Search:nile

Styles
All
Scuba + DOMiNii - Diivorce LP

Scuba begins a new project with London vocalist and producer DOMiNii, who makes his debut with ‘Diivorce’.

Paul Rose (aka Scuba) has long since explored cross-genre sounds, blending disparate elements and mining nostalgia to create cool moods and moments of pure escapism. Over four critically acclaimed albums and mix CDs for DJ Kicks, fabric, and Ostgut Ton, he’s established himself as one of the industry’s most respected artists and tastemakers. He’s continued to evade musical pigeonholing over the course of his career, never hesitating to challenge himself with new creative endeavours. The fresh sonic direction expressed on ‘Diivorce’ is one he’s been developing since 2018, when he took an indefinite break from the full-time DJ circuit.

‘Diivorce’ is a collaboration with debut artist DOMiNii, a vocalist and producer who takes influence from the likes of Wang Chung, David Newman, Arthur Russell, and The Blue Nile. Although he appeared uncredited with backing vocals on Scuba’s ‘Forgive Me’, which initially came out last summer, ‘Diivorce’ marks his first official release.

Covering areas as varied as power pop, indietronica, exuberant house, and classic rock, the project seemingly touches as many points as it can think of, something Rose acknowledged in a recent interview where he stated that “we made so many tracks, with no real set direction, so with this record I just wanted to pick a limited number that kind of showed where we’d been. We are working on something now that I’d call a ‘proper album’, which I think will come out in 2022, Diivorce is something I see as a documentation of a period of time.”

The project includes illustrations by French artist Virginie Kypriotis who tells the story of ‘Diivorce’ through the eyes of DOMiNii, detailing a world of abandonment and separation against a backdrop of a faded paradise. Rose was first acquainted with Kypriotis’ work through her iconic illustration ‘A Night at Berghain’, which was later used by the club as their official flyer artwork in December 2017.

The vinyl edition of ‘Diivorce’ includes previously unreleased (and vinyl-exclusive) track ‘Tricks’, and is packaged in a limited edition, numbered, screen-printed sleeve.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

15,92

Last In: 4 years ago
Ajak Kwai - Red Sands

Ajak Kwai

Red Sands

12inchMIE019
Music In Exile
14.12.2021

Ajak Kwai is a name well known to the airwaves, stage, and broader Australian music community for her powerful performances and strong messages that call for inclusion and celebration of the diversity found throughout Australian society. Originally hailing from a small town of Bor (pronounced ‘bohr’) on the Upper Nile in what is now South Sudan, music has always been part of her life.

Alongside sharing political messages through her music, Ajak Kwai is also a radio broadcaster in Melbourne on both PBS and 3CR. Her shows give a voice to the local African community so that they can tell their stories through music and spoken word, and her music selections focus on songs that have changed the world in a positive way. She challenges bias in our society and reminds politicians to be accountable for their language and actions.

Performing in English, Arabic, and her native language, Dinka, Ajak Kwai’s music draws upon South Sudanese funk and blues influences and brings together elements of traditional music alongside more contemporary gestures. The result is something notably unique and powerful.

Ajak Kwai is joined by a band of exceptional standards, including musicians Matthew Erickson, Kanyakumar Shome (Silent Jay, REMI, The Bamboos, Cat Empire, Sampa the Great), Kofi Kunkpe, Maria Moles (Jaala, Jonnine (HTRK), Mildlife), Gabriela Georges and guests Boubacar Gaye (Ausecuma Beats) and Allysha Joy (30/70).

