Dan Curtin – Dream Not Of Today [12''] (1994, Peacefrog Records)

 

'Dream Not Of Today' is a four-track 12" by American producer and DJ Dan Curtin, issued by the London label Peacefrog Records in 1994 as PF 024. The record contains “Track 17”, “Spliffed”, “Wind And Water” and “One Evening At Mrs. Applebees”. 

Curtin came out of the Northeast Ohio scene, working from the Cleveland area at a time when techno was still developing outside its better-known Detroit and Chicago strongholds. He had already been producing and DJing before setting up Metamorphic Records in 1992, a label that became an outlet for his own material as well as early work from producers including Morgan Geist and Titonton Duvante. Curtin also spent time working in Detroit with Carl Craig and released material on 33 RPM Records, connecting his Cleveland background with the wider Detroit techno network. 

The Peacefrog connection was particularly important in this period. Founded in London in 1991 by Pete Hutchison and Paul Ballard, Peacefrog quickly developed into one of the UK labels closely associated with the more adventurous end of early-'90s techno. Its catalogue brought together British and American producers, with releases from artists such as Luke Slater, DBX, Stasis, Eddie “Flashin” Fowlkes and Planetary Assault Systems appearing around the same period. The label's own description traces its name to a lesser-known musical reference by The Doors and describes its original purpose as an outlet for interesting, relatively underexposed electronic music. 

'Dream Not Of Today' arrived during a particularly busy period for Curtin. His 'The Silicon Dawn' album was also released by Peacefrog in 1994, while 'Parallel / Population 2' followed later that year. 'The Silicon Dawn' was among Peacefrog's early full-length techno releases and shows the same combination of Detroit-inspired structures, melodic passages and intricate percussion that runs through Curtin's work of the period. 

The four tracks on PF 024 sit somewhere between Detroit techno, early Chicago house influence and a more individual kind of tech-funk. Contemporary descriptions of the record point to fast-moving rhythms, acidic bass lines and a distinctly funky edge, while “Wind And Water” in particular has been singled out for its combination of driving percussion and melodic elements.

 
There is also an interesting geographical angle to Curtin's music. Cleveland was hardly the obvious place to emerge as a techno production centre in the early '90s, yet Curtin developed a sound that was clearly in conversation with Detroit while retaining its own character. His records were often faster and more rhythmically restless than straightforward deep house, with complex drum programming, distorted textures and melodic material working together rather than simply following the functional conventions of club techno. 

 

Label: Peacefrog Records – PF 024 

Format: Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM 

Country: UK 

Released: Dec 12, 1994 

Style: Acid, Deep House, Techno, Detroit Techno 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Track 17 5:16 

A2 Spliffed 6:00 

B1 Wind And Water 6:48 

B2 One Evening At Mrs. Applebees 5:17 

 

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Various – Earcom 1 [LP] (1979, Fast Product)

 

'Earcom 1' was a 12-inch compilation issued by the Edinburgh independent label Fast Product in 1979, catalogued as FAST 9A. It was the first instalment in the label’s 'Earcom' series, followed later that year by 'Earcom 2' and 'Earcom 3'. Rather than simply collecting previously released material, the record was used to introduce several newer and less established acts working around the emerging post-punk and DIY scenes. Contemporary advertising described it as a “Giant EP” featuring “24 minutes of mutant pop.”

 
The record opens with The Prats, the young Edinburgh group made up of Paul McLaughlin, David Maguire, Greg Maguire and Tom Robinson, who contribute three tracks: “Prats 2”, “Inverness” and “Bored”. Their primitive, deliberately awkward approach fitted perfectly with Fast Product’s interest in bands that could make something distinctive without conventional musical polish. The Prats had been influenced by groups such as The Slits and The Mekons, and their appearance on 'Earcom 1' was followed by a John Peel session in 1979. 

The Blank Students appear twice with “Fun At The Fair” and “Background Music”. The group came from the same loose Scottish experimental/post-punk environment that Fast Product was documenting, and their contributions sit somewhere between punk minimalism, primitive new wave and deliberately eccentric performance. John Peel played “Background Music” on his BBC Radio 1 programme in May 1979, shortly after the compilation appeared. 

Graph contribute “Drowning”, one of the more experimental pieces on the record. The group were associated with Sheffield and used electronics and treated conventional instruments in their performances. Contemporary coverage placed them alongside Cabaret Voltaire, noting their use of films and slides during live shows and describing “Drowning” as part of Fast Product’s 'Earcom 1' project. 

