Origins & development of Jazz

From ‘Jazz’ by Rex Harris. A Pelican book published 1952. Click chart to enlarge.

Rex Harris – Jazz (A Pelican Book)

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Design finds :: The Invasion of the Moon 1969

Design finds :: Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

New find: Various Artists > Reactivate Volume 1 : The Belgian Techno Anthems

Artist: Various
Title: Reactivate Volume # 1 : The Belgian Techno Anthems
Label: React Music Ltd (React CD 1) 1991

Reactivate Volume 1 The Belgian Techno Anthems

Picked this up from an Oxfam charity shop in Guildford this weekend. Just happened to be passing by so I popped in and grabbed this little rarity. The first in the long series of ‘Reactivate’ compilations that came out on the now defunct React label.

‘The Belgian Techno Anthems‘ is its full title and the content is as you would expect from that summer of 1991.  Kicking off with T99 – Anasthasia, its all whistles and stabbing rave piano from the likes of Joey Beltram, Frank De Wulf (under the guise of ‘B-Sides’ and ‘Modular Expansions’) and Problem House.

The Reactivate compilations were a great series of CDs and are always worth picking up, especially when a lot of these tunes remain unavailable digitally.  Later editions were available on vinyl and mixed CD.  From experience these early rave compilations often appear to have been well used and loved by the previous owner (scratches on disc) so watch out for that.

Having listened to it, its great to finally put a name to a track I had on an old Ratpack radio show. Modular Expansions ‘Cubes’.

Purchase here . (August 2010 – sold)

New finds: FFWD / Namlook / Plastikman

An afternoon walk through Clapham Junction one Saturday unearthed these 3 techno / ambient albums.

Whoever donated these to charity must have been getting rid of their 1993/94 section of CDs. As alongside there were releases from the likes of Salt Tank, Orbital, Warp and Seefeel as well. Cashflow prevented me from buying the lot but here are the three that I did.

Artist: FFWD
Title: FFWD
Label: Inter-Modo & Discipline (inta 001 cd) 1994

FFWD >>

Up until the release of ‘Pomme Fritz‘ in 1994, The Orb could do me know wrong. The first two albums were, and still are, essential listening.  A mix of styles from ambient dub to techno and back. Perfect for mainroom, backroom and headphone listening. A ticket to their gig at Brighton Event in October 1993 was one of the things that kept me at Uni in that first month.

Then they released THAT mini-album and the love affair was over and I never bought a brand new Orb release again.

Listening to it now (I am as type this) I like and get it. But at the time it sound completely different to the Orb we knew. The heavy sound and samples were gone and it all sounded very electronic.  It sat unloved in the collection until I sold it on eBay a few years back.

Around the same time of the Pomme Fritz release, Alex and Thrash of The Orb had released the FFWD album with Robert F ripp and Thomas F ehlmann. At the time the only track I had heard was ‘Lucky Saddle’ off the ‘Trance Europe Express’ 2 compilation CD. Once again I wasn’t overly impressed . I wasn’t ready for the minimal beatless stuff back then.  I wanted it all a bit banging. This along with ‘Pomme Fritz’ turned me off the who/e ambient / electronica sound and I stepped it up a gear into more house and nu-nrg stuff.

Anyway after playing ‘Lucky Saddle’ again recently I fell in love with this great track and acquired the whole album courtesy of the Everything On My Ipod blog (which appears to have now gone). It really is a great album, certainly one for the headphones and its another album that sounds better after time.

Artist: Namlook
Title: Namlook III
Label: FAX+46-69/450464 (1994) PK 08/88

Namlook - Namlook III

Seen the name on many a release over the years, both online and in the stores, but never purchased a thing.  I’ve always known Pete Namlock releases are pretty collectable so seeing this in the charity shop rack I took a punt.

Purchase here.

Artist: Plastikman
Title: Sheet One
Label: Mute Records (NoMu 22 CD) 1993

Plastikman - Sheet One

The classic debut album from the best known of Richie Hawtin’s various aliases. Plastikman.

I had a C90 cassette of this ever since I copied off a flatmate back in Brighton in 1994 when he bought it (and subsquently returned it) from Borderline Records.

Minimal (to the extreme) techno from the UK born, Detroit resident at the time and now Berlin based Mr Hawtin. This CD comes complete with the controversial ‘acid tab’ inlay that apparently caused so much trouble in the states.

Purchase here. (August 2010 – sold)

Finds: Sigue Sigue Sputnik > Love Missile F1-11

Sigue Sigue Sputnik > Love Missile F1-11 (EMI Records) 1986 (12-sssx-1)

A
1. Trailer mix
2. Love Missile F1-11 (video mix)

B.
1. Love Missile F1-11 & ‘Actuality’ Sound
2. Hack Attack

Recently picked this up for a quid from Scope in Wimbledon. The Giorgio Moroder produced ‘F1-11’ from Tony James and gang.

Sadly it does not contain the 6 free poster anymore anymore. Its a bit scuffed up on the front, but the vinyl is okay and it features the ‘Trailer mix’ and ‘Video mix’. 

As a 13 year old in 1986 this was all so fresh and exciting and I’m not embarassed to say it still feels like that today.

Finds: Ian Hunter > Short Back n’ Sides

Ian Hunter > Short Back n’ Sides (Chrysalis Records) 1981 (203 941-320)

A
1. Central Park West
2. Lisa Likes Rock n’ Roll
3. I Need Your Love
4. Old Records Never Die
5. Noises

B.
1. Rain
2. Gun Control
3. Theatre Of The Absurd
4. Leave Me Alone
5. Keep On Burnin’

The only reason I picked this up for a quid in a Kingston Upon Thames charity shop was because it was co-produced by Mick Jones of The Clash. It also features Mick on guitar and Topper Headon from the band on drums

Tymon Dogg, Ellen Foley and Mick Ronson also appear.

Great cover if you’re into Sleeveface.

Heres some Ian and Mick Ronson in action…