Ajak Kwai’s previous release and fifth album, ‘Let Me Grow My Wings’, was featured as RRR album of the week, feature Album on 2ser, and saw widespread support across community radio. Ajak Kwai has been an ambassador of the Melbourne International Arts Festival for three years and her sets have been highlights at festivals including WOMADelaide, Bluesfest, Brunswick Music Festival, A Festival Called Panama, Dark Mofo, Port Fairy Folk Festival and Woodford Folk Festival.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

13,82

Last In: 4 years ago
Death - Scream Bloody Gore

Death

Scream Bloody Gore

CassetteRR73249
Relapse Records
01.10.2021

DEATH's legendary 1987 debut Scream Bloody Gore is more than just an untouchable album - upon its release, it was positively genre-creating. Scream Bloody Gore founded the quintessential death metal sound, with more tormented riffs, screams, and leads than the world had ever imagined, and established Chuck Schuldiner's inimitable phrasing and songwriting style as the most singular voice in the burgeoning genre. Today, the album is viewed unanimously as one of the all-time most important cornerstones of death metal. As the final chapter in Relapse's comprehensive DEATH reissue series, Scream Bloody Gore will now receive the deluxe reissue treatment on a wide variety of formats including 2CD, Limited Edition 3CD, LP, Deluxe 2xLP Boxset, and cassette versions. Like the preceding DEATH reissues, the deluxe reissue of Scream Bloody Gore has been meticulously remastered from the original tapes by Alan Douches (Death, Mastodon, Nile) and includes a plethora of bonus content, including previously unreleased recordings and rehearsal demos, super-expanded packaging, and brand-new extensive liner notes from former DEATH drummer / Autopsy founder Chris Reifert, Sepultura's Max Cavalera, and original Scream Bloody Gore producer Randy Burns.

pre-order now01.10.2021

expected to be published on 01.10.2021

13,07
Death - Leprosy

Death

Leprosy

CassetteRR72289
Relapse Records
01.10.2021

The sixth installment in Relapse's exhaustive reissue campaign of DEATH's immensely influential catalog is Leprosy, the band's titanic second album. Originally released in 1988, ‘Leprosy’ was a pioneering album, building upon the thrash sounds of Metallica and Slayer but adding a previously unheard level of raw extremity. These songs are the roots of an entire genre: death metal. While this was only the second record DEATH released, it immediately cemented them as heavy metal icons. Meticulous care has been put into this reissue. The entire album, as well as the bonus material has been painstakingly remastered by Alan Douches (Mastodon, Nile, etc). Includes Digital Download

pre-order now01.10.2021

expected to be published on 01.10.2021

12,23
Shuttle358 - Chessa 2x12"

Shuttle358

Chessa 2x12"

2x12inchKEPLARREV06LP
Keplar
30.08.2021

Keplar re-issues the fourth album 'Chessa' by Dan Abrams' project Shuttle358 on vinyl for the first time. The double LP edition includes 3 previously unreleased tracks from the same recording sessions back in 2004, as well as an extended artwork with unseen photographs by Dan Abrams.

While undoubtedly associated with the microsound and 'clicks & cuts' movement around the turn of the millennium, on 'Chessa' Shuttle358 left behind the classical rhythmic patterns of the genre and shifted further towards warmer territories, meandering between modern digital minimalism and the soft tones of ambient music. Counter to his microsound synthesis approach on Frame (2000), Abrams created Chessa by writing software that manipulated samples from his unreleased songs, guitar pieces, and vintage japanese films sampled from video tape. In particular, a special granulating technique was written and performed at intentionally low sample rates that gave the uniquely fragile, yet dense sound to the album. Over fourteen tracks Abrams arranges slowly evolving sonic entities of unfading elegance. Strayed and hazy melodies pulse and cascade, elongated but brittle harmonies shimmer and disappear, echoing far-off in the rounded corners of the mind. The patient and detailed way Abrams combines the broken with the beautiful in creating organic collages of sound that retain the euphonic essence of a song, makes this piece of work so powerful and timeless, sounding just as relevant today, as it did 17 years ago.

Under modern scrutiny in Abrams latest studio, he refocused the original recordings to emphasize the elements most important to the original vision. The final mastering and vinyl preparation was done in collaboration with Stephan Mathieu, vinyl was cut by LUPO.

