What, rot? What rot!

Not a new "One record at at time" post but a another random bank holiday ramble full of rot.

When CDs were becoming 'mainstream' in the late eighties I felt very smug with my Sony CDP-M35 player and I took every opportunity to remind my teenage friends that I was part of the digital music revolution (I'd saved up very hard for my CD player you understand).

During this period, one ill informed cynic informed me that I wouldn't be so smug in twenty years time when all of my CDs had become subject to "oxidisation" and I was left with a pile of dust. How I laughed at her folly! How I scorned the fact that every time she played her cassettes or records she took a little bit of life out of them. CDs were indestructible and she was wrong. Well sort of.

I posted ten years ago (gulp) about the issue of bronzing or 'CD rot' and I wondered how much damage would be done to my collection. Well, as it turns out there has never been too much damage and last week I discovered what is only the second casualty in a collection of over 2500. Well, in truth I have two copies of this CD and they have both bronzed, so that makes three. But still, it remains at a tolerable level.

All three of my bronzed discs were pressed at PDO in the UK, so there was obviously something wrong at this plant in 1991. I have recently thrown out a blu-ray of a-ha "Ending on a high note" as it was subject to the manufacturing issues that affected a French production plant. This disc became unreadable as the resin used to bind the layers of the disc oxidised. I wonder if the same thing is happening here. I'm going to keep an eye on PDO manufactured discs from now on that's for sure.

Rediscovering lost....fakes

This post is not part of the 'One record at a time' series but an occasional post that came about due to a recent development.

I've noticed an influx of rare CDs being sold on eBay recently (they pop up on Amazon too). Various sellers seem to be offering multiple copies of brand new discs, all of which are rare and highly sought after. Some of these listing are "Buy Now" for inflated prices and some are auctions. The same seller often tries both tactics if they have enough copies.

One of the unfortunate side effects of Wendy Carlos's private nature is that she has stopped issuing her music and there have been no CDs pressed since the excellent East Side Digital releases of the early 2000's. I own four or five of these discs and wished I had bought more when I had the opportunity. The relative paucity of Carlos CDs means that second hand prices tend to be a inflated and some of the rarer releases command quite high prices. Therefore, the opportunity to buy a copy of one of these albums for £10-15 at auction seems too good an opportunity to miss.

Out of curiosity I decided to buy a copy of both volumes of "Rediscovering Lost Scores" and see what turned up. I had a suspicion I would be buying a fake CD but wanted to see for myself. Buying a CD also allowed me the opportunity to hear this music and, on the outside chance the discs were genuine, I would have a real rarity. Once the package arrived I eagerly opened it only to be immediately confronted by two poorly printed sleeves that screamed, "I am counterfeit". Yes, if it looks too good to be true then, it most certainly is.

It seems some enterprising CD pressing plant has created counterfeit copies of many rare CDs and these are now circulating in the marketplace. Whilst distinguishable from the real deal, these CDs are very good fakes. Whoever made these discs has even gone to the trouble of copying the matrixes of the original discs and the booklets have been reproduced in their entirety. Having paid this much attention to detail you would have thought they would be able to reproduce the correct font for the barcode, but this is one of the telltale signs of these counterfeit discs.

Having listened to the CDs I am pleased to have heard Wendy's music and consequently I don't feel ripped off. I have paid my money and got the music I wanted. Yes the CDs are a bit sub standard in terms of production quality, but they do the job. So who has been hurt by this apparent act of piracy? Is there an issue here?

Obviously the principle complainant in this situation would have to be Wendy herself. I have no idea what is going on in Wendy's life or why she seems to have disengaged with the music business but she has left a void. None of Wendy's music is available on digital platforms and no physical media has been produced for the better part of twenty years. Therefore it is inevitable that someone will see a money making opportunity and release her music. It is fairly easy to find websites with ".ru" domain addresses that will let you download her music as mp3 files and I suspect these discs were also pressed in the same nation. Yes, music piracy is unethical and illegal, but it is inevitable if Wendy refuses to make her music available.

The second issue with this situation is that I see people paying the inflated "Buy Now" prices of £60 for these CDs. I would assume that people are only paying this price as they believe the discs to be genuine. I had an inkling of what I was getting into and don't feel too aggrieved, but if I had paid a premium price, I would not have been pleased.

So the next time you see one of Jean-Michel Jarre's "Radiophonie" series or a copy of "Medium Rare" by Foo Fighters going cheap on eBay, you can be pretty sure it isn't kosher.

One record at a time: 87. Electribe 101 - Electribal Memories

My brother went to a record fair in 1990. I know this because he took the unusual step of purchasing a record for me. I can't remember if it was a gift or if I paid him for it; but the ball-point indentations on the sleeve tells me it cost £1.99. 

The record in question was the limited edition 12" of "Talking With Myself" by Electribe 101. I'm not 100% certain why he chose this record, but I think it might have been as a result of a tenuous link to the Pet Shop Boys because the sleeve was designed by Mark Farrow/3a and Tom Watkins was their manager. Alternatively, it could be because I expressed admiration for the single "Tell Me When The Fever Ended" when I heard on the re-booted Jukebox Jury circa 1989/90. It could be all of the above - I don't really recall.

