1980s 165 Items

Synth pop trio Bronski Beat's 1984 debut The Age of Consent is a rarity in musical history - an album that both defined a generation and challenged the status quo. Its four singles, and particular lead single 'Smalltown Boy', have endured with astonishing resonance, offering home to all listeners dreaming of escape from their familiar surroundings and situations.

Every track on the album places the listener 'in the room': they are in it, living it, rolling inside each song's thematic meaning. Through the blue-eyed wonder of singer Jimmy Somerville's vocal pirouettes, they too take the punch of hate in 'Why?', question the bible with alongside a male voice choir on 'It Ain't Necessarily So', and watch the same crappy TV advertising on 'Junk'. They are part of the trade-off between lust and commerce in 'Love and Money' and the heated near climax of 'Need A Man Blues.'

40 years later and The Age of Consent remains as prescient and vital as ever as it did on its original release; truly transgressive - defiant, queer, and laden with hooks. To celebrate this important anniversary, London Records revisit the album across a series of expanded formats, uncovering sonic archival gems, new mixes, essays and more.

TRACKLISTING:

DOUBLE VINYL
VINYL 1 : THE AGE OF CONSENT (2018 REMASTER)
SIDE ONE
1. WHY?
2. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO
3. SCREAMING
4. NO MORE WAR
5. LOVE AND MONEY
SIDE TWO
1. SMALLTOWN BOY
2. HEATWAVE
3. JUNK
4. NEED A MAN BLUES
5. I FEEL LOVE / JOHNNY REMEMBER ME

VINYL 2 : HUNDREDS & THOUSANDS (2024 REMASTER)
SIDE THREE
1. HEATWAVE (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
2. WHY (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
3. RUN FROM LOVE (DOMINIC MAITA REMIX)
SIDE FOUR
1. HARD RAIN (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
2. SMALLTOWN BOY (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
3. JUNK (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)

Synth pop trio Bronski Beat's 1984 debut The Age of Consent is a rarity in musical history - an album that both defined a generation and challenged the status quo. Its four singles, and particular lead single 'Smalltown Boy', have endured with astonishing resonance, offering home to all listeners dreaming of escape from their familiar surroundings and situations.

Every track on the album places the listener 'in the room': they are in it, living it, rolling inside each song's thematic meaning. Through the blue-eyed wonder of singer Jimmy Somerville's vocal pirouettes, they too take the punch of hate in 'Why?', question the bible with alongside a male voice choir on 'It Ain't Necessarily So', and watch the same crappy TV advertising on 'Junk'. They are part of the trade-off between lust and commerce in 'Love and Money' and the heated near climax of 'Need A Man Blues.'

40 years later and The Age of Consent remains as prescient and vital as ever as it did on its original release; truly transgressive - defiant, queer, and laden with hooks. To celebrate this important anniversary, London Records revisit the album across a series of expanded formats, uncovering sonic archival gems, new mixes, essays and more.

TRACKLISTING:

LIMITED 4CD+1DVD BOXSET

DISC ONE : THE AGE OF CONSENT - THE ALBUM PLUS
1. WHY?
2. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO
3. SCREAMING
4. NO MORE WAR
5. LOVE AND & MONEY
6. SMALLTOWN BOY
7. HEATWAVE
8. JUNK
9. NEED A MAN BLUES
10. I FEEL LOVE / JOHNNY REMEMBER ME
11. SMALLTOWN BOY (DJ 7" EDIT) - Bonus track
12. WHY? (REMIX) - Bonus track
13. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO (7" VERSION) - Bonus track
14. I FEEL LOVE (7" VERSION) WITH MARC ALMOND - Bonus track
15. RUN FROM LOVE (RADIO VERSION) - Bonus track
16. HARD RAIN (NME 7" VERSION) - Bonus track