From the original press release in 2004 by Taylor Deupree:

Without a doubt Shuttle358 has become one of the most admired artists to emerge from modern electronic music’s sea of musicians. From the humble beginnings of a demo CD in 12k’s mailbox to 4 critically acclaimed CDs, Dan Abrams is, to some, the one credited for bringing a warmth and human touch back into what has often been considered a very cold, sterile genre. It began with 1999’s Optimal.lp (12k1005), a groundbreaking debut release that immediately defined the Shuttle358 sound; a hybridization of the then-emerging “microsound” genre with Eno’s true ambient explorations. In 2000 Abrams outdid himself with Frame (12k1011) by honing his sound design and exploring production techniques at rates that made his “now” quite brief and creating what was to become one of the most sought-after CDs in the 12k catalog.

Chessa is the third release from Abrams’ Shuttle358 moniker on 12k and he continues to do what he does best: attempt to move microsound away from the world of theory and towards absolute real life. Like his photographs, Chessa is music about, and to be listened to in, unexpected places. It is a narrative, a simple slice of life that plays out through the incidental photography of the cover artwork. To achieve this Abrams fuses irregular granular sound particles, like the movements of everyday life, with a deliberate melodic base that captures emotion and simplicity.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

26,68

Last In: 4 years ago
Lex (Athens) - Punta Allen EP

Lex(Athens)

Punta Allen EP

12inchLENG055
LENG RECORDS
02.08.2021

Last autumn Leng Records welcomed a new name to the roster, Greek DJ/producer Lex, via some warming and colourful tracks on the label’s 10th Anniversary LP and sampler EP. Now the Athenian has returned with his first full release for Paul Murphy and Simon Purnell’s popular imprint.



Real name Alex Andrikopoulos, Lex first rose to prominence in his home city of Athens when he ran the Radical Soundz record shop during the first decade of the millennium. More recently his reputation has spread worldwide thanks to his association with Leng, a recent 12” on B2 Recordings and DJ sets that frequently join the dots between disco, house and techno.



His first full EP for Leng is arguably his most musically expansive collection of tracks to date, with a swathe of guest players – keyboardist Artis Boriss and drummer/percussionist Harold Perez most prominently – swinging by to help bring Lex’s vivid musical visions to life.



For proof, check out lead cut ‘Punta Allen’, an eight-minute chunk of organic dancefloor goodness in which Lex and his musical associates layer steel pan style melodies, spacey synthesizer flourishes, eyes-closed electric piano solos, warming chords and jangling guitars atop a heady bass guitar line, unfussy drums and sweaty pots-and-pans percussion. The track’s effortless evolution, which slowly unfurls before rising towards a gorgeous and joyous conclusion, is testament to the Greek producer’s dancefloor instincts.



You’ll find more low-slung, dub disco-influenced bass on the exotic ‘The Jamail Pass’, where mazy and feverish organ solos and rolling hand percussion provide a platform for Paqua member Alex Searle’s Nile Rodgers style guitar sounds. The track’s inherent funk – emphasized by occasional bass guitar solos and fills, as well as some tumbling synth sounds – is apparent throughout the track, something that only adds to its smile-inducing allure.



Closing out a very impressive first EP on Leng is ‘Angels of Rhythm’, a hazier, faster and more intergalactic excursion that cannily combines the low-slung bass of dub disco with the intoxicating vibes and warming dreaminess of deep house. The track’s intoxicating late-night feel is partly due to an undecidedly cosmic spoken word vocal from sassy singer Harrier Summer, though Artis Boriss’ pitch-bend-sporting synth solos and fizzing electronic noises certainly help. Driving but also deep and groovy, ‘Angels of Rhythm’ offers a memorable conclusion to a very impressive EP.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

18,28

Last In: 4 years ago
Chic - Soup For One

Chic

Soup For One

12inchSPEC1824
Mirage Records
02.08.2021

2026 Repress

Famously sampled in Modjo’s number one smash hit ‘Lady’, Chic ‘Soup For One’ is a tried and tested recipe for greatness. Tantalizing, trademark Nile Rogers funk strumming, sublime synthwork, vocals to die for and hooks for days. Coming up to its 40th anniversary with the original released on Mirage in ’82.