However, I do recall receiving the CD of parent album "Electribal Memories" for Christmas in 1990 (the same year I was given the cassette of "Blissed Out" by The Beloved). CDs seemed very expensive thirty years ago and each purchase (or requested gift) represented a sizeable commitment. The disappointment of purchasing a rubbish disc could be rectified by taking it back and exchanging it for something else, but sometimes this wasn't practical. Being bought a duff CD as a Christmas gift is one such scenario. So, despite being underwhelmed by "Electribal Memories", I felt compelled to persist with it as this was easier (and seemed less ungrateful) than asking my mum for the receipt to take it back.

I did grow to like this album eventually, but this was a result of familiarity as much as it was admiration. Thirty years later I found myself reminiscing about the good old days and my rose tinted spectacles forced in an impulse purchase of the album on vinyl. This copy is a bit scuffed and has some surface noise here and there, but nothing I can't forgive. 

Things open up with the afore mentioned single "Talking With Myself". Until recently, I had no idea this song was 'inspired' by a classic old school house track by Julian Jonah. I say 'inspired' but it would be more accurate to use the phrase 'a complete rip off'. I have to admit, I lost a bit of respect for Electribe 101 when I finally heard "Jealousy and Lies". How you can appropriate a track without giving a writing credit seems ludicrous nowadays.

Second track "Lipstick on my lover" is a rather sparse arrangement and Billie's melody doesn't quite do enough to carry the song for me. When I first heard the album it was this track that rang the alarm bell that this record might not be entirely to my taste. I've always liked the single, "You're Walking (Peeping Tom Mix)" which doesn't really have a hook but does have that laid back Balearic groove of the early nineties.

The first track on the flip side is "Diamond Dove" which has some nice touches and proves that the eighties weren't entirely forgotten with its orchestra hits and fluid bassline. "Heading for the Night" was considered for single release in 1990 and, to this end, Frankie Knuckles provided several remixes. However, Phonogram elected to release the excellent "Inside Out" instead and the remixes didn't formally surface until 2021. Whilst the Knuckles mixes are good, the original featured here is superior in my opinion. Another single "Tell Me When The Fever Ended" is a more melodic deep house type of track that may (or may not) have drawn me to the band in the first place. The vinyl version of the album closes with a largely instrumental remix of "Talking With Myself" titled "Talking 2". I've never been sure why this was included on the album as it isn't particularly impressive and it occupies space that could have been used for another original song "Electribal Memories" which is included in the CD.

So, despite my initial disappointment as a teenager, the years have brought a fondness for this album and I enjoy it very much. Not long after the album was released Electribe 101 seemed to disappear and the potential shown by this album was never realised in a follow up. Or so I thought.... 4/5

One record at a time: 86. 808 State - Gorgeous

When I bought this record I didn't read the eBay listing properly. I thought I was buying the recent "Music on Vinyl" purple vinyl, but what turned up was the original limited edition from 1993. The record is in very good condition and even arrived replete with the bonus "disco" 12".

The album proper kicks off with "Plan 9" which uses a prominent acoustic guitar sample to create the melodic spine of the track. The presence of Pizagogo strings suggests 808 State got plenty of mileage out of their Roland D-50. "Moses" features a vocal by Echo and the Bunnymen singer Ian McCulloch and has some nice ideas. However, you get the feeling Bernard Sumner wasn't available this time around and they had to settle for second best. The next track, "Contrique" is a bit of a jumble of breakbeats, a sample of Joy Division and an analogue bassline. It's passable but nothing more than an album filler.

I have always enjoyed "10 X 10" as it features an original vocal and a killer house piano riff - I've never been able resist a piano break. Single "One in Ten" is a dance remix of an old UB40 track which shouldn't succeed but somehow does. Things go a bit 'wistful pop' with "Europa" but "Orbit" brings us back to more familiar territory.  

I find "Black Morpheus" intriguing as it is, to all intents and purposes, a techno track - but it has clarinets playing all over it. The next rack of note is "Nimbus" which has some fantastic arpeggios but it doesn't really extrapolate on the initial idea. The first disc finishes with "Colony" which lacks a vital spark that normally marks out 808 State's music. The curiously titled "disco" 12" that accompanies this release features 5 extra tracks, all of which fail to make much impression. There are some good tunes here but the lacklustre second half of the album pulls the score down a little. 3/5

One reocrd at a time: 85. 808 State - EX:EL

In a world full of generic dance music, 808 State shine out as pioneers with a distinctive sound.

Whilst the death of Andy Barker last year means the future of the band is uncertain, their legacy is assured. My favourite 808 State album is "EX:EL" and here we have the numbered, double yellow vinyl release from 2016. Despite being a "Music on Vinyl" release on coloured wax, the sound quality is quite good. 

