Artist: The Honeymoon Killers

Title: Les Tueurs de la Lune de Miel

Year: 1981

Label: Crammed Discs  

Personnel: Marc Hollander (keyboards), Jean-Francois Jones Jacob (drums), Yves Flon (saxaphone), Vincent Kenis (bass), Yvon Vromman (vocals, guitar), Veronique Vincent (vocals), Gerald Fenerberg (guitar)

Tracklisting: Flat, Histoire a Suivre, Decollage, Rush, Fonce a Mort, J4, Route Nationale 7, Ariane, Laisse Tomber Les Filles, L’heure de la Sortie

Glass say…

Perhaps unexpectedly, Brussels found itself at the centre of one of the most exciting, yet under-appreciated, post-punk scenes on offer in the early eighties. Marc Hollander’s legendary Crammed Discs provided a vehicle for numerous fantastic bands, including this local collective who are definitely not to be confused with the American hardcore band of the same name.

All the typical post-punk elements are here, gently squeezed through a European filter, which gives the Honeymoon Killer’s only album a delightful ‘folkiness’. ‘Fonce a Mort’, ‘Laisse Tomber Les Filles’ and ‘J4’ all hint at ska, but psychedelic keyboard stabs and angular guitars pull them in new, interesting directions (‘prog-ska’?!). Elsewhere, the outstanding ‘Decollage’ transcends musical categorisation and sneaks in one of the most delightfully sinuous basslines EVER, topped off by Veronique Vincent’s breathy vocals. The non-aggressive, but nevertheless seriously warped outlook adopted by the Killers gives many of the album’s melodies a child-like quality, most effectively demonstrated on the excellent instrumental ‘Ariane’.

Put bluntly, who needs to jam when you can have honey?

The legendary and iconic ZTT label have been particularly busy of late with 80s reissues that are of serious quality. We’ve had a stream of Art of Noise reissues (the stunning ‘Into Battle’ and ‘Who’s Afraid Of…’ – before Hollywood set in), Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s swinging swansong ‘Liverpool’, and a deluxe edition of Propaganda’s unassailable ‘A Secret Wish’, amongst many others. Although the less said about FGTH member Paul Rutherhord’s solo effort ‘Oh World’ probably the better.

And now there’s ‘The Art of 12” volume 2” – a wonderfully decadent celebration of the 12” single all grown up in the late 80s, complete with Don Johnson suit and brick-sized mobile phone. This packed out collection has considerably more diversity than might be expected. Paul McCartney’s engaging ‘Spies Like Us’ sits alongside Godley and Crème’s fragile ‘Cry’, Anne Pigalle's swirling ‘He Stranger’, OMD’s classic ‘Julia’s Song’, as well as a LOT of Frankie, Propaganda and Art of Noise (and even better for it). ZTT’s aesthetic couldn’t be more neatly demonstrated, with that familiar kind of sardonic opulence binding the collection together. With 12” remixes of the early eighties now plundered to death, it’s time for ZTT to take up the retro-reigns and move the movement on (and on and on).

Frankie’s stunning ‘keep the peace’ mix of ‘Two Tribes’ ends with voiceover artist Patrick Allen (he of the chilling ‘Protect and Survive’ public information films of the cold war) indicating that his is ‘the last voice you’ll ever hear’. Let’s hope not. In the meantime the fairlights and synclaviers make for truly wonderful company.

Erik Stein

http://www.ztt.com

Artist: Momus

Title: Circus Maximus

Year: 1986

Label: Él Records  

Personnel: Nick Currie, Neil Martin (emulator 2), Jane Davies (vocals)

Tracklisting: Lucky like St. Sebastian, The lesson of Sodom (according to Lot), John the baptist Jones, King Solomon’s song and mine, Little lord obedience, The day the circus came to town, The rape of Lucretia, Paper wraps rock, Rules of the game of quoits

Glass say…

Once described by Mojo as ‘England’s greatest living artist’, Nick Currie prefers to describe himself as someone who churns out ‘scruffy electronic pop for shy Japanese girls’. An obscenely talented and consistently controversial Scot, Currie’s debut was, however, as far from electronic pop as Lands’ End is from John O’Groats.