stock from19.05.2026

13,40

Last In: 6 months ago
Death - Leprosy Reissue

Death

Leprosy Reissue

12inchRR44811
Relapse Records
09.07.2021

The sixth installment in Relapse's exhaustive reissue campaign of DEATH's immensely influential catalog is Leprosy, the band's titanic second album. Originally released in 1988 Leprosy was a pioneering album, building upon the thrash sounds of Metallica and Slayer but adding a previously unheard level of raw extremity. These songs are the roots of an entire genre: death metal. While this was only the second record DEATH released, it immediately cemented them as heavy metal icons. Meticulous care has been put into this reissue. The entire album, as well as the bonus material has been painstakingly remastered by Alan Douches (Mastodon, Nile, etc). Includes Digital Download

pre-order now09.07.2021

expected to be published on 09.07.2021

20,13
Death - Scream Bloody Gore

DEATH's legendary 1987 debut Scream Bloody Gore is more than just an untouchable album - upon its release, it was positively genre-creating. Scream Bloody Gore founded the quintessential death metal sound, with more tormented riffs, screams, and leads than the world had ever imagined, and established Chuck Schuldiner's inimitable phrasing and songwriting style as the most singular voice in the burgeoning genre. Today, the album is viewed unanimously as one of the all-time most important cornerstones of death metal. As the final chapter in Relapse's comprehensive DEATH reissue series, Scream Bloody Gore will now receive the deluxe reissue treatment on a wide variety of formats including 2CD, Limited Edition 3CD, LP, Deluxe 2xLP Boxset, and cassette versions. Like the preceding DEATH reissues, the deluxe reissue of Scream Bloody Gore has been meticulously remastered from the original tapes by Alan Douches (Death, Mastodon, Nile) and includes a plethora of bonus content, including previously unreleased recordings and rehearsal demos, super-expanded packaging, and brand-new extensive liner notes from former DEATH drummer / Autopsy founder Chris Reifert, Sepultura's Max Cavalera, and original Scream Bloody Gore producer Randy Burns.

pre-order now09.07.2021

expected to be published on 09.07.2021

20,13
Born Of Osiris - Angel Or Alien (Ultra Clear w/ Neon Pink & Black Splatter)

Born Of Osiris' return with their 6th studio album, "Angel Or Alien”!

- Pre-orders launching w/ music video for "Angel Or Alien”
- Release day focus track is "Poster Child" w/ music video
- Launching vinyl and CD at D2C and Retail
- Confirmed Revolver and Newbury Comics vinyl variants
- "White Nile" from the album was released on 3/18 w/ a music video

pre-order now02.07.2021

expected to be published on 02.07.2021

23,49
Jack Savoretti - Europiana

Jack Savoretti

Europiana

12inchEMIV2043
AMF Records
25.06.2021

Jack Savoretti will mark the launch of his new album campaign next Thursday, May 6th, 8.30am, when first single ‘Who’s Hurting Who’ featuring Nile Rodgers is released. The single is the first taste of the highly anticipated upcoming new album ‘Europiana’, which is released on June 25th. The new album was recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London with producers including Cam Blackwood (George Ezra, Florence & The Machine) and Mark Ralph (Jess Glynne, Years & Years) Jack has sold over 550,000 albums in the UK alone and amassed over 65 million streams. He has enjoyed 3 consecutive Top 10 Gold albums in the UK, including No.1 ‘Singing To Strangers’. The album launch will coincide with the announcement of a full UK and Europe tour in Spring 2022. The summer of Europiana is on its way… Jack has been teasing the release of new music on his socials, with clips from studio sessions at Abbey Road Studios.

pre-order now25.06.2021

expected to be published on 25.06.2021

32,73
The Warriors - Behind The Mask

The Warriors

Behind The Mask

12inchEXLPM34
Expansion
21.05.2021

“Behind The Mask” was originally to be the second Incognito album. Still floating on the high of the success of their debut album “Jazz Funk”, Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick started work on new material recruiting friends and strangers from London’s buzzing music scene. Where “Jazz Funk” in 1981 had by name and nature been achieved from the influence of Jazz Funk and Soul music that we had been listening to in the 70’s, “Behind The Mask” from has a strong leaning towards the harder Fusion trend of that time. Innocence and earthy tones were replaced by a bright and bold flurry of cascading arpeggios and screaming solos. Brass arrangements that had been created by singing a man a line were now leaping out of reams of paper scored by the wizard that is Richard Niles. However, still present and leading the charge was the unmistakable, funky, pulsating and irresistible bass lines of the late Paul “Tubbs” Williams.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

