I have two releases in store today. A request post will follow, but first up, here’s a stellar Bunnydrums 12” ripped straight from my personal collection.
I loosely covered Bunnydrums just under one year ago, but this release is seemingly out of print. A quick recap: Bunnydrums formed in 1980 and originally split in 1986, after releasing a handful of singles and two full length records. The Philadelphia based band reformed in the new millennium, compiling several of their releases for the PKD/Simulacra collection, still available through Metropolis Records. The Funeral Crashers had the pleasure of playing with Bunnydrums just last year, but since then, the band seems to have split once more. Will they rise again? Only time will tell…
In the meanwhile, here’s the info for 1984’s On the Surface 12”:
Bunnydrums- On the Surface 12”
1. On The Surface (Edited)
2. Boundaries
3. Switch-Blade
4. Closed Eyes
5. On The Surface
And now, for a lighter affair of sorts…This band’s been a recent obsession of mine for some time now; a little catchy wave/post-punk outfit from the UK called B-Movie, who combined catchy and punchy post-punk with a synth edge. You can find them on the Some Bizzare Album I posted a few weeks back…
The band originally formed in 1978, fresh from the ashes of The Aborted, a local punk band. Though the band’s first release dates back to 1980, it took five years and several singles for the band to cut a proper record, 1985’s Forever Running. As a result of this, several versions of the same songs exist over the years, up until the band’s demise soon after Forever Running appeared. Since then, these early singles have been often compiled, resulting in The Dead Good Tapes and Volume 1- Remembrance Days respectively. A BBC sessions disc also appeared in 2001. This might very well be my favorite release of theirs, as the BBC versions feel less polished than the album below.
With all of this interest in the band’s back catalog, the band decided to reunite for a handful of shows in 2007. In the meanwhile, the ex-members of B-Movie have kept busy. Paul Statham has been the most prolific member of the band. Over the years, Paul has been involved with Peter Murphy’s early solo career (performing on and co-writing tunes on Love Hysteria, Deep, Holy Smoke, and Cascade). He also formed Peach, who signed to Mute Records in the mid-nineties, and has also been responsible for co-writing and producing material on Dido’s No Angel and Kylie Minogue’s Fever.
Well, I’ve just dropped a slew of information… Time for the release details:
B-Movie- Forever Running LP
1. Forever Running
2. Heart Of Gold
3. My Ship Of Dreams
4. Just An Echo
5. Remembrance Day
6. Switch On-Switch Off
7. Blind Allegiance
8. Arctic Summer
9. Nowhere Girl
*Download link removed*
It’s been ages since I’ve been able to post an official video, but here’s a TOTP-style clip for the 12” version of ‘Nowhere Girl.’ Click below to enjoy:
There exists a rather comprehensive B-Movie website, complete with (one half of) a bio, a full discography, several bits of information and fun Q&As, and other interested information. There are also a few links to pick up reissued B-Movie material and several post-B-Movie records. Dig it:
Another request fulfilled today, ladies and gentlemen. This one’s for short lived Scottish synth band Secession’s lone LP, entitled A Dark Enchantment. The four piece band formed in 1983 and split after a few singles and the aforementioned record, calling it quits by 1987. They were involved briefly with both Siren Records and the infamous Beggars Banquet label.
After Secession’s split, members Charlie Kelly and James Seenan co-formed Scottish pop band the Vaselines with Charlie’s brother Eugene and Frances Mckee. Coincidentally, we just caught the Vaselines in concert, as they’ve just reformed for a few US dates, but Charlie and James were nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, lead Secession vocalist Peter Thomson passed away in the late 1990s.
A Dark Enchantment is apparently limited to 1000 copies on LP, and is the only record the band has released on compact disc (which is the version I’ve uploaded, complete with a handful of bonus tracks). If you see either, snap them up, as they’re both incredibly scarce. Otherwise, here’s the digital details:
Secession- A Dark Enchantment CD
01. Eventide
02. Promise
03. Love Lies Bleeding
04. Sneakyville
05. Winifred
06. The Box That Holds A Secret
07. Ocean Blue
08. Radioland
09. The Magician
10. Love Lies Bleeding (Reprise)
11. The Wolf
12. Eventide (Theme From A Dark Enchantment
13. All The Animals Come Out At Night
14. Michael
15. Havoc
16. Promise (Dub)
Apologies again for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. My internet was out for the majority of last week, and was finally restored after the 4th.
