Needle Time

  Fra Lippo Lippi ‎- In Silence [OS 35 BEL 2017 24-Bit FLAC] Just in case anybody though things were getting a little too cheerful around here - originally released on a hard to find vinyl album on Uniton Records (UNITON 003) in 1981, here is a much requested new rip of this now deleted and extremely well mastered repress of this coldwave favourite, which is anything but cheerful. It gets very cold up in Norway and the original line-up of Fra Lippo Lippi made some very cold Norwegian new wave. A zillion miles from the sloppy-poppy Walter Becker-produced mid-eighties Fra Lippo Lippi, here is the first album ripped from a limited edition reissue by the original line up for anybody out there who loves Movement -era New Order, early The Wake and Section 25.  A1 Out Of The Ruins A2 A Moment Like This A3 In Silence A4 Recession B1 The Inside Veil B2 I Know B3 Quiet B4 Lost

  Gary Corben - Gods In Brazil [AV001 PRT 2019 24-Bit FLAC] It has been some thirty-five years since Vic Goddard did the boogaloo when he delivered T.R.O.U.B.L.E. , previously unknown Brit, Gary Corben has been submerged in the sounds of Brazil for twenty-five of those years, living in Rio immersed among the musician community, he finally got around to releasing an album of his own. Sung in both English & Portuguese, Corben hits us with twelve (mostly self-penned) sambas, cha-chas and boogaloos. Some might say this is easy-listening, it is ...the easiest of listening with an impeccably precise & cool groove made for Summer. After all, how many crooners would dare be seen out in a pair of well-worn desert boots?  Surprisingly, this album was recorded in Poland with classical session musicians then finished in Rio with eminent Brazilian producer Kassin, aided & abetted by some serious local talent. Despite being championed in the UK by DJ Gilles Peterson, this album...

  The Diamond Family Archive - Would I Were A Swift (Or A Skylark Be) [MAPV001 UK 2015 FLAC] I could post popular or well known albums all day long, but I actually think a more worthwhile use of my time would be to have a look at a couple of records from artists who are not so well known. Here's the first of a couple of my recent personal favourites.... The Diamond Family Archive are multi-instrumentalist Lawrence Collyer and percussionist Peter Collis, they perform, record & transform analogue instrumentation into textured low-fi psychedelic folk with space rock edges. Their work is quite unique, based in the deepest darkest West Country, they have self-released four albums and perform live all over Europe (when they could) to make a living. These albums are mostly produced open mike in their own studio with hand-made sleeves and sold through their own website and at live shows. Collyer hides his obvious talent behind a hermit like appearance, and the duo create gorgeous textu...

  The Twins - Face To Face - Heart To Heart [DR-007 ITA 2021 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on Hansa International in 1982, Italian reissue label Discoring Records has resurrected this euphoric slice of new wave euro-synth-pop from Berlin's The Twins. Superbly kitsch and wonderfully dated, this single evokes an era we all remember well, when all it took was a synthesizer, a catchy hook and the wrong colour of lipstick to make a hit record.  A1 Face To Face - Heart To Heart (Special Dance Version) B1 Ballet Dancer (Long Version)

  Section 25 - From The Hip [FBN 33 UK 3LP RSD2021 24-Bit FLAC] I posted my original vinyl pressing a while back, it was not in mint condition, let's see how this triple coloured vinyl edition sounds. There were only 800 editions pressed and they will nearly all be gone by now, so unless you are lucky to stumble across a copy, you be stuck with paying up to 60 quid (and rising) as the flippers hit Discogs and eBay. After my disappointment over the shoddy quality of The Wake vinyl remastering from the same label, this hits the spot, surface noise on the coloured platters is very limited with just a few tiny crackles which I've removed with iZotope. The mastering on the new pressing of the original album sounds great, the thicker platters give a fuller sound without evidence of over compression - the original Factory pressing comes out with a dynamic response range of DR12-DR14, this remaster is in the range DR11-DR13.  The additional albums making up the set are gathered from ...

