Needle Time

  Various Artists - Factory Records Four Pack [UK 1987 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Four twelve inch white labels packed in their own printed PVC outer distributed as a marketing tool in 1987, most of which seem to have fallen into the hands of collectors (like me). Oddly, the label overlooked allocating a unique FAC number to the whole package. FAC 169 Pleasure Crew - I Could Be So Good For You A1  So Good  B1  So Bad  B2  So Good (Airwave Mix) The sound of young Manchester in 1987 ...not quite. Probably the poppiest single ever released by the label, boy-band type street soul with a strong song-a-long chorus - but never a hit. Pleasure Crew were Noel, Himat and ...err 'Def'. This 12" single was produced by Mike Pickering of Hacienda/Quando Quango & M People fame and was accompanied by a vague attempt at a Factory Records music press promotional campaign. Which clearly failed as shortly after release, Pleasure Crew were never to be heard of again. FAC 1...

  Pigeon - Backslider [SNDW12052 UK 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I ripped and posted the debut EP by Pigeon, Yagana back in April 2022 and it seemed to go down rather well with its blend of post-punk funk jams and afrobeat rhythms. They have just released a follow-up five-track EP, so here it is. Backslider is a little more sophisticated than their debut with more electronic instrumentation, however it is just as good as the band continue to develop their sound. In fact, there is not one duff track on this 33rpm pressing. These days, I fear our record stores are beginning to be swamped with average quality, quickly forgettable music - much like they were in the late eighties & early nineties - It is highly refreshing to be able to explore the extraordinary beat creations by a young band from Kent, with a talented vocalist from Guinea. I haven't heard a better electronic-afrobeat single since Masimba Bele . Enjoy. A1 Mama Yo Mama Yo A2 Ikanabore A3 Backslider B1 Trust B...

  Divine - Love Reaction [DEST 4 UK 1983 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Re-ripped for your hi-energy listening pleasure. A huge XXXL tick in the diversity box with a very blatant rip-off of a very big selling New Order single in glorious high resolution 176.4kHz NRG by Harris Glenn Milstead and Bobby Orlando. A1  Love Reaction B1  Love Reaction (Instrumental)

  Thelonious Monk Septet - Monk's Music [VMP-C073 USA 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Originally released on Riverside Records in mono in 1957 and in stereo a year later. This album features some of the greatest jazz musicians of all-time performing together as the Thelonious Monk Septet - the Monk on piano, Art Blakey on drums, John Coltrane & Coleman Hawkins on sax, Ray Copeland on trumpet, Wilbur Ware on bass and Gigi Ryce on alto sax. Unusually, Concord gave this stereo release to Vinyl Me Please, cut by Ryan K Smith from the original master tapes and pressed at GZ Media in the Czech Republic. I suspect the mono version may resurface later this year with a RTI or QRP pressing (hopefully) on Craft Recordings. The original recording sessions were in New York during the summer of 1957, in a studio set-up for monaural recordings only. The engineers hung microphones from the ceiling to capture the binaural/stereo version, whereas the mono mikes were directly at the musicians. This r...

  The Style Council - Money-Go-Round [TSCX 2 UK 1983 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] In order to prove to the world that The Style Council were not just a post-mod/soul band (despite the sleeve), The Weller went politico-funk with the help of I-Level's Joe Dworniak on bass, Orange Juice's Zeke Manyika on drums and Wham! vocalist (and future Mrs Weller) D.C. Lee to back up Mick Talbot's Worrell-style keyboard trickery.  The results were this seven and three-quarter minute heavy funk work out, which most The Jam fans hated, so with limited airplay due to lyrical content, sales were disappointing and the single tickled briefly outside the UK Top Ten. Therefore, this was to be Weller's poorest selling single since the seventies, however I look back on this track with great fondness & respect, especially for that fabulous funky thumb-work by Dworniak. As with last week's  À Paris , this is my original UK copy, carefully cleaned and ripped for your high resolution listening...

