Recent Activity
posted a comment on Chris Carter (2) - The Spaces Between. 1 day ago
in edited form, though. Full version was again available on The Grey Area CD re-release although, again, that CD version also featured slight omission of certain tracks. So far I guess, no re-release of the full original cassette has been made other than ... See full review
posted a review of John Foxx And The Maths - Howl. 4 days ago
The title of the album suggests nature's wild, merciless cry - too bad the title song itself is so mediocre at it. While many will sure disagree and it's ok, after repeated listens, "Howl" (the song) continues to sound painfully forced and shallow.

Of ... See full review
posted a comment on Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft - Produkt Der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Freundschaft. 14 days ago
Once curiosity kills the cat, it's not hard to realise "Produkt der DAF" is hardly worth a repeated listen... At best, the band DAF were at the time, sure had fun jamming along and here "less" should have been "more" but sadly it hardly surpasses "less". ... See full review
posted a comment on OMD* - History Of Modern. 23 days ago
There is just something about this album that is a downright and utter mess. With it, OMD are trying to say - hey, we're back and we're still cool, but there is a bit too much borrowing from their own, as well as others' music past while adjusting to ... See full review
posted a comment on OMD* - English Electric. 23 days ago
Nothing new under the sun here for OMD in the year 2013, as they were audibly recapturing their glory days of experimenting - the sleeve itself is an obvious restoration of "Dazzle Ships" artwork (with a touch of Haçienda) so it's not hard to imagine how ... See full review
posted a comment on Eurythmics - This Is The House. 24 days ago
Initially, "This is the house" was a commercial flop, passing relatively under the radar. It served as the interim single between the introspective "In the Garden" and the spooky but commercially more appealing "Sweet Dreams". And in the aftermath of the ... See full review
posted a review of Komputer - The World Of Tomorrow. 26 days ago
Yes, the first two singles ("Komputer EP" and "Looking Down On London") gave something more to wish for - in an era of pre-electroclash, Komputer were a refreshing (if not entirely ironic) return to the future, with audible Kraftwerk pastiche screaming ... See full review
posted a review that has since been deleted. 26 days ago
posted a comment on Cocteau Twins - Peppermint Pig. 29 days ago
Possibly the 7" and 12" on one side each? Different market, different version of the single...
posted a comment on Echo & The Bunnymen - The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon. about 1 month ago
While their need to do this is understandable and totally valid, the very results are at best formal. Mac's overdone vocal phrasing is insufferable here - ruining the picture his voice once graced with a frightening level of tonal maturity (and mystery).
posted a comment on Erasure - Chorus. about 1 month ago
Despite their sizable and respectable long-lasting career, with a number of magnum opus albums under their belt, "Chorus" remains Erasure's outstanding, shiniest piece of work - now providing with a luxurious 3 disc fest, even though the amount of ... See full review
posted a review of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble. about 1 month ago
Nine years after, "Trouble" still sounds fresh - this of course may sound like a cliché, but such a diamond of an album, especially in an era of hipster-ish indie self-indulgence, is a rarity. Absolute gem to be treasures in years to come.
posted a review of Visage - Beat Boy. about 1 month ago
At best, "Beat Boy" sounds too desperate in trying to find a new formula - by getting stuck trying to re-capture some of the grandeur of "The Anvil", while ending up sounding as dreadful as, say, Sigue Sigue Sputnik's "Dress for excess" a few years too ... See full review
posted a comment on Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Red Frame/White Light. 3 months ago
Interesting how this single never appeared earlier on in the group's review - "The Best of OMD" from 1988 totally avoided it. Definitely the group's most obscure early single release.
posted a comment on Various - Trans Slovenia Express. 3 months ago
"Zrcalo sveta (das Spiegelglas der Welt)" appeared on "Slovenska Akropola" years before - under the title "Apologija Laibach". "Lie-Werk" is also a remixed variant of their notorious Queen cover version ("Geburt einer Nation").
posted a comment that has since been deleted. 3 months ago
posted a comment on The The. 5 months ago
I try not to reply to comments like these but I have to say - you poor sod, you.
posted a review of The Human League - Octopus. 5 months ago
While the later half of the 80s had been tremendously harsh on them ("Romantic?" literally sounding like the last nail in the coffin), the 90s were a time of creative rebirth for The Human League. Injecting fresh blood into their music, "Octopus" was a ... See full review
posted a comment on I Start Counting - My Translucent Hands. 5 months ago
There happens to be a faulty edition of the CD UK pressing. My copy dates from 20 years ago, when bought directly from Mute - on this copy, the matrix run-in is missing completely from the centre of the disc (no "MPO" or any other indication). This is ... See full review
posted a comment on Buzzcocks - Gotta Get Better. 5 months ago
The problem is not the song, it's the name of the band that is no more... Why flogging a dead horse?
posted a comment on Diamánda Gálás* - The Litanies Of Satan. 5 months ago
Where Yoko Ono's characteristic voice shrieks fail, Diamanda's win to the extreme - be it inner demons, institutional repression or the all-around hypocrisy. The only irony is, "The Litanies of Satan" is quite musical. Intense, frightening and demanding, ... See full review
posted a review of Various - STUMM433. 5 months ago
Conceptually, it's a brilliant idea. A void of sound. Additionally, ideal as a personal tinnitus tester (for that purpose, the CD version is certainly a better choice). It is also an interesting attention span tester - think of a perfect audio equivalent ... See full review
posted a comment on John Foxx. 5 months ago
Again, so many theorists who "know better". Kudos to The Human League and John Foxx but one of the very first (if not the very first itself) commercially available (fully) electronic albums (and also with a mega-cult status) was White Noise's "Electric ... See full review
posted a comment on Cabaret Vøltaire* - Nag Nag Nag. 5 months ago
Interesting as in a completist item but altogether sadly not entirely in sync, coupling the cult 1978 classic with later - and comparing them to the original "Yashar" - rather inferior John Robie remixes. Hence it can be veiwed as a "test release" of ... See full review
posted a review of Cabaret Voltaire - Chance Versus Causality. 6 months ago
A few years back, somewhere on the internet, suddenly appeared the digital rip of "Chance Versus Causality" - to much enthusiasm of the blogspot fans, who immediately downloaded it in disbelief.