On that note, I’m tackling a few quick requests this week. First up is the second Blue In Heaven LP, 1986’s Explicit Material. There are several rips of this record floating around online, but all are either incomplete or terrible quality, so I zipped this one up straight from my own shelves. Here’s the relevant info:
Blue In Heaven- Explicit Material
1. Change Your Mind
2. Tell Me
3. Just Another Day
4. Sister
5. Be Your Man
6. I Just Wanna
7. Close Your Eyes
8. Rolling In The Crowd
9. Hope To God
In case you missed it, click here for the band’s first record. Otherwise, I’m desperately seeking the band’s final EP, entitled Rock ‘n’ Roll R.I.P.. If anyone has it, please drop a note and point me in the proper direction. I’m also in possession of one of the band’s early singles, but am missing all other singles/b-sides aside from the Across My Heart 12”. Holler if you’ve got them. Otherwise, happy Monday!
Sorry for the delay here, folks…but to make up for it, here’s another one of those 7” grab bag posts, in which i’ve zipped up four singles for your listening pleasure, including one request from an Australian chum. Here’s the information and a quick blurb about each 7”.
SPK- No More 7” (1979)
1. No More
2. Contact
3. Germanik
This is the very first release by Australian industrial collective SPK, and certainly one of their most primitive and direct. This one was a limited run of 200 copies, and the a-side has yet to appear on a proper CD release, though both ‘Contact’ and ‘Germanik’ are featured on their Auto-Da-Fé LP.
Metal Urbain- Panik 7” (1977)
1. Panik
2. Lady Coca Cola
One of the very first synthpunk bands…French origins. This is their first 7” single, but most of their earlier work has since been collected on the Anarchy In Paris compilation.
Lars Falk- TV Eye 7” (1985)
1. TV Eye
2. Doors
Lars Falk is one of the ex-contributing members of Swedish coldwave act Twice a Man, who’s previously featured here. Though it shares the name with the Stooges classic, the a-side is an original number.
Where’s Lisse?- Talk Takes Too Long 7” (1981)
1. Talk Takes Too Long
2. You Stole My Gun
There’s something charming about this otherwise rickety and rough record from this British four piece. This is one of two releases (they followed this with an equally scarce 12” single), and is chock full of early post-punk energy. EDIT: cover scan provied by Rudeboy Noah! Thanks a ton!
Blue In Heaven were a band I covered ages ago, before Systems of Romance became more album-focused. However, as I’ve just nabbed a copy of their debut record off Ebay for a mere buck (a refreshing change from the usual prices most albums I post fetch), I figure it’s appropriate to revisit them for a full length feature.
A quick recap: Blue In Heaven formed in Dublin in 1982, and quickly gained a heavy cult following due to their post-punk edge, recalling the likes of early Bunnymen, the Chameleons, and U2 (who championed the budding band every chance they could). Their first record was produced by Martin Hannett, notorious for his production work with Joy Division/New Order and the rest of the Factory family.
The band’s discography consists ofr a handful of singles, two full length records (1985’s All the God’s Men and 1986’s Explicit Material), and a final EP (if anyone has this, please send it my way). The band split in 1989, and soon after, they reformed with a slight shift in direction as Blue Angels, who released one full-length record in 1993.
Here’s the info and link for Blue In Heaven’s debut:
Blue In Heaven- All the God’s Men LP
1. Sometimes
2. The Big Beat
3. It’s Saturday
4. Old Ned
5. All You Fear
6. Julie Cries
7. Like A Child
8. In Your Eyes
9. Slowly
No official videos from this era, but click below for some live footage of Blue In Heaven performing ‘Red Dress’ live @ Self Aid. This song, though a regular in their live set, has never appeared on any Blue In Heaven release…
Here’s something a little more explosive and guitar oriented than the usual fare. Today’s post features UK post-punk act Inca Babies, who formed between 1982-83 in the industrialized neighborhoods of Manchester. The band took several cues from the likes of the Birthday Party, the Cramps, and the Gun Club, influences which the Inca Babies proudly wear on their sleeve.
As the UK music scene shifted away from the initial wave of post-punkers into a more synth based dance direction (especially in Manchester with the rise of New Order and the Happy Mondays), the Inca Babies soldiered on for four years total, releasing four records and several 12” singles and EPs. The band split in 1987, and in 2006, a collection of favorites hand picked by the band was released on Cherry Red Records.
