Factory Benelux Vinyl & CDs

Review: Legendary Blackpool post-punk, later electronic band Section 25 - consisting of brothers Larry and Vin Cassidy - first formed in 1978. Initial associations with Factory Records and frequent touring partners Joy Division were more than enough to propel them into the limelight, and the ensuing glory translates well into the modern day - as evidenced by Retrofit, their seventh album. First released in 2010, the album features new versions of some of their classic songs, such as 'Looking From A Hilltop', 'Dirty Disco' and 'Girls Don't Count'. A nostalgic, dreamy, and honest Northern electro/synth sound predominates, harking back to an unmistakable golden age. Now reissued on Factory's Belgian counterpart Factory Benelux, we hear a fresh LP remaster and a new track, 'Uberhymn'.

Review: Factory Records has retained a cult following well into the 21st Century. The imprint lent at least part of its name to a L250million arts centre in its Manchester hometown, opened in 2023, and those famous yellow and black stripes from the Hacienda appear everywhere from property developers to cookie cutter bars in the city. Section 25 may not be the first band that springs to mind when thinking about that legacy, but in many ways represent just how deep the talent ran through the roster. Outliving Factory itself, the Preston, Lancashire group reformed after a 13-year-hiatus in 2001, partly driven by just how much interest there was in their back catalogue. In 2007, they releases Part-Primitiv, a spellbinding collection of weird electronica, spooky synthdom, Roland pop, and forward-punching post-punk. A vital reminder of the outfit's quality, the impact remains on this reissue.

Review: Glasgow post-punk underdog heroes, The Wake, arguably never achieved nor received the success they were due with their excellent gloomy, shivering early work. Often unfairly compared to Joy Division, which only got worse upon their touring with New Order who were their labelmates at the time; it only feels like now, four decades removed from the release of their seminal debut, 'Harmony', that naysayers have learned to appreciate the work for what a cornerstone of the genre it truly was. The, 'Harmony & Singles', compilation has been reissued on Factory Benelux, then bounced to LTM then right back to Factory again, and here, we arrive at yet another reissue, commemorating a somehow criminally underrated staple of post-punk history, one decade shy of a half-century ago. Post-punk is pushing on...