DISC TWO : HUNDREDS & THOUSANDS - THE REMIX PLUS
1. HEATWAVE (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
2. WHY (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
3. RUN FROM LOVE (DOMINIC MAITA REMIX)
4. HARD RAIN (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
5. SMALLTOWN BOY (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
6. JUNK (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
7. LOVE AND MONEY (HUNDREDS & THOUSANDS REMIX) * - Bonus track
8. INFATUATION / MEMORIES - Bonus track
9. CLOSE TO THE EDGE - Bonus track
10. I FEEL LOVE (CAKE MIX) WITH MARC ALMOND - Bonus track
11. CADILLAC CAR (EXTENDED) - Bonus track

DISC THREE : CONSENT EXTENDED - THE 12 INCHES PLUS
1. SMALLTOWN BOY (12" VERSION)
2. WHY? (12" VERSION)
3. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO (12" VERSION)
4. I FEEL LOVE (12" VERSION) WITH MARC ALMOND
5. RUN FROM LOVE (US CLUB REMIX '85) *
6. SMALLTOWN BOY (US CLUB REMIX '84) *
7. RED DANCE
8. THE POTATO FIELDS
9. PUIT D'AMOUR
10. SIGNS (AND WONDERS)
11. I FEEL LOVE (FRUIT MIX)

DISC FOUR : IGNORE AT YOUR PERIL - THE RARITIES PLUS
1. SMALLTOWN BOY (CAPITAL RADIO SESSION, MAY '84) *
2. HEATWAVE (CAPITAL RADIO SESSION, MAY '84) *
3. HARD RAIN (CAPITAL RADIO SESSION, MAY '84 )*
4. WHY? (EARLY VERSION, MARCH '84) *
5. CRAZY MARAQUITTA (STUDIO SESSION) *
6. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO (EARLY VERSION) *
7. UPSIDE DOWN (STUDIO SESSION) *
8. SCREAMING (EARLY VERSION, MARCH '84) *
9. THE POWER OF THE GOLD (STUDIO SESSION) *
10. LOVE AND MONEY (EARLY VERSION) *
11. FIRST CHURCH (FEEL LOVE) (STUDIO SESSION) *
12. JUNK (EARLY VERSION 2) *
13. WALKING (STUDIO SESSION) *
14. NO MORE WAR (EARLY VERSION) *
15. GO (YOU & ME) (STUDIO SESSION) *
16. CLOSE TO THE EDGE (EARLY ALTERNATE EXTENDED MIX) *
17. HEATWAVE (EARLY VERSION) *
18. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS (STUDIO SESSION) *
19. SMALLTOWN BOY (EARLY VERSION, MARCH '84) *

DISC FIVE / DVD : THE FIRST CHAPTER - THE VIDEOS PLUS
OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEOS
1. SMALLTOWN BOY (RESTORED PROMO)
2. WHY? (RESTORED PROMO)
3. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO (RESTORED PROMO)
4. I FEEL LOVE (RESTORED PROMO) WITH MARC ALMOND
TOP OF THE POPS PERFORMANCES
5. SMALLTOWN BOY (BBC 'TOP OF THE POPS', JUNE '84)
6. WHY? (BBC 'TOP OF THE POPS', SEPTEMBER '84)
7. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO (BBC 'TOP OF THE POPS', DECEMBER '84)
8. I FEEL LOVE (BBC 'TOP OF THE POPS', APRIL '85) WITH MARC ALMOND
ORIGINAL TV ADVERTS
9. THE AGE OF CONSENT - TV ADVERT #1 (DECEMBER '84) *
10. THE AGE OF CONSENT - TV ADVERT #2 (JANUARY '85) *
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Synth pop trio Bronski Beat's 1984 debut The Age of Consent is a rarity in musical history - an album that both defined a generation and challenged the status quo. Its four singles, and particular lead single 'Smalltown Boy', have endured with astonishing resonance, offering home to all listeners dreaming of escape from their familiar surroundings and situations.

Every track on the album places the listener 'in the room': they are in it, living it, rolling inside each song's thematic meaning. Through the blue-eyed wonder of singer Jimmy Somerville's vocal pirouettes, they too take the punch of hate in 'Why?', question the bible with alongside a male voice choir on 'It Ain't Necessarily So', and watch the same crappy TV advertising on 'Junk'. They are part of the trade-off between lust and commerce in 'Love and Money' and the heated near climax of 'Need A Man Blues.'