  Cath Carroll - Moves Like You [FAC 307 UK 1991 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Nice & chilled nineties pop-dance from Manchester's fave pseudo-lesbian (just Google...The Gay Animals), fanzine writer and NME scribe Cath Carroll, which was pushed and pushed and pushed again by Factory Records' desperation for a hit. These days this record is highly desirable among collectors of the label and chill-out aficionados. Whilst fronting indie-pop band Miaow!, Carroll became part of the Factory Records dynasty, she married Big Black guitarist Santiago Durango and began a solo career on the label. With Sheffield musicians Mark Brydon and Sim Lister (both from Chakk), she developed cool & sophisticated electronic dance music, and then incorporated elements (and musicians) from Brazilian jazz. Moves Like You was never a hit, but it is a great track and deserves to be enjoyed again today. A1 Moves Like You B1 Too Good To Live B2 Angel (Remix)

  Witch - Zango [DD001-3 USA 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] As featured from a digital file over on Digitalia last week, I figured that any album recorded live direct to one inch 8-track analogue tape needed a presentation from vinyl, to sound as nature truly intended. This sonically superior transfer is a treat for the ears. Zamrock band Witch have been releasing albums since 1972 and their unique approach of mixing heavy psychedelic rock into afro-beat will likely have been overlooked by most outside their native Lusaka. Witch is an acronym for 'We Intend To Cause Havoc' and this record seriously rocks out, however with that unique Zamrock sound. You all really need to hear this. A1 By The Time You Realize A2 Waile A3 Nshingilile A4 Streets Of Lusaka A5 Unimvwesha Shuga B1 Avalanche Of Love B2 Malango B3 Stop The Rot B4 These Eyes Of Mine B5 Message From W.I.T.C.H.

  Swans - E.P. #1 [YGEP 1 YK 1990 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Dig deep into those really uncomfortable places with Swans and a brand new rip in 176.4kHz.  Originally released in 1982 on Labor Records, I am pleased to offer a new superb-sounding rip of the 1990 re-release which was re-eq'ed by the band at B. Monster Studios in New York before release. I don't have the original but I do like the mastering on this, just listen to those sharp snares & rolling toms under the toppy hi-hats, those stabbing & jerky guitars moving across the channels with that thick plucky bass  .... Sensitive Skin needs to be played loud ...very loud. Bloody brilliant! A1   Speak A2   Laugh B1   Sensitive Skin B2   Take Advantage

  Bauhaus - Mask [BEGA 29 UK 1981 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I have always considered Bauhaus to be more of a singles band than a band who released a run of consistently great albums. In The Flat Field was stark, raw & genre defining however Bauhaus were still developing, The Skies Gone Out and Burning From The Inside both had issues, so consequently Mask  should always be considered their best long player. My copy is a 1981 original UK pressing, cut by Arun Chakraverty at Master Room and pressed at WEA in West Drayton. After a deep surfactant solution clean followed by fifteen minutes in the HumminGuru, this rip sounds great and only minimal manual click removal was needed. Mask is stacked with Bauhaus favourites, the powerful post-punk opener, Hair Of The Dog , the re-recorded versions of singles  Kick In The Eye and Passion Of Lovers , the atmospheric & eerie Hollow Hills , the goth stomper  Dancing,  complete with sax and disco effects, then of ...

  Eric Dolphy - Out There [APRJ 8252 USA 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I am no jazz aficionado, however it is easy to discover that the genre comes in many styles & flavours. Conceived as free-jazz, Eric Dolphy's unique genre-defying 1961 album, Out There ...is totally out there. The visionary saxophonist, clarinetist & flutist uses the great Ron Carter's cello to create further melodies, pinned down by a double bass and sparse percussion breaks, all unusually without the need for a piano.  Rudy Van Gelder recorded & produced these events at his home studio in Hackensack, and this new pressing is cut from those original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. This will be the inal 'Jazz Sunday' for the next few weeks as a vacation beckons, I'll see if I can include something extra later this week before I disappear until mid/late July. A1 Out There A2 Serene A3 The Baron B1 Eclipse B2 17 West B3 Sketch Of Melba B4 Feathers