The remaining tracks come from The Flowers, another Scottish group who contribute “Criminal Waste” and “After Dark”. John Peel picked up both the band and the compilation very quickly, playing “Criminal Waste” in May and June 1979 and “After Dark” in July. The final track, “(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures”, is credited to Simon Bloomfield and Tim Pearce, giving the record an additional experimental element beyond the four main groups.

 
Fast Product had been established in Edinburgh in December 1977 by Bob Last, Hilary Morrison and Tim Pearce. The label's first release was The Mekons' Never Been in a Riot' single in January 1978, and its catalogue quickly expanded to include 2.3, The Human League, Gang of Four, Scars and other artists who were helping shape the transition from punk into the more fractured sounds of post-punk. 

Last and his associates approached the label as something broader than a conventional record company. Fast Product combined records with fanzines, unusual packaging, photography, graphics and deliberately unconventional promotional ideas. The label used terms such as “mutant pop” and “difficult fun” to describe its approach, while its releases reflected the DIY attitude that had developed around punk but pushed it towards electronics, experimental music, conceptual presentation and new forms of pop.

 
'Earcom 1' also fits into Fast Product's numbering system in an interesting way. FAST 8 had been the 1979 Scars single 'Adult/ery', while FAST 9A was 'Earcom 1', followed by FAST 9B for 'Earcom 2' and FAST 9C for 'Earcom 3'. The second volume featured Joy Division, Thursdays and Basczax, while the third came as a double 7-inch set. 

The physical presentation of 'Earcom 1' was also part of the project. Original copies came with a four-page booklet and an embossed circular insert, while some editions were associated with an additional pink flexi-disc featuring material by Jo Callis. The combination of unusual packaging, new groups and deliberately limited presentation was very much in keeping with Fast Product's way of treating the record as an object rather than just a carrier for songs. 

 

Label: Fast Product – Fast 9a, Fast Product – F9Ax/1, Fast Product – F9AX/2 

Series: Earcom – 1 

Format: Vinyl, LP, 45 RPM, Compilation 

Country: UK 

Released: 1979 

Style: Lo-Fi, Punk, New Wave, Minimal, Synth-pop, Experimental, Post-Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 The Prats – Prats 2 2:02 

A2 The Blank Students – Fun At The Fair 2:08 

A3 Graph – Drowning 5:03 

A4 The Blank Students – Background Music 2:03 

B1 The Prats – Inverness 1:50 

B2 The Prats – Bored 1:17 

B3 The Flowers – Criminal Waste 3:47 

B4 The Flowers – After Dark 3:45 

B5 Simon Bloomfield / Tim Pearce – (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures 1:30 

 

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Borbetomagus – Coelacanth [7''] (1993, Butt Rag Records)

 

The 7" 'Coelacanth' by Borbetomagus came out in 1993 on the American independent label Butt Rag Records. It contains two versions of the title piece, both performed by the core trio of Jim Sauter and Don Dietrich on saxophones and Donald Miller on electric guitar. The recordings come from two different sessions, with “Coelacanth 6.27.92” on the A-side and “Coelacanth 5.9.93” on the B-side. The record was issued in a gatefold sleeve and has the compact, confrontational character typical of Borbetomagus releases from this period.

 
By the time 'Coelacanth' appeared, Borbetomagus had already spent more than a decade pushing free improvisation into increasingly abrasive territory. Sauter and Dietrich had originally come together with guitarist and radio DJ Donald Miller in New York in 1979, after the saxophonists became interested in Miller's WKCR radio programme. Miller was already active in the city's experimental music scene and had played with the cult group Sick Dick & the Volkswagens, while his later work included collaborations with free-jazz drummer William Hooker and numerous other improvisers. 

The Borbetomagus approach was based on improvisation without a conventional rhythm section, with the two saxophones and Miller's amplified guitar occupying the entire sonic space. Their performances could become extremely dense, using feedback, extended saxophone techniques, distortion and sustained noise rather than conventional riffs or melodies. 'Coelacanth' fits neatly into this period, presenting two short live performances recorded almost a year apart and showing the trio working in the stripped-down format that had become central to their sound.

 
The title also has an interesting connection with another Borbetomagus project. In 1991, the group had recorded 'Coelacanth' with The Shaking Ray Levis, Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner, for a limited-edition 10" picture disc on Agaric. The Butt Rag 7" is a separate release, documenting the Borbetomagus trio rather than the larger collaboration. The band's own discography lists the 7" specifically as 'Coelacanth' (Butt Rag BR006), with Sauter, Dietrich and Miller credited. 