  Pictured Resort - All Vacation Long [SLYD-001LPR JPN RSD2021 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released in January 2017 and rereleased for RSD in Japan just last month - I mentioned in my previous Pictured Resort post how difficult their records are to find on this side of the globe. Thankfully, it seems that at least one distributor has found a way to bring Pictured Resort records to western ears & turntables. Modern Japanese indie-pop is made for downloads, so vinyl pressings tend to be extremely limited ...and hence very collectable, only 950 copies were pressed of this re-release. Gentle plucked Fender melodies over sun-drenched washy-synths define this new era of Japanese dream-pop and Koji Takagi is from a new breed of genre champions. Pulling down influences from AOR and city-pop, Takagi whisks his audience away to picture postcard blue sky summertime resorts with a lush modern day production. There isn't one bad track on this album, the production is a little full-on but ...

  The Wake - Testament [FBN 95 BEL 2014 24-Bit FLAC] "Best Of..." collections are purely subjective, especially where a band have a relatively small following and maybe just one or two well known tracks. The Wake are a band that I have followed & loved since the early eighties, their Something Outside single is one of my favourite tracks of all time. This Glaswegian band have seamlessly digressed from post-punk to indie-pop, ignored by many - except those who saw them support New Order in the early days or heard that John Peel radio session, then finding a bigger audience when they abandoned Factory Records and hopped over to Sarah Records.  I am especially fond of their Factory Records period which is well covered on this compilation album which has sat unplayed on the shelf since purchase - I only bought it for the compact disc of very early demos and live tracks. The vinyl record itself slightly disappoints if only for the decision to digitally remaster (compress) som...

  Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock [MRBLP 118S UK RSD2021 24-Bit FLAC] You may already know that I love music made by musicians hitting things, right? This silver vinyl pressing has a much fuller sound than I recall on any of the earlier pressings and is much better suited to hi-fidelity listening than any inner or around ear device. I hope some of you still have home hi-fi systems? Another question, do we know how many other musicians sampled from this album, that track A2 sounds mighty familiar? This record has been on nearly constant spin since purchase a few weeks back, plus as a bonus I didn't have to fight my way through the crowds on Record Store Day. You need this record in your life! A1 Let There Be Drums A2 Apache A3 Bongolia A4 Last Bongo In Belgium B1 Dueling Bongos B2 In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida B3 Raunchy '73 B4 Bongo Rock '73

  400 Blows - Pressure [ILL 3412 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC] On old favourite from those heady indie-dance days is this electro-dub-funk stomper from London's 400 Blows. I last ripped this back in February 2015 for ESWA - after an intensive deep clean, I was keen to hear how much better it would sound on a better set-up. A1 Radio Pressure A2 Dubbing Pressure B1 Club Pressure B2 Perspective 2

  A Certain Ratio - ACR:EPC [12 MUTE 632 UK 2021 24-Bit FLAC] One band who have found a new lease of life are A Certain Ratio. The Mute Records deal has certainly kicked them into action, a whole reissue campaign, a (slightly disappointing) rarities boxset, a new album (one of last year's very best) and a whole bunch of singles. Not bad for three blokes into or around their seventh decades. ACR:EPC is the second of three EPs for 2021, this one is more of a compilation as Musik Control was released as a seperate single a few years back and  YOYOGRIP is a blend/mix of two ACR:Loco album tracks. The Guv'nor is a more dreamy techno track which could have fitted around the ACR:MCR years. Emporer Machine is essentially a modern day dancefloor rework of one of the old classics, Do The Du (Casse) with updated loops, samples, effects and lyrics. A1 Emperor Machine (ACR v The Emperor Machine) A2 The Guv’nor B1 YOYOGRIP B2 Musik Kontrol (ACR v Massey)

  Rose Elinor Dougall - Stellular [VERMLP 1X UK 2017 24-Bit FLAC] It must be tough these days to make any kind of living from music, let alone as an indie-pop artist. The major labels are essentially just one conglomerate and have share holders to answer to, the larger indie labels have to be very careful with investing their cash and very few others plough on. Sadly, some artists find it necessary to sell their souls to Spotify. London's Rose Elinor Dougall has her own label, Vermillion Records, she used to work extensively with Mark Ronson and once fronted Brighton indie band The Pipettes. Stellular is her second album and I picked up this record in Rough Trade off the back of just one track, the opening and very splendid Colour Of Water.  I've ripped that album today, it's the limited edition on clear wax with a bonus compact disc of remixes and demos. Dougall is a very gifted singer-songwriter with an ear for a great melody, aided and abetted by sidekick, Oli Bayston,...

