bit FLAC] A long lost favourite finally returns - House With A Hundred Rooms is one of those melancholy masterpieces which should remain in the mind for ever.  I totally screwed up my first attempt on the old ESWA blog, which I can only blame on a defective soundcard, my total ignorance and a ill-conceived desire to rush a post. I am guessing many of you were just being polite by not mentioning the flaws ...or maybe nobody has actually listened to the faulty rip properly. Anyway, here is a new flawless rip using the new soundcard and mastered properly without trying to mask the problems. New Zealand's finest with their best single (IMHO) in 24-bits ....with a huge chunk of gratitude to penguinflight for donating his vinyl. A1  House With A Hundred Rooms B1  Party In My Heart B2  Living In A Jungle

Abecedarians - Eureka [PYLON 28 USA 2012 Reissue 24-Bit FLAC] The remastered and expanded edition of Abecedarians' debut album Eureka for your listening pleasure. These moody Californians have featured extensively on the old blog ( Eureka did not) but I thought it was about time we progressed to a higher resolution. Some of these tracks did feature on my AB-CD compact disc rip back in 2015 and a few demo versions appeared in 2009. Intricate guitar melodies, textured drums and plucky bass were all part of the Abecedarian sound, blending influences of early New Order, The Chameleons and Faith-era Cure. It wasn't just all about Smiling Monarchs , these chaps really had something, it was just a pity that Factory took so long to release their only single, then failed to follow it up with anything else.  Eureka was originally released in 1986 in a very limited pressing on their own Southwest Audio Reproductions label, original copies fetch big bucks on the reseller...

Biting Tongues - Feverhouse [FACT 105 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] The soundtrack to Howard Walmsley's 55 minute art house film about life in a Mancunian mental institution. As dark and difficult as the subject matter suggests, Feverhouse (in ten parts) challenges your listening skills by mixing bleak noir & noise with abstract jazz & multi-layered industrial soundscapes. A1 Feverhouse Part 1 A2 Feverhouse Part 2 A3 Feverhouse Part 3 A4 Feverhouse Part 4 B1 Feverhouse Part 5 B2 Feverhouse Part 6 B3 Feverhouse Part 7 B4 Feverhouse Part 8 B5 Feverhouse Part 9 B6 Feverhouse Part 10

Tank Of Danzig/Biting Tongues - Tank Hymn/Evening State [ANT 006 BEL 1982 24-Bit FLAC] A quick and dirty re-post of an old ESWA favourite, released in 1982 on the important Belgian label, Antler Records. Tank Of Danzig du A Certain Ratio circa 1979, and Biting Tongues ....err, do Biting Tongues on this shared four track EP. A1 Tank Of Danzig - Tank Hymn A2 Tank Of Danzig - Tank (T) Rap B1 Biting Tongues - Evening State B2 Biting Tongues - Lock Up State

In Camera - ERA [DAD 3508 UK 2015 24-Bit FLAC] From their earliest recordings, In Camera were just messy post-punks trying to be like PIL, however with a little help from producer John Fryer, this London four piece developed a mature experimental edge to their output much alike contemporaries Section 25 and Crispy Ambulance.  Consequently, if you like your waves to be dark and moody, then this compilation released in 2015 on 4AD will be right up your street.  It would be few years before some of these chaps would link up with the remnants of Rema-Rema to form The Wolfgang Press. A1 Die Laughing A2 Final Achievement A3 Fragments Of Fear A4 The Attic B1 The Conversation B2 Legion B3 Co-Ordinates B4 Apocalypse C1 Scars C2 Colour In The Home C3 The Conversation C4 On The Retina D1 The Attic D2 Co-Ordinates D3 The Fatal Day

Tank Of Danzig - Not Trendy [IDIOT 004 GER 1982 24-Bit FLAC] I posted the badly mastered 2013 Italian CD version of this album a few years ago on ESWA. A little later I picked up this original 1982 vinyl pressing which I recently ripped to 24-bit quality. Best known over here for sharing a Belgian 12" single with Biting Tongues in 1982, German punk-funk of the highest calibre from the short-lived Tank Of Danzig recorded at Conny Plank's studio in Cologne. Clearly influenced by the jerky funk of The Pop Group, Gang Of Four and early A Certain Ratio (and no doubt many others), their sharp-edged stripped down sound fills the speakers however you will need to put the lyrical naivety down to the language barrier. Front-man Shengel is more Joe Strummer than Mark Stewart or Simon Topping, but this does nothing more than putting the punk back into the funk. The sharp-stabbing squelchy sax is very reminiscent of Ted Milton ...and only serves to add to the chaos, especially...