  The Style Council - À Paris [TSCX 3 UK 1983 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] This twelve inch EP is forty years old in August this year! This is my original copy, bought at HMV in Manchester on the day of release ....the price sticker says I paid £2.79.  From becoming the voice of the young generation to fondling his own nipple on a River Cam punt, from  a council estate in Woking to foaming cappuccinos  À Paris , this record propelled the Bard Of Woking to the upper echelons of pop stardom. Long Hot Summer likely remains one of the key summer tunes for many, however The Paris Match has to be one his finest and most soulful compositions. A1 Long Hot Summer B1 Party Chambers B2 The Paris Match B3 Le Départ Needle Time will return next week.

  Yello - You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess (Special Edition) [060244564903 DEU 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Time for another classic electro-pop album from those eccentric Swiss chaps, Yello.  You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess was originally released on Stiff Records in the UK, Vertigo Records in Europe and Elektra in the USA. The two key singles, I Love You and the magnificent Lost Again , opened up whole new audiences for the band, so their popularity just grew & grew. Carlos Peron bailed out of Yello just after release and the remaining duo were never to look back. This 2022 'Special Edition' came shrinkwrapped with a 12" extended version of I Love You backed with one of my favourite Yello compositions,  Bostich (N’est-ce pas?). The mastering and pressing on this release are both of a very high quality and remain true to the original recordings. Enjoy. A1 I Love You A2 Lost Again A3 No More Words A4 Crash Dance A5 Great Mission A6 You Gotta ...

  Tara Butler - Up Against The Wall [ILL 4412 UK 1984 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Up until its demise, Illuminated Records were responsible for some fantastic indie dance 12" singles. There were the obvious mini-hits by 400 Blows and 23 Skidoo, but Up Against The Wall is a fantastic and strangely now the most forgotten Illuminated Records release. I've no clue who Tara Butler is/was, save for her vocals on Electra's Italo disco fave Feels Good , but this 12" features production and instrumentation by then in-house musician/producer Simon Boswell, who went on to much greater things. This pounding hi-energy indie-electro-pop dance number comes in two mixes with the superb Up Against The Version bounding into Colourbox territory. Should have been a hit! Those who appreciate the splendid  Heavy Duty Breaks album will be very familiar with these beats. A1 Up Against The Wall B1 Up Against The Version

  Blue Rondo À La Turk - The Heavens Are Crying [VS 516-12 UK 1982 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Already featured on my rip of the Chewing The Fat album, but felt I needed to give this full length 8 minute epic a post of it's own. I last ripped this twelve-inch single for ESWA in April 2012. What starts off as a pretty ordinary jazz-pop ditty develops into a monster latin percussion jam much akin to Candido's (or maybe even Santana's) Jingo . It's not as commercial and catchy as the previous two singles, it is actually quite dark however it does show the band to be fairly competent musicians plying their trade. I have just one more Blue Rondo single to re-rip which I will plan in later this year. A1 The Heavens Are Crying B1 The Cities Are Dying

  Chain - Banging On The House [NTV 2 UK 1986 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] On the subject of Sheffield collaborations.... Chain were an industrial dance collaboration between Peter Hope (the unmistakable voice of The Box) and producer Mark Estdale which was only to spawn one single, Banging On The House which fits comparably into the Sheffield based Chakk/Hula/Workforce vein as a hard indie electronic, slap bass driven dance music single. The b-side Chains is pretty damn fine too.  The mid eighties was to produce a whole deluge of these singles from middle and northern England - most of them have found there way into my record collection and subsequently my blogs. This is a brand new rip of a single which has featured a few times across my blogs over the years. A1  Banging On The House B1  Chains