Highly literary and beautifully melodic, ‘Circus Maximus’ is a breathtaking mixture of gentle acoustic guitar and varied keyboard embellishments of largely acoustic sounds, thanks to the use of the emulator sampler. Currie’s fragile, melancholic voice is the perfect vehicle to explore the gamut of tragic biblical and historical figures referenced here. Particular highlights include the haunting ‘St. Sebastian’ and chanted chorus of ‘Little Lord Obedience’, alongside much lighter moments such as the folky ‘Quoits’ and ‘The Day the Circus Came to Town’, which introduces an ongoing interest in cabaret (and chanson) stylings.

Considering how timeless and homeless much of Currie’s work is, Momus may well indeed be SCOTLAND’s greatest living artist.

Artist: Art et Technique

Title: Clima-X

Year: 1981

Label: Hi-Tech Records  

Personnel: ???

Tracklisting: Derive, Nouveau primitif, Acier, Noel tombe un jeudi, Intervention d’un element neuter dans un ensemble vide, Alerte chantee, Alerte instrumentale, Just, tube, Afrique, bali, Off-shore, Feedback-fillmore

Glass say…

Relatively little is known about the trio of Parisian musicians that were behind ‘Clima-X’, other than the fact that Art et Technique’s only album remains one France’s most notable industrial discs.

To quickly dismiss ‘Clima-X’ as being a derivative of the likes of Throbbing Gristle would be a mistake, although the metallic drones of tracks like ‘Acier’ and ‘Bali’ are broadly reminiscent of the much under-appreciated Dome. Like Dome, Art et Technique neatly avoid the clichéd notion of creating harsh and aggressive mechanical textures and instead offer up a dreamy and surprisingly warm album that, in places, leans in the direction of a gently distorted krautrock ambience. Defining the sound in particular, is the delicate use of white noise and rumbling low-pass filters, making the whole listening experience somewhat similar to being trapped in a semi-musical wind tunnel.

X-treme and X-ellent.

Artist: Dalek I Love You

Title: Dalek I Love You

Year: 1983

Label: Korova  

Personnel: Gordon Hon, Kenny Peers, Alan Gill

Tracklisting: Holiday in disneyland, Horoscope, Health and happiness, The mouse that roared, Dad on fire, Ambition, Lust, 12 hours of blues, Sons of sahara, Africa express 

Glass say…

Of all the significant post-punk British music scenes, Liverpool’s is perhaps one of the least well documented. Largely focused around a single nightclub, Roger Eagle’s ‘Eric’s’, it includes such luminaries as the Bunneymen, Teardrop Explodes, OMD and this curious collective.

Dalek I’s debut (‘Compass Kumpas’) was a brilliant, and deceptively melancholic collection of lo-fi, bedroom synth. Retaining many of the key characteristics of the debut – i.e. insidious tunes with bizarre lyrics (‘Dad on Fire’ anyone?!) – the follow up album expands the sound considerably for a programme of upbeat, polished, eccentric synthpop. By spreading vocal duties across three distinctive singers (Alan Gill’s attractive croon is unmistakable), the album, rather than becoming annoyingly goofy, simply packs one surprise after another. Best moments include the aforementioned ‘Dad on Fire’, the equally hooky ‘The Mouse that Roared’, and the epic ‘Africa Express’ from a more reflective side two.     

With Dr Who pulling in the ratings again, has there ever been a better time to love Daleks?

Artist: Dominatrix

Title: The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight

Year: 1984

Label: WEA  

Personnel: S. Arbright, Claudia Summers, Kenneth Lockie

Tracklisting: The dominatrix sleeps tonight, Chants, The dominatrix sleeps tonight (dominant mix), Beat me

Glass say…

Based out of New York, Stuart Arbright and an assortment of collaborators that included ex-reviewee Ken Lockie (Cowboys International), notched up a club classic with their only release as ‘Dominatrix’.

