Needle Time

This Heat - This Heat [THIS 1 UK 1979 24-Bit FLAC] Ripped from an original pressing released in 1979, here is the debut album from Charles Hayward, Charles Bullen and Gareth Williams, known collectively as This Heat. The trio fuse noise, experimentation, and avant-jazz to form what could be deemed as industrial music in its most progressive form. Its possible that only Faust defied genres in such a manner. These recordings were made over a period of three years on a mixture of cassette tapes and 24 track reels. The key track 24 Track Loop defines this album for me, it is essentially jazz, yet mutated beyond the widest realms of the free-form genre into a frenzy of post-industrial beats. The early incarnations of 23 Skidoo and Cabaret Voltaire clearly took their leads from these guys. Enjoy. A1 Testcard A2 Horizontal Hold A3 Not Waving A4 Water A5 Twilight Furniture B1 24 Track Loop B2 Diet Of Worms B3 Music Like Escaping Gas B4 Rainfore...

Workforce - Skin Scraped Back [DVR 13 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] A new rip for 2019 from penguinflight 's pristine virgin vinyl copy. Workforce were a five-piece industrial funk outfit from Sheffield, who managed just two 12" singles released in 1985/6. Key members were former Cabs and Hula drummer Alan Fisch, ex-The Box member Terry Todd and vocalist Paul Wheatcroft who would later move on to form one half of Ashley & Jackson. This is their debut, released in 1985 on Cabaret Voltaire's Doublevision label. A1 Skin Scraped Back B1 Heap The Blame B2 Skin Revisited

Hula - Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass [REDT 62 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] There are a couple of Hula singles in my collection which never made it onto the original ESWA blog.  One of these was  Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass where  Hula rework their Motor City Nightmare with quite a bit of help from Hamilton Bohannon. This rip did appear on the ESWA 2.0 forum in March 2018. A1 Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass B1 Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass (Version)

Information Society - Running [TB 877 USA 1986 24-Bit FLAC] A bit of an upgrade from my original 2010 blog post. I used to rip and post mp3s from my vinyl, however after a while, I saw sense. My original vinyl copy is a bit worn, so courtesy of a Discogs seller in Germany, here is a new 2019 rip from a near mint copy of the 1986 Tommy Boy release. It never amazes me how a band can release one brilliant single, then for the next 20 years submit us to mostly absolute drivel (I do have a few other Information Society records though). I'm not going to go on too much about how bad Information Society became, but I can tell you that I still love this record. Virtually unknown in Europe, my well worn and very expensive Tommy Boy 33rpm 12" import was totally irreplaceable ...until now. When this came out, they referred to this music as freestyle Latin hip-hop, utter bollocks! This is minimalist electro with simple keyboards and melancholy (almost British) vocals - thin...

Cybotron - Enter [CR 00079 EU 2018 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a vinyl album in 1983 on Fantasy Records. Many years ago, likely during late 1983, I was a young lad discovering dance music courtesy of the DJs at Manchester's Hacienda (FAC 51) night club. Clear by Cybotron was one of those tracks which had the greatest impact and although it was almost impossible to track down at the time on vinyl, it remained a favourite prompting me to eventually find a copy in the late eighties ...way beyond a time where it remained important. This represented an era where electro(nic) dance music was innovative blending influences from New York (early Bambaataa etc) and Germany (Kraftwerk & Tangerine Dream), bleeding over into early electro and hip-hop. Cybotron are often mooted as the fathers of Detroit techno ....to me they seem much more than that. Cybotron came from Detroit, formed by Juan Atkins and Richard '3070' Davis, they released two very Kraftwerk inf...

Brad Is Sex - Gentlemen, Start Your Sheep [MARI 074 UK 1987 24-Bit FLAC] Out of Santa Barbara, California came Brad Is Sex (real name Brad Nad) who was responsible for the superb psycho-garage zombie beat of Someone's Arms which managed some decent airplay on Peel etc back in the mid-eighties. Strangely his label, Bam-Caruso, chose not to release it as a single (surely an indie hit missed ...at least!), but instead released a seven track mini-LP, ripped here for your pleasure.  Essentially a solo artist in a grass skirt (with backing tapes) on stage, Brad was augmented by a full band for this release, featuring five original Brad compositions and a bizarre cover of Fleetwood Santana's (sic) Black Magic Woman . The images of our artiste on the front and back of this release can only fuel the speculation that not all was well in Brad's world, and we only have his word that Brad is in fact Sex. On balance, it is an enjoyable and fun record, and imho it is a valua...

