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Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Ammar El Sherei's superb instrumental album “Oriental Music” from 1976. Here, the iconic Egyptian musician and composer revisits six classic compositions by another Egyptian legend, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, in his own hypnotic way. This series of great Arabic music reissues, started with the Fairuz and Ziad Rahbani album reissues are curated by Lebanese-born Arabic music expert Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. This reissue has been newly remastered and comes in its beautiful original artwork.

The late musician and composer Ammar El Sherei is one of Egypt's musical giants. Born in Upper Egypt in 1948 into an upper middle class family (his paternal grandfather had been an MP during King Fouad's reign and his eldest brother became the Egyptian ambassador to Australia) El Sherei moved to Cairo with his family when he was five and attended a special school for the blind (he had lost his eyesight in his early childhood). A child prodigy with a unique gift for music, he got noticed by his teachers who recommended him to the Hadley School for the Blind in America so he could perfect his studies by correspondence. El Sherei then quickly learn piano, oud and composition with unparalleled ease. Once he got his BA in English literature from Cairo's Ain Shams University, he decided to become a musician against the will of his family. He began playing accordion in the Cairo bars and clubs and started making a name for himself on the Cairo scene. El Sherei got his first taste of success when he managed to place a song with famed Egyptian singer Maha Sabry. This was the start of a long series of hit he composed for many established Egyptian artists. From then on, his ascension was meteoric and he went to to become a very successful composer for films and TV series especially. A true innovator who didn't hesitate to bring some western influences to traditional Egyptian music and was one of the musicians responsible for ending the lengthy song trend of the 70s. He embraced modern instrumentations and was asked by Japanese keyboard maker Yamaha Corp. to help develop new electronic keyboards that could handle quarter tone. Early in his career El Sherei recorded albums for Soutelphan, including "Oriental Music" celebrating the music of another Egyptian legend, composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab, who had co-founded Soutelphan. Here he masterfully interprets six classics from the Master including "Ana Wehabieby" (aka Ana Wa Habibi), "Ya Wabour Koly" and the classic "Ahwak" made famous by such talents as Abdel Halim Hafez or Fairuz. Using early electronic keyboards like the Steelphon S900 or the Farfisa as seen on the album cover, El Sherei creates beautifully hypnotic instrumentals that blend together traditional melodies with modern instrumentation, adding jazz and pop elements in the mix. Achieving cult status over the years with Arabic music collectors and vinyl diggers, "Oriental Music is now a sought-after album which command high prices on the international scene. Wewantsounds is delighted to make this unique album available on vinyl for the first time since it originally came out in Egypt in 1976.

Straight from the immense shelves of the Full Time Production warehouse, here's a new must-have gem for the italo disco lovers. Released for the first time in 1980 , eponymous album "Kano " is remastered for vinyl for the first time since then and is given an incredible new life through this version pressed on limited edition hand-numbered vinyl that is deep in grooves and inspiration. The first successful pioneer and ambassadors of the newly-minted "italo disco", Stefano Pulga and Luciano Ninzatti formed the core of Kano forging a consistent and memorable sound maintened throughout. This is the sound of an army of buzzing, mini-computers and thickly-slapped bass guitars igniting neon squares across dancefloors worldwide. As such, it sort of straddles the line between italo disco and synth funk. Each of the six songs provides 6 to 7 minutes of danceable delights with lengthy instrumental stretches perfect for nightclubs. With vocals that are a mix of natural, falsetto and robotic, this is an album for boys, girls and androids alike. The best of the bunch open and close the set, with "It's a War" marrying a downright deadly bass line with a furiously funky organ and apocalyptic screeching synths and "I'm Ready" providing a veritable celebration of this new sound that would go on to be a big hit in two different decades. "I'm ready" was not only the beginning of Italo Disco but also a starting point for Hip Hop because that track became a classic for breakdance. "Now Baby Now" provides further thrilling proof of the success of this sound. The positively boppy "Ahjia" hails its all-encompassing power with a jubilant refrain of "everything is music!", while the mostly-instrumental "Cosmic Voyager" acts as an adventurous, triumphant soundtrack for a hero spacecraft. "Super Extra Sexy Sign", meanwhile, grooves through the Zodiac signs in entertaining fashion.

Japanese pressing with OBI and insert

Original Japanese pressing without OBI!

2022 repress; LP version. Obi strip; Includes two-page insert. Wewantsounds present a reissue of Akiko Yano's Tadaima., originally released in 1981. The first release Wewantsounds' ambitious program to release Akiko Yano's albums outside of Japan Tadaima. ("I'm home" in Japanese) is Yano's fifth studio album and a synth-pop masterpiece, co-produced by her then husband Ryuichi Sakamoto and featuring all the musicians from Yellow Magic Orchestra (Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi, and Sakamoto), the group she was touring with at the time. Japan's best kept secret, Akiko Yano is one of the most ground-breaking artists to come out of the '70s Japanese music scene along with Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto. A piano child prodigy, Yano started her solo recording career in 1976 at just 21, recording her debut album Japanese Girl with no less than Little Feat as the backing band. This album created a stir on the Japanese scene and Yano was on the map. She went on to record a series of superb albums mixing funk, electro, and city pop featuring the cream of Japanese (and sometimes American and English) musicians; The fact she was producing, writing and composing herself made her a true maverick in a very male-dominated industry. These albums, incredibly, have never been released outside of Japan to this day. Tadaima. is Yano's first attempt to leave the acoustic piano aside and delve into the synth sounds of the early '80s. The result is a fascinating electro pop masterpiece showcasing her talent as a writer, musician, and singer, creating her own unique universe. Mixing Japanese and English lyrics, Yano crafts perfect pop songs such as "Tadaima.", "I Sing", "Harusaki Kobeni" (which became one of her most famous songs after its use in a Japanese cosmetics ad), while "Taiyo No Onara" is a suite composed of nine short stories written by children. Contributors on Tadaima. also include Shigesato Itoi, one of Japan's most famous copywriters (for Studio Ghibli among others) who wrote two tracks on the album and his friend legendary illustrator Teruhiko Yumura -- aka King Terry -- who revolutionized underground manga in the '70s with his "heta-uma" (bad-good) style, as showcased on the album's striking artwork. Tadaima. is the perfect entry point to Akiko Yano's unique body or work. This reissue includes original artwork by cult illustrator King Terry and a new introduction by renowned DJ Joakim.

WRWTFWW Records is very honored to announce the official reissue of Grauzone’s essential 1981 maxi single with timeless classic “Eisbär", proto-techno beast “FILM 2″, and romantic synth ballad “Ich Lieb Sie", just in time for the 40th anniversary of the Swiss band’s formation. The three-track vinyl is sourced from the original reels, cut at 45rpm, and comes with its iconic artwork on a 350gsm sleeve.

The much acclaimed city pop masterpiece with flavors of boogie-disco, funk and fusion and the soulful voice of Eri Ohno. Originally released in 1981 and repressed on vinyl for the very first time from the original master tapes.
Limited edition. Comes with insert.

