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Thomas Leer – ‘4 Movements’ UK 12″ EP (Cherry Red, 12 Cherry 28, 1981)

‘4 Movements’ is a four track 12″ EP from 1981 on Cherry Red records, the second solo release by Thomas, following some time after his initial self-released debut 7″ single, ‘Private Plane / International’ and after his joint LP recorded with Robert Rental, ‘The Bridge’.

Thomas Leer - 'Four Movements' UK 12" EP - front sleeve design
^ Thomas Leer – ‘Four Movements’ UK 12″ EP – front sleeve design

The ‘4 Movements’ 12″ EP had been my entry point into all things Thomas Leer – specifically, the track ‘‘Tight As A Drum’, which I had heard played on the BBC Radio 1 John Peel show one night, August 1981 (I think). It sounded amazing – such a busy, unique sound and structure, its no surprise that that track in particular has had something of a renaissance by its inclusion on various post-punk compilations over the years. The sound has movement alright – like it’s been plugged into the voltage and animated into life as some form of echoing dub that is both coming and going at the same time. Continue reading “Thomas Leer – ‘4 Movements’ UK 12″ EP (Cherry Red, 12 Cherry 28, 1981)”

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Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’ UK cassette single (EMI, TC-EMI 5413, 1983)

What a complicated tale there is to Kraftwerk’s ‘Tour de France’ single. So many versions! This post takes a brief dip into the story to focus on only one release, the rather novel cassette single edition that came out in the UK for the single’s original release in 1983. The mixes of the song featured on this cassingle mirror those to be found on the original 1983 UK 12” single, these being;

Side One:

  1. Tour De France (Long Version) (6’30”)

Side Two:

  1. Tour De France (3’00”) (NB: This was the same mix as on the A side of the 1983 UK 7” single too.)
  2. Tour De France 2è Étape (2’40”)

Now then, it’s important to point out from the off that the first two tracks on this release are the French language versions. The third track – ‘Tour de France 2è Étape’ – is listed as ‘Tour de France’ (Version) on the 12” record label and cassette shell instead, for some odd reason. This 2è Étape mix is NOT the same as the mix that was on the B side of the 1983 7” UK single, despite having a similar duration of 2’40”. The 7” B side is a genuine, shorter instrumental mix whereas ‘Tour de France 2è Étape’ doesn’t really feature the music and is more of an electronic percussion and effects workout.

Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’ 1983 UK cassette single front cover design
^ Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’ 1983 UK cassette single front cover design

Continue reading “Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’ UK cassette single (EMI, TC-EMI 5413, 1983)”

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John Foxx compilations across the years Part 6

Three years on from the previous compilation release, ‘Metatronic’, 2013’s ‘Metadelic’ was very much a companion piece that chose to focus on the ‘warmer’ periods of John’s solo material, seemingly psychedelic infused as opposed to the more influential, cold and dystopian works his solo work started off with (and would revisit later), and managed to include some previously unreleased exclusives, as well as bring some video materials back into circulation. Or as Foxx describes it in the sleevenotes; “The cyber-punk they called John Foxx’ has dissolved a little and defrosted. He has become healthy and splendored, drifting free.”

John Foxx 'Metadelic' CD front case design
^ John Foxx ‘Metadelic’ CD front case design

Continue reading “John Foxx compilations across the years Part 6”

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Propaganda ‘Die 1000 Augen Des Dr. Mabuse’ Record Store Day LP (ZTT / Universal Music Recordings, ZAFT1 / 5890985, 2024)

The annual Record Store Day orgy of new and limited edition releases has come and gone and once more served up a new ZTT label release that has proved too tempting to resist, in this case an album-length release dedicated to eight versions of one song alone, ‘Dr. Mabuse’. What do you mean who needs an album of eight different versions of one song?! This is only ‘Part 1’ – there’s even more to come at some future as yet unspecified date! It is the single’s 40th anniversary too, don’tcha know?!

Propaganda - 'Die 1000 Augen Des Dr. Mabuse' RSD 2024 LP front cover
^ Propaganda – ‘Die 1000 Augen Des Dr. Mabuse’ RSD 2024 LP front cover

Continue reading “Propaganda ‘Die 1000 Augen Des Dr. Mabuse’ Record Store Day LP (ZTT / Universal Music Recordings, ZAFT1 / 5890985, 2024)”

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Kraftwerk ‘Kometenmelodie 2’ 1981 UK 7″ (Vertigo, VER3, 1981)

1981 and Kraftwerk’s world tour and new ‘Computer World’ album was easily the band’s highest profile moves in several years and so it also acted as an impetus for the band’s previous record label to cash in with a new compilation album (‘Elektro Kinetik’) and accompanying single, ‘Kometenmelodie 2’. This would be the last hurrah for Vertigo Records in the UK with regards to Kraftwerk releases, as after 1981 the band acquired the rights to their earliest work and there would be no further re-issues of the Philips/Vertigo era material at all.

Kraftwerk 'Kometenmelodie 2' 1981 UK 7" front cover
^ Kraftwerk ‘Kometenmelodie 2’ 1981 UK 7″ front cover

Continue reading “Kraftwerk ‘Kometenmelodie 2’ 1981 UK 7″ (Vertigo, VER3, 1981)”