"San Francisco" is the perfect introduction with its amazing bassline that has Graham Massey's fingerprints all over it. Bernard Sumner from New Order adds vocals to "Spanish Heart" which grooves along with TR-909 beats and Roland D-50 presets. "Leo Leo" is a fun track that I imagine would always have a dance floor singing and grooving along. "Qmart" sounds like a track the band got so far with and then decided to ask Bjork to ad lib over the top - it's good but not inspiring. The next track, "Nephratiti" seems to morph through a whole series of ideas with each one raising the bar a little higher. 

The standout pop-dance instrumental "Lift" is next with its searing string refrain, 808 beats and bouncy bassline. Personally I'm not a massive fan of the second Bjork collaboration "Ooops" but I can hear that it isn't entirely without merit. At this point most albums would throw some filler in and begin to wind down for the last track; yet this is the juncture at which everything begins to really kick off on EX:EL.

"In Yer Face" is a distinctive dance track that managed to breach the top ten in the UK. Whilst tracks such as "Jack Your Body" had infiltrated the charts as far back as 1987, it felt like a boom in electronic music occurred in the early nineties and 808 State were among the vanguard. The relentless "Cübik" provides another aggressive and hypnotic dance tune that is irresistible. "Lambrusco Cowboy" and "Techno Bell" keep the pace high before the magnificent "Olympic" breezes in to round out the album in style. Side four also has a couple of remixes and the bonus track "Ski Family" which sounds a prototype of The Chemical Brothers mixed with some deep house. Highly recommend album. 4/5

One record at a time: 84. JB Dunckel - H+

This is the second solo album by Jean-Benoît Dunckel - who was one half of the duo Air (or is it AIR? I'm never sure). I wasn't really aware of this record when it was released, but it came up as a recommendation on Amazon last year and, as it wasn't too expensive, I purchased it. Any album that features Jean-Benoît's vocals will always be reminiscent of Air, but there is enough to differentiate this album and make it a worthy addition to my collection.

The first two tracks, "Hold On" and "Love Machine" are surprisingly upbeat and catchy songs. "The Garden" is a more wistful mid-tempo track that combines breathy vocals with soaring strings and remains the equal of the first two tracks. "Transhumanity" brings the analogue synths to the fore with a melody that reminds me of "Night Café" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. 

There's something about these tracks that sounds more care-free and joyful than Air. I remember reading there were often tensions between Jean-Benoît and Nicolas, but I think I assumed this tension drove them to new artistic heights. However, this album would suggest that the tension was not a pre-requisite to the success of the band as Jean-Benoît is clearly capable of producing high quality music on his own.

"Space Age" uses a Korg MS-20 arpeggio that somehow instantly makes you think of outer space as the strings and piano whirl around the speakers. As the second side of the album progresses the tempo slows and remains fixed at "background music for a dinner party" levels. "Show Your Love" even uses a vocoder to obscure the vocal to ensure that nothing will disturb the consumption of your sole meunière. "Ballad Non Sense" uses the chords from "Dance Hall Days" by Wang Chung with a vibraphone wandering around over the top. It's a bit like listening to Mike Oldfield's "Incantations" at the wrong speed. What's more surprising is that it is quite entertaining. This is a worthy album and essential for any fan of Air (or AIR). 4/5

One record at a time: 83. Dollar - The Dollar Album

I wasn't into Dollar when they were releasing records - they were a little before my time and, dare I say it, they were viewed as being a bit cheesy. 

The stimulus for me to buy this record was seeing a performance of "Mirror Mirror" on a re-run of Top of the Pops and realising it was the work of Trevor Horn. This epiphany must have been around 2009 but I was content with digital files until I came across this LP going cheap on eBay a few years ago. I'm glad I didn't pay much for this record as it is a bit noisy and seems incapable of reproducing frequencies below 500 Hz. It's like listening to a barrage of mid range with some occasional clicks thrown in.

Looking at the images on the sleeve might lead you to genuinely ask the question: were these guys serious? Well yes they were and Trevor Horn's involvement attests to this. Not only did Trevor write and produce four tracks on this album, but the lead vocal on "Hand Held in Black and White" sounds almost entirely Trevor to my ears. Also involved were Anne Dudley and Bruce Woolley on keyboards with Gary Langan behind the desk as engineer. Therefore it should come as no surprise that the "Trevor songs" are by far the best here. The afore mentioned "Mirror Mirror" and "Hand Held in Black and White" are complimented by ballad "Give Me Back My Heart". "Videoteque" draws a very eighties image of a near future in which video has become the primary medium for nightclubs. This song has some distinctive PPG Wave and Linn Drum sounds alongside the prototypical brass stabs and Fairlight wizardry employed by The Art of Noise.

The remaining tracks are written and produced by the band. Songs such as "I Got Your Number Wrong" and "Give Me Some Kind of Magic" have some cracking eighties slap bass that sounds so cliched it's almost good. "Dangerous Blondes" is probably the pick of the Dollar tracks, but they all lack a spark and sound a little naive when compared to the work of the maestro. Still, not the worst 99p I have ever spent. 3/5