  The Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train [V6-8538 USA 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Re-published with a new link Recorded in Los Angeles California in December 1962 and originally released in 1963 on the Verve label. You may have already guessed that I occasionally hang around the jazz section in record stores, seeking out what could well be the best sounding new pressings of jazz classics. When that silver hype sticker states Verve Acoustic Sounds Series mastered by Ryan K. Smith and pressed at Quality Record Pressings, I know a record will sound great. There are just three musicians performing on this album, but it fills the room - Ray Brown on double bass to the left, Ed Thigpen (great name) on drums to the right, and possibly Canada's greatest musician Oscar Peterson, on piano, centre stage - the great Norman Granz dealt with production. This record sounds fantastic. A1 Night Train A2 C Jam Blues A3 Georgia On My Mind A4 Bags' Groove A5 Moten Swing A6 Easy Does It...

  John Stuart & Heavenly Music Corporation - Summer Breeze [FON T11 UK 1987 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] A little curio from the archives of Sheffield's industrial funk past, and likely the most soulful thing to come from the period until Fon Records started to release pop records. John Stuart was the second voice from Chakk, he had an amazing vocal range and recorded this credible cover of the soul classic with members of Chakk, Floy Joy and Clock DVA as his backing band.  A1 Summer Breeze (Full Version) B1 Black & Blue (Parts 1 & 2)

  Blue Rondo - Bees Knees & Chickens Elbows [V2311 UK 1984 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] When Blue Rondo À La Turk splintered in 1983, Mark Reilly, Kito Poncioni and Danny White formed the million selling Matt Bianco, the remaining key players Chris Sullivan, Geraldo D'Arbilly and Christos Tolera became just Blue Rondo. The shortened line-up managed just one album and two singles before giving up the day jobs and concentration on their more fruitful night jobs running The Wag Club in London, just before this record hit the stores. The 'new band' modernised their sound, dipping into eighties pop & soul but still maintaining that latino flavoured tinge. The 1983 single Slipping Into Daylight failed to tickle the hit parade but its classy & cool pop/soul sound did come close to what Paul Weller was then doing with The Style Council. Masked Moods was slick night club jazz but the 1984 love of new British cool jazz failed to help sales.  A1 Samba No Pe A2 Slipp...

  The James Taylor Quartet - The Theme From Starsky & Hutch [URBX 24 UK 1988 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Old John Peel fave eighties mod-styled organist and his chums wave goodbye to indie obscurity on the excellent  Re-Elect The President Records to  sign for Polydor's 'pretend' rare groove label Urban, then unleash this almighty cover version of  the flared 70's tv cop show theme in two mixes with a bit of help from Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis and the Simon Booth from Working Week & Weekend. The ' Funky People Mix ' remains my go-to on this seriously funky record. Somebody then came up with the term 'Acid Jazz' ...and then it all started to go wrong when young London hipsters dressed in corduroy jeans and sideburns took chemicals and pretended to be 70's funk & soul icons. A1 The Theme From Starsky & Hutch (Huggy's Mix) B1 The Theme From Starsky & Hutch (Funky People Mix) B2 Indian Summer

  Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) [V 2230 UK 1982 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] An album which I assume would be well known to most, New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) was the record which propelled Simple Minds from slow burning cult credibility to mainstream commercial success. To many this album seemed part of the band's journey and development, to others it was likely the record with which they book-ended their relationship with the band. It is also very likely the band lost considerably fewer fans than they gained as a consequence. This is my well-played UK original pressing, deep cleaned and ripped for the very first time. This is not a perfect rip, I've upped the levels a bit to bring out all the intricate detail buried in Peter Walsh's production, much of which gets lost in the subsequent digital remasters during the years since release. What is surprising is that for twenty years this album was out-of-print on vinyl - I don't have any of the more recent vinyl p...