This classic Queen album is pressed on 180gram. Queen Greatest Hits (and Greatest Hits II separately) is released on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl. Both titles will use their original artwork, and for the first time, Greatest Hits will be released as a 2LP set. 'Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Queen, originally released in the UK on 26 October 1981. The album consisted of Queen's best-selling singles since their first chart appearance in 1974 with "Seven Seas of Rhye", up to their 1980 hit "Flash". Queen's Greatest Hits was an instant success, peaking at number one on the UK Album Chart for four weeks. It has spent over 700 weeks in the UK Charts, and is the best-selling album of all time in the UK, selling over 6 million copies there. It is certified 8x Platinum in the United States, and is Queen's most commercially successful album worldwide with over 25 million copies sold, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

A rare private pressing from 1981 gets a loving remaster from Simon Mills [bent] and a reissue on the NuNorthern Soul label who have been releasing and reissuing musical oddballs and goodness for 11 years. Ace compialtion compiler, Paul Hillery [bbe, ReWarm] has spent time interviewing Mike Welch about this project and will be included as extensive sleeve notes on the release. This is a very special Blue Eyed Soul album with heavy Country leanings or as Paul puts it ' A record made by a musician, having to work hard by day and then put it all on the line in the studio at the weekend. Reflective songwriting and tight musicianship are given the space to breathe and un-smothered by overproduction. Difficult to tag, harder to find, essential re-issue business.' Copies of this are very hard to come by and go for silly money on Discogs which is a shame as the world needs to hear this album. 1LP vinyl with heavy card insert.

EU reissue. Original inner sleeve. Vinyl is very close to NM. Tiny wear.

1980, Friday evening in the Munich suburban pub »Panoptikum«. My girlfriend draws my attention to the fact that behind me two guys are talking about looking for a new guitarist for their band. I turn around, chat them up (Jochen and Thomas) and praise my skills to the skies. A few days later I’m standing in Thomas‘ perfectly equipped practice room with my Ibanez Les Paul copy. We jam a little while – jazz rock, to which I can contribute very little due to my lack of skills. We quickly agree on a new style: minimalist, no drums, just a drum machine, Moog and organ, less guitar, dry bass. And German lyrics! We don’t really know or want that this should be ”ndw”. But of course we listen to DAF, Ideal, FSK, Fehlfarben and – yes, Spliff too. These influences are undeniable. So we found the ”piss OFF Orkesstr”, which very quickly becomes ”p’off Orkesstr” and then finally ”P!OFF?”. Ambitious and inspired, we produce a demo cassette that already contains ”Das dicke Kind”, ”Großer Bruder”, ”Pass Auf!” and ”Walkman” and send it to various record companies – including Munich‘s ”Ariola”, which is desperately looking for NDW acts because the Ariola empire has missed this trend. Therefore, they ”buy” about 25 bands at the drop of a hat – and P!OFF? is supposed to be one of them, because they expect some good airplay mainly from ”Walkman”. Producer god Anthony Monn (Amanda Lear, Relax, Saragossa Band, Fancy et al.) takes us under his wing and manages to keep the original demo sound, but to improve it considerably. ”Mein Walkman ist kaputt” didn‘t make it into the charts, but it was played more often on the radio and the Album didn‘t sell badly. In 1982, however, NDW is now commercialised to death and that ship had sailed. But we stay together (under different band names) and over the decades become first New Romantics, then Indie Rockers, then Grunge Noise Makers and finally Electronic Freaks. In 2009, for my fiftieth birthday, we decide to play a few songs from the old 82 record live, which becomes a huge success. And so we are – again as P!OFF? – still on the road with our old songs. The ’82 Album has become a sought-after collector‘s item and cult object – so we are very happy that Bureau B is presenting a lovingly remastered reissue after almost 40 years.

Part of The Optic Sevens 4.0 Reissue Series. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide. Pressed on White Vinyl Includes postcard and poster. Edward Ball was a member of cult band The Television Personalities alongside his school friend Dan Treacy before leaving to concentrate on The Times. ‘I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape’ (inspired by cult TV series The Prisoner) Is probably the best known track from them, originally released on the Artpop! label in 1982. The second single from The Times reissued here with an extra track from the 12” (released a year later in 1983). We have also decided to use the same sleeve that was used for the original 12”.

2017 Re-mastered, reissue, 180g black vinyl in gatefold Cover. Originally released in 1982 by the Turkish Poet, composer and singer of classical and contemporary Turkish Music. He was the most popular artist in his genre for four decades. His distinctive voice style impressed millions of people and many singer following him. This LP is considered as one of the best among his albums.

Black Friday Record Store Day 2022 Reissue. Color: Gold. Limitation: 10.000 copies. In 1982, as Duranmania was sweeping the globe following the release of Duran Duran’s smash hit album ‘rio’, the band recorded and filmed one of their three London dates at Hammersmith Odeon. Exclusively for Black Friday 2022 the audio from this legendary show will be pressed on vinyl for the very first time. This gold double vinyl edition, features live performances of Duran Duran hits - Rio, Hungry like the Wolf, Girls on Film and more. Plus, fan favourite cover of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel’s Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me). Strictly limited to 10,000 units.

Putting into perspective the incalculable impact and pioneering significance of the best-selling album of all time – Michael Jackson's Thriller – has never been easy. Though Thriller lays claim to mind-boggling statistics that serve as reminders of how pervasive and indispensable it remains to music snobs and casual listeners alike, its essence always traces back to the greatness, power, and scope of the music. Now, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary, the record that reimagined pop; united audiences; made strides towards achieving racial equality; established the video as an artistic and commercial format; and taught the world how to dance sounds even more invigorating than it did during the advent of the Walkman. Mastered from the original analog master tapes, pressed at RTI, and limited to 40,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33rpm LP set does for Thriller what Jackson's unforgettable appearance on the "Motown 25" TV special in 1983 did for his career: It makes the music personal, human, desirable, relatable, imaginative – the definition of cool. This extraordinary reissue does so by presenting the songs in lifelike fashion, zeroing in on the fundamentals with laser focus, and magnifying the brilliance of the production, arrangements, and vocals in ways that let everyone experience Thriller as if hearing the album for the first time.

Surpassing the sonics of earlier reissues and pressings, Mobile Fidelity's 180g LP set strips away prior limitations and provides a clear, dynamic view of a landmark that crashed through every conceivable barrier and permanently transformed music, culture, and society. The expanse and depth of the soundstage, range of detail, percussive textures, air around the vocals, and natural decay of notes come through with demonstration-grade realism.

The gorgeous packaging of the Thriller Ud1s pressing befits the album's select status. Housed in an open-ended slipcase, the set features a special foil-stamped jacket and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. Aurally and visually, this reissue exists as a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in everything involved with the album.

Given that no album released during the past four decades even approaches the magnitude of Thriller, everything about it remains important. Numbers – even the "40" tied to its anniversary – don't even tell half the story. The 1982 blockbuster has sold more than 34 million copies in the U.S.; globally, it has moved upwards of 70 million units. Thriller dominated the 1984 Grammy Awards, winning a record-breaking eight trophies and sweeping every major category. It repeated the feat at the American Music Awards. Seven of its nine songs were released as singles; each charted in the Top 10. Perhaps most astonishingly, Thriller topped the Top 200 Albums chart for 37 weeks during a 59-week stretch. Fast forward 24 years, and the album was the biggest-selling catalog title of 2008.

The record's unimpeachable accolades and archival standing help provide another frame of reference. Acclaimed upon arrival, Thriller topped The Village Voice's comprehensive Pazz & Jop poll in 1983. Included in both the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry and the Grammy Hall of Fame, Thriller was ranked by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at No. 3 on its Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. Rolling Stone named it the 12th Greatest Album of All Time. Time deemed it "the greatest pop album of all time." The Independent called it "the most inspiring album of all time."