Butt Rag Records was an American underground label with a distinctly independent approach, operating around the margins of alternative rock, experimental music and the American underground. Borbetomagus had already appeared on the label with the 7" 'The Original Chirping Chicken / Choking Olga' (BR004), issued in 1992, making 'Coelacanth' the second Borbetomagus single associated with Butt Rag. Contemporary collector listings also place releases by artists such as Timber and The Biggest Square Thing in the label's catalogue. 

The label's placement of Borbetomagus alongside underground rock and experimental acts is significant because 'Coelacanth' wasn't packaged as a conventional jazz release. The 7" format, tiny independent label and deliberately rough presentation put the group into the same vinyl underground inhabited by noise, punk and experimental rock releases. The record has subsequently become a relatively scarce Borbetomagus item, with specialist dealers describing it as a rare early-'90s 7" containing two live versions recorded a year apart. 

Donald Miller remained an important part of Borbetomagus well beyond the period covered by this single. Alongside his work with the group, he maintained a broad experimental practice, recording solo material and collaborating with musicians from the New York improvisation scene. After moving to New Orleans in 2001, he formed The Death Posture with guitarist Rob Cambre and Butoh dancer Vanessa Skantze, continuing to combine improvised music with performance art. Miller died in 2024 at the age of 66. 

The name Borbetomagus had a slightly accidental beginning. It was originally intended as the title of the quartet's first album rather than the band's permanent name. The word referred to the ancient Celtic name for the German town of Worms, while the album artwork played with the idea of a “city of worms.” Reviewers treated Borbetomagus as the name of the group, and the musicians eventually accepted the name. 

 

Label: Butt Rag Records – BR006 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM 

Country: US 

Released: 1993 

Style: Free Jazz, Noise 

 

Tracklist: 

A Coelacanth 6.27.92 4:49 

B Coelacanth 5.9.93 2:57 

 

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Zones – Stuck With You [7''] (1978, Zoom Records)

The 7" single “Stuck With You / No Angels” was the debut release by Glasgow new wave and punk group Zones, issued by Edinburgh-based Zoom Records on 17 February 1978 as catalogue number ZUM 4. The two tracks capture the band at their most immediate and punk-leaning, before their sound became more polished and distinctly new wave on their later Arista releases.

 
Zones had emerged in late 1977 from the remains of PVC2, which itself had grown out of the earlier Scottish pop group Slik. When Midge Ure left PVC2 for London and the Rich Kids, bassist Russell Webb, keyboard player Billy McIsaac and drummer Kenny Hyslop remained together and brought in guitarist and vocalist Willie Gardner. Gardner had previously played with Glasgow group The Hot Valves, and was also a cousin of Scottish rock singer Alex Harvey. With Gardner replacing Ure, the new line-up became Zones.

 
“Stuck With You” is a compact, energetic number that still carries some of the rough-edged momentum of PVC2, while “No Angels” on the B-side shows the group beginning to move towards the sharper, more melodic new wave sound that would develop over the following year.

 
The record also benefited from the attention of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who played “Stuck With You” repeatedly. Peel's support helped put Zones on the wider British new wave radar and led to the band recording two sessions for his programme in 1978. The first was recorded in May and included “Sign Of The Times”, “Away From It All”, “No Sense Of Humour” and “Tough At The Bottom”; a second session followed in September. 

 
There was plenty of activity around the band during this period. Zones played alongside groups such as Magazine, and by 1979 they had also supported Iggy Pop. A contemporary review of their eventual album noted that the group had already built an audience through these support slots and Peel sessions. 

 
The single also marked an important moment for Zoom Records, the small Edinburgh label founded in 1977 by Scottish music entrepreneur Bruce Findlay, who was also behind the Bruce's chain of record shops. Findlay established Zoom as an outlet for the emerging Scottish punk and new wave scene, with the label's early catalogue including The Valves, PVC2, Zones, The Questions and Nightshift. “Stuck With You” was the fourth Zoom single, following releases by The Valves and PVC2. 

 
Zoom was operating right in the middle of the burst of independent British labels that appeared around the punk explosion of 1977. By July 1978, Arista had moved in with a licensing deal for Zoom's catalogue, giving Findlay's label considerably greater distribution while allowing him to retain involvement with the artists and their promotion. A contemporary Record Business report described Findlay as an unusually active record dealer running his own label and quoted him describing Zoom as an unapologetically pop-oriented label whose repertoire was intended to follow what was happening around it. 