16,77

Last In: 4 years ago
Various - Impulse Records: Music, Message And The Moment
 
25

Orange and black. Fire and ebony. Fury and pride. Wearing its signature colors proudly and raising its exclamation point high, Impulse! Records was the go-to label for music that harnessed the searching and political stand-taking of the Sixties. Launched in 1961, Impulse grew to become an inherent part of the era’s velocity as well as its volume, pulling jazz into the age of Black Power, Afrocentricity, and Spiritual Expansion. In its balance of tradition and transition, it bridged the golden age of jazz, that brief window from the late Fifties to the Seventies when players representing every jazz era were alive and active—from Louis Armstrong to Albert Ayler, from the legends of lore to a new generation of energy players. Impulse treated all its musicians as innovators, revolutionaries even—from swing and bebop, to free and Afrofuturist. The performances on Impulse Records: Music, Message and the Moment draw their staying power from a wide embrace of styles and sounds, as well as a tight focus on a historic moment when the promise of change was in the air and the message of racial harmony was in the music. Today that music has lost none of its relevance: the promise still deferred, the message still on time.

pre-order now14.05.2021

expected to be published on 14.05.2021

157,52
Gordon Koang - Y Dah / South Sudan (Inc. Sleep D & Andras Remixes)

Gordon Koang, South Sudan’s enigmatic superstar and ceaseless fountain of infectious, upbeat pop music, kick starts 2021 by revealing a series of remixes from his recent Unity album, this time partnering with two of the undisputed leaders of electronic music in his adopted home city of Melbourne, Australia - Sleep D and Andras.

Stranded overseas after civil war tore apart their country over six years ago, Gordon and his cousin Paul Biel Kueth, who were on tour performing to expatriate communities in Australia, were forced to apply for humanitarian protection and made the heartbreaking decision to leave their families stranded at home, on the chance that citizenship would be granted and reunification made possible.

After languishing on the outskirts of Melbourne’s suburbs for many years, Gordon met the Music in Exile label, a not-for-profit run by members of Melbourne’s flourishing music scene in order to create more opportunity for the city's numerous refugee and migrant musicians. He immediately assembled a band and tracked his eleventh full-length album, Unity (his first recorded album featuring performances in English and made widely available).

In the midst of a successful run of singles and festival performances around Australia, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, derailing Gordon’s newfound success and growing status as the darling of Melbourne’s vibrant music scene. Forced to find alternatives, Gordon reached out to some of his newfound friends in that city’s community. The result - this set of startling remixes by some of the finest voices in electronic music today.

Gordon, who was born blind in a small village in South Sudan’s Upper Nile Valley, began composing on the thom, a five-stringed instrument sometimes referred to as a Sudanese banjo, He started busking on the streets of Juba, accompanied by his cousin Paul Biel, who would sell homemade cassettes and CD’s. His anthems of peace, love and unity struck a chord, and before long Gordon found himself as something of a folk hero and a voice for peace in a country torn by ongoing conflict.

Now resettled in Australia, Gordon records and releases music in order to support his family back home in East Africa. He still awaits Australian citizenship, and forges on in the hope that this may one day be granted, allowing him to reunite with his wife and family in his newfound home.