Serge Gainsbourg ‎- Histoire De Melody Nelson [537 183-7 FRA 2016 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a vinyl album on Phillips Records in 1971. Ripped here from the 2016 180gm repress.  In all essence a Lolita fantasist concept album from the French master, in brief an aging Gainsbourg knocks the young Melody off her bike whilst whizzing through the French countryside in his Rolls Royce Silver Ghost and the record details his seduction.  The music is an eclectic mix of psychedelic funk, lush choral orchestrations and Gainsbourg's lustful narration. Jane Birkin, obviously, plays the role of his obsession. Seemingly a major influence on a diverse range artists such as Portishead, REM, Stereolab and Barry Adamson,  Histoire De Melody Nelson is an essential introduction to anybody wishing to explore the mind & music of Gainsbourg. A1 Melody A2 Ballade De Melody Nelson A3 Valse De Melody A4 Ah ! Melody B1 L'Hotel Particulier B2 En Melody...

Santana - One Chain (Don't Make No Prison) (Special Disco Version) [23-10957 USA 1978 24-Bit FLAC] A little self indulgence.... time to dust off the loon pants. I have always held an appreciation for some of the early works of these Bay Area latino-rocksters. Between 1976 and 1978 they went disco and covered One Chain (originally a Four Tops track) for the ropey Inner Secrets album. It was then remixed as a 12" Disco Single by Columbia in the US. Here it is! Play loud, get the mirror ball out and get dancing around that living room. This record features some of the finest wah-wah guitar you will ever likely hear as well as the fine, soul voice of Greg Walker. A1 One Chain (Don't Make No Prison) B1 Life Is A Lady / Holiday

Dinosaur ‎– Kiss Me Again [12" SRE 1034T UK 1978 24-Bit FLAC] David Byrne and Arthur Russell pop their funk all over thirteen minutes of delicious New York late seventies groove. You want this ....you really want this! A1 Kiss Me Again B1 Kiss Me Again (Version)

David Sylvian - Red Guitar [VS 63312 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC] One Euro bargain bin fodder ....or arty-farty pretentiousness for smoke filled bars in far flung places? Gimme arty-farty any old day. The piano re-working of Forbidden Colours is easily worth the investment. Enjoy. A1 Red Guitar (Full Length Version) B1 Forbidden Colours (Version)

Scritti Politti ‎- Faithless (Triple-Hep N'Blue) [RT 101 UK 1982 24-Bit FLAC] A new 2019 rip ....and it sounds just great! You can't pigeon-hole the early-mid period work of Green Gartside. The earliest post-punk singles were dubby, squatty messy songs, the Peel tracks were better.  In 1982 Green washed himself down, got his life back on track and lucky for him Rough Trade were brave enough to stick around to let him find his true self and write proper songs.  The superb album Songs To Remember was responsible for three great singles. All three were big indie hits to restore Rough Trade's faith but Green's next move was to jump ship and to re-invent himself in the form of a pop star on Virgin Records, and then he began to pray like Aretha . Faithless is the best of the three. It is the most subtle and divine form of electronic soul/funk, almost gospel at times. Love the vocoder, love Joe Cang's fantastic bass, love the way the whole song just dive...

Pet Shops Boys - Paninaro [14-2015626 ITA 1986 24-Bit FLAC] In my humble opinion, their finest moment. It seems to have been widely forgotten that the Pet Shop Boys began life as a UK/Ital-disco duo and the first few singles were written and produced with a lot of help from Bobby Orlando. So, as it is in their roots, Paninaro was dedicated to high fashion, early eighties Italian street culture. Not available in the UK at the time, unless of course you bought them out of the back of a white van or from specialist dance retailers. Likely to be the the only PSB single to feature Chris Lowe on vocals. Armani, Armani, ah-ah-Armani A1 Paninaro (Italian Remix) B1 Paninaro (Ian Levine Mix)