 
The Arista connection quickly changed Zones' recording career. Their next single, “Sign Of The Times / Away From It All”, appeared on Arista in July 1978, followed by “Looking To The Future / Do It All Again” in May 1979. Their only album, 'Under Influence', was issued by Arista in June 1979 and was produced by Tim Friese-Greene. A final Arista single, “Mourning Star / Under Influence”, followed in July. The band also contributed “New Life” to the soundtrack of the film "That Summer!". 

 

The Zones story was short-lived. After the 'Under Influence' period the group split in 1979, with the members moving into several different Scottish musical circles. There is a small correction worth making to the usual shorthand description of their later careers: Russell Webb and Kenny Hyslop joined The Skids, while Hyslop subsequently moved into Simple Minds, replacing Brian McGee and playing on the group's 1982 single “Promised You A Miracle.” Billy McIsaac later continued working as a pianist and bandleader, while Willie Gardner pursued solo work and subsequently became associated with Endgames. 

 

 

Label: Zoom Records – ZUM 4 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single 

Country: UK 

Released: Feb 1978 

Style: Punk, Power Pop, New Wave 

 

Tracklist:  

A Stuck With You 2:33 

B No Angels 3:01 

 

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Yeah! – Festival [LP] (1992, Music Box International)

Yeah! came together in Athens in February 1987, shortly after the end of Anti Troppau Council, the influential Greek punk/new wave group where guitarist and vocalist Yannis Drenoyannis had been involved. Drenoyannis teamed up with guitarist Vassilis Spyropoulos, known from the important Greek rock band Spyridoula, bassist and vocalist Hrysa Pantazi and drummer Takis Giannoutsos, who had previously played with Protest March. By December 1987, the core line-up of Drenoyannis, Pantazi and Giannoutsos was established, with Spyropoulos taking part in the group during 1988 and 1989. 

 
The Yeah! sound grew out of the rougher side of Greek underground rock but wasn't tied to punk alone. Garage rock, new wave, psychedelic touches and straight-ahead rock all found their way into the songs, while the band became a regular presence on the Athens live circuit and played extensively around Greece. Their live activity was particularly important in those years, with Yeah! eventually appearing as support for international names including the Ramones, Wipers and The Triffids. They also had the unusual opportunity for an underground Greek group of the period to appear in an hour-long live television performance on ET2. 

 
Their first album, 'Yeah!', appeared in 1988 through Ano Kato Records, produced by Nikos Spyropoulos, with recording handled by Christos Manolitsis. Evi Hassapidou-Watson contributed backing vocals and also sang on “The Sea”. A few years later the group returned with 'Festival', issued in 1992 by Music Box International. The recording took place at Studio Agrotikon in Thessaloniki, with Nikos Papazoglou producing and working at the studio he owned. 

 
'Festival' appeared at an interesting point for Greek alternative rock. The first generation of punk and new wave groups had already established an underground infrastructure during the 1980s, while the boundaries between punk, garage, psychedelic rock and more conventional guitar music were becoming increasingly loose. Yeah! had been around long enough to belong to that earlier generation, but their 1992 release arrived in a different musical climate, with Greek independent rock becoming increasingly visible and record companies showing more interest in local alternative acts. 

 
The label behind the release, Music Box International, was the successor to the old Music-Box company, founded by Martin Th. Gesar in 1959 and one of the earliest Greek record companies to compete directly with the major labels. Gesar sold the company in the late 1980s, after which the new owner, Andreas Kaiafas, changed its name to Music Box International, generally abbreviated as MBI. The label had a broad catalogue rather than concentrating on one particular underground style, covering Greek popular music, rock and a variety of other material. 

 
For Yeah!, 'Festival' was the second substantial document of a group that had already spent several years building its reputation through live work. After the release, the band's history continued in a less straightforward way, with periods of inactivity and changes in personnel rather than a clean, definitive ending. They later resurfaced on stage, including an appearance at the “Last Days of Rodon” events in 2005, and subsequent years brought further performances and new line-ups. 

 
Drenoyannis went on to work as a journalist, writing about subjects including cars and motorcycles, while Giannoutsos developed another public profile through radio and television. The Yeah! name itself eventually returned to the stage, with Drenoyannis and Giannoutsos remaining connected to later versions of the group. Their later activity included appearances with international artists such as Crime & the City Solution and dEUS, alongside newer material and changing personnel. 

