1980s 228 Items

Birthed at the turn of the ‘80s, synth and wave music has remained a constant force over the last four decades, with a recent spike in interest in the sound offering further proof of its’ timeless, out-of-this-world quality. It’s against this backdrop that Dutch DJ Interstellar Funk presents his celebration of the style, “Artificial Dancers – Waves of Synth”.
A bumper compilation bristling with obscure and hard-to-find gems, the set sees the Artificial Dance label founder joining the dots between synthesizer and drum machine-driven tracks in a variety of subtly different styles. It’s the result of hundreds of hours spent digging through dusty old records, tapes, and the Bandcamp accounts of DIY musicians who have been active since the sound’s first boom in the early 1980s.
The 11-track set draws on tracks made and released at different times over the last 40 years, with the earliest cut committed to tape in 1978 and the most recent in 2018. While the tracks date from the ‘80s, ‘90s, noughties and 2010s, the showcased cuts are united by a primitive but futuristic quality that makes dating them difficult. In many cases, it’s hard to tell which tracks were made in the early 1980s and which were conjured up in 21st century studios.
As you’d expect, highlights are plentiful with a number of the most unknown or sought-after cuts appearing on vinyl for the first time. In this category you’ll find the Human League’s odd but inspired early number “4JG”, a near mythical 1982 live version of Liasons Dangereuses’ “Dias Cortas” (previously only available on a VHS video) and Chris and Cosey’s “Hybrid C”, a brilliant mid-’90s cut plucked from their CD-only album “Skimble Skamble”. You’ll also find a rare demo version of Clan of Xymox’s Dutch darkwave classic “Stranger”, which became a club smash across Europe in 1983.
Interstellar Funk has also chosen to showcase tracks by a range of DIY producers and lesser-known artists. These include Californian band Batang Frisco, who self-released a sole private press album in 1986 (their contribution, “Sewing Machine”, is dedicated to founder member Bill DiMichele, who passed away this year), Matthias Schuster’s Im Namen Des Volkes project – which contributes the previously unreleased 2014 track “Alles Ist Gewinn” – and Zahgurim, a short-lived early ‘80s act who reunited in 2018 to record their first new material since 1983.
If that wasn’t enough to set pulses racing, the compilation also showcases a solo track by sadly departed Psyche member Stephen Huss. Nobody is quite sure when Huss recorded “Infinity Sign”, but we can confirm this is the first time that one of his solo productions has ever appeared on vinyl.

Bronski Beat ‘s 1984 cult debut album “The Age of Consent” - remastered edititons celebrating the band’s 35th anniversary – is back on Vinyl & CD

Crash Course In Science are a post punk band that formed in 1979 in Philadelphia. The band members, Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago and Michael Zodorozny, met while attending art school, where they began to experiment with crude electronics and off-beat lyrics. CCIS avoided

conventional instrumentation by using toy instruments and kitchen appliances to augment the distorted guitar, drums and synthesized beats. Their first single, “Cakes in the Home” was released in 1979 followed by a 4-song 12″ EP “Signals From Pier Thirteen” in 1981.


“Jump Over Barrels” was recorded at the Third Story Studio in Philadelphia in 1981, one year after “Signals From Pier Thirteen”. The song remained unmixed and unreleased at that time for a proposed album titled “Near Marineland”. Lyrically the song tackles overcoming obstacles, self imposed or otherwise, with vocal interplay between Michael and Mallory. On the A Side is the original mix and a demo mix from 1981. Then on the flip is a brand new remix by prolific Ann Arbor producer Charles Manier, a pseudonym of Tadd Mullinix, who toughens up the track. Also included is an unreleased demo version of the song from 1980, accentuating the raw and skeletal nature of the track.


All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. It is in a custom-made jacket by our in-house designer Eloise Leigh that incorporates waveform-esque squiggles jumping over abstract barrel symbols, plus a postcard with lyrics and notes.