For many years considered lost without trace, it ... See full review
posted a comment on John Foxx And The Maths - Howl. 6 months ago
You are entitled to your own opinion, and I so wish I'd agree - I do respect the man, and love his music, but this is just too plain mediocre to call it "something fresh"... and the whole mash of hype and instant praise only exposes its mediocrity. In ... See full review
posted a comment on Paraf - Bez Lica. 6 months ago
Legendary bands returning to make (new) music after so many years of absence and inactivity, usually means walking on thin ice. Personally, I wish Paraf stayed away, not spoiling their enigma and legend. "Bez lica" ("Without a Face") is made with the ... See full review
posted a comment on Paraf - Sabrana Djela 1976. - 1987.. 6 months ago
While the good intention by a number of enthusiastic individuals involved in the realisation of this box-set deserves every praise, the long overdue release that is "Sabrana djela 1976. - 1987." ("Collected Works 1976-1987) is a sad victim of Dallas ... See full review
posted a comment that has since been deleted. 6 months ago
posted a comment on Diamanda Galás. 6 months ago
Unique, confrontational, uncompromising, powerful, hysterical, possessed and at times insufferable. The one and only - Diamanda.
posted a comment that has since been deleted. 6 months ago
posted a comment that has since been deleted. 6 months ago
posted a comment on John Foxx And The Maths - Howl. 6 months ago
According to John Foxx - "Robin just walked in, did one take and left us all standing on the chairs. So I had to write another song around it. Benge did knockout bass and drums. A great experience and totally out of the blue."

With all due respect, but ... See full review
posted a comment on Yaz* - Upstairs At Eric's. 6 months ago
From what I understood (in the 2008 Yazoo's "In Your Room" documentary), Alison chose the name "Yazoo", borrowing directly from the blues label of the same name that was legally operating in the US. To avoid legal action, and in order to market their own ... See full review
posted a comment that has since been deleted. 6 months ago
posted a review of The Anti Group - 4 X 12. 6 months ago
A welcome re-release indeed, the music alone deserving its full-on 5 star rating. And In case you missed any of TAGC's previous CDs - this is a welcome reminder of TAGC's genius.

Among the greats, sure is the amazing full mix of "Morpheus Baby", which ... See full review
posted a comment on Then Jerico - The Big Area (Outside). 7 months ago
"The Big Area" is sadly one song they're still best known for - it's a deserved hit alright, pleasing in the ear, welcoming you for a spin. The rest of the album, despite its enormous success, strangely continues to dwell in the The Big Area's hit shadow ... See full review
posted a comment on Fad Gadget - The Best Of Fad Gadget. 7 months ago
The only remark would be that while most of the playlist on this 2xLP consists of proper a- and b-sides, the inclusion of "Luxury" instead of "Sleep (Electro Induced Original)" is a bit baffling, to say the least... And officially not even a "Fad Gadget" ... See full review
posted a comment on Ultramarine - Every Man And Woman Is A Star. 8 months ago
Interesting that the album title is identical to a phrase from TAGC's "Big Sex" (both TAGC and Ultramarine's former self A Primary Industry shared same space on the amazing Sweatbox label).
posted a comment on Brainticket - Cottonwoodhill. 8 months ago
A segment from this LP inspired Nurse With Wound's ace 12" "Brained By Falling Masonry". In fact, "Brainticket (Part One)" was used in a ready-made fashion, as the basis for NWW's a-side off their 12 EP. Superb both.
posted a comment on The Cure - Disintegration. 8 months ago
No words will ever describe the beauty and the importance of this album to so many (myself included). At the tender age of 13, what more was there but "Disintegration"? The Cure's album eighth deep into their (late) 80s career, rich with stylistic shifts ... See full review
posted a review that has since been deleted. 8 months ago
posted a review of David Hasselhoff - Open Your Eyes. 8 months ago
Bauhaus's carbon copy of "Ziggy Stardust" was decent but not that special either, why on earth would I prefer David Bowiehoff's auto-pilot version of "Heroes"?! If only this was an album of original material given a proper, new artistic approach, who ... See full review
posted a comment on Baccara. 8 months ago
One of the dizziest biographies I've read in my life.
posted a comment on Erasure - Abba-Esque. 8 months ago
Their campy straight-forward video-tribute (rather than a parody) with "Take A Chance On Me" said it all, and you just had to have the EP playing on repeat ever after. Some surely hated the idea, but Erasure pulled the trick superbly and got away with ... See full review
posted a review of The Jesus And Mary Chain - Honey's Dead. 8 months ago
Their true magnum opus - later albums ("Stoned And Dethroned" and "Munki") still earn the respect but none ever reached the perfection of this album. What they started with the one and only "Psychocandy", here reached a full circle. Audibly, JAMC were ... See full review
posted a review that has since been deleted. 8 months ago
posted a review of The Jesus And Mary Chain - Automatic. 8 months ago
Of the first five albums, "Automatic" remains more cheesy but just as great fun listening to, serving as a perfect middle ground introduction to the group's trademark flare, combining their past, present (and future).

Partially short of ideas leaning on ... See full review
posted a comment that has since been deleted. 8 months ago
posted a review that has since been deleted. 8 months ago