40 years later and The Age of Consent remains as prescient and vital as ever as it did on its original release; truly transgressive - defiant, queer, and laden with hooks. To celebrate this important anniversary, London Records revisit the album across a series of expanded formats, uncovering sonic archival gems, new mixes, essays and more.

TRACKLISTING:

DOUBLE CD
CD1
1. WHY?
2. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO
3. SCREAMING
4. NO MORE WAR
5. LOVE AND MONEY
6. SMALLTOWN BOY
7. HEATWAVE
8. JUNK
9. NEED A MAN BLUES
10. I FEEL LOVE / JOHNNY REMEMBER ME
11. SMALLTOWN BOY (ABSOLUTE. EXTENDED REWORK)
12. SMALLTOWN BOY (PLANNINGTOROCK'S 'THE LOVE THAT YOU NEED' REWORK)
13. SMALLTOWN BOY (DAVE AUDÉ VS TALL PAUL REMIX) *
14. WHY? (SUPERCHUMBO MIX FT. NEIL TENNANT) *
15. SMALLTOWN BOY (THE KNOCKS & BRONSKI BEAT FT PERFUME GENIUS) *

CD2
1. HEATWAVE (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
2. WHY (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
3. RUN FROM LOVE (DOMINIC MAITA REMIX)
4. HARD RAIN (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
5. SMALLTOWN BOY (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
6. JUNK (HARVEY GOLDBERG REMIX)
7. LOVE AND MONEY (HUNDREDS & THOUSANDS REMIX) *
8. INFATUATION / MEMORIES
9. CLOSE TO THE EDGE
10. I FEEL LOVE (CAKE MIX) WITH MARC ALMOND
11. CADILLAC CAR (EXTENDED)

Expanded double-LP of »Exploded View« from Dutch minimal synth pioneers The Actor. Originally released in 1982 by Trumpett Tapes, the album was repressed for the first time by Mannequin Records in 2014, and is now coming back to life again in 2022, enriched by an extra full-length of demos from a 1981-1984 period.

Following last year’s inaugural box set, Power Corruption & Lies is the next Definitive Edition to chronical the history of one of the UK’s most enduring and influential groups

The box which includes an LP, two CDs, two DVDs and a book, features the album remastered for the first time from the original analogue tape masters on LP, and CD. The Extras CD contains previously unreleased writing sessions from New Order’s Manchester rehearsal rooms and the 1982 John Peel Session for the BBC. The DVDs capture New Order live during 1982 & 83 at The Hacienda and Kilkenny, the 1984 Play at Home Channel 4 TV documentary and other rare live & TV performances. Finally a beautiful 48 page hardback book of rare photos and brand new essay from Dave Simpson completes the Peter Saville designed box.

Power, Corruption & Lies was recorded in 1982 at Britannia Row Studios, Islington and produced by New Order.

Bonus Content:

CD:
Power Corruption And Lies - Extras

Writing Session Recordings
1. Age Of Consent *
2. The Village *
3. 5 8 6 *
4. Your Silent Face *
5. Ecstasy *
6. Leave Me Alone *

John Peel Session
7. Turn The Heater On
8. We All Stand
9. Too Late
10. 5 8 6

John Peel Session Outtake
11. Too Late (instrumental rough mix) *

New York demo #1
12. Thieves Like Us*

Writing Session Recordings
13. Thieves Like Us *
14. Murder *
15. Blue Monday *
16. Blue Monday *

Album Session Recording
17. Blue Monday (Instrumental Outtake)
*Previously unreleased

DVD 1
New Order - Power Corruption And Lies DVD
Live Shows

The Hacienda, Manchester, 1982
In A Lonely Place
Ultraviolence
Denial
The Village
We All Stand
Senses
Chosen Time
5 8 6
Temptation
Everything's Gone Green
Rosehill Hotel, Kilkenny, Ireland 1983
We All Stand
Leave Me Alone
Denial
The Village
Temptation
Confusion
Age Of Consent
Blue Monday
Everything's Gone Green
Ceremony