Uploaded below is their final LP Evil Hour, released in January of 1987, a few months before the band split. The details:
Inca Babies- Evil Hour
1. Evil Hour
2. Long Uphill Trek
3. Partisans River
4. A Madmans Demise
5. Bad Hombre
6. Artillery Switchback
7. Two Rails To Nowhere
8. Volts
9. Burning Town
10. Young Blood
For more info on Inca Babies, including an official discography and an image gallery, click below. Also linked below is a link to purchase the band’s retrospective, Plutonium via Cherry Red Records.
This one was donated last year by a good chum, and collects the early works of US post-punk/coldwave act Abecedarians. The trio formed in Los Angeles in 1983 and recorded several early demos until their first official release, a 12” on Factory Records. The band then signed to Caroline Records to release two LPs and a compilation, splitting by the end of the eighties.
In 1995, members Chris Manecke and John Blake formed the First Men on the Sun project, which continued in a similar aesthetic as Abecedarians’ work and released one LP in 1995 (EDIT: you can find that on A Viable Commercial). As for the record uploaded below, it was originally released by Independent Project Records (For Against, Savage Republic) on 2×10” vinyl LPs (clear and black vinyl editions) in 1990, around the same time the band split. All members felt that these early versions (many of which were re-recorded for their Caroline LPs) had more spirit to them. I tend to agree.
Here are the details for the release:
Abecedarians- The Other Side of the Fence LP
1. Beneath The City Of The Hedonistic Bohemians
2. Ghosts
3. John’s Pop
4. Come Out
5. Classic
6. Spaghetti Western
7. Switch
8. Where’s Karen
9. Soil
10. The Other Side Of The Fence
11. Wildflower
12. They Said Tomorrow
*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED*
All 10 demos from The Other Side of the Fence have been reissued on Pylon’s reissue of Eureka. The CD version contains 4 of the tracks, while a double LP/bonus CD bundle contains a bonus disc with the remaining tracks. Support as you can!
De Press were a gloom-ridden post punk act formed in Norway during the late seventies. Their music would tread similar sonic territories as contemporaries Joy Division and the Sound, while Andrej Nebb’s vocals walked the line between unintelligible English and fluent Polish. Andrej’s history as a Polish refugee blended their gloomy sound with a series of eastern European influences, a distinguishing feature that made De Press one of the biggest bands in their homeland, even if they didn’t catch fire elsewhere.
The band’s first record Block to Block is a classic, as their sophomore effort, uploaded below. Product was released shortly after the original lineup of the band split. De Press reunited in 1991, however, and continues to release new material to this day, with Andrej Nebb remaining the only original member to date.
Here’s the info and download link for 1982’s Product:
De Press- Product LP
1. The Fatal Day
2. In a Position to Know
3. Passages
4. In a Crowded Room
5. Signals
6. Product
7. Another Man’s Sin
8. Heaven
9. Total Corruption
10. Swienty Pokoj
For today’s post, I’ve uploaded the entire discography for Sheffield post-punk band I’m So Hollow, which is admittedly not a whole lot. The four piece band formed in 1978 and only lasted three years, splitting up after recording one 7” single and one full length record. The band wet their feet opening up for the likes of Clock DVA, and have since developed a bit of a cult following due to their involvement in the Sheffield music scene, their peers including the Human League and Artery, among others. I’m So Hollow also managed to cut a John Peel session before disbanding. One exclusive song, also included below, has been compiled several times over since the band’s demise and appears on both Hicks From the Sticks and Future Shock– both identical compilations released by two different labels.
I’m So Hollow- Dreams to Fill the Vacuum 7” (1980)
1. Dreams To Fill The Vacuum
2. Distraction
I’m So Hollow- Emotion/Sound/Motion LP (1981)
1. Entrance
2. Which Way..?
3. Unbroken Line
4. Touch
5. Collisions
6. Excitement = Change
7. The Triangular Hour
8. Emotion / Sound / Motion
9. Nosferatu/Distraction
Various Artists: Hicks In the Sticks Compilation (1980)
13. I Don’t Know
For your viewing pleasure, here’s a live performance of ‘Touch’ taken from the Made In Sheffield DVD:
Lastly, a request for the peanut gallery: if anyone has a recording of the I’m So Hollow Peel Session, please send it my way! Pretty please with cherries?
Systems of Romance was created in mid-2007 to serve as a dumping grounds for all great things coldwave, minimal synth, post-punk, synthpunk, industrial, synthpop, and various other combinations of these styles. Feel free to make requests, noodle around, and discuss all you like...
Otherwise, this blog is dedicated to showcasing material that has long since been out of print. If you are aware of any of these items being readily available from the artist or label, or take issue with these tracks being uploaded, please let me know so I can amend the post or remove the links.