Far from being the sinewy slice of electro-funk you might expect, ‘Sleeps Tonight’ is actually a rather innocuous and sweet tune whose crisp rhythm programs and staccato sequencers are quietly reminiscent of Junk Culture-era OMD. More intriguing than the title track, however, is ‘Chants’. The simple exercise of laying out all of the song’s vocal hooks a cappella (and carefully inserting periods of silence between them), acts either as a defiant gesture to Warners, or as a carefully orchestrated piece of marketing. ‘Chants’ is nothing more than an open invitation for musicians to go ahead and use Dominatrix samples in their own work, both legally and illegally. No surprise then that parts of it popped up in other guises and on other dance floors for years to come.

Clever, cunning and, most of all, culturally significant.

Artist: Cowboys International

Title: The Original Sin

Year: 1979

Label: Virgin Records  

Personnel: Terry Chimes (drums), Jimmy Hughes (bass), Evan Charles (pianos), Rick Jacks (aquarium guitars), Ken Lockie (voice)

Tracklisting: Pointy shoes, Thrash, Part of steel, Here comes a saturday, Original sin, Aftermath, Hands, M(emorie), Lonely boy, The ‘no’ tune, Wish

Glass say...

When punk blast open the doors of opportunity in 1976, all manner of things followed in its wake. Although ‘The Original Sin’ was met with critical acclaim upon its release, the sheer number of debut albums from superficially similar groups at the time saw the album quickly fade. It’s taken over three decades for Ken Lockie’s Cowboys International to earn the cult status that they deserve. Original sin indeed.

Stayed tuned listeners, we promise to reveal all!

Artist: Jane Siberry

Title: The Speckless Sky

Year: 1985

Label: Duke Street Records  

Personnel: Al Cross (drums), Anne Bourne (keyboards), Jane Siberry (vocals, keyboards, guitars), John Switzer (bass), Key Myhr (guitar, guitar synth), Rob Yale (fairlight programming, keyboards)

Tracklisting: One more colour, Seven steps to the wall, The very large hat, Vladimir-Vladimir, Mein Bitte, The empty city, Map of the world (part II), The taxi ride

Glass say…

The distant scream that accompanies the closing seconds of Jane Siberry’s third album will make the hairs on your neck stand up on end. But that’s merely a small taste of what this enormously talented Canadian artist is capable of.

Sitting somewhere between a more animated Laurie Anderson and less folky Suzanne Vega, ‘The Speckless Sky’ demonstrates a level of sheer unadulterated creativity that has perhaps been unsurpassed by either artist. The album’s extensive range comprises miniature, chaotic symphonies of song (‘Seven Steps to the Wall’, ‘Map of the World’), avant garde synth-pop (‘Mein Bitte’), and breathtaking, subtle songscapes (the aforementioned ‘Taxi Ride’ and incredible ‘Vladimir-Vladimir). Each extended track crams in enough ideas to fill an entire album on its own, both it terms of surreal lyrical content and the daring, if distinctly eighties, musicianship.

Consistently excellent throughout the whole of her underrated 30 year career, ‘The Speckless Sky’ remains arguably Siberry’s more succinct moment.

Artist: Circus Mort

Title: Circus Mort

Year: 1981

Label: Labor Records  

Personnel: M. Gira (vocals), Don Braun (bass), Josh Braun (keyboards, vocals), Jonathan Kane (drums), Rick Oller (guitar vocals)

Tracklisting: Swallow you, Children remember, Yellow light, Watch the puppet

Glass say…

Accurately described by Trouser Press as like ‘banging your head against the side of a swimming pool — underwater’, Michael Gira’s Swans remains one of the most unique and influential industrial bands of all time. However, long before the Swans ever existed, Gira did time with this little-known New York post-punk collective.

One of the first things to hit you when ‘Swallow You’ kicks in is the speed. the almost unnaturally fast-paced music is totally at odds with Swans’ sound. Similarly, the aural assault you might expect is lacking, replaced instead by a tight, clean guitar and rhythm section, with cool keyboard fills/ drones occupying the spaces. Gira’s voice sounds strikingly youthful across the EP’s four strong post-punk vignettes, but stills packs enough of punch to make you sit up and take notice.     

People expecting headaches may be disappointed by the relatively safe tunes presented here, but this disc ain’t no ugly duckling.