Thriller proved as influential as it did inspiring. Its unparalleled success, dazzling style, and sleek architecture changed every facet of culture and entertainment. The reverberations echoed throughout society. Thriller crossed over to mainstream channels and white audiences with a degree that no Black musician managed in decades (if ever); prompted MTV to give Black artists a widespread platform; elevated choreography and dance to higher-level artforms; shattered long-standing racial boundaries; and reconceptualized music via a genre- and color-blind blend of fleet pop, funk, disco, soul, and rock sent up with cinematic panache, oversized ambition, and dynamic energy.

Its effect on multitudes of subsequent artists cannot be overstated. Thriller opened up a new galaxy in which Prince soon strolled. It's the same universe that Usher, Maxwell, and Jamiroquai joined in the ‘90s and that contemporary headliners like Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars orbit today. Their style-blurring identities, R&B-rooted foundations, and interdisciplinary approaches directly link to those on Thriller. Notably, the album's first single – "The Girl Is Mine," a duet and co-write with Beatles legend Paul McCartney – captured the record's unwillingness to cater to a specific race, generation, class, or style. Eddie Van Halen – at the time, the world's premier rock guitarist – performed a similar bridge role by supplying the electrifying solo on "Beat It."

Jackson, Quincy Jones, and company do the rest. Drop the needle on any track on Thriller and the insatiable desire to move takes hold. So do sensations of familiarity, pleasure, fun, and soulfulness. Be it the breathless, bass-laden swagger of the Moonwalking "Billie Jean"; horn-accented, post-disco slide of the gossip critique "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; rousing tempo of the lush, sequin-adorned "P. Y. T. (Pretty Young Thing)"; gentle balladry and liquid vocal phrasing of "Human Nature"; vivid hybrid of funk-disco and horror-film drama of the title track; or streetwise strut and rhythmic fantasia of "Beat It," Thriller never lets up.

Putting into perspective the incalculable impact and pioneering significance of the best-selling album of all time – Michael Jackson's Thriller – has never been easy. Though Thriller lays claim to mind-boggling statistics that serve as reminders of how pervasive and indispensable it remains to music snobs and casual listeners alike, its essence always traces back to the greatness, power, and scope of the music. Now, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary, the record that reimagined pop; united audiences; made strides towards achieving racial equality; established the video as an artistic and commercial format; and taught the world how to dance sounds even more invigorating than it did during the advent of the Walkman. Mastered from the original analog master tapes, pressed at RTI, and limited to 40,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33rpm LP set does for Thriller what Jackson's unforgettable appearance on the "Motown 25" TV special in 1983 did for his career: It makes the music personal, human, desirable, relatable, imaginative – the definition of cool. This extraordinary reissue does so by presenting the songs in lifelike fashion, zeroing in on the fundamentals with laser focus, and magnifying the brilliance of the production, arrangements, and vocals in ways that let everyone experience Thriller as if hearing the album for the first time.

Surpassing the sonics of earlier reissues and pressings, Mobile Fidelity's 180g LP set strips away prior limitations and provides a clear, dynamic view of a landmark that crashed through every conceivable barrier and permanently transformed music, culture, and society. The expanse and depth of the soundstage, range of detail, percussive textures, air around the vocals, and natural decay of notes come through with demonstration-grade realism.

The gorgeous packaging of the Thriller Ud1s pressing befits the album's select status. Housed in an open-ended slipcase, the set features a special foil-stamped jacket and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. Aurally and visually, this reissue exists as a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in everything involved with the album.

Given that no album released during the past four decades even approaches the magnitude of Thriller, everything about it remains important. Numbers – even the "40" tied to its anniversary – don't even tell half the story. The 1982 blockbuster has sold more than 34 million copies in the U.S.; globally, it has moved upwards of 70 million units. Thriller dominated the 1984 Grammy Awards, winning a record-breaking eight trophies and sweeping every major category. It repeated the feat at the American Music Awards. Seven of its nine songs were released as singles; each charted in the Top 10. Perhaps most astonishingly, Thriller topped the Top 200 Albums chart for 37 weeks during a 59-week stretch. Fast forward 24 years, and the album was the biggest-selling catalog title of 2008.

The record's unimpeachable accolades and archival standing help provide another frame of reference. Acclaimed upon arrival, Thriller topped The Village Voice's comprehensive Pazz & Jop poll in 1983. Included in both the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry and the Grammy Hall of Fame, Thriller was ranked by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at No. 3 on its Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. Rolling Stone named it the 12th Greatest Album of All Time. Time deemed it "the greatest pop album of all time." The Independent called it "the most inspiring album of all time."

Thriller proved as influential as it did inspiring. Its unparalleled success, dazzling style, and sleek architecture changed every facet of culture and entertainment. The reverberations echoed throughout society. Thriller crossed over to mainstream channels and white audiences with a degree that no Black musician managed in decades (if ever); prompted MTV to give Black artists a widespread platform; elevated choreography and dance to higher-level artforms; shattered long-standing racial boundaries; and reconceptualized music via a genre- and color-blind blend of fleet pop, funk, disco, soul, and rock sent up with cinematic panache, oversized ambition, and dynamic energy.

Its effect on multitudes of subsequent artists cannot be overstated. Thriller opened up a new galaxy in which Prince soon strolled. It's the same universe that Usher, Maxwell, and Jamiroquai joined in the ‘90s and that contemporary headliners like Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars orbit today. Their style-blurring identities, R&B-rooted foundations, and interdisciplinary approaches directly link to those on Thriller. Notably, the album's first single – "The Girl Is Mine," a duet and co-write with Beatles legend Paul McCartney – captured the record's unwillingness to cater to a specific race, generation, class, or style. Eddie Van Halen – at the time, the world's premier rock guitarist – performed a similar bridge role by supplying the electrifying solo on "Beat It."

Jackson, Quincy Jones, and company do the rest. Drop the needle on any track on Thriller and the insatiable desire to move takes hold. So do sensations of familiarity, pleasure, fun, and soulfulness. Be it the breathless, bass-laden swagger of the Moonwalking "Billie Jean"; horn-accented, post-disco slide of the gossip critique "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; rousing tempo of the lush, sequin-adorned "P. Y. T. (Pretty Young Thing)"; gentle balladry and liquid vocal phrasing of "Human Nature"; vivid hybrid of funk-disco and horror-film drama of the title track; or streetwise strut and rhythmic fantasia of "Beat It," Thriller never lets up.

Sacd

Surpassing the sonics of earlier reissues and pressings, this hybrid Sacd strips away prior limitations and provides a clear, dynamic view of a landmark that crashed through every conceivable barrier and permanently transformed music, culture, and society. The expanse and depth of the soundstage, range of detail, percussive textures, air around the vocals, and natural decay of notes come through with demonstration-grade realism. Put simply, this reissue makes the phenomenon that is Thriller eternal.

Japanese pressing with obi and insert. Cover is close to NM

Long out of print NDW cult classic album "Weltweit" by MONOPOL. Released in 1982, "Weltweit" was the sole output of the band. It has appropriately become quite rare and difficult to find with the resulting high prices to obtain an original copy. Inspired by the greats such as Kraftwerk, YMO and Klaus Schulze, the three members crafted an exquisite collection of electronic pop songs played on a very impressive collection of analog synthesizers, self-builds and drum machines, that were considered cutting edge at the time.

Japanese pressing with OBI and insert!

Japanese pressing. OBI is missing. Vinyl is close to NM.

Japanese pressing without OBI, with insert.

Remastered from the original analogue tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl!

“Too Low for Zero” (stylized as 2 ↓ 4 0), released in 1983, is the seventeenth official album release for Elton John. The album marked a return to form for Elton, whose previous four albums had failed to yield many enduring international hit singles, and had disappointing sales compared to his string of hit records released during the first half of the 1970s. It is his best-selling album of the 1980s, earning Platinum certification by the RIAA. It produced several hit songs, each accompanied by successful MTV music videos, and it spent over a year on the Billboard album chart.