Neon - Fade To Grey [12" BC122015-40 GER 1987 24-Bit FLAC] Not from Italy this time (although sounding very Italian and a different band to the Italian synthwave band)), here is a slither of the Belgian phenomena of new beat in the guise of a fine euro-beat cover of the Visage classic. A1 Fade To Grey B1 Fade To Grey (Instrumental Remix)

Decadance Vs Italoconnection ‎– On And On (Fears Keep On) [DM 003 ITA 2013 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a 12 inch single in 1983 and ripped for ESWA during 2014. This is the double pack remix reissue from a few years back, ripped to 24-bit FLAC from two quite noisy platters. As I mastered the wav files for this post, I was was struck how loud this release actually is. I kept the final volume down to around -2db, but you will still feel your bass speakers shake.  For those who missed it first time, I'll get around to re-ripping the first version soon. A1 On And On (Fears Keep On) (Italoconnection Mix) B1 On And On (Fears Keep On) (Codazzi Rework) C1 On And On (Fears Keep On) (Flemming Dalum Remix) D1 On And On (Fears Keep On) (Leo Mas & Fabrice Danceology Dub Mix)

Surprize - The Secret Lies In Rhythm [EP 001 ITA 1982 24-Bit FLAC] Italian post-punk funksters Surprize were best known for the In Movimento EP on Factory Benelux in 1984, produced by Bernard Sumner & Donald Johnson who also performed on the record. Here is an earlier EP released on Base Records in 1982 which has a more stripped back funky sound, much like Medium Medium and A Certain Ratio. Enjoy. A1 Leaves Me Blind A2 Don't Want Be Easier B1 I Feel I Fall B2 Dark Days

State Of Art - Dreams Factory [RGR 1202 ITA 2016 24-Bit FLAC] State of Art were an Italian post-punk-funk band from Milan who only managed one vinyl release, a self-titled 12 inch EP during 1983. There was a whole wrath of unreleased material which eventually found their way onto a retrospective compilation CD in 2009. The band reformed to record and release an album At Work during 2011  ... Dreams Factory followed in 2016 and it has made many in the US and Europe sit up and take notice, including your blogger, who was introduced to the band through a post on the ESWA 2.0 site. This album sits between what current day A Certain Ratio are doing and what New Order should be doing! Side one is a funky-disco affair, catchy as hell it strikes a great groove. Side two is much more synth-poppy, just listen to Dreamers which is full of all those hooks we used to love about New Order. Front man Federico Di Bonaventura sounds nothing like Bernard Sumner, however you have ...

APB - Invective [APB 1 UK 1989 24-Bit FLAC] The final release was the cheerful funk singalong Funk Invective which only really sold in the US. If like me, you like a good slap bass then this could be up your street. For all those blog followers who asked me to try to find a copy, enjoy! A1 Funk Invective A2 Misunderstood B1 Funk Invective (Radio Version) B2 Three In The Morning APB - When I Feel This Way [LINK 016 USA 1988 24-Bit FLAC] The penultimate APB single was for the US market only on the Link Records label. Some of the charm from the original singles is lost, with the band sounding a bit Cameo in places on When I Feel This Way . The rock riffs on She's The Girl are a zillion miles from Shoot You Down . A1 When I Feel This Way (12" Version) A2 When I Feel This Way (Dub) B1 She's The Girl (Extended Mix) B2 She's The Girl (Radio Edit) B3 When I Feel This Way (Radio Edit)

Nitzer Ebb - Murderous [12 NEB 4 UK 1986 24-Bit FLAC] A1 Murderous B1 Fitness To Purpose B2 Murderous (Repetition) Nitzer Ebb - Let Your Body Learn [12 MUTE 58 UK 1987 24-Bit FLAC] A1 Let Your Body Learn B1 Let Your Body Learn (Instrumental) B2 Let Your Body Learn (Seven Inch Edit) Nitzer Ebb - Join In The Chant [12 MUTE 64 UK 1987 24-Bit FLAC] A1 Join In The Chant (Burn!) B1 Join In The Chant (Gold!) B2 Join In The Chant (Lies! - Instrumental) Nitzer Ebb - Fun To Be Had [12 MUTE 115 UK 1990 24-Bit FLAC] A1 Fun To Be Had (Master Mix) B1 Getting Closer (Trance Mix) B2 Out Of Mind (Maitresse Mix) Nitzer Ebb - Fun To Be Had (George Clinton Remix) [L12 MUTE 115 UK 1990 24-Bit FLAC] A1 Fun To Be Had (Long Mix) B1 Getting Closer (Kitchen Mix) B2 Taken From Me (Servant Mix) On the back of a run of vinyl reissues, here are some original singles ripped loud & proud from Nitzer Ebb. Essex Boys pretend to be Germ...