Five Or Six - Polar Exposure [12 CHERRY 23 UK 1981 24-Bit FLAC] If you just knew their Pillows & Prayers contribution, you could be forgiven for thinking that Five Or Six were just another jangly guitar post-pop band. The truth is somewhat different as Five Or Six, were much darker, beyond post-punk and skirting around the realms of experimental rock. The title track itself has the feel of Joy Division's The Eternal , not an imitation in any way, it just has the same air of calmness which Ian Curtis injected into what was a very dark piece of music.The b-side plays as a nine track mini album of live takes and demos, some pieces direct from cassette tapes. These give a further insight into Five Or Six, as they experiment with percussion, industrial imagery and distortion, much like early Clock DVA. A1 Polar Exposure B1 Inclination B2 Outward Conversation B3 The Dreams I Cannot Keep B4 Building Kind B5 Shifting B6 Lost Cause B7 Mud, Clay And S...

Rema-Rema - Entry/Exit [BURN 021 UK 2015 24-Bit FLAC] Originally recorded for Charisma Records in November 1979, however never released due to the controversial choice of lyrics. Finally pressed up and released on Gary Asquith's Inflammable Material label a few years back. The sound of an experimental post-punk youth, beyond anything PIL could ever have recorded and heavily influential, especially on bands such as Sonic Youth. This is Rema-Rema ...powerful and diverse, yet strangely melodic with that mono tone bass line, simple drums and screeching guitars.  The world needed a Rema-Rema album, sadly we never got one. A1 Entry B1 Exit

17 Pygmies - Jedda By The Sea [RTD 27 GER 1984 24-Bit FLAC] Something very different for your Saturday. 17 Pygmies were initially a spin-off group from Mark Eskine & Bruce Licher of Savage Republic who released four albums up until 1991, and then reformed for new recordings in 2007 and appear to remain extant.  Jedda By The Sea was their first and is by all accounts is highly addictive as it features a vast array of influences ...from post-punk through to folk, latin and traditional, almost classical music. This is not the kind of album you should dip in and out of, it needs to be heard in one sitting as only then will you begin to understand their intentions. Only one other band, Dead Can Dance attempted this mix of genres, 17 Pygmies are very different from DCD, listen to Jedda and you will hear what I mean. A1 Words Never Said A2 Waiting To Arrive A3 Still Waters A4 Moment In Ceylon A5 Jerusalem A6 By The Sea B1 Last Grave At Dimbaza B2 Lazar...

Dif Juz - Extractions [CAD 505 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] The concept of melodic instrumental rock music is not new, and kids these days have grown up on a diet of Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky and a plethora of other so-called post-rock bands. Whereas the modern genre grew out of a mix of progressive rock and 'wall-of-sound' shoegaze, Dif Juz were from a different era - a time where the mainstream and the alternative where millions of miles apart and blending simple shimmering melodic interludes (using just bass, guitar & drums) with abstract jazz reflections wasn't quite so hip. Mogwai original vinyls fetch hundreds of pounds/dollars/euros on reseller markets, perhaps kids today should invest their higher expendable spondulicks more wisely on Dif Juz records at twenty to thirty quid a pop. I ripped my CD of this LP a few years back on ESWA, here is my 24-bit rip of an original 1985 4AD vinyl. Robin Guthrie produces, and does it rather well. Enjoy. A1  Crosswind...

Testcard - First & Second Aspects Of The Same Thing [FACT 14c FLEXI 1980 24-Bit FLAC] Getting a half decent rip from a thirty-nine year old flexi disc can be a torturous affair ...and it was. Here are the results, warts'n'all - every bit of crackle & pop left left exactly in place. A1  First Aspect Of The Same Thing A2  Second Aspect Of The Same Thing

The Durutti Column - The Return Of The Durutti Column [FACT 14 ITA 1981 24-Bit FLAC] An old favourite ...however slightly different. Factory Records licensed their early releases through Base Records in Italy and for some reason the Italian label changed the running order on FACT14. They also injected a new track which didn't feature on the original UK release. The album opens with Requiem For A Father rather than Sketch For Summer which is moved further down side A. Untitled debuts and opens side B which only ever appeared on the the 1984 Japanese vinyl pressings and subsequent CD versions.  This pressing suffers from very long gaps between the tracks and quite a bit of surface noise, however that should not spoil your enjoyment of this rip. Mastering volumes do vary greatly, no more so than on Jazz which seems overly loud and the trio of Sketch For Winter , Collette and Beginning which all struggle to be heard above the rumble, crackle and pop. I've left thi...

Soft Verdict - Struggle For Pleasure [TWI 189 BEL 1983 24-Bit FLAC] Is this avant garde or is this modern classical? Flemish composer Wim Mertens is responsible for some of the most beautiful music recorded over the past three and a half decades. No more so than on the title track and the single Close Cover . If you don't know these two tracks ...you need to! I have often wondered if Mertens and Vini Reilly ever recorded together, a joint album would have been just amazing. Just kick off your shoes after a hectic festive season, put your feet up and put this album on the stereo. Enjoy! A1 Tourtour A2 Struggle For Pleasure A3 Salernes B1 Close Cover B2 Bresque B3 Gentleman Of Leisure