 

 

Label: Music Box International – MBI 40491, Music Box International – M.B.I. 40491 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Mini-Album 

Country: Greece 

Released: 1992 

Style: Classic Rock, Alternative Rock 

 

Tracklist:  

A1 Little Something 3:36 

A2 I Screwed Them All Mam 4:29 

A3 Send Me To Hell 4:27 

B1 Sound Jungle Flow 3:28 

B2 Gone With The Fire 3:46 

B3 Μετά Το Καλοκαίρι 7:18 

 

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Webcore – Cinematography [Cass] (1984, A Real Kavoom)

'Cinematography' was the first cassette from Webcore, a Cornwall-based psychedelic/progressive rock group that emerged in the early 1980s around the free-festival, squat and alternative gig circuit. It appeared in 1984, at a time when cassette releases were a practical way for small underground groups to get their music out without the expense of vinyl.

Webcore had formed in Cornwall in 1984, although several of the musicians had already been active elsewhere. The group centred around Mick West on vocals, Phil Pickering on bass, Paul Chousmer on keyboards and Clive Goodwin on guitar, with Colin Woolway and later Nick Van Gelder on drums, while Dan Carpenter contributed saxophone and Jackie Hannah and Karen Kay provided backing vocals. The line-up changed around the band’s relatively short existence, which is usually given as lasting until 1987. 

There was a particularly strong connection between Webcore and the emerging psychedelic/free-festival network surrounding the Ozric Tentacles. Paul Chousmer later recalled that Webcore and the Ozrics were regularly playing the same squats, benefit gigs and free festivals, and that the groups became closely associated with the early Club Dog scene. Webcore also helped establish the Alice in Wonderland events with the Ozric Tentacles, providing a link between the older free-festival culture and the psychedelic dance and electronic underground that developed later in the decade. 

The sound of 'Cinematography' belongs firmly to that early-80s British underground, where psychedelic rock was being pulled in several different directions. Webcore had the extended, exploratory feel of progressive and space rock, but there was also a more mechanical edge, with keyboards, effects, processed sounds and prominent bass giving the music a less traditionally hippie character. Contemporary descriptions of the band stress that, although they were heavily psychedelic, their arrangements could be considerably more structured and electronic than those of many of their free-festival contemporaries.

 
The tape also gives an early glimpse of the ideas that would develop further in Webcore’s later recordings. “The Feather Mask”, for example, became part of their live repertoire and was subsequently recorded again, while “Captain’s Table” would later provide the title for one of their 1987 12-inch releases. The first cassette was followed by 'The Great Unfolding' on A Real Kavoom in 1986 and 'Consider The River' on M.E.L.T. Music in 1987, before Webcore moved into the vinyl world with their self-titled LP and further 12-inch releases through Jungle Records and A Real Kavoom. 

A Real Kavoom was a small independent imprint operating from the same DIY environment, and Phil Pickering, Webcore’s bassist, was one of the people behind it. Pickering had previously played with Vane alongside Webcore drummer and keyboard player Paul Chousmer. The label had already issued material by the electronic group Goat, a project involving Pickering and former Cuddly Toys member Sean Purcell, before becoming an important outlet for the Webcore circle and related projects. Music Week reported in 1982 that Purcell had formed A Real Kavoom with Pickering and that the label was working through Jungle for distribution. 

A Real Kavoom’s catalogue was small but fairly revealing of the musical environment around Webcore. Alongside the band’s cassettes, the label issued 'My Dreams In Your Hands' by Another Green World in 1984, a project formed by Webcore members Paul Chousmer and Dan Carpenter. It also put out recordings by Phil Pickering under his Eden alias and material connected with Artistic Control. The catalogue therefore moved between psychedelic rock, experimental electronics, ambient music and the more left-field end of the early-80s underground rather than following a conventional genre line.

 
The connection with Another Green World is particularly interesting in the context of 'Cinematography'. Chousmer and Carpenter began that project around the same period, initially creating music for the early-morning chillout sessions associated with the psychedelic/free-festival circuit. Their first A Real Kavoom cassette appeared in 1984, and the project later became involved with Club Dog, the Deptford Crypt, Whirly-Gig and Return to the Source. The overlap between the two projects shows how porous the boundaries were between psychedelic rock, experimental electronics and the emerging chillout culture during the 1980s. 