  James - Sit Down [RTT 225 UK 1989 24-Bit FLAC] Rough Trade rescued James from the post-Warners doldrums, then gave them the freedom to write and record their most uplifting & well known track, represented here from an original 1989 UK vinyl pressing. This version is far superior to the bastardised version for Fontana Records, released in twelve versions/formats between 1991 and 1998. I was too young to be a punk and too old to be a baggy, this single marked the end of my affair with James. After the two wonderful Factory singles, then one excellent and one okay album for Warners/Sire/ Blanco Y Negro, then this - I was done. In case you were wondering, the chap immortalised on the Central Station Design sleeve is Tony Macedo, Gibraltar-born goalkeeper for Fulham FC - long before most of you were born. A1 Sit Down B1 Goin' Away B2 Sound Investment B3 Sky Is Falling

  The Bridge - What Does It Take To Make You Love Me? [FST 122 DEU 2016 24-Bit FLAC] Here is the last of the two compilations featuring all those unreleased tracks by lost eighties indie-popsters, The Bridge. There was a time when I would have lapped up this stuff and these guys certainly deserved a worthy career in music - I would have been raving about them in 1986, I didn't, therefore I am raving about them in 2021. The opening salvo of Summertime has indie hit single written all over it and I can only guess that the band split before it was considered for a proper release (these are all demos), or the band were hoping for a major deal rather than release it themselves. This album takes its title from the opening line and all the tracks here follow a similar vein - jangly guitars, prominent bass, washy synths and catchy choruses - a bit like Aztec Camera meets The Railway Children with a bit of Prefab. All those bands were contemporaries rather than influences and I'd bet ...

  Will Sergeant - Themes For 'Grind' [PY145 UK 2021 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on Ninety-Two Happy Customers Records in 1982. Recorded between the Heaven Up Here and the Porcupine albums, Bunnymen guitar-man Will Sergeant experiments with home recordings using textures of electronics, guitar and ambience. Wildly over-looked at the time, Themes For 'Grind' is a timeless assemblance of eleven untitled soundscapes. A1 Untitled A2 Untitled A3 Untitled A4 Untitled A5 Untitled B1 Untitled B2 Untitled B3 Untitled B4 Untitled B5 Untitled B6 Untitled

  Shara Nelson & The Circuit ‎- Aiming At Your Heart [ON-U MIX 2 UK 1983 24-Bit FLAC] I promised a new rip of this early On-U Sound single a while back, I eventually got around to it... 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 had 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 an even better rip from the pla...

  Cortex - Vol.2 [TVLP10 FRA 2013 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on Disques Espérance in France during 1977. Back in the mid-late eighties when I was expanding my musical tastes, I happened upon an original copy of this album in a Guildford second-hand record store. Attracted by the title of the second track on side one, I snapped it up for a song. That copy has sadly been sold on, however French label, Trad Vibe repressed it for the first time back in 2013 and after a bit of deliberation, I made a re-purchase. This album is best known for the number of samples 'borrowed' by hip-hop artists in recent years. Hard to believe these young gangstas found inspiration from a couple of balding French guys complete with chest hairs & medallions, turning out jazzy lounge-funk. Just check out the immense work-out that is Hurluberlu and that superb bass on Datura . Cortex are much revered in the nu-disco and the disco-edit scene these days, here's your chance to find out why. ...