TV Sessions

Blue Monday (BBC Top Of The Pops, London, 1983)
Confusion (Countdown – 1983
Age Of Consent (Switch – 1983)
Blue Monday (Switch – 1983)
Thieves Like Us (BBC Top Of The Pops, London, 1984 )

Extras
Your Silent Face (The Hacienda, Manchester, 1983)
5 8 6 (The Hacienda, Manchester, 1983)
We All Stand (Recreation Centre, Tolworth, 1983)
Leave Me Alone (Recreation Centre, Tolworth, 1983)
Love Will Tear Us Apart (Tower Ballroom, Birmingham, 1983)
Ultraviolence (First Avenue, Minneapolis, 1983)
The Village (Uni-Mensa, Dusseldorf, 1984)
Thieves Like Us (Alabamahalle, Munich, 1984)
Blue Monday (Alabamahalle, Munich, 1984)
Lonesome Tonight (Metropol, Berlin, 1984)
Confusion (Metropol, Berlin, 1984)

DVD 2

Play At Home
Channel 4, 1984 documentary made by New Order
Live Show
The Hacienda, Manchester, 1983
Blue Monday
Age Of Consent
Lonesome Tonight
Your Silent Face
Leave Me Alone
5 8 6
Denial
Confusion
Temptation
Thieves Like Us
In A Lonely Place
Everything's Gone Green

We are proud to release a compilation from British post-punk/Futurist group Ghosts of Dance formed in North Devon in 1981. The members were Yvette Norris (vocals), Kevin Maynard (drums), Daryl Hunt (bass), Mark Butcher (keyboards), and Pete Heaton (guitar). Ghosts of Dance took their name from the song 'Ghosts' by David Sylvian which appeared on the first Japan album. After playing an early gig in Barnstaple, a gentleman in the audience named Richard Newman expressed his interest to start a record label and release their music. Richard scheduled a recording session for the band at Otter Studios in Georgeham with producer Harry Williamson, son of Henry Williamson, member of progressive rock band Gong. The debut single ‘Ghosts of Dance’ was released in 1982 on Plastic Canvas Records to mixed reviews as it was very different from anything being released at the time. Our compilation includes their debut single along with 9 bonus tracks recorded between 1981 and 1983 on vinyl for the first time. The band call themselves “Vocal Trance Music” on the 7” sleeve credits and it’s accurate. We call it melancholic pop with gloomy atmosphere and dream-like melodies. The final track shows the band moving in a New Romantic direction with Mark taking over the main vocals. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Each copy is housed in a jacket featuring original artwork by John Hurford and includes an insert with photos, lyrics and liner notes by Pete Heaton.

Prince‘ ikonic Album Sign O’ The Times, remastered by Prince‘ Mastering-Engineer Bernie Grundman.

Prince‘ ikonic Album Sign O’ The Times, remastered by Prince‘ Mastering-Engineer Bernie Grundman.

Prince‘ ikonic Album Sign O’ The Times, remastered by Prince‘ Mastering-Engineer Bernie Grundman.

Reprint of the album published in 1995 by Milestone Records. It is an album that collects the first songs of the group that we now know as QUEEN.

Limited edition repress on bone vinyl of cult-favorite Captured Tracks release, including bonus flexidisc featuring a rare cover of Free's "All Right Now". Saada Bonaire. The fantastic German disco/world music project from Bremen which never was meant to be. Formed by Bremen DJ Ralf Behrendt in 1982, Saada Bonaire was a unique concept band centered around two sultry female vocalists (Stefanie Lange and Claudia Hossfeld) and dozens of local musicians culled from the local immigration center. Originally signed to EMI in 1982, their first and only single, "You Could Be More As You Are" was produced by legendary Matumbi, Slits and POP Group producer Dennis Bovell in Kraftwerk's studio in Cologne. Its fusion of husky female vocals, Eastern instruments, dub and African music aesthetics, drum computers and synthesizers remains unique to this day. EMI cancelled the project upon its release. Saada Bonaire compiles two songs from the original EMI single plus eleven previously unreleased songs recorded between 1982 and 1985. Also included are never before published photos and in depth interviews with band members and a full gate fold cover for those dedicated vinyl buyers. Saada Bonaire. A bizarre mix of Kraftwerk, Grace Jones, and Marlene Dietrich. These lost recordings from the early eighties still sound fresh on today's dance floor.

