Repress!
Emotional Rescue and Utopia Originals join forces to release the pop, new wave, funk of Obscure Desire, a one-off project and EP from effervescent 80s Auckland, New Zealand that saw three friends come together to make a perfect piece of club pop history.
Revolving around the musical talent of Andrew Waldergrave, a trained pianist, music degree drop-out, who moved to the island’s cultural centre of Auckland and emersed himself in the arts and nightlife scene the city had to offer.
Working at Obscure Desire, a Fashion Boutique meets Salon, he became friends with Grant Mitchell and Giselle Trezevant, together forming not a band, but as they saw it, a project to make a record for their scene and beyond.
Coming from outside of the established band route of endless rehearsals, local gigs, growing a fan base and home recordings, they fell did not have the support network of indigenous New Zealand labels. As so often the case in unearthing these lost reissue gems, the artists took matters into their own hands, seeking to write, record and release themselves.
After meeting Trevor Reekie, head of the local Pagan Records label, he took on production duties. Collating the necessary musicians, the project grew from the one song to become a full EP, recording between a home 16 track studio and a full 24 track desk at Harlequin Studios.
Centred around the title song, it is a perfect pop moment. Waldergrave’s piano leads into an infectious groove of slap bass, gated drums, Reekie’s acoustic guitar and cut vocals, before Trezevant’s vocals propel the song to an 80s swing out vibrations. Coming in Extended, Harlequin and Instrumental (digital only) mixes, this was an overload of White Funk.
Here reduced to the best two versions, more room is given to let the other recordings breathe, first the gloriously anthemic instrumental Bullet. Intricate programming and production, lead into the pop sensibility of I Wonder, some kind of wonderful antipodean reimagining of Chris & Cosey finest pop moments, an optimistic paene that permeates the whole EP. Closing 4A, espouses the Jazz Funk, with Trezevant’s simple French lyrics telling of dreams of a lover’s image.
Released in 1986 with no local support from radio and TV, it became something of a “hit” record in New Zealand’s more discerning clubs, however the members soon moved to London and the project remained a one-off moment. Over time the EP has gained cult status to become globally desired that sees copies of the original 12” selling for $000s. Now at last available for a global reach, while remaining a personal, uplifting moment of time.