  Mutiny - A Night Out With The Boys [TWM63 USA 2021 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on the independent label, J.Romeo Records in 1983. How about some p-funk, well it is not p-funk in its original form, however drummer Jerome Brailey was an integral part of George Clinton's p-funk collective and played drums on some of his more famous recordings.  This bassline heavy toe-tapper was dug from the archives earlier this year by Tidal Waves and Light In The Attic. The mastering on this repress raises many questions about the processes used - for instance the channels on a few tracks are rather imbalanced, the surface noise varies greatly from track to track and some of the fades suffer from horrible digital noise reduction. You can even sometimes hear the pops from the original vinyl - I guess not all the masters could be found? A challenging rip of what was a rare record, but well worth the listen. A1 In The Pocket A2 And You Know That A3 Hand Maid (Old Lady Mine) A4 ...

  Imitation - Muscle And Heat [PROT-7109 JPN 2021 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on Kitty Records in Japan (28MS-0014) in 1982. I will end today's posts with this very necessary repress as part of RSD2021 in Japan. Imitation were a new-wave-funk group who teamed up with Steve Scales from the Tom Tom Club and Dolette McDonald, who once worked with Talking Heads, for this crazy album of funky rhumbas & jerky rhythms with the kind of zany arrangements only Japan could produce. HMV in Japan reissued this album just a few weeks back and I was more than chuffed when a copy came my way, courtesy of a donation from a blog follower who shares my interest in Japanese obscurities. If horn-laden quirky percussion and uptempo pop hooks are your thing, then this just has to be essential. Throw in the loose Talking Heads connection and I am sure many others will grow to love this record. The opening  Thermo Limbo could have been the most uplifting tune of the Summer of 1982, it ...

  The Junkyard Band - The Word [TA 7296] .....let me tell you about The Word . Rick Rubin's important Def Jam label picked up street kids The Junkyard Band, who initially offered the wonderful tea-time favourite  Sardines , and their own comment on the US political scene at the time in The Word . all set to a hard and funky go-go beat. They are all grown up these days but evidence exists that Junkyard still perform in Washington DC. A new rip of an old school favourite which is still in good enough condition for one of best ever twelve inch rips. Records like this reassure me that all is well with my cartridge and ripping set-up. If this doesn't get you moving, then you clearly have issues. A1 The Word B1 Sardines Further reading

  Chakk - Imagination (Who Needs A Better Life) [FONT 2 UK 1986 24-Bit FLAC] Much hyped indie-funk specialists, Chakk managed to survive an album and two singles on MCA Records before the label decided the Sheffield six-piece were a little too complex for the mainstream. The band came out of the deal with their own Fon studio which was to spawn a number of late-eighties dance hits. They eventually disbanded before bass player Mark Brydon found his fortune as the other half of Moloko.  For penguinflight . A1 Imagination (Extended Mix) B1 Imagination (Dub Mix) B2 Imagination (Instrumental)

  Colourbox - Punch [BAD 406 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC] The excellent Colourbox had a a string of great singles on 4AD (this is likely my favourite) before they took the lead in M.A.R.R.S. and then threatened to bankrupt the label with a run of sampling lawsuits. The disco-pop of  Punch was the last to feature original member Ian Robbins before he sought pastures new. Known best for the pre-orgasmic overlays of the album version, this, the original single version was serious attempt at the dancefloor, despite its totally nonsensical lyrics. This is a hark back to that heady summer of 1984 when it was still okay to fill b-sides with other tracks from which Colourbox's wonderful Keep On Pushing was to feature.  A1 Punch B1 Keep On Pushing B2 Shadows In The Room

  Clan Of Xymox - Clan Of Xymox [CAD 503 UK 1985] If alternative/indie music was your thing during the luminescent 4AD period then you would likely know this album. Dutch bands weren't the flavour of the moment between 1983 & 1985, John Peel helped greatly (see my last post).  Then Ivo did his very best with this young band from Nijmegen, he helped them update their sound & gave them a deal then co-produced their first proper album for the label.  Taking the basics of gloomy gothica & distorted guitars and the addition of electronics and pounding beats gave us the mighty A Day / Stranger double A-side single. The inclusion of simple hooks & lush synth-strings took things to the next level. The almost mandatory line-up changes and band fractures found a more electronic/techno Xymox on a major label, but this time with 4AD was without any doubt their best period. Sadly the controlling factors behind the modern 4AD have not felt inspired enough to reis...