Webcore remained active through the second half of the decade, eventually issuing 'Webcore' on LP in 1987 and 'Webcore Webcore' in 1988. Members also continued into other projects: Chousmer and Carpenter developed Another Green World, while Mick West, Phil Pickering and Chousmer later formed Zuvuya, whose 1990s recordings moved into ambient and electronic territory and included collaborations with Terence McKenna. Clive Goodwin also became involved with the Ozric Tentacles as a sound engineer, while drummer Nick Van Gelder, who had previously played with the Ozrics, later became associated with Jamiroquai.

 

Label: A Real Kavoom – ARC 4 

Format: Cassette, Album 

Country: UK 

Released: 1984 

Style: Psychedelic Rock, Experimental, Prog Rock, Post-Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Exit The Fear 

A2 Jack Smack 

A3 Shades Of Light 

A4 Son Of Man 

A5 Webcore Atman 

B1 Poison Without Trace 

B2 Captains Table 

B3 Edentide 

B4 The Feather Mask And This Prophet Gear 

 

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The Velvet Crush / The Golden Dawn – Walking Out On Love / The Sun Never Shines [7''] (1989, Raving Pop Blast! Records)

 

The split 7" 'Walking Out On Love / The Sun Never Shines' appeared in 1989 as a limited flexi-disc packaged with the third issue of the Scottish fanzine Fine Art of Shoplifting. Released by the tiny Glasgow-based Raving Pop Blast! Records, it brought together two young bands from opposite sides of the Atlantic who were both part of the late-1980s indie pop underground. At a time when fanzines, mail-order catalogs and flexi-discs played a huge role in spreading new music, releases like this became prized snapshots of a thriving DIY scene. 

 
On the A-side, The Velvet Crush were making one of their earliest appearances on record. Paul Chastain and Ric Menck had recently moved from Chicago to Providence, Rhode Island, after several projects together including Choo Choo Train, The Springfields and Bag-O-Shells. With guitarist Jeffrey Underhill joining the lineup, they launched Velvet Crush with a slightly tougher, power pop-influenced sound that still retained their indie pop roots. Their contribution is a spirited cover of Paul Collins' "Walking Out On Love," played with ringing guitars, punchy rhythms and the melodic energy that would soon become the band's trademark. It served as an early preview of the direction they would take before signing with Bus Stop Records and later attracting wider attention through albums such as 'In the Presence of Greatness' and 'Teenage Symphonies to God'. 

 
The flip side features Glasgow's The Golden Dawn, who had already earned a reputation through a pair of acclaimed singles on Sarah Records. Formed in 1986, the group mixed jangly guitars, feedback and a slightly rough-edged approach that set them apart from many of their contemporaries in the UK indie pop scene. "The Sun Never Shines" captures that balance between shimmering melodies and a raw, almost garage-like atmosphere, fitting neatly alongside the band's Sarah releases while showing a darker, noisier edge. Several members would later continue with projects such as Christine's Cat and Besotted after The Golden Dawn came to an end. 

 
Raving Pop Blast! Records was a small independent label closely connected to the Scottish fanzine network, issuing a handful of limited releases that documented emerging guitar pop acts before many of them reached a larger audience. Rather than chasing commercial success, the label focused on introducing exciting new bands through inexpensive, collectible formats such as flexi-discs, making it part of the vibrant cassette-and-fanzine culture that linked fans and musicians across Britain and beyond during the late 1980s. 

 

 

Label: Raving Pop Blast! Records – rave 16fx 

Format: Flexi-disc, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single Sided 

Country: UK 

Released: 1989 

Style: Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 The Velvet Crush – Walking Out On Love 

A2 The Golden Dawn – The Sun Never Shines 

 

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UA – Cantante De Opera / Maldoror [7''] (1982, Hispavox)

 

UA's only 7-inch single, 'Cantante De Opera / Maldoror', appeared in 1982 on Hispavox, capturing a brief but memorable moment in the early Spanish new wave and synth-pop scene. The project revolved around Raimundo M. Luengo, who handled vocals, keyboards and songwriting, while the recording itself featured a studio line-up including operatic singer Luna Estebaranz, keyboard player Juan Antonio García, bassist Celestino Charro and drummer Miguel Ángel Guillermo. Although UA existed as a band during its earliest live appearances, Raimundo increasingly became its driving force, eventually continuing alone under the name BIT-32 after relocating to Valladolid in the mid-1980s. 

