September’s crop of the best reissues sees proto-acid experiments, intergalactic jazz, Birmingham techno and an audio retelling of Dune alongside a collection of under-appreciated Greek electronics.
The Vauxhall institution will compile a fourth selection of contemporary and vintage disco for their first compilation in three years.
We kick off a new monthly feature with reissues from Charles Hayward, Big Ben Tribe, Roland Young and more.
Strut prime a new compilation decorating Haitian music from the early ‘60s to the late ‘70s.
From the Italian electronic and new wave underground of the 1980s, Strut’s new two disc compilation Mutazione focuses on the musical climate of Italy during a time of political unrest and change. Experimental Italian bands were devoted to a DIY ethic often inspired by English and American post-punk bands; with fanzines and cassettes playing a crucial role in political activism for both for the extreme left and right wings. In the same spirit as compilation series such as Minimal Wave Tapes and Metal Dance, the Alessio Natalizia curated Mutazione recalls often overlooked bands of the Italian underground, and the urgent messages of anxious times that spurred their creativity.
Next up for the excellent Strut Records is a retrospective of 80s NYC imprint Celluloid Records.
The best compilations act as gateways into a world of music unknown to the listener, perhaps encouraged to investigate thanks to one stray familiar name or some eye-catching artwork. It’s possible that the art of a finely curated compilation might be in danger of being lost on a current generation brought up on the endless musical possibilities of the mix and match download culture, though 2012 showed that there are still plenty of labels willing to invest the time and knowledge neccesary.
Our list of the top ten compilations looks to capture that, drawing on a selection of established labels celebrated for their ongoing efforts in the realm alongside imprint who’ve made impressive fresh steps in this direction, with an overall diversity of musical styles that hopefully reflects our own divergent tastes. It should also be noted that the drastic decline in quality of commercially released mix CDs, no doubt caused by the over abundance of online podcasts and mixes, reached a tipping point whereby we decided to leave the format out of this year’s “best of” coverage.
Strut engage appetite whetting mode ahead of their forthcoming Cajual retrospective with a free download of an early 90s Curtis Jones classic.
By now, we should all know the story of Tony Wilson’s ultimately doomed Factory Records imprint; the rags-to-riches-to-rags story of the design-conscious Manchester imprint, excesses and all, has been written many times over. Strut’s initial FAC. DANCE compilation, curated with love by walking dance music encyclopedia Bill Brewster and released last year, also documented the label’s attempts to court the dancefloor. As that collection proved, the emerging UK club culture of the 1980s was of vital importance to Factory. In many ways, it was written into the label’s DNA. From its early post-punk years to the later dominance of dance-pop kings New Order and the Happy Mondays, the fortunes of Factory Records were intertwined with that of its partner club, the Hacienda. That both were ultimately glorious failures almost makes the Factory story more alluring.
While re-issue specialists such as Harmless, Far Out, Strut or Mr Bongo enjoy a respectable following thanks to their long-established nature and strong track record, very few new labels rooted in the world of global rhythms have managed to make waves outside of the dusty-fingered world of record collecting.
Strut Records will release a second volume of their trawl through the archives of Factory Records, with ESG, A Certain Ratio and Cabaret Voltaire all featuring on FAC DANCE 02.
It’s not particularly tropical in the corner of London Juno Plus call home, but that won’t stop us from enjoying the blissful soca of “Vibrations Groove” from Lord Shorty.
Strut Records’ tireless endeavours to document the various pockets of dance music history sees them call on Richard Sen to compile This Ain’t Chicago: The Sound Of Underground UK House & Acid 1987-1991.
Having previously mined the new wave vaults of Factory Records, the pioneering work of leftfield disco producer Bob Blank and the weirder fringes of New York’s post-punk club culture, Strut Records avert their gaze to the worlds of EBM and industrial. It’s a wise choice, not least because those genres – along with post-punk, proto-house and, arguably, the odder end of the disco spectrum – provided 1980s listeners with some of the most revolutionary, inspiring and downright strange music of the era.
You should of course be aware of Strut Records’ forthcoming Metal Dance compilation helmed by Trevor Jackson, which has been soundtracking the afternoon’s endeavours at the Juno Plus offices over the past few weeks.
Trevor Jackson has revealed a promo mix of what we can expect from his forthcoming Metal Dance compilation, to be released in February through Strut.
As mentioned previously on Juno Plus, the compilation will include 27 tracks over 2 CDs, comprised of Jackson’s favourite industrial, post punk and EBM rarities from the 1980s which have influenced his considerable musical legacy as head of the defunct Output Recordings and the man behind Playgroup. Featuring the likes of Severed Heads, Nitzer Ebb and Cabaret Voltaire alongside John Carpenter and Einsturzende Neubauten, the compilation looks set to be one of the year’s more interesting forays into crate digging. A preview of what to expect can be gleaned from the 7-minute minimix below.
Strut Records will release Metal Dance across 2 x CD, gatefold double vinyl and digital formats on 20 February.
Strut add another reason to get excited about 2012 with news that the label has tapped up well respected former Output Recordings honcho Trevor Jackson to compile his favourite industrial, post punk and EBM tracks from the 1980s for the forthcoming Metal Dance.
The Vauxhall epicentre of all things disco that is Horse Meat Disco will present a third edition of their popular mix series for Strut Records later this summer – with the two disc edition presenting a slight variation in theme.