Unity is Gordon’s eleventh full-length album and first to be recorded in Australia. It was produced by Stefan Blair and Liam Parsons of Melbourne lo-fi legends Good Morning, and features an ensemble cast of Australian performers. South Sudan and Y Dah are taken from the album, reimagined here by Andras and Sleep D. The remixes were a gift to Gordon and his family, with no fees paid or royalties due - all proceeds go directly to Gordon to help him reunite with his family.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

11,72

Last In: 4 years ago
KING KHAN - THE INFINITE ONES

King Khan

THE INFINITE ONES

12inchEJRCKK178014
KHANNIBALISM
21.04.2021

Sometimes a work of art comes unintentionally from a place from deep within the soul. It meanders and flops onto a table and sits and waits for its birth.
The album begins with "Wait Till The Stars Burn", a planetary ode to the Sun. The second track "Tribute to the Pharoahs Den", is a requiem for Danny Ray Thompson (R.I.P.) of the Sun Ra Arkestra, his music and legacy now floating above us in the infinity of space. Both tracks and featuring Marshall Allen and Knoel Scott (of the Sun Ra Arkestra).
The album ends with a requiem for Hal Willner (R.I.P.) whose devotion to celebrating the weird and insane was like an insatiable thirst leading to deep introspection and joy in harmony and sonic dissidence.
These compositions have all come from this place inside my bipolar, seroquil ridden mind. It is as much a tribute to the great composers who have inspired me; Alice Coltrane, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Philip Kelan Cohran, Bernard Herrmann, Ennio Morricone, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, John Carpenter, Quincy Jones, Old Bollywood, Film Noir, to name just a few. In my 23 years of being a composer of music I have had the great opportunity to score several films all of which never got any commercial fame. These films were made from the blood and sweat of film directors and their crews who tirelessly made incredible documents that were ultimately ignored by humanity. But that never stopped them nor will it stop me. These tracks are from the infinite celluloid that runs deep in my mind, body and soul. In my lifetime i never thought i would see the deaths of "Celluloid" or "analog recording". I refuse to accept the coroner reports on said fatalities, so here is my offering to the canon of cinematic overtures and analog self-preservation, for the films in our heads yet to be made.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

25,17

Last In: 5 years ago
Dustin O’Halloran & Volker Bertlemann - The Old Guard

Score by Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominees Dustin O'Halloran and Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka) (‘Lion’, ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’, ‘The Current War’).
“A unique score… quite striking, and I can’t wait to hear more” - collider
“A healthy dose of moving string parts and engaging synth and electronic passages” - vehlinggo

pre-order now05.02.2021

expected to be published on 05.02.2021

24,33
623339247016 - NEVER GIVE UP

Never Give Up is Partner’s second full-length album, following 2017’s In Search of Lost Time.
In the years since their first release, the band has developed their “post classic rock” sound, trading their 90s rock influences, for deep power grooves, bona fide guitar heroics, and big-hearted vocals from singers Jos e Caron and Lucy Niles.
Partner deliver a more anthemic, kinder, queerer boogie, for all who love the perfect riff, the perfect drum fill, for all whom Rock is their rock.

pre-order now22.01.2021

expected to be published on 22.01.2021

25,17
Cyndi Lauper - True Colors

Cyndi Lauper

True Colors

12inchMOVLP2677
Music On Vinyl
08.01.2021

• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
• INCLUDES INSERT
• FEATURING THE HIT SINGLES “TRUE COLORS”,
“CHANGE OF HEART” & “WHAT’S GOING ON”
• 2-TIME GRAMMY NOMINATED ALBUM
• GUEST APPEARANCES BY BILLY JOEL, RICK DERRINGER, THE BANGLES, AIMEE MANN, NILE RODGERS, AND MANY MORE
• SECRET INSCRIPTIONS IN RUN-OUT GROOVE
• BLACK VINYL

Cyndi Lauper’s second studio album True Colors was a successful one, earning her two nominations at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards and a number 4 position in the Billboard 200 chart. With this release Lauper wanted to prove that she was no longer interested in being just an “icon”. Her intention was to create something, that could have proved her artistic values. And that’s what True Colors did for her career. It spawned several successful singles, like “True Colors”, “Change Of Heart”, and “What’s Going On”. The album has been certified double platinum in the United States and sold 7 million copies worldwide.

pre-order now08.01.2021

expected to be published on 08.01.2021

25,17
Adam Lambert - Velvet 2x12"

2LP: Gatefold with colored vinyl, Side AB: translucent Purple / Side CD: translucent Green. 12x24 inch fold out insert

Velvet is Adam Lambert's ode to 70's, guitar driven rock and funk music done with a modern twist and accentuated by his distinct and incredible voice. Best known as an international superstar who blew the world away on the eighth season of American Idol. Since then he's gone on to have a fully-fledged solo career, and tour the world with Queen. In addition to his musical achievements, he became the first openly gay artist to chart with a number one album in the US and Canada.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

18,45

Last In: 5 years ago
52nd Street - Look Into My Eyes / Express

Who put the dance into Factory Records?”