This 1983 album appears on vinyl for the first time.

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".

Limited to 500 copies.

In eleven years of deep digging, Dark Entries has uncovered many curiosities, lone exemplars of the scarsest breeds. They are lurking in Croatia, on the streets of New York, maybe in the back of your own dusty closet - these odd-ball Italo and synth-wave monsters are too rare to live, too divine to die. Once-lost creatures now have a home with Dark Entries’ new Endangered Species series. The inaugural edition features five specimens previously deemed extinct, only mentioned passingly in lore and speculation, but now safely preserved on vinyl. The first cut on Endangered Species Vol. 1 is the previously unreleased electro-New Wave gem “Munich” by John King, an artist best known for his work as one half of the Dust Brothers, lauded producers of the Beastie Boys’ legendary Paul’s Boutique. “Munich”, a Danceteria-ready cut produced in 1983, sheds some light on King’s earlier interests, bridging between freestyle and emotive synthpop. Next up is a rare demo version of The Actor’s “Picture 210”. The Dutch duo here channel both the minimalism of Kraftwerk and the Surrealism of Throbbing Gristle to create one of the finest teary-eyed Goth club anthems. Brazil is a synthpop band from Croatia, and they feature with their 1990 cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World”, which is sure to turn some heads on the dancefloor. The eerily faithful production belies Brazil’s re-working of the song’s lyrics. “L'Étranger (Ana Gharib)” by Jamal Khe follows, a pearl originally only available on an impossibly rare French 7” from 1983. Khe is from the Ain Beida region of Algeria, and his Arabic vocal melodies perfectly complement the propulsive percussion and airy arpeggios from producer Jacky Bourgogne. Closing the record is the previously unreleased “Abemus Mind” from Marzio Benellil’s project Nightless. Recorded in 1983, this moody, low-tempo Italo groover features Gregorian chant-inspired vocoders and jazzy piano courtesy of Benelli’s collaborator Marco Falagiani. All songs were mastered for vinyl by George Horn. The sleeve is the first in a series of endangered animal designs by Eloise Leigh, featuring the glam tiger in its natural, 1980’s habitat. Also included is an insert with lyrics, photos, and notes. Please assist us in our efforts to preserve this planet’s weirdest beasts.

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.

Radio Broadcast is a brand new label specialized in soundboard recordings done for TV and Radio broadcast. All vinyl 140 gr. Limited to 300 copies.

1980s New York was where modern dance music took its first steps; a phoenix rising out of the ashes of disco’s over-exposure and demise. The underground scene was the very opposite of the celebrity-sprinkled commercialism of Studio 54 – “Lofts & Garages” looks at how the Spring label, with its brand new 1980s subsidiary Posse, reacted to the new movement.

As an independent New York label, it was perfectly placed to understand new trends in the clubs; it worked with some of those who would go on to define the dance music of the era, and for a glorious summer tracked the important early work of Arthur Baker, Maurice Starr and Michael Jonzun. These began their careers with productions that included Ritz, Glory and Blaze – records that sounded perfect for 12-inch singles and mixed electronic instruments with a real feel for the dancefloor.

Label mainstays Fatback were always searching for a new groove and kept an eye on the floor. Their final single for the label, ‘Spread Love’, was remixed by Morales and Munzibai. Fatback’s Bill Curtis and Gerry Thomas also produced the sought-after boogie single ‘Get Up An’ Dance (Dance With Me)’ for Mynk.