Vocoder were a quartet from Zaragoza, Spain formed in 1981. Keyboardists Antonio Laval, Alfonso Olarte and Antonio Tenas met while attending university, and were later joined by vocalist Pilar Pellicer. They recorded several demos with synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines, creating a soundtrack for the clubs and dance floors. After sending demos to various record companies, they signed a deal with Aviador Dro's sublabel Neón Danza and released two EPs, "What Happens Now"/"Radio" in 1984, "Mindanao"/"Amor de Robot" in 1985 and a self-titled LP which was produced by Michel Huygen (Neuronium) in 1987. Vocoder also appeared on the TV program La Bola De Cristal, presenting their music video for "What Happens Now," in which the band danced in a supermarket with a shopping cart full of synthesizers. The group mutually disbanded in 1988 and continued to organize concerts for other groups touring in Spain. Cuadro Sinóptico compiles both two-song 12" maxi singles as one four-song EP. All four songs were recorded during 1984-85 at Doublewtronics Studios in Madrid, Spain, using the most advanced and sophisticated techniques of time in digital recording and Direct Metal Mastering (DMM). The band utilized many professional synthesizers of the time: Roland Juno 60, Prophet V, Korg Poly 61, Yamaha DX-7, Roland TR-909 and the Linn Drum, which was used by most Italo Disco artists. These songs were recorded in the highest fidelity with disc jockeys in mind. Genuinely catchy, Vocoder combined soaring melodies with cybernetic coldness. A futuristic sound for the modern age topped with Pilar's charismatic vocals. Lyrically they address robotic love, disco dancing, and the tropical island of Mindanao, and sing in Spanish, English and French. All songs on Cuadro Sinóptico have been remastered from the original reel to reel master tapes for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. Each LP includes a double-sided insert with photos, lyrics and liner notes by Flemming Dalum, a Danish DJ who introduced much of the world to Vocoder in 2008 on his “French Spanish Italo Connection” mix. Vocoder want you to barricade yourself in the discotheques and dance away the depression.

30th anniversary of Neneh Cherry’s classic hit album Raw Like Sushi (1989),“an unorthodox and brilliantly daring blend of R&B, rap, pop, and dance music”.
The album features 5 singles - includes the worldwide smash hit single ‘Buffalo Stance’ (number 1 US Dance Chart) as well as hit singles – ‘Manchild’ produced by Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, ‘Kisses On The Wind’, ‘Heart’ & ‘Inna City Mamma’. One of the most important records of all-time. Listed as one of the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

Pioneers, that’s what we call them. Not properly a giant team, but a bunch of forward thinking producers. In the heyday of the italo disco there was some forward thinking, a new way to address the club scene. 1985 is the golden year and if you want to get to the core of the synth-pop experience look no further ! This previously unreleased compilation collects a series of unbelievable tracks. An outstanding vision featuring la crème de la crème of the early 80s scene. All the way from electro wizard Alexander Robotnick to the astonishing performance of vocalist Mya Fracassini, through the French connection of Bigazzi brothers of Mon Bijou.

J’Voudrais Qu’Tu M’Dises marks another official 12″ French re-issue from the Forest Jams label. Like the previous ‘Nathalie Letertre’ record we have a name on the front of the jacket but with little information behind it. What we do know is that Kelly Lane’s vocals sit atop this obscure synth-pop meets house meets slight boogie with a smooth aggression, equally cute as it is equally strong, funky indeed. For those that just want the music there’s an instrumental version on the B-side. Two extra versions taken from the CD are re-mastered and included on this release with a surprisingly dancey ‘radio’ version and a pumping/housier ‘version dance remix’. Let Kelly Lane’s “J’Voudrais Qu’Tu M’Dises” find its way to your heart.