The Fall returned to Rough Trade in 1983 to release a pair of singles (“The Man Whose Head Expanded” and “Kicker Conspiracy”) and Perverted By Language, their sixth proper studio album. Perverted By Language hints at the band’s shift towards a distinctly pop approach, one that they would perfect via their Beggars Banquet output that immediately followed. Yet again, the force and panic of their initial Rough Trade recordings remains the foundation for much of the album. A transitional recording in the absolute best sense, Perverted By Language is The Fall both as they were and as they would become.

The emergence of Brix Smith is often cited as the impetus for The Fall’s move toward outward pop, and she first makes her first appearance with the band on Perverted By Language. Nowhere is her presence felt more than on “Hotel Blöedel,” where she handles lead vocal duties alongside Mark E. Smith whose mangled violin accompaniment roots the song’s cold romanticism in his unmistakable brand of strange. “Garden” provides a new take on The Fall’s stretched-out tendencies—using ringing, clean guitars to build a nearly 10-minute epic more subtly than ever before. The opener, “Eat Y’self Fitter,” is wholly classic Fall: a playfully circular bass line drives the album’s strongest vocal spout, complete with emphatic breaks where Mark E. Smith issues the song’s spiteful decree with equal parts glee and scorn.

Superior Viaduct’s edition is the first time that Perverted By Language has been available on vinyl domestically.

2020 reissue. Vinyl is very close to NM. Original inner sleeves. tiny wear.

THE First Ever International Release OF Ryuichi Sakamoto's Landmark 1984 Album "ongaku Zukan" IN ITS TWO Rare Japanese Versions (normal AND Limited Edition).
Featuring Remastered Audio With Bonus Tracks, Original Gatefold Artwork AND NEW Liner Notes BY Andy Beta.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic LP "Ongaku Zukan", originally issued in Japan on his own School label in 1984.
The reissue will replicate the original Japanese release which offered two versions: a normal edition featuring the LP with a bonus 2-track 7" EP (wwslp71), and a limited edition which includes a 3-track 12" EP in place of the 7" (wwslp72)
Remastered by Saidera Mastering in Tokyo the reissue boasts the original gatefold artwork plus an extra 2-page insert with new liner notes by Andy Beta

The early '80s were a turning point for Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. As a solo artist, the smash hit soundtrack he had composed for 1983's "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" (a film in which he had also acted), had put him on the verge of becoming a global superstar. Meanwhile he had called a halt to his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra; the influential, globally successful pop trio calling it quits after the release of their 1983 album "Naughty Boys".
Against this backdrop, Sakamoto descended on Tokyo's Onkyo Haus Studio to record his fourth solo album, "Ongaku Zukan" ("Musical Encyclopedia") accompanied by a handful of musicians including his ex-YMO partners Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, and the prolifically talented Yasuaki Shimizu, Tatsuro Yamashita and Toshinori Kondo. Sakamoto began with no particular plan in mind, recording 30 basic tracks over the best part of 1983. It was on his return to the studio the following year that the album truly began to take shape. Accompanied by a newly acquired Fairlight CMI sampler, the musician made extensive use of the revolutionary equipment to create a wide palette of sound textures which he added to the tracks, a creatively fertile process that was captured on film for the French documentary "Tokyo Melody, A Film about Ryuichi Sakamoto".)
Released in August 1984 the album "Ongaku Zukan" proved a huge success, providing Sakamoto with his first top 5 hit in Japan. Filled with inspired melodies that showcase his unique gift as a composer, it offers up a fascinating mix of styles. Asiatic electro pop nuggets ("Tibetan Dance") share space with futuristic ambient pieces ("Hane no Hayashi de"), and brilliantly creative fusions of jazz, funk, techno and reggae ("Etude" and "Tabi no Kyokuhoki.")
Two simultaneous editions of the album were released in Japan: the regular one featuring a bonus 7" EP with two extra tracks: "Replica" and "Ma Mère l'Oye" while a limited edition added a 12" EP (in lieu of the 7") which included a third track, "Tibetan Dance (Version)." An international version was released two years later in 1986 by 10 Records/Virgin under the title "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia," but with a very different track list. Five tracks from "Ongaku Zukan" were dropped, namely "Self Portrait," "Tabi no kyokuhoku," "Mori no Hito," "A Tribute to N.J.P" and "Tibetan Dance (Version)", to be replaced by two non-album singles from 1985, "Stepping Into Asia" and "Field Work."
This is the very first time that the two 1984 Japanese editions of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic album have been released internationally in collaboration with the artist's management and Midi Inc., with remastered audio and the original artwork faithfully reproduced, paying tribute to one of contemporary music's undisputed geniuses.

Sticker on cover.

Original japanese pressing with obi and inserts. very close to NM

A 2-disc set of the best albums released in 1983, including songs that appeared for the first time and were released on an album for the first time, such as "Love is Magic", a duet with Yoshinori Monta, and "A Love Affair", which was released as a commercial song for Clarion. Limited re-release on vinyl!

Limited new edition of this classic single featuring an unreleased Live-Recording.
"Last Christmas" by Wham! is one of the most iconic Christmas pop songs, originally released on December 3, 1984. The song was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the British pop duo Wham!, alongside Andrew Ridgeley. Despite its massive popularity, "Last Christmas" was initially released as a double A-side with the song "Everything She Wants," and it surprisingly did not reach the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart, being kept at number two by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

"Last Christmas" has become one of the most played Christmas songs worldwide, and it is frequently covered by various artists. It consistently reappears on music charts during the holiday season.
The song remains one of the best-selling Christmas singles and has had a lasting cultural impact, often associated with holiday cheer and nostalgia despite its bittersweet lyrics.

Limited new edition of this classic single featuring an unreleased Live-Recording.
"Last Christmas" by Wham! is one of the most iconic Christmas pop songs, originally released on December 3, 1984. The song was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the British pop duo Wham!, alongside Andrew Ridgeley. Despite its massive popularity, "Last Christmas" was initially released as a double A-side with the song "Everything She Wants," and it surprisingly did not reach the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart, being kept at number two by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

"Last Christmas" has become one of the most played Christmas songs worldwide, and it is frequently covered by various artists. It consistently reappears on music charts during the holiday season.
The song remains one of the best-selling Christmas singles and has had a lasting cultural impact, often associated with holiday cheer and nostalgia despite its bittersweet lyrics.

Limited new edition of this classic single featuring an unreleased Live-Recording.
"Last Christmas" by Wham! is one of the most iconic Christmas pop songs, originally released on December 3, 1984. The song was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the British pop duo Wham!, alongside Andrew Ridgeley. Despite its massive popularity, "Last Christmas" was initially released as a double A-side with the song "Everything She Wants," and it surprisingly did not reach the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart, being kept at number two by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

"Last Christmas" has become one of the most played Christmas songs worldwide, and it is frequently covered by various artists. It consistently reappears on music charts during the holiday season.
The song remains one of the best-selling Christmas singles and has had a lasting cultural impact, often associated with holiday cheer and nostalgia despite its bittersweet lyrics.