  Blue Rondo À La Turk - Me And Mr. Sanchez [VS 463-12 UK 1981 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Flicking back through my fifteen years of ripping and blogging, I don't think that I have ever ripped the twelve-inch edition of  Me And Mr. Sanchez - I may be wrong, but I am sure that I only every ripped a crackly seven-inch back in July 2011. Regardless, if I did, it won't sound as good as this! Blue Rondo À La Turk's debut single, and biggest hit brightened up everybody's day back in those dark days of 1981, including in Brazil where it was allegedly number one for three months, although I can find no details of a Brazilian pressing on Discogs. Let's hope it now brightens up everybody's day 42 years later. A1 Me And Mr. Sanchez (Club Mix) B1 Me And Mr. Sanchez (Extended Version) B2 Sarava

  A Flock Of Seagulls - Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) [JIVE T25 UK 1982 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Continuing today's trio of twelve inch re-rips ...hairspray at the ready chaps, it's A Flock of Bloody Seagulls.  I sit firmly in the camp that A Flock Of Seagulls only made two worthy singles, this and I Ran of course, I just couldn't find much to like about their other releases. I realise they built a bigger following in the USA where this assortment of new-wave was considered newer wave and an American audience had a greater level of tolerance than us more reserved Brits. After all, what on earth was going on with all that hair. A1 Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) (Long Version) B1 Committed B2 Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) (Short Version)

  The Essence - Only For You [DONG 41 UK 1988 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Whilst contemplating which twelve-inch singles would feature in this week's re-rip list, I heard this single playing in a store and thought it would be perfect for a new rip. Hans Deiner managed to keep Dutch indie-rockers 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 really 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

  Yello - Claro Que Si (Special Edition) [7640262961218 DEU LP+12'' 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I was somewhat pleased to see that those eccentric Swiss gents, Yello finally released brand new remasters of their early albums late last year. Claro Que Si was cut from new remasters by Adi Flück in Bern, and if you have a well-worn, scratchy & cheaply pressed 1981 original, these are bound to sound much, much better.  For me, this album was where my adoration of Yello began, much less experimental than Solid Pleasure (but still just as nuts), it featured the original versions of the classic singles, Pinball Cha Cha and She's Got A Gun . As a bonus, this new pressing courtesy of quality German pressing plant, Pallas also come shrink-wrapped with a new remaster of the very wonderful  Live At The Roxy N. Y. Dec 83 , which is fifteen glorious minutes of nutty Swiss cheese, recorded live at 2am at The Roxy in New York.  Let the entertainment commence.... A1 Dail...

  Various Artists - Young, Popular And Sexy [FACT US 17 USA 1987 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] A new rip of a favourite old compilation, last posted in February 2015 on my old ESWA blog, this will be a considerable upgrade. Firstly, a little bit of technical stuff... Some may have noticed that I am now using an Audio-Technica AT33EV cartridge, rather than the Hana Shibata, both have very similar stats however the AT33EV has a much improved frequency response, better separation and the mids sound a little fuller to my ears.  The battle against extraneous noise is a constant one with hum and rumble being the biggest issue - to combat the the latter, I have begun trialing the very simple Aptitlig isolation platform solution (the butcher's block from IKEA) and the early results are pleasing. New Audioquest Red River phono RCA cables are also helping keep noise out of my rips. Earlier this year, I bought a Hexmat Eclispe platter mat, it is hands down the best on the market, howe...

  Art Pepper + Eleven - Modern Jazz Classics [CR00383 USA 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Originally released on Contemporary Records in 1959. Cut from the original analogue master tapes by Bernie Grundman, pressed at Quality Record Pressings and re-released last year as part of the Craft Recordings Contemporary /Acoustic Sounds Series. Art Pepper was the original bad boy of the jazz genre, here he is performing a series of jazz classics with a bunch (most likely eleven) of his peers, in the big band/bop style, and very likely sounding considerably better than any other pressing of this classic 1959 recording. Have a great Sunday! A1 Move A2 Groovin' High A3 Opus De Funk A4 'Round Midnight A5 Four Brothers A6 Shawnuff B1 Bernie's Tune B2 Walkin' Shoes B3 Anthropology B4 Airegin B5 Walkin' B6 Donna Lee

  Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media - Jazz & Rock "Out" [HMJY-184 JPN 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I have featured the works of Japanese jazz saxophonist Jiro Inagaki and his funky big-band soul-jazz ensemble, Soul Media, a few times over the years - here is the recent repress of his fantastic live album Jazz & Rock Out from the Columbia Japan Project Re:Vinyl Series. Recorded live onstage at the Hibiya Amphitheater, Tokyo on July 21st 1970, this album has been mixed without crowd noises direct from the mixing desk feeds and it sounds bloody amazing. This sound of this record is testimony to the musicianship of Inagaki's eight piece ensemble who are also joined by the great Ryo Kawasaki on guitar solos. It is also testimony to the skills of the recording engineers who captured this performance. Play loud and enjoy! A1 The Ground Of Peace A2 Yip-pie A3 Pure Heart Guy A4 Free Rock B1 Freedom Jazz Dance B2 Oh Happy Day B3 Spinning Wheel B4 You've Made M...

  Pictured Resort - Once Upon A Season [SYLD-022 JPN 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I haven't ripped and posted anything from Japan for a while, so without further ado, here is last year's sun-drenched city-pop/indie pop album Once Upon A Season from seasonal blog favourites Pictured Resort. Osaka's Koji Takagi blends British indie-pop from the mid-eighties with West Coast AOR & Japanese city-pop for his third full length album of easy going & catchy pop music. Released by Sailyard Records on marine blue vinyl, Pictured Resort once more fulfills the continuous desire for yacht-pop for all those without a boat. Sweet. A1 Intro A2 Never Be Slowed A3 Oceanizing A4 Stepped Into A5 Day In Day Out A6 Safari Night A7 Electric Birdland II B1 Love Inside B2 Frozen Pacific (Album Ver.) B3 Odometer Rollover B4 Best Mood B5 Gossamer (Extended Mix) B6 Baby It's You

  Ferdi Schuster - Playing Life [C56LP024 UK 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Some may be already aware of my soft spot for Paul 'Mudd' Murphy's eclectic Claremont 56 label and their occasional releases of chilled electronica with Balearic overtones. This is their latest release, and the second album from German multi-instrumentalist Ferdi Schuster.  Claremont 56 use the same mastering engineer as Be With Records, Simon Francis, so expect chilled modern beats, laden with spacious melodies with acoustic & electric guitars adding detail to Schusters shimmering compositions,  considerately cut with warmth & detail to vinyl. This double album is beautifully packaged in a gatefold sleeve and limited to just 300 copies. Enjoy. A1 Dream Quality A2 A Step Further A3 Playing Life B1 Due B2 The Fuzz Version B3 Osho Again C1 Light Minded C2 Moving Forms C3 Gentle Man C4 Universal Dance D1 Pulsing D2 Lungern D3 Vastness

  Cabaret Voltaire - James Brown [CVS4-12 UK 1984 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] This is a brand new rip ...and possibly as good as it gets for this popular Cabaret Voltaire single. The Cabs get funky with a crisp new rip from one of the penguinflight boxes to seven and a half minutes of funky greatness on their classic James Brown . This mix sounds much much better than the original album version on Micro-Phonies . You will also want to dive in to the excellent  Bad Self on the b-side. A1  James Brown B1  Bad Self (Part One)

  In The Nursery - Temper [SOX 008 UK 1985 24-Bit 76.4kHz FLAC] In keeping with the industrial theme, here is the last of my In The Nursery rips of their releases on Sweatbox Records. This again is a brand new 176.4kHz rip and a marked improvement on my first attempts back in 2015. This EP is quite loud, quite disturbing and a real treat for your neighbours - who will now all think that you have become a satanist.  Enjoy! A1   Breach Birth  B1   Joaquin  B2   Arm Me Audacity  B3   Butyrki

  Various Artists - The Industrial Records Story [JAMS 39 UK 1984 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Here is a brand new rip of one of the first albums to feature on Needle Time back in November 2018. It is a diverse collection of material from Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records label. The label existed between 1976 & 1982, releasing a large array of cassettes, singles and albums by artists on the very outer fringes of popular music. Illuminated Records released this compilation in tribute in 1984, which now seems to be rather difficult to track down. Here's the back story to my purchase of this record.... I moved to the peace & tranquility of rural Surrey over the Summer of 1984 from the cold harsh post-industrial north. Finding a good source for my music purchases proved difficult at first, however tucked away in a little back street in the small town of Godalming was Record Corner.  The store was tiny, split into two and run by a father & son team. Dad ran the front of ...