In 1981, Nick Robson wrote Stars. The song can pretty much be described as a slow, cosmic disco song. It has an unusual feel, and it comes as Oslo-based Neppås third release. This 12″ holds the 12″ mix, the 7″ mix, and the original B-side Eye To Eye. The original 12″ is as rare as they come, and here you get the original material, fully licenced, and remastered. The process of recording the material back in 1981 was not an easy one, as Nick Robson recalls: “Fame by David Bowie is one of my favourite songs, period. I was 18 when i wrote Stars and i wanted to write something that was my version of Fame and quite honestly, as a tribute to the song. If you listen to the bass lines, there is a hint of similarity in the two. Even the lyric of Stars has a passing reference to Fame. Stars was one of four songs recorded at Gary’s Rock City studio to supply the first two singles and form the basis of the first album. The other three tracks were Eye To Eye, Boys and She’a Like Ice. Although all four tracks were finished, for one reason or another, Boys never made it to pressing and i walked away from the business to pursue a career in film. Stars itself, was the most ardous and problematic track that i’ve ever recorded. It took around 14 days to finally get an agreed mix when the budget probably only ran to three days. Part of the reason for this is the enormous quantity of music tracks recorded in the song. In those days, we only had 24 recordable tracks available on the Otari, so once you had recorded 23 or less actually, you had to bounce down sub-mixes to a single track to free up another batch of tracks. I think that there are around 46 tracks of instruments alone on Stars so although that kind of track usage is not uncommon now, back then it was rare.

Limited to 500 copies.

Reissue on black vinyl limited to 200 copies.

Emotional Rescue returns to the music of British "pop" band Furniture, with an EP of the band's own extended versions, remixes and unreleased takes of their particular output. Taken from three 12"s that followed When The Boom Was On (ERC072), the songs included cast a light on their development from 3 to 5 piece, adding Sally Still (bass) and Maya Gilder (keyboards) and the new male/female frontline. The subsequent broadening of their line-up and sound meant they could start to address the kind of pop music they wanted to play. After the early releases garneered radio play and reviews, Furniture were launched into the melee of '80s pop. An anomaly, the band found they attracted a specific kind of "intense" follower, who were often beguiled by Furniture's freaky normality. This was addressed on the 1984 release, 'I Can't Crack'. A more urgent version of the sound Furniture had debuted with 'Why Are We In Love', the track, sung by Tim, was based around a sequencer-like rhythm played live by drummer Hamilton Lee, and a clarinet part played by Tim's brother, Larry Whelan. A mix of bleakness and euphoria, the song was and is a favourite of the band and considered one of their best self-productions, as well as becoming a latter day club play. This is followed by the studio experiment 'Throw Away The Script', where the band wrestled with sequencers and synth-pop, but then countered it with a free-jazz sax solo. Found on the flip of the double A -side of 'Love Your Shoes' 12", this instrumental version too became an underground club hit, including a cult play at Fran Lenaer's influential Valencia club, Spook Factory. Played loud, the studio mastery, trickery and oft-accidental discoveries come to the fore, with tissue-damaging frequencies giving extra sound system shaking bottom end. The B-side continues the band's love of making extended mixes with 'Dancing The Hard Bargain'. Co-produced with Tim Parry (formerly of Blue Zoo), they threw everything at these 12" versions. Able to relax and focus on the sounds they really liked, rather than the ones thought more commercial, this can be clearly heard on this compelling, percussive mix, a stop-start breakdown becoming a band hallmark. To close this collection is the mammoth 'Bullet'. Again sung by Whelan, an edited version of which debuted on the 1986 Survival compilation of Furniture tracks called 'The Lovemongers', here this previously unreleased original take is centred on a mesmeric tape loop, live drums and a guest appearance by violinist Helena Bjorelius.

Italo-Disco classic, originally released in 1983, limited to 500 copies.

Limited to 500 copies.

Here's the sixth exploration so far of the FullTime Production world with four brand new reworks of tracks extracted from our infinite vaults, finally coming into a brand new sparkling life for DJs and Disco fanatics. After the well-received and successful previous five volumes, there's so much to enjoy throughout this new limited edition 12-inch trip, completely remastered. On the A-side the Disco supernova Da Lukas brings into the world a boosted rework of the B.B. and Band classic "That Special Magic". An incredible groovy vertigo that will take the dancers deeper in. Then the Musta's remix of the 1982 Ago's "It Will Never Be" is pure funky! On the flip side Antonello Ferrari and Aldo Bergamasco alias F&B provide a stomping killer nu-disco rendition of Selection's "Desire", while C. Da Afro closes the package in big fashion kicking the groove and pathos of the Italo-Disco gem "I'm In love" by Patty Johnson.