Konstruktivists is the Industrial project of Glenn Michael Wallis from Kent, England. In the late ’70s Wallis was a “control agent” for Throbbing Gristle and the Industrial Records crew. Influenced by Krautrock bands like Can, NEU!, Cluster/Harmonia as well as Tuxedomoon, Yello, Chrome, and SPK, Glenn began to record his own material. After several cassette releases, Konstruktivists’ first LP A Dissembly was released in 1982 followed by Psykho Genetika in 1983 and Black December in 1984. That same year Wallis collaborated with his friend Chris Carter, of Throbbing Gristle and Chris and Cosey fame, on CTI’s Conspiracy International One. In 1985, Glenn spent a week at Chris and Cosey’s studio recording 11 tracks that would become the Glennascaul album originally released on Nigel Ayers' Sterile Records. Produced and mixed by Chris Carter, it marked a complete change in style for the band towards a beat-orientated rhythmic sound. Glennascaul is proto electro at its very best, with Glenn’s hallucinogenic vocals on top. A musical collage designed to invoke images in the mind. The back cover clearly states “No guitars. No Fairlights.” For this deluxe reissue we’ve added two bonus tracks recorded around the same time, now vinyl for the first time ever. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is housed in an exact replica of the original jacket featuring cover art, which is a co-production of Trevor Brown, Nigel Ayers and an image Glenn Wallis supplied. Each copy includes a double-sided 8x11 insert with liner notes by Nigel Ayers, press clippings, and photos.

One of Magic De Spell's distinctive features as a band, since their 1980's start, was the constant quest for musical transformation. Soon after the release of their second LP "Kiss The Mirror" in 1984, the band turned into a trio (George Scarlatos, Elias Aslanoglou and Theodore Vlachakis). They rejected their unique post-punk/dark/new wave sound for the sake of a more synth-oriented one. In February 1985 they made their first live appearance with this line-up at "Kyttaro" club. Two female vocalists were added in the process (Johnnee and Bessie). They moved on with their new project head on and although that transformation was something very natural from the band's perspective, their friends and fans viewed it with skepticism. They requested from their label to cancel their contract and they signed with "Enigma Records" which released the album "Cpt Blind" in December 1985. Their efforts were focused not only in creating a minimalist electronic sound, but in presenting a range of interesting sound samples and mixes, even with the addition of physical instruments. Many of the final recordings were made with the helping hand of several fellow musicians. Furthermore, the contribution of their new label "Enigma Records" in the overall remarkable production can't be overlooked. With this line up, they presented their new LP in Athens, Thessaloniki and many other cities, mainly in southern Greece. They continued performing live, especially in Athens, while re-interpreting many of their older songs to match with their new musical style. In the late 80's (around 1988-89) all members embarked on individual projects (Alice In A Nightmare - Pedia Tou Iliou e.t.c.). The English speaking/lyrics version of Magic De Spell appeared live for one last time in 1991 during the promotion of the "Best Of" LP entitled "A Story - The Best And The Rest" which included many tracks from the "Cpt Blind" LP and actually marked the end of their New Wave/Post Punk era.

Limited edition of 100 copies on blue wax. Only available at HHV.

Disco Segreta sets your summer on fire with the official reissue of two killer obscure italo-disco masterpieces! Out of the catalog of the no longer active cult Savona-based label Disco In, this 7” released in 1985 in 1000 copies sung by the mysterious Laura Angel, is probably one of the most elusive, with original copies hardly ever showing up ! “Summer Time” carries all the fascinating stylistic elements of italo-disco: romantic struggle, summer-inspired ital-english lyrics sung by a catchy female voice, over minimal 80s drums and arpeggiated basslines; while “If You Want” is possibly one of the finest examples of that all-Italian peculiar mixture of darkwave, synth-pop and italo-disco. Two superb melanchol-italo tearjerkers, with a masterful use of three classic italo disco fetish synths: E-mu Drumulator, Juno 106, Korg Poly 61. As usual with us, the first ever 12” reissue of this 45 - in a limited edition on 180g. high-quality vinyl - will be lovingly remastered, respectful of the actual tracks’ 80s lo-fi vibe, and will feature the original 45 versions.

SOURCED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES AND LIMITED TO 4,000 NUMBERED COPIES:

MOBILE FIDELITY'S 180G SUPERVINYL LP PRESENTS 1985 BLOCKBUSTER IN AUDIOPHILE SOUND, PLAYS WITH EXCEPTIONAL CLARITY
PCM digital master to analogue console to lathe



Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut album has few parallels. Viewed solely through the lens of sales numbers, Whitney Houston is a watershed statement on par with the most commercially successful and culturally dominant LPs ever released. Having sold more than 14 million copies in the U.S. and upwards of 25 million units worldwide, the 1985 LP became the equivalent of the television show or blockbuster film that everyone collectively experiences and discusses. Nearly four decades later, it’s lost none of its appeal or magnetism — and its artistic significance and historical import have only grown.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at RTI on MoFi SuperVinyl, and strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's 180g SuperVinyl LP of Whitney Houston presents the breakthrough in audiophile sound for the first time. The signature traits Houston exhibits on every song — her three-octave range, radiant warmth, personal conviction, impossibly controlled register — come across with exceptional clarity, focus, and presence. Free of artificial ceilings and constricted dynamics, this reissue plays with an openness, airiness, and balance that put the singer’s once-in-a-lifetime instrument and immortal artistry into proper perspective.

It does the same for the songs’ cascading melodies and captivating arrangements. Individually produced by one of four renowned industry veterans — Kashif, Micheal Masser, Jermaine Jackson, and Narada Michael Walden — each composition feels grander, closer, more genuine. A vocal spectacular, Whitney Houston benefits from the high-end characteristics of SuperVinyl, which include a nearly inaudible noise floor, superb groove definition, and dead-quiet surfaces. This is how an album that changed the direction of popular music — opening previously inaccessible doors for Black artists; bringing smooth-singing vocalists back into the mainstream; kickstarting a movement that soon included several “divas” who would command the charts through the early 21st century — should look and sound.

Though Houston’s seemingly effortless performances suggest otherwise, creating the record Rolling Stone ranks as the 257th Greatest Album of All Time wasn’t easy. Nearly 18 months were required to identify songs suitable for a still-unknown singer who did not fit into the conventional frameworks of the mid ‘80s. Confident, powerful, and prodigiously talented, Houston would forge her own parameters with Whitney Houston. In the process, she obliterated the stubborn lines between R&B and pop, Black and white radio. She dared to reimagine who could be a superstar and then went out and defined the role. Recorded for nearly $400,000 and released on Valentine’s Day, the LP exceeded the wildest expectations of those most closely associated with it — save for Houston and her family.

Having made her first public appearance at the age of 11 singing at a Baptist church, Houston understood pressure and knew her way around, inside, and through a song. The invaluable guidance and support she received from her mother, Cissy, an accomplished gospel vocalist who backed Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, are on display throughout Whitney Houston. They arrive in the types of authoritativeness, discipline, and diction rare for even most seasoned veterans — and unheard-of for a 21-year-old newcomer. Houston brings a soulful elegance, understated glamour, and in-the-moment rapture to every note. Moving up, down, or staying in the middle of the vocal ladder; channelling softness or sweetness; showing restraint or increasing the volume, she is a marvel of emotionalism, a dynamo who can seamlessly transition from one mood to another within a verse.

Though the 10-track LP largely concerns itself with the ballad tradition, Houston covers the bases, getting into an R&B groove on the fleet “Thinking About You,” turning up the heat on the duet “Take Good Care of My Heart,” and investing the contagious dance-pop confection “How Will I Know” with all the anxiety, hope, energy, and enthusiasm its lyrics demand. Featuring her mom on background vocals and Houston’s pitch-perfect tone, uncanny precision, and skyscraper highs (no AutoTune here, friends), the synth-based anthem propelled Whitney Houston into the stratosphere, the vocalist into regular MTV rotation, and the term “crossover” into popular parlance. The double-platinum single reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, Hot R&B, and Adult Contemporary charts — a trifecta that foreshadowed accomplishments that would ultimately crown Houston as the most-awarded female artist of all time.