The A-side, "Cantante De Opera", had already begun circulating as a demo before its official release and quickly attracted attention thanks to its unusual combination of cold synthesizers, mechanical rhythms and soaring operatic vocals. Earlier live versions had featured Teresa Verdera, who had studied classical singing, while the single introduced Luna Estebaranz as the soprano voice, giving the recording its distinctive theatrical atmosphere. At a time when many Spanish synth-pop groups were looking towards British electronic music, UA mixed those influences with an unexpected dose of dramatic classical singing, creating a sound that stood apart from most of their contemporaries. The song received a fair amount of radio airplay and became something of an underground favourite despite dividing opinion among critics and fellow musicians, with some praising its originality while others found its ambitious style excessive. 

The B-side, "Maldoror", revealed another side of Raimundo's writing, leaning further into dark electronics and experimental textures. Its title references "Les Chants de Maldoror", the nineteenth-century surreal and transgressive literary work by Comte de Lautréamont, fitting perfectly with the fascination many early 1980s underground artists had for avant-garde literature, performance and unconventional imagery. Together, both tracks offered a snapshot of a project that refused to fit comfortably into the commercial synth-pop mould developing in Spain at the time. 

The single arrived through Hispavox, one of Spain's most important record companies, whose catalogue during the early 1980s ranged from established pop stars to emerging acts connected with the explosion of new wave and La Movida. Alongside artists such as Alaska y Los Pegamoides, Radio Futura and other adventurous signings, the label occasionally took chances on more experimental projects like UA, even if they fell outside mainstream expectations. 

Despite the originality of 'Cantante De Opera / Maldoror', sales were modest and Hispavox soon dropped its support for the project. UA disappeared shortly afterwards, although Raimundo M. Luengo returned several years later under the original name to record the 1987 mini-LP 'España Es Un Planeta', this time with a renewed line-up that included Agustín Villafáñez, María Luisa Muñoz "May" and former Aviador Dro keyboard player Mario Gil. The 1982 single nevertheless remains the recording most closely associated with UA, standing as an unusual blend of synth-pop, theatrical performance and early industrial-tinged experimentation within the Spanish underground. 

 

Label: Hispavox – 45-2231 

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single 

Country: Spain 

Released: 1982 

Style: New Wave, Synth-pop, Minimal. Movida Madrileña 

 

Tracklist:  

A Cantante De Opera 3:33 

B Maldoror 3:12 

 

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The Teardrops – Final Vinyl [LP] (1980, Illuminated Records)

'Final Vinyl', released in January 1980 on Illuminated Records, was the only full-length album by Manchester's short-lived The Teardrops. By the time it appeared, the band had already gone through several line-up changes and had evolved far beyond its early punk roots. What began in 1978 as a side project for Buzzcocks bassist Steve Garvey gradually became a vehicle for a more adventurous mix of new wave, art rock, psychedelia and post-punk experimentation, making 'Final Vinyl' feel less like a straightforward debut and more like the final chapter of an already complicated story. 

The Teardrops were originally put together by Steve Garvey alongside Trevor Wain, John Key, Dave Brisbane and drummer John Donelly. Their first recordings appeared on the 'In and Out of Fashion' EP, released by Bent Records in 1978. Soon afterwards the line-up shifted dramatically with the arrival of Tony Friel and Karl Burns, both formerly of The Fall, and the band re-recorded much of the same material for the 'Leave Me No Choice' EP. A year later they released the 'Seeing Double' single, although there has always been some uncertainty over whether Garvey actually played on that recording despite being credited in some discographies. 

By the sessions for 'Final Vinyl', the group had changed once again. Trevor Wain remained while Helen Barbrook and Dave Price joined the fold, bringing fresh ideas to a record that embraced experimentation without abandoning the band's punk instincts. Several earlier songs were revisited in new forms. "Everything's O.K." was a reworking of "Teardrops and Heartaches," originally the B-side of 'Seeing Double', while "Teenage Vice" returned from the band's early EPs with a different arrangement that reflected how much their sound had developed over just a couple of years. 