Siglo XX ‎– Answer [OS 40 BEL 2018 24-Bit FLAC] If there was never Joy Division, then there would never have been Siglo XX. I don't know if Genk resembles Macclesfield or Salford, perhaps the towns have much in common ....maybe it is something in the water. Mind you, I did hear that you should never drink Belgian water ...just the beer. From one of the very best Belgian coldwave bands doing a bloody good job of attempting to follow in Joy Division's footsteps. A1 Answer A2 After The Dream A3 Room B1 Until A Day B2 Endless Corridor B3 Dreams Of Pleasure

Minimal Compact - Minimal Compact [CRAM 015 BEL 1981 24-Bit FLAC] When the first few beats of Statik Dancin ' kick in, you'll quickly understand the title of this post. The classic debut EP from Minimal Compact ripped from an original pressing to high resolution. Not the most consistent of acts in my opinion, but if you take the time to sort the wheat from the chaff, you'll unearth some goodies. A1 Statik Dancin' A2 Creation Is Perfect (I Am A Camera) A3 Ready-Made Diary B1 To Get Inside B2 Happy Babouge A 2018 rip which first appeared a few months back on ESWA 2.0

Del Amitri - Del Amitri [CHR 1499 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] If there ever was a wonderful album to rip, then it is the debut from Glasgow's indie-pop incarnation of Del Amitri. I featured the compact disc on ESWA many years ago, about time that I got around to the vinyl ...and boy, is this a great rip!  These once Scottish indie-pop darlings once played The Hacienda supporting The Fall and The Wake in 1984, there was also two Peel Sessions. Del Amitri grew their sideburns and went all pompous mainstream rock in the late eighties finding huge chart success in sickening defiance of their more independent roots. Contrast and compare HERE ...then look HERE . Much changed during the three year hiatus ...for instance this blogger stopped buying Del Amitri Records! Those with good enough memories will remember the jangling charm of the debut single  Sense Sickness (I am sure I had a copy somewhere ....now lost it seems) and this their cracking debut album on Chrysal...

James - Village Fire [FAC 138 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] I bought both the James 7" singles on Factory and still have them in a box somewhere. The Jimone EP never sounded that great due to pressing flaws, so it was a no-brainer to buy them again on this 12" reissue compilation of the two. These tracks to pop out of the grooves and sound much more lively than the original sevens. Another case of what could have been as James jumped over to Blanc Y Negro and technically flopped with major label backing. It wasn't to be until the baggy years when Sit Down launched them back at the public. These are important tracks from the formative years of what was a great band (even on Warners!). A1 Whats The World A2 Folklore A3 Fire So Close B1 If Things Were Perfect B2 Hymn From A Village

The Wake - Something That No One Else Could Bring [FAC 178 UK 1979 24-Bit FLAC] The final release on Factory Records by The Wake was this four track twelve inch EP which marked their move into more of a guitar based indie-pop sound which also featured the first tracks with Carolyn Allen on lead vocals. The cheerful Pale Spectre was promo'd as a seven inch single however, even of the back of C86 jangle pop, Factory chose not to release it. The EP lines up as a series of stepping stones between the band's Factory years and the upcoming Sarah Records period and the move to twee. Plastic Flowers could easily have been a track from  Here Comes Everybody with its washes of synth and the gentle vocal harmonies by Caesar and Carolyn. Furious Sea nods back at the period running up to the second album, however Gruesome Castle in significant in that switch in direction to guitar indie-pop. Pale Spectre could easily have been an indie hit in its own right ...and perhaps s...