Whitney Houston became the first album by a Black female performer to top the Billboard charts. It remained there for 14 non-consecutive weeks en route to claiming the title of the best-selling LP of 1986. It stands as the first debut and first album by a solo female artist to spawn three No. Hits, as well as the first album by a Black female artist to top the year-end charts in Australia and Canada. These are just a handful of the accolades — along with four Grammy nominations — that surround a set that also contains the unforgettable ballad “Saving All My Love,” string-accompanied “Greatest Love of All,” and sensual “You Give Good Love.”

As TIME observed in an article written two years after the album took the world by storm: “This is infectious, can't-sit-down music, and her performance dares the listener not to smile right back.” We’re still smiling.

SACD

Sourced from the original master tapes and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's hybrid SACD of Whitney Houston presents the breakthrough in audiophile sound for the first time. The signature traits Houston exhibits on every song — her three-octave range, radiant warmth, personal conviction, impossibly controlled register — come across with exceptional clarity, focus, and presence. Free of artificial ceilings and constricted dynamics, this reissue plays with an openness, airiness, and balance that put the singer’s once-in-a-lifetime instrument and immortal artistry into proper perspective.

Cover and vinyl are very close to NM.

Japanese pressing. Promo copy. With OBI and insert. Cover and vinyl are very close to NM. With poster.

The debut single collection, featuring all 13 singles from "Slow Motion" to the 13th single "SOLITUDE," includes a total of 13 tracks. This best album was simultaneously released in three formats—LP, cassette tape, and CD—on April 1, 1986.

very close to NM

Limited edition re-issue of 1988 longplayer recorded live at the Music Centrum, Utrecht, The Netherlands in may 1987 !
Anne Clark is a poet, songwriter and singer in one person. The musician conveys her sophisticated lyrics to her audience through a kind of spoken word singing. She dresses them in a sound costume primarily characterized by electronic instruments, which lends her songs a certain coolness.
1988 saw the release of "R.S.V.P.", her first concert album, recorded at the Music Centrum, Utrecht in May 1987. The keyboard-heavy band performs with routine and sensitivity. A highlight of the disc is the mystic-mysterious sounding "Cane Hill". And also with "Wallies", one of her more popular songs, Anne Clark can score.
A very successful album, atmospheric, melodic, well produced. You can literally feel the intimate atmosphere between Anne Clark and the audience present. Also successful is the interpretation of the pieces, which are intoned live yet somewhat different than in the studio, consistently more melodic.

London Records releases remastered and expanded editions of Voice Of The Beehive’s classic debut 1988 album, ‘Let It Bee’ on November 25th. Formats include a remastered gatefold vinyl edition in transparent honey yellow, and an expanded double CD edition featuring previously unreleased tracks, live versions and demos. All formats feature new liner notes by the band’s very own Tracey Belland. In the mid 80s, armed with a only a suitcase of songs, Californian sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland escaped the American music industry in search of the vibrant British indie scene, finding recently split Madness band member Daniel ‘Woody’ Woodgate, who together with guitarist Mike Jones and bassist Martin Brett would form ‘the Beehive Boys’. The powerful live chops of the Beehive Boys, combined with the harmonies, energy and stage presence of Tracey and Melissa, made Voice of the Beehive indie darlings and one of the hottest live acts on the London scene. Signing with London Records, they recorded ‘Let It Bee’, its sunny exterior of sparkling indie guitars, energetic rhythms matched with lyrics and melodies that revealed both hope and an occasionally cutting cynicism. On its release ‘Let It Bee’ was a UK Top 15 album, its singles ‘I Say Nothing’, ‘I Walk The Earth’ & ‘Don’t Call Me Baby’ all chart hits and radio favourites. Re-issued for the first time since its initial release. The expanded double CD version features ‘Cartoon City’, a band favourite recently uncovered and remastered from the London Records archives.

Limited 180 gram vinyl LP pressing of this album from the classic rock band. Pump is the tenth studio album by Aerosmith, released on September 12, 1989. Pump incorporates the use of keyboards and a horn section on many of the singles ("Love in an Elevator", "The Other Side"), and contains straightforward rockers ("F.I.N.E.", "Young Lust"), the ballad "What It Takes", songs about issues such as incest and murder ("Janie's Got a Gun") and drug and alcohol abuse ("Monkey on My Back"), [4] as well as a variety of instrumental interludes such as "Hoodoo" and "Dulcimer Stomp." The album has certified sales of seven million copies in the U.S. and is tied with it's successor Get a Grip as Aerosmith's second best-selling studio album in the U.S. (Toys in the Attic leads with eight million).

The second single collection features all 10 singles from the 14th single "desire - Jounetsu -" (winner of the 28th Japan Record Award) to the 22nd single "I Missed 'the Shock'" (including "Nonfiction Ecstasy" released as a single cassette). This best album was simultaneously released on December 24, 1988, in three formats—LP, cassette tape, and CD—each with a different cover photo pose.

"The long-awaited first album ""Nelson Magic"" by Nelson Super Project, a super band of nine gorgeous musicians who were indispensable for the tours of Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi, has been released on analog for the first time!

Nelson Super Project is a super band of nine gorgeous musicians who gathered as the backing band for Tatsuro Yamashita's live tour ""Tatsuro Yamashita Performance '98-'99"" in 1998. Their debut album released in 2002 has been released on analog for the first time!

Nelson Super Project member profile Hidefumi Toki (Sax) A leading figure in the Japanese jazz world, he has played countless sessions with bands such as Chicken Shack. He is also the father of Asako Toki.

Yasuhiro Mitani (Vo) After debuting as a keyboardist for Stardust Revue 14 years ago, he left the band and has since been performing solo and in sessions.

Kumi Sasaki (Organ, Vo) Debuted with Masaki Ueda's band, playing organ and chorus. His chorus arrangements are the best in the world.

Yurie Kokubu (Vo) His duet with Toshiki Kadomatsu was a big hit, and he has been active as a solo artist ever since. He also wrote the lyrics for Miho Nakayama's million-selling hit.

Jun Aoyama (Dr) He dominated the music world as the most popular drummer in the studio during the 80s and 90s. He was also a member of Prism and Square.

Koki Ito (B) A versatile bass player who is indispensable to Tatsuro Yamashita.

Yoshiyuki Sahashi (G) A member of Yamagen, a session guitarist who was indispensable to J-pop in the 90s. His wife is Takako Matsu.

Toru Shigemi (Key) He has been active as a session musician since the early 80s. He is currently the band leader of MISIA's band.

Hiroyuki Namba (Key) Debuted with Mari Kaneko & Bugs Bunny. Although he is a leading figure in progressive rock, he is also active in a wide range of genres, covering all genres."

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).

Polaroid were an Italian post-punk/new wave band, formed in Turin in 1981. The original lineup of the band consisted of Marcello Zavatto (voice, guitar), Massimo Vagnarelli (bass, drum-machine), Evandro Fornasier (guitar), Claudio Vagnarelli (synthersizer) and Marco Farano (Drums). Polaroid made their debut with the cassette 6-track EP ‘Senza Respiro’, self-released in 1984. Influenced by Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Cure, Pere Ubu as well as Chic and Talking Heads. The music was dark and cold, but also melodic especially with regards to guitars and voices. At the end of 1984 the band added vocalist Michele Cantoblundo while drummer Marco left and was replaced by a Roland TR-909. With Michele began a period of very dark and poetic music, influenced also by bands like Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and The Sisters of Mercy. The band peacefully broke-up in 1987. This vinyl re-issue of ‘Senza Respiro’ contains all 6 original songs with 4 bonus tracks from the band’s later period. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The record is housed in custom jacket designed by Eloise Leigh and includes 4 polaroid sized postcards with photos notes and lyrics.