Others featured include one of the most distinctive voices in dance music, Fonda Rae, with her single ‘Live It Up’, released here in its rare radio edit; veteran soul man Lonnie Youngblood with his gospel-influenced ‘Sing A Song’; Detroit dance pioneers C-Brand’s ‘Wired For Sound’ and Body’s ‘Have Your Cake’, which has an early mixing credit for dance music legend Timmy Regisford.

These records may not have all worked on the floor of the Paradise Garage, but they were part of the energy that was given off by that and the rest of New York’s vibrant post-disco era.

‘Make It Big’ is exactly what Wham! had done by the time they released their second album in 1984. Featuring the hit singles ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Everything She Wants’ ‘Freedom and ‘Careless Whisper’, the album cemented their place as pop icons. Now on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years, ‘Make It Big’ is available in limited edition white vinyl and black vinyl.

‘Make It Big’ is exactly what Wham! had done by the time they released their second album in 1984. Featuring the hit singles ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Everything She Wants’ ‘Freedom and ‘Careless Whisper’, the album cemented their place as pop icons. Now on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years, ‘Make It Big’ is available in limited edition white vinyl and black vinyl.

Wham! exploded onto the global stage with their first album ‘Fantastic’ in 1983 and music was never the same again. Featuring the huge hits ‘Bad Boys’ ‘Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do)’ and ‘Club Tropicana’, the album debuted at #1 in the UK and sold millions of copies worldwide. Now on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years, ‘Fantastic’ is available in limited edition transparent red vinyl and black vinyl.

Nothing compared to Prince. As a performer he was known for his flamboyant style and showmanship. This was recorded during the Purple Rain tour, the album that spent 24 at number one and made Prince a superstar. Part 1 and part 2 together create the perfect combo where, accompanied by The Revolution, Prince plays all the hits: ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, ‘1999’, ‘When Doves Cry’, ‘I Would Die 4 U’ and ofcourse: ‘Purple Rain’’. An unstoppable songwriter, the multi-instrumentalist also penned plenty of hits for other artists until his early death 2016 at the age of 57.

Dark Entries returns to Mexico with Back Up Dos: Mexican Tecno Pop 1982-1989. Following 2021’s Back Up compilation, Back Up Dos delivers 10 more tracks of synth-pop and New Beat, 7 of which have never before appeared on vinyl. From mutant drum machine beats to irresistible synthesizer hooks, fans of the fringes of the 80s will find songs to stir their cold, dark hearts. But Back Up Dos does more than mine retro kitsch; it documents the development of a rich DIY music scene that is still underexplored. As affordable samplers and digital synths spread throughout the decade, post-punk and new wave gave way to more aggressive EBM and cyberpunk sounds. The scene also developed in opposition to the political climate of the times: the rise of the drug cartels and a reactionary turn in national politics. Using home recording techniques, these bands took cues from the electronic wizardry of the Human League and Wax Trax Records while reflecting the vibrant and chaotic Mexican cultural landscape of the era. On Back Up Dos, impeccable pop anthems from Casino Shanghai and Los Agentes Secretos sit alongside gnarled obscurities from Ford Proco and María Bonita, showcasing a decade of sly deviance and enthusiastic experimentation. This album comes housed in an 80s-inflected neon sleeve designed by Gwenael Rattke and includes a 12-page booklet with photographs, lyrics, and notes. Back Up Dos compiles synthetic music produced in Mexico at the crossroads from Tecno Pop to Post-Industrial, nourished by culture shock and stories of dystopian worlds.

Record is slightly warped but still enjoyable.
Cover with tiny tear at opening side.

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.

Re-release the first ever recordings by Belgian minimal synth masters Twilight Ritual. Released in 1982 in a tiny cassette edition this album has not been heard by many people. “The Ritual" includes some of their best work, from mysterious dark synthpopsongs (Elegy) to club music (Webb-men) and the epic 14-minute track (Up To Now).

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.

Limited to 500 copies.