  Unknown Mortal Orchestra - V [JAG422 VMP USA 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Displaced ....or is that 'grounded' Kiwi Ruban Nielson, moved from the musical hotbed of Portland OR to Palm Springs CA just prior to lockdown, where he found himself over-exposed to American soft-rock & West Coast AOR. This is Nielson's fifth album in his alter-ego Unknown Mortal Orchestra, recorded with brother Kodi and Jacob Portrait (from Blouse)...and it could well be one of the best albums of 2023. The four previous UMO albums manipulated indie-rock, pop, garage and modern psyche ...now add touches of sun-baked classic AOR, cloudless blue skies & palm trees ...and you get V . Well, I guess if Supertramp can relocate their sound, so can Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The compressed drums, treated vocals and remnants of tape hiss (plus a noisy IRP pressing) give this double record a low-fi rating, but maybe that only adds to the charm. The melodies are all spot on, some of the guitar work is e...

  Alice Coltrane Featuring Pharoah Sanders - Journey In Satchidananda [AS-9203 USA 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Originally released on Impulse Records in 1971. The second of the two Alice Coltrane albums in my collection is this recently re-released album of spiritual & modal jazz compositions from the Impulse - Acoustic Sounds Series. Recorded with a mix of American (including the great Pharoah Sanders) and Indian musicians, this album is very heavy on the spiritual journey, sometimes shrill and complex, yet oddly accessible throughout. This release was cut from the original master tapes by Ryan K. Smith and pressed at QRP.  A1 Journey In Satchidananda A2 Shiva-Loka A3 Stopover Bombay B1 Something About John Coltrane B2 Isis And Osiris

  Blue Rondo À La Turk - Chewing The Fat [V2240 UK 1982 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] As a young lad with a passion for percussion based music, Chris Sullivan's Blue Rondo À La Turk ensemble caught my attention, firstly with their barnstorming samba-pop single  Me And Mr. Sanchez (which actually topped the charts for three months in Brazil) and then the somewhat unusual  Klacto Vee Sedstein .  The band was a multi-national group, based in London, with exotically named members such as Christos Tolera, Kito Poncioni,  Geraldo D'Arbilly,  Segona Peter Tholo & Moses Mount Bassie. Guitarist Mark Reilly was eventually to splinter off and become the Matt Bianco hit-machine. Sullivan was a leading light in the new wave of London jazz-dance and a key player involved in the famous Wag Club. Chewing The Fat was their debut album, it is a fun listen and stacked full of singles including the gentle samba-pop of  Carioca and the epic & apocal...

  Swamp Children - Taste What's Rhythm [BEWITH019TWELVE UK 2023 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Originally released on Factory Benelux Records in 1982,  and now re-released by my current favourite boutique label, Be With Records. I could never decide if the pressing sibilance on the original FBN 1982 pressings of this slice of Mancunian sunshine funky jazz was deliberate or evidence of shoddy workmanship, and we now at last have the answer... Be With Records cut this new release from the original master tape and it sounds fantastic.  Many will know You Got Me Beat from one of the Factory/Ikon video compilations with it's cool groove, most will also recognise the considerable A Certain Ratio link as four fifths of ACR feature on this record. In actual fact, Softly Saying Goodbye echoes much of the brit-funk ACR were doing in the same period with Donald Johnson lending his thumbs on slap bass.  A1 Taste What's Rhythm B1   You've Got Me Beat B2 Softly Saying Goodb...