• Cover art by famed artist Hiroshi Nagai
• Extensive liner notes and bios
• Compiled by Andy Cabic (Vetiver), Zach Cowie (DJ & music supervisor) and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab)
• 2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with over sized fold-out booklet, full color printed inner sleeves, and custom die-cut obi card
• Remastered audio

Pacific Breeze documents Japan’s blast into the stratosphere. By the 1960s, the nation had achieved a postwar miracle, soaring to become the world’s second largest economy. Thriving tech exports sent The Rising Sun over the moon. Its pocket cassette players, bleeping video games, and gleaming cars boomed worldwide, wooing pleasure points and pumping Japanese pockets full of yen.

Japan’s financial buoyancy also permeated its popular culture, birthing an audio analog called City Pop. This new sound arose in the mid ’70s and ruled through the ’80s, channeling the country’s contemporary psyche. It was sophisticated music mirroring Japan’s punch-drunk prosperity. City Pop epitomized the era, providing a soundtrack for emerging urbanites. An optimistic spirit buzzed through the music in neon-bathed, gauzy tableaus coated with groove-heavy strokes.

Pacific Breeze is an expertly compiled collection of choice cuts that range from silky smooth grooves to innovative techno pop bangers and everything in between. Long-revered by crate diggers and adventurous music heads, this music has never been released outside of Japan until now. Including key artists like Taeko Ohnuki and Minako Yoshida, as well as cult favorites Hitomi Tohyama and Hiroshi Sato, the long-awaited release also features newly commissioned cover painting by Tokyo-based artist Hiroshi Nagai, whose iconic images of resort living have graced the covers of many classic City Pop albums of the 1980s.

Many of the key City Pop players evolved from the Japanese New Music scene of the early ’70s, as heard on Light In The Attic’s acclaimed Even a Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973, the first release of the ongoing Japan Archival Series. In fact, you could say City Pop set sail with a champagne smash from Happy End, the freakishly talented subversives who included amongst their ranks Haruomi Hosono and Shigeru Suzuki, both featured on this compilation. As Michael K. Bourdaghs noted in his book, Sayonara Amerika, Sayonara Nippon, this music was, “Deconstructing the line between imitation and authenticity.” Some of the best City Pop teeters in this zone—easy listening with mutant exotica, tilted techno-pop, and steamy boogie bubbling beneath the gloss.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dark Entries is pleased to announce a deluxe reissue of Sexual Harrassment’s 1983 opus I Need A Freak. Lynn Tolliver, DJ/Program Director at Cleveland’s Wzak, adopted the pseudonym David Payton in order to keep his musical endeavors separate from his public persona. Sexual Harrassment (misspelled deliberately) was formed as a concept band, with members selected based on appearance and choreographic skill rather than musical ability. Tolliver’s explicit lyrics focused on the central themes of desire and sexual relations. Working at a studio in Akron, he recorded an album of quirky-yet-lurid electro funk, which was released on Heat Records. Tolliver remarks, “I learned as a youngster, sex sells! The things that are rated the worst – violence, horror and sex – are the things people want to see or hear about.” I Need a Freak was a surprise hit, selling over 100,000 copies. I Need A Freak is presented here for the first time on double LP, pressed at 45 rpm for maximum DJ-friendliness. While the album’s naughtier moments seem quaint by contemporary standards, the fusion of lo-fi funk and disaffected vocals still stuns today. On the eternal electro-raunch anthem “I Need a Freak”, minimalism serves to highlight the lasciviousness of the deadpan lyrics, which were inspired by Lourdes Figueroa, Tolliver’s girlfriend at the time. Tolliver’s whimsy shines on tracks like “If I Gave You a Party” and “K.I.S.S.I.N.G.”, which contrast nursery rhyme structures with decidedly R-rated lyrics. “Exercise Your Ass Off” lampoons the home exercise craze, but with a more-than-suggestive sexual bent. Also included are two bonus cuts, “We Want Prince” and “These Are The Things That I Like”, previously released as singles in 1984 and 1986, respectively. “We Want Prince” is both a homage to the Purple one and a gentle satire of obsessive fandom. I Need A Freak has been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The album comes in a gatefold sleeve featuring the original artwork. Included are lyrics, photos, and liner notes by Lynn Tolliver and drummer Dale Jackson. Tolliver’s sly provacateurship is best captured by the quote: “It’s funny – without sex, mankind is dead, yet we hide the very thing we need.”

Profondo Nero compiled by Cinema Royale Profondo Nero narrates a storyline that goes beyond the borders of Italy’s musical legacy. Cutting across the face of Italo disco’s leftfield musicians between the early and late ‘80s, Profondo Nero champions a multi-faceted sound that nods to the blueprint of Italo disco but tries to dig deeper. The music is unmistakably Italo disco but moves away from the familiar classic sound. Amsterdam based collector Cinema Royale stitches together eleven tracks from 1983 – 1989, celebrating a sound he fittingly describes as ‘leftfield Italo’. The compilation connects the dots between soulful disco (Louise Freeman – Mirage), synth-pop (Mark – Dreamland), electro-rap (Loukas Thanos – Jazzburger), breaks (Santoro – Lover Message), 80s dub disco (Jet Set – Love Break), Balearic (Isamar & Compañia - No Estas), boogie (Tom Hooker – Talk With Your Body) and proto-house (International Music System - An English ’93). Profondo Nero’s title salutes the legendary oeuvre of Italian horror director Dario Argento. His Profondo Rosso (1975) is a classic example of exquisite cinematic storytelling, boasting courageous colors, expressionist camera angles and an unforgettable Goblin score forming the ingredients for an intriguing piece of art. Profondo Rosso’s music, created the spark for a new Dekmantel Records endeavor led by Amsterdam based experimental film score connoisseur, record collector and DJ Cinema Royale. For those in the know of underground Amsterdam music culture, Arne Visser aka Cinema Royale is among the city’s longest standing record collectors. Born to an Italian mother and Dutch father, Arne was brought up on a diet of Italo disco in the 80s. Cinema Royale explains: ‘For Profondo Nero I took a plunge into the lesser known fringes of Italo disco. From there I tried to connect, among others, San Francisco boogie, Balearic, Japanese late era Italo-electro and synth-pop funk. I hope you can hear what I had in mind: an infectious showcase of my take on traditional Italo disco that will hopefully get a lot of listeners itching for a spin. It’s fair to say that lately this particular sound has seen a reappraisal and renewed interest. As a party-starting collection for entry-level connoisseurs or suave but lazy types, I hope Profondo Nero can be an education. I’m not claiming I’m the first DJ or collector to do so, but I did try do present something special by digging deep.’ It wasn’t my goal to unearth the most obscure tracks, instead I wanted to compose a compilation that takes you on a journey. ‘In my opinion the best DJs create something extraordinary out of illogical selections by combining music against all odds and showing different kind of moods along the way. There’s a certain amount of arrogance involved: you take the music out of its original context. But by doing so in a very conscious way, you might be able to enhance the power of the individual records. Hopefully each song on Profondo Nero provides an intimate and memorable experience.’