  Clan Of Xymox - Peel Sessions [DE-280 USA 2021 24-Bit FLAC] I proposed this Dark Entries reissue as a potential crowd-funded post a while back. It has taken me a while to source a copy, so with my thanks to those who contributed, here is that fine compilation of the first two John Peel Sessions from Clan Of Xymox. Session one was produced by Dale Griffin and first aired back in June 1985, the second had Mark Radcliffe at the mixing desk and was recorded & aired in November 1985. These tracks formed the basis of the bands first two albums for 4AD and were originally complied for a BBC/Strange Fruit compact disc in 2001. This is the first time, I believe they have been released on vinyl.  I had forgotten how good After The Call genuinely is. Enjoy. A1 Stranger A2 Muscoviet Mosquito A3 Seventh Time B1 After The Call B2 Agonised By Love B3 Mesmerised

  W.A.T. - Defreeze [PLUREX 3302 NLD 1983 24-Bit FLAC] I know this album may be familiar to regular readers after my re-post of my original 2017 rip a few months back. Following a lengthy discussion over the finer delights of World According To.. with a regular blog follower, I have uncovered how desirable this album is to followers of Benelux wave. So here for your delectation is a brand new and improved rip of this lost gem from W.A.T. A1 Famous A2 Ivanhoo A3 Vive La Vie B1 Defreeze B2 Art Lovers B3 Sub

  Syket - Let It Heal [B&W 002 SWE 2011 24-Bit FLAC] There is a gorgeous interplay between two bass guitars, a lead & rhythm guitar on this lush dream pop single by Syket (possibly pronounced Psyched ) from Umeå in Sweden. Add washy synths, percussion, trippy vocals & a lone trumpet and I was sold. Unknown to me, the band had already found an audience outside their native Scandinavia in the better London club's where a Prins Thomas remix had awoken the new Balearic generation with this sublime single - incredibly only a promo on their Bengtsson & Wirfält label via CBS.  My initial introduction was during a long conversation over the delights of the On-U Sound Records back catelogue with a member of staff in Poland Street's excellent Phonica Records, who accidentally played the regular version of Let It Heal on the instore deck rather than the 'banging' remix. Hooked by the intricate intro, I insisted he let the track play through before flipping to the ...

  Ryo Kawasaki - Featuring "Concierto De Aranjuez" [PROZ-7902 JPN 2021 24-Bit FLAC] Recorded in a New York home studio with just a Yamaha guitar plugged into a home-made synthesizer, a TR-808, a Boss DR-55 and a Fostex 8-track, Japanese guitar virtuoso Ryo Kawasaki originally released this unique album on Philips Japan in 1982. Here is the first ever repress of this impressive solo album which was overseen by Canadian jazz supremo Gil Evans.. Side one works around the Spanish guitar and reinterpretations of classical work by Manuel De Falla, Joaquín Rodrigo and Ernest Bloch. Side two opens with a jazz-tinged interpretation of Antonio Carlos Jobim's  A Felicidade , before four electronic self-compositions revealing the flexibility & creativity enabled by Kawasaki's synthesizer. The up-tempo Marilyn leans into Tangerine Dream territory and then you get the wonderful chilled beats of  Hawaiian Caravan . Never released in the west, there is much ...

  Morgan Delt - Phase Zero (Loser Edition) [SP 1135 UK 2016 24-Bit FLAC] Out of the shimmering sun from Topanga, California comes the one-man psychedelic wall of sound, Morgan Delt. Released five years ago in August 2016, Phase Zero is Delt's second album, released on Seattle's Sub Pop Records. This pressing on red vinyl is superb - that's not something you hear from me everyday about a modern record. The 2010's marked a resurgence in alternative acid stoner-rock, where young indie bands used the genre and its influences as the launch pads for their own careers. Delt was never going to find the same size commercial audience as Tame Impala, Goat and Thee Oh Sees, or cross-over acts such as Khruangbin and The War On Drugs, however what is remarkable that he plays all the instruments on this album and doesn't feel the need for any band-mates to fall out with. Morgan Delt originates closer to the source of acid-americana, and these influences shine brightly through t...