Days Of Sorrow - Whatever Happens [DW 019 ESP 2018 24-Bit FLAC] Released in late 2018 on a small Spanish label then almost immediately deleted, Whatever Happens is a compilation of the limited recordings by German synthwavers Days Of Sorrow. Best known for the single, Wild World ...which never sold at the time, however is now revered as a classic of the genre by smart young things who think they know better.  Yeah, Wild World is a good song with a great hook, however despite two attempts over two labels in 1984 and 1986, it failed to set the world alight and quickly disappeared into obscurity. These days original copies fetch large sums, hence I suppose this limited edition of about 200 pressings.  Days Of Sorrow were very 1982, sounding very British and perhaps a little behind the times, however they did good things and across the piece this album is an enjoyable listen, especially if like me, you enjoy gloomy synthwave. Enjoy! A1 Travel A2 Wild World ...

ShadowParty - ShadowParty [STUMM 423 UK 2018 24-Bit FLAC] Some of you will know of ShadowParty, however many others may not. For the uninitiated they include Boston (MA not Lincolnshire) multi-instrumentalist Josh Hager, current New Order bassist Tom Chapman, New Order guitarist Phil Cunningham and Denise Johnson from ACR. This is their debut album released on Mute in limited vinyl quantities, a compact disc or as one of those nasty download/streaming thingies. It is quite good, I like it, there are some good tunes much in the modern day New Order style, very little filler and the vocal duo of Hager & Johnson works well. I am sure I can hear Waiting For The Sirens Call in Marigold , Celebrate was the World Cup Summer anthem which never was, Johnson's lead vocals on Present Tense are a highlight, Truth is like Marc Bolan doing The Killers. You'll quickly appreciate that ShadowParty are much better than The Killers. Enjoy! A1 Celebrate A2 Taking Ove...

Paul Haig - European Sun [TWI 829 BEL 1987 24-Bit FLAC] European Sun is a nice compilation of Les Disques Du Crépuscule oddities and rarities recorded by Paul Haig, released over thirty years ago. It features unreleased 7" versions of Haig standards and a few snippets for his unreleased second album for the label including a personal favourite Swinging For You which eventually was re-recorded for the Chain album. There are also a number of b-sides plus the highlight for many will be the unreleased Factory Benelux 12" The Executioner recorded with Cabaret Voltaire at Western Works in 1984. Haig's James Bond tribute Torchomatic and his  rockabilly cover of Suicide's Ghost Rider are thrown in as well. Enjoy. A1 Running Away A2 Chance A3 Justice A4 Swinging For You A5 Shining Hour A6 Fear And Dancing A7 Psycho San Jose B1 Ghost Rider B2 Torchomatic B3 Endless Song B4 Closer Now B5 The Executioner

Lifetones - For A Reason [LITA 141 UK 2016 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a vinyl album in 1983. Charles Bullen moved on from This Heat with this heavy experimental dub masterpiece, much influenced by his Brixton roots, aided by Julius Samuel ....they became Lifetones. Many would not have heard this album, though many will have known of its existence - original copies tend to fetch a small fortune on the open market.  A 2016 repress gave us a chance to purchase at a reasonable price and this pressing is as crisp yet more pristine than any original copy.  A1 For A Reason A2 Good Side A3 Decide B1 Travelling B2 Distance No Object B3 Patience

C Cat Trance - Zouave [INK 20 UK 1986 24-Bit FLAC] A return to form after the difficult second album. Zouave finds the C Cats in funky mood again, save for a wholly unnecessary cover of You've Lost... The whole album has the feeling of early-mid period Shriekback which will no doubt please a few out there. Shake The Mind is truly amazing! A1  Wind Howl A2  Betty A3  He's Crazy A4  Taksim A5  Ishta Bil Habul B1  If You Steal B2  Take Me To The Beach B3  You've Lost That Loving Feeling B4  Shake The Mind

Me And My Kites - Is It Real Or Is It Made? [PORCE 005LP SWE 2015 24-Bit FLAC] I always like to mix things up a bit, so how about some acid-folk and spaced out psyche from spaced out Swedish retro-hippies, Me And My Kites? That may put some of you off . It's not all about saunas, Volvos and ABBA from this distant Scandinavian land. Dig out that flute and try to balance on one leg everybody! This album reeks of 1967 and bands such as Kaleidoscope, Love and early Tull, add a dab or two of seventies Floyd on the closing epic (left here as one complete piece) and you are whisked away to gentle summer sunshine and green fields of hash. Me And My Kites are totally out of sync with modern music, however they are totally there. Need to escape from your dreary and damp European post-winter blues? .....then put this in your pipe and smoke it. A1 Psykjuntan A2 Say It's Real A3 Porcelain A4 Cala De San Pedro A5 Happy, Then Crying A6 Hide Away A7 Tonight! ...