Be With would like to refer you to FAC 59.

Working with founding member Tony Henry, we’re honoured to present the reissue of 52nd Street’s crucial debut single “Look Into My Eyes”, backed with “Express”. Originally released on Factory Records in Summer 1982, this ultra-rare 12" is a double-sider in the truest sense. Unrivalled Manchester jazz-funk-boogie-soul.

Both “Look Into My Eyes” and “Express” came out of a five day recording session in the spring of 1982 at Revolution Studios in Cheadle Hulme, just outside Manchester. Rob Gretton had just signed the band to Factory, snatching them from under the noses of RCA and WEA Records who had been sniffing around and seemingly ignoring Tony Wilson’s concerns that Factory might not be the right home for a black soul act. Rob clearly thought different.

The band of Tony Henry on guitar and vocals, bass player Derek Johnson, drummer Tony Thompson, lead vocalist Beverley McDonald and John Dennison on keyboards were put in the studio with A Certain Ratio’s drummer Donald Johnson producing the sessions. The band also found themselves with an interesting new member.

The back cover of the finished record credits synth F/X to a mysterious “Be Music”. Turns out that’s Bernard Sumner. Yes, that one. Tony Henry explains that bringing Bernard in was another part of Rob Gretton’s plan, “Barney was a real soul boy at heart and had always wanted to produce and work with black artists… with 52nd Street, he was an honorary member”. The results suggest he fit right in.

“Look Into My Eyes” squeezes so much aural pleasure into one side of a 12" single. A strutting, rich, soul-gliding funk with bass and guitar high in the mix above twisted, bubbling synths. Like Nile and Barney drenched outside the Haçienda that first summer. How can something be this liquid loose whilst sounding so, so tight? The hypnotic, naïve-cum-insouciant vocals from McDonald, backed by her fellas, only add to the track’s charm. Put simply, it sounds like nothing else.

On the flip, “Express” is sheer drama on wax. Tony’s opening lesson in good manners (“Excuse me miss, is this seat taken?”) sees us strapped in for a wild, chaotic, rhythmic ride. All bold keys, synth brass blasts, insistent bells and a galloping groove giving *that rush* atop a bassline to die for. No surprise it was a Frankie Knuckles favourite. Blistering heat.

The 12" was Paul Morley’s single of the week in the NME but his approval did little to get daytime radio play or to sell the record when it was released. It probably didn’t help that, in Tony Henry’s words, Factory were a label “notorious for not promoting their bands, not wanting any communications with the written press and not answering their office phones.” It came and went with none of the fuss that music this good deserved.

But in the near-40 years since they were released, these two tracks have gone on to become cult underground hits for those in the know. Of course that means those original 12"s have gotten rare and pricey. So here’s your chance to own this particular piece of post punk Factory Records funk.

But this record isn’t just a vital slice of Manchester soul history. Tony’s not shy about just how important he thinks the collaboration between 52nd Street and Bernard Sumner was: “this worked out quite well for us in the band but even better for New Order and Factory Records as Sumner studied grooves, rhythms and how to write and construct funk and dance music from 52nd Street and producer Donald Johnson”. You just have to listen to Blue Monday to hear what Bernard did when he started putting what he’d learnt into practice.

“Look Into My Eyes” and “Express” come from a chapter of the history of Factory Records that no-one seems to have gotten around to writing. Working with Tony to reissue the original 12" is the start of putting that right. The story of 52nd Street is more than just a footnote.

out of Stock

Order now and we will order the item for you at our supplier.

12,06

Last In: 3 years ago
Items per Page:
N/ABPM
Vinyl