Section 25
Section 25 formed in Lancashire in early 1978, a pair of brothers recruiting members for a more avant sort of dance group. As they rose to some degree of prominence with England’s Factory Records (Joy Divison, A Certain Ratio, Happy Mondays, etc.), the band was immediately written off as a Public Image Ltd. soundalike and as derivative of their fellow Factory mates. Over time however, the band’s own subtle style became more apparent.
A more ambient sort of dance band, Section 25 combined pulsing relentless rhythms, jagged guitar work, and alternated between ethereal female voices (heard on their later releases) and an abrupt male voice for vocal duties. Their connection to New Order and Joy Division remained steadfast over their tenure, for their first single was produced by Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis and manager Rob Gretton, their first record by Factory favorite Martin Hannett, and their third LP, From a Hip by Bernard Sumner of New Order. As the band continued to play gigs and record, they shifted from a rhythmic dub sound and evolved into a more electro-dance outfit.
After ten years, the band split and fell silent until June of 2007, when a reunited band (minus vocalist/keyboardist Jenny Flowers, who died before recording more than a handful of tracks in 2004) released their fifth full length Part-Primitiv, a series of new songs written and recorded over the course of six years.
For the downloading, here’s a selected duo of tracks. The first is an alternate recording of ‘Looking From a Hilltop,’ originally featured on From a Hip. The second track is taken from 2007’s Part-Primitiv.
download Section 25- ‘Looking From a Hilltop (Restructure)’
download Section 25- ‘Poppy Fields’
Click below to watch a video for the first version of ‘Looking From a Hilltop.’
Get some Section 25 discs here:
April 13, 2012 at 8:23 pm
[…] a few assorted singles. Unfairly written off (along with fellow label mates Section 25, previously featured on these pages), the band would split in 1982, releasing a collection of unreleased tracks soon […]