Eric Random - A Boy Alone [DE-220 USA 2018 24-Bit FLAC] Some of you maybe interested in this fine double vinyl compendium of the works of Eric Random.  A Boy Alone compiles classic singles, a live track, some unreleased recordings and a few other odds'n'sods. The innovative Random began his music career as a roadie for The Buzzcocks prior to a run of important electronic albums and singles, following a similar path to early Cabaret Voltaire (with whom he often collaborated), migrating towards tribal experimentation rather than the dance/house path adopted by the influential Sheffield knob twiddlers.  A1 Subliminal A2 23 Skidoo A3 Dow Chemical Comapany A4 Skin Deep A5 In Serious Dub B1 Meets The Bedlamites In Cassette Conference B2 Slaves & Pyramids (Live) B3 Pure Power (Demo) B4 6:55 C1 Subliminal Seduction C2 Bedlam A Go-Go C3 Liquid Metal D1 Mad As Mankind D2 Dream Web Of Maya D3 Pure Power

The Anti Group - Ha / Zulu [SOX 009 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] Allegedly this project began back in in 1978 featuring Adi Newton and Steven James Turner from Clock DVA. When Newton split DVA after the Advantage album, he rekindled The Anti Group with a live performance in Berlin in early 1985 and changed his name to Adolphus Newton (no chortling at the back now please). Ha /Zulu is the first single recorded as a six piece with Stephen Mallinder and Richard H. Kirk from Cabaret Voltaire assisting on post-production. This lavish 12" was released in a glossy die-cut embossed sleeve on the important Sweatbox Records label, my copy comes with an eight page of Adolphus Newton 'scriptures' with associated artwork.  A1  Ha AA  Zulu The Anti Group - ShT [SEX 010 UK 1986 24-Bit FLAC] I am not too sure who featured in the studio line up for this mini album, however Richard H. Kirk, Ian Craig Marsh and Martin Ware are credited with samples and post production. ...

Medium Medium - Them Or Me [SAP 01 UK 1979 24-Bit FLAC] The history of Medium Medium is a brief one and no better represented than from original vinyl rather than a heavily brick-walled compilation compact disc. The fine debut single from these Nottingham funky post-punksters also featured on the Hicks From The Sticks compilation, an important compilation which has featured on ESWA in the past, and most of you should already have. Here it is from an original crackly seven inch single for your refreshment backed with the excellently energetic Freeze . A1 Them Or Me B1 Freeze Medium Medium - The Glitterhouse [BRED 19 UK 1981 24-Bit FLAC] All that glitters is gold! After numerous aborted attempts (over fifteen + years of blogging), here is the only album from Medium Medium ripped to 24-bit FLAC. Only seven tracks long, it features the well know Hungry So Angry single and accompanying free flow post-punk-funk work outs,  Further Than Funk Dream and  Mice ...

Brilliant - Colours [RTT 105 UK 1983 24-Bit FLAC] The second Brilliant single (and their only for Rough Trade) was a bit more funky than the first, marking a shift in style as Youth took on slap bass with great proficiency. Jimmy Cauty hadn't joined as yet, but his inclusion would mark a further shift towards chart pop. If you notice a hum on the track it is actually on the record (and not as a result of my dodgy wiring set-up) - the track was originally a BBC Radio session recording so I assume producer Tony Wilson (the other one) decided to ignore the PA hum. A1 Colours B1 Colours (Monster Mix)

APB - Cure For The Blues [LINK 004 USA 1986 24-Bit FLAC] Staying in Scotland ....Aberdeen actually. It took me a while to realise I had the US pressing of the only proper album by APB. I bought this on release from a certain well known UK chain store and didn't notice that the two album sides had been reversed for the transatlantic version. This version also carries the UK catelogue number to compound my initial confusion. As APB had broken US college radio, the US label clearly decided to put the more rocky tracks on side one and move the funkier numbers to side two. They also omitted One Day (a UK single) and inserted another more current single Open Your Eyes .  If you've been following my postings since the earliest days of ESWA, you'll probably have all of my APB rips. They were a great band who were big faves on early evening and late night UK radio with a run of great punk-funk singles and sessions. They caught the attention of James Brown (yes, tha...