The album has often been described as an overlooked late-'70s UK new wave and art rock curiosity. Instead of sticking to one style, it jumps between energetic power pop, angular post-punk, psychedelic textures and quirky pop ideas. The opening track, "Everything's O.K.," bursts out with a sharp, power-punk energy that recalls Garvey's work with Buzzcocks, while "No One Is Innocent" leans into more angular art rock territory. "Hey Count De Bok Bok" throws in funky rhythms and playful whistle effects, "Teenage Vice" and "Some People" drift into psychedelic territory, and the notorious "Fackin Kant" delivers schoolboy humour wrapped in pogo-punk attitude. The result is a messy but surprisingly creative blend of new wave, psych and arty pub rock that constantly shifts direction from one track to the next. 

Steve Garvey was already well known as the bassist of Buzzcocks, one of Manchester's defining punk bands, while Tony Friel and Karl Burns had both been part of the earliest incarnation of The Fall before joining The Teardrops. Trevor Wain played an increasingly important role as the band's line-up evolved, helping steer the material towards the more adventurous sound heard on the album. Those connections placed The Teardrops right in the middle of Manchester's fertile late-1970s underground, where punk bands were quickly branching out into stranger and more experimental territory. 

The album appeared on Illuminated Records, an independent British label that became known during the late 1970s and early 1980s for releasing adventurous post-punk, industrial, experimental and alternative music. The label's catalogue sat comfortably alongside the era's DIY ethos, giving space to artists who didn't fit neatly into commercial expectations, making it a natural home for an album as unconventional as 'Final Vinyl'. 

Not long after the album's release, The Teardrops came to an end. They contributed the song "Colours" to the Manchester compilation 'Identity Parade' in 1980, documenting another small piece of the city's thriving independent scene. Some of the musicians continued with the short-lived Bok Bok, who released the single "Come Back To Me" later that same year, while 'Final Vinyl' remained the band's only full-length statement and a snapshot of Manchester's restless post-punk creativity at the turn of the decade. 

 

Label: Illuminated Records – JAMS 2 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: UK 

Released: 1980 

Style: New Wave, Post-Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Everythings O.K. 

A2 No One Is Innocent 

A3 Hey Count De Bok Bok 

A4 Teenage Vice 

B1 Meet The Teardrops 

B2 Some People 

B3 Slow Glass 

B4 Fackin Kant 

B5 Time To Go 

 

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The Somerville Players – Volume One [7''] (1996, Lissy's Records)

 

Released in 1996 by the small UK independent Lissy's Records, 'Volume One' was a one-off collaboration that brought together musicians from very different corners of the international underground scene. The 7-inch contains two tracks, with the first side -a cover of Faust's "Flashback Caruso"- built around a sparse mix of acoustic instruments, percussion, bass and Barbara Manning's unmistakable vocals, while the flip offers an unexpected, noisy interpretation of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut." The contrast between the two songs gives the record a distinctive identity, moving from intimate, folk-leaning textures to raw experimental rock in just a few minutes. 

 
The lineup itself makes 'Volume One' especially interesting. Barbara Manning had already established herself as a key figure in the American indie rock scene through her solo work and bands such as World of Pooh. Jason Loewenstein was best known as the bassist and songwriter in Sebadoh, bringing his trademark lo-fi sensibility to the project. Bob Fay came from the same extended circle, having played drums with Sebadoh during some of the band's most influential years. From New Zealand came Roy Montgomery, whose work with The Pin Group, Dadamah and numerous solo recordings helped define the country's atmospheric guitar underground. Completing the lineup was Anne Slinn, whose contributions tied together this unlikely international gathering. 

 
Rather than functioning as a permanent band, The Somerville Players existed as a collaborative project between friends and like-minded musicians. Their different backgrounds -American indie rock, New Zealand experimental guitar music and underground folk-inspired songwriting- created a recording that felt spontaneous rather than carefully mapped out. The performances have an informal quality, as if they were captured during a relaxed session where everyone brought their own musical vocabulary into the room. 

 
Lissy's Records was a tiny London-based independent label that specialized in limited-edition releases by artists connected to the international DIY and alternative music community. The label never operated on a large commercial scale, instead focusing on unusual collaborations and releases that sat comfortably outside the mainstream. 'Volume One' fits that approach perfectly, pairing respected underground musicians in a project that was never intended to become a long-running group but instead serves as a snapshot of a particularly fertile network of artists active during the mid-1990s. 

 

 

Label: Lissy's Records – liss eighteen 

Format: Vinyl, 7"

Country: UK 

Released: 1996 

Style: Indie Rock 

 

Tracklist: 

A Flashback Caruso 

B Supernaut 

 

Notes: 

There are (at least) 4 different color covers for this release: red, purple, beige, and green. 

 

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