It's testament to how fertile England's mid-80's musical landscape was that the splintering of short-lived post-punk pioneers The Southern Death Cult seeded so many memorable but divergent groups - from widescreen rock legends The Cult to romantic pop duo Into A Circle to "the Asian Public Enemy," Fun-Da-Mental. But the band's most potent subsequent cross-pollination was undoubtedly Getting The Fear, formed by The Southern Death Cult rhythm section of Barry Jepson, David 'Buzz' Burrows, and Aki Haq Nawaz Qureshi, joined by Temple Ov Psychic Youth associate Paul `Bee' Hampshire on vocals. Galvanized by Margaret Thatcher's "iron fist" austerity policies and the cultural liberation of punk, the group blazed to creative fruition, quickly landing a lucrative deal with RCA. But immediately after recording their 1984 debut single, Last Salute, a shake-up at the label left them stranded and without support. Rather than stall in music industry purgatory they chose to dissolve, escaping their restrictive contract. Bee's lyrics on "Last Salute" are fitting final words: "If this must end let it pass me by / I'll remain your friend, only flowers die." But this is of course only part of the story. Death Is Bigger: 1984-1985 rectifies history's error, collecting the group's entire vault of demos and unreleased songs alongside liner notes and a photo gallery capturing Getting The Fear in all their high libertine glory. The compilation's 10 tracks are alternately brooding, spiky, and sneering, fixated on dreams, sex, and Charles Manson (the sleeve of Last Salute famously features a detail from Manson's embroidered waistcoat, unbeknownst to label execs). Razor wire guitars slice across tense rhythms, veering between minimal and melodic, occasionally flowering into psychedelic poetry, revealing Bee's deep affinity with Psychic TV. Taken as a whole, the album showcases the breadth of forking paths facing UK post-punk in 1984: pop eating itself, new wave while still new, transgression as alternative not affectation. Getting The Fear's music feels eclectic and unfettered, following whim, lust, and impulse, glinting with darkness against the fires of youth: "The earth is still beneath my feet, I start to sink to lose myself / Friends and lovers stand around unconcerned, their eyes in flames."

It's testament to how fertile England's mid-80's musical landscape was that the splintering of short-lived post-punk pioneers The Southern Death Cult seeded so many memorable but divergent groups - from widescreen rock legends The Cult to romantic pop duo Into A Circle to "the Asian Public Enemy," Fun-Da-Mental. But the band's most potent subsequent cross-pollination was undoubtedly Getting The Fear, formed by The Southern Death Cult rhythm section of Barry Jepson, David 'Buzz' Burrows, and Aki Haq Nawaz Qureshi, joined by Temple Ov Psychic Youth associate Paul `Bee' Hampshire on vocals. Galvanized by Margaret Thatcher's "iron fist" austerity policies and the cultural liberation of punk, the group blazed to creative fruition, quickly landing a lucrative deal with RCA. But immediately after recording their 1984 debut single, Last Salute, a shake-up at the label left them stranded and without support. Rather than stall in music industry purgatory they chose to dissolve, escaping their restrictive contract. Bee's lyrics on "Last Salute" are fitting final words: "If this must end let it pass me by / I'll remain your friend, only flowers die." But this is of course only part of the story. Death Is Bigger: 1984-1985 rectifies history's error, collecting the group's entire vault of demos and unreleased songs alongside liner notes and a photo gallery capturing Getting The Fear in all their high libertine glory. The compilation's 10 tracks are alternately brooding, spiky, and sneering, fixated on dreams, sex, and Charles Manson (the sleeve of Last Salute famously features a detail from Manson's embroidered waistcoat, unbeknownst to label execs). Razor wire guitars slice across tense rhythms, veering between minimal and melodic, occasionally flowering into psychedelic poetry, revealing Bee's deep affinity with Psychic TV. Taken as a whole, the album showcases the breadth of forking paths facing UK post-punk in 1984: pop eating itself, new wave while still new, transgression as alternative not affectation. Getting The Fear's music feels eclectic and unfettered, following whim, lust, and impulse, glinting with darkness against the fires of youth: "The earth is still beneath my feet, I start to sink to lose myself / Friends and lovers stand around unconcerned, their eyes in flames."

Profondo Nero compiled by Cinema Royale Profondo Nero narrates a storyline that goes beyond the borders of Italy’s musical legacy. Cutting across the face of Italo disco’s leftfield musicians between the early and late ‘80s, Profondo Nero champions a multi-faceted sound that nods to the blueprint of Italo disco but tries to dig deeper. The music is unmistakably Italo disco but moves away from the familiar classic sound. Amsterdam based collector Cinema Royale stitches together eleven tracks from 1983 – 1989, celebrating a sound he fittingly describes as ‘leftfield Italo’. The compilation connects the dots between soulful disco (Louise Freeman – Mirage), synth-pop (Mark – Dreamland), electro-rap (Loukas Thanos – Jazzburger), breaks (Santoro – Lover Message), 80s dub disco (Jet Set – Love Break), Balearic (Isamar & Compañia - No Estas), boogie (Tom Hooker – Talk With Your Body) and proto-house (International Music System - An English ’93). Profondo Nero’s title salutes the legendary oeuvre of Italian horror director Dario Argento. His Profondo Rosso (1975) is a classic example of exquisite cinematic storytelling, boasting courageous colors, expressionist camera angles and an unforgettable Goblin score forming the ingredients for an intriguing piece of art. Profondo Rosso’s music, created the spark for a new Dekmantel Records endeavor led by Amsterdam based experimental film score connoisseur, record collector and DJ Cinema Royale. For those in the know of underground Amsterdam music culture, Arne Visser aka Cinema Royale is among the city’s longest standing record collectors. Born to an Italian mother and Dutch father, Arne was brought up on a diet of Italo disco in the 80s. Cinema Royale explains: ‘For Profondo Nero I took a plunge into the lesser known fringes of Italo disco. From there I tried to connect, among others, San Francisco boogie, Balearic, Japanese late era Italo-electro and synth-pop funk. I hope you can hear what I had in mind: an infectious showcase of my take on traditional Italo disco that will hopefully get a lot of listeners itching for a spin. It’s fair to say that lately this particular sound has seen a reappraisal and renewed interest. As a party-starting collection for entry-level connoisseurs or suave but lazy types, I hope Profondo Nero can be an education. I’m not claiming I’m the first DJ or collector to do so, but I did try do present something special by digging deep.’ It wasn’t my goal to unearth the most obscure tracks, instead I wanted to compose a compilation that takes you on a journey. ‘In my opinion the best DJs create something extraordinary out of illogical selections by combining music against all odds and showing different kind of moods along the way. There’s a certain amount of arrogance involved: you take the music out of its original context. But by doing so in a very conscious way, you might be able to enhance the power of the individual records. Hopefully each song on Profondo Nero provides an intimate and memorable experience.’

* The latest chapter in the acclaimed Pacific Breeze series! * Artwork by renowned illustrator Hiroshi Nagai * Compiled by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab) * Newly remastered audio * 2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with full color inner sleeves and custom die-cut OBI * Extensive artist bios by Yosuke Kitazawa * Digital mockups are not an exact representation of colors * Available in two vinyl variants: Pink or Black Vinyl

Light in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.

Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.

This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.

Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.

* The latest chapter in the acclaimed Pacific Breeze series! * Artwork by renowned illustrator Hiroshi Nagai * Compiled by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab) * Newly remastered audio * 2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with full color inner sleeves and custom die-cut OBI * Extensive artist bios by Yosuke Kitazawa * Digital mockups are not an exact representation of colors

Light in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.

Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.

This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.

Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.