Scars - All About You [7'' PRE014 UK 1980 24-Bit FLAC] It's about time I got around to re-ripping the Scars only album, my first attempt wasn't that great. In the meantime, from the penguinflight archives, here is their finest pop moment for your listening pleasure. A1 All About You B1 Author! Author!

Giorgio Moroder ‎- Chase [CANL 144 UK 1979 24-Bit FLAC] So what are you doing for the next thirteen minutes? A re-rip of this old 2013 ESWA blog post and it sounds great. I found this classic in a charity shop sometime ago for a quid. Given it's age it is in really good condition and ripped quite well with no need for tireless click removal (always a bonus in my book). The list is endless of artists who owe a debt of gratitude to Moroder's work and influence and it is good to see that he is playing live dates in 2019. A1 Chase B1 Love's Theme

Killing Joke - Almost Red [12WIP 6550 UK 1979 24-Bit FLAC] The debut Killing Joke single Turn To Red was originally released on their own Malicious Damage label before being picked up by Island Records as this expanded 12". Almost Red  (with its Moroder'ish disco intro) and Turn To Red are nothing like what was to come, these tracks are best described as dub influenced electronic punk - perhaps the early Island Records deal was a good fit, however Are You Receiving is much more punk rock and Nervous System ploughs much the same dub-punk vein as what The Clash were doing.  A1 Almost Red A2 Nervous System B1 Are You Receiving B2 Turn To Red

Joy Division - An Ideal For Living [JDPM 11 UK 2014 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released as a 7" EP on Enigma Records in 1978. Rushed out here from a newly cut master for RSD 2014. Most of us weren't lucky enough to buy the original genuine release back in 1978, or the band's 12" repress from later that same year, so were grateful for this. These were the self-financed tracks laid down at Pennine Studios in December 1977. It is all about No Love Lost for me, though I do personally prefer the more polished May 1978 version recorded at Arrow Studios, bootlegged regularly as The RCA Sessions . A1 Warsaw A2 No Love Lost B1 Leaders Of Men B2 Failures The tracks on this reissue sound a bit distorted in places on some of the high frequencies to these aging and abused ears, maybe it is just me, but I had three attempts at ripping with varying set-ups just to ensure there wasn't an issue with my equipment. 

Section 25 - Invicta Max [MM 011 BEL 2013 24-Bit FLAC] It took 25 years before the next SXXV single. Much had changed, sadly Jenny & Larry Cassidy had passed away, Bethany Cassidy took over on vocals and the whole project was held together by original member Vin Cassidy. Oddly, the band chose the license tracks over various labels with LTM/Factory Benelux picking up the albums and a tiny Belgian label was lucky enough to pick up this catchy synthpop EP in a limited edition of 400 on ten inch clear vinyl. In my opinion, this was the best the new band could muster and it deserved to heard by a bigger audience, perhaps the band didn't want that? The preceding album, Nature + Degree was excellent as a tribute to the departed Cassidys and it worked with snip bits left over from Larry. What followed was a messy line up with former ACR percussion wizz Simon Topping on bass, he didn't last long and it wasn't long before SXXV showed signs of a loss of direction. The...

Section 25 - Bad News Week [FAC 157 UK 1987 24-Bit FLAC] Section 25 struggled to survive the split when Vin & Angela Cassidy decided to leave in the mid-eighties, also departing was competent keyboard player (and occasional drummer) Lee Shalcross. The Love & Hate album eventually appeared in 1988, however to these ears it always sounded unfinished - much like a collection of badly mixed demos. Bad News Week was the preceding single, a track which had previously been demoed and featured on live sets as Boogie Beat , it was re-engineered by Bernard Sumner into beefy pounding electronica. Perhaps Sumner should have been given the rest of the album as the magnificent From The Hip was always going to be a tough act to follow. The now disgraced musician and producer Jonathan King threatened legal action as he was convinced his sixties hit It's Good News Week had be plagiarised, though if you compare the tracks, only a few lines of lyrics had been parodied. Fac...