Record Store Day 2024 Vinyl Edition

Rukatama is a Japanese singer songwriter from Tokyo. After years with idol band Melon Batake A Go Go , she started her solo career in 2020. Most of her songs and works are written and composed by herself. Her voice & music sound like a contemporary citypop dream, with rock, electronic and sometimes mellow, jazzy, folk influences as well. You can catch Ruka’s live performances around Japan or internationally, sometimes in the UK or Italy where she performed lately with Italian idols “Erisu”. Back in 2022 she made her solo debut album titled “Misrule” on NarisuRecords/via Ultra Vibe Inc, where the cd /album has been available most of the time during Sunday Girls events as in Japanese Major Record shops as well. Finally, Rukatama makes her first vinyl debut ever outside Japan, via Tanoshii Records.

1994 is a perfect mix between UK 90s broken music and classic Japanese city pop with some jazzy vibes, where Ruka’s lyrics during the last years had a huge impact on the Italian crew, inspiring the whole Tanoshii project.

Mellow is the kind of song in which you can hear Rukatama soul during some sunset DJ set. It’s the perfect food for Balearic/Tropical heads, as deep lovers lost in classic music from Mondo Grosso, Monday Michiru, Masters At Work, Blaze, King Street Rec.It’ won’t be the first time that music like Mellow could be played in classic parties like Body & Soul or Club Shelter Saturday Night event in Nyc as well.

Operation Sole like the summer, hopefully, imminent; “Operazione Sole” like the 1967 song by Peppino Di Capri, considered, perhaps wrongly, the first ska in Italy, but certainly the first to talk about Jamaica and upbeat rhythms. The record you have in your hand is intended to be a testimony to how much the sounds born in Kingston between the '60s and '70s had a significant influence on local pop. With the first explosion of reggae in England between 1968 and 1970, as well as with the rise of Bob Marley to a worldwide cult phenomenon, parallel to the all-English phenomenon of Two Tone and the ska revival, Italy, always attracted by the new trends not only English, he certainly couldn't stay on the sidelines. Therefore these innovative and unknown upbeat sounds, derived from the blues of the 1950s and mixed with a Caribbean sauce, have also taken hold in the Bel Paese. It began as early as 1959 with the song “Nessuno” by Mina, considered to all intents and purposes a Jamaican shuffle, to arrive in a few years at blue-beat (I4 di Lucca, Claudio Casavecchi) and ska (Margherita, Peppino Di Capri , Silvano Silvi, Renzo and Virginia) and be exposed to the first reggae (for example Jo Fedeli and his Italian version of “Israelites” by Desmond Dekker). Thus, we quickly reach the end of the decade of the economic boom and the culture, styles, references change: everything becomes more busy (on a cultural, artistic and political level). After a stalemate phase that lasted more than five years, Bob Marley's reggae (considered a sort of new Messiah) conquers the planet, including Italy: the producers and artists, even at a high level, for a few years do not remain at all indifferent to this novelty and decide to introduce the "upbeat", primarily reggae, into the various pop repertoires: well-known names such as Loredana Bertè, Mario Lavezzi, Rino Gaetano, Ivano Fossati, Ilona Staller, Adriano Celentano, Edoardo Bennato throw themselves headlong into new sonic adventures, in a pioneering way, but often with excellent results. The "Operazione Sole" collection wants to take the credit, instead, of proposing and discovering lesser-known artists (with the exception of Gino Santercole, former associate and relative of Il Molleggiato), often real meteors in the Italian musical panorama, who have tried to achieve (or achieve again) success by adapting the pop that was so popular in those years to the new black sounds prevailing in the West. We are in the early 80s and we range from the most classic reggae, to Italo-disco contaminated by dub up to the true Neapolitan style which, on more than one occasion, in its being endemically "black" and full of groove, has wrung out the watch out for agreements made in Kingston and London. “Operation Sun”: a pleasant philological work, but surrounded by an equally pleasant aura of disengagement.

Depeche Mode live on their ‘Construction Time Tour’. This is the recording of the first of three shows at the Hammersmith Odeon in London starting on the October 6,1983. The first tour with the then new keyboarder Alan Wilder.