Saturday, June 07, 2008

CREPESCULAR


LES DISQUES DU CREPUSCULE
FROM BRUSSELS WITH LOVE TWI 007

The first true product from the Belgian Record company which was a compilation featuring many avante garde & new wave artists. Some who where already established & others who were about to make a name for themselves. Although not a truly “ Electronic “album as such, it did feature many pieces that would inspire me in later years.

It was put together between July & October 1980 & I believe I bought a copy the week it was reviewed in the N.M.E. It came packaged as a cassette ( these are pre Digital disc days ) which came inside a clear vinyl 7 inch sleeve accompanied by a 16 page black & white booklet, quite a statement !
It had an unusual mixture of pieces from artists as diverse as Harold Budd, Richard Jobson, Bill Nelson, Thomas Dolby, Gavin Bryars, Michael Nyman, along with a jingle from John Foxx & interviews with Brian Eno & Catherine Denueve.

In his N.M.E. review Paul Morley stated :

“ The arrival of this thin tape from Belgium provides the reminder : Rock & Roll is 25 years old & on the surface never more horrible. But deep down ! My heart jumps the beat. Rock & Roll isnt really about staying power, or the ability to fill huge halls, or……Lets pretend Chuck Berry never existed: That the first rock & roll star was Schoenberg, the second James Brown and that David Bowie was a properly bad nightmare. From Brussells with love is the reminder – without really trying , without been obvious - That pop is modern poetry, is the sharpest shiniest collection of experiences, is always something new …. “

It became an instant collectors item & has been re released on CD over the years. I am not sure that all the pieces on it have stood the test of time, but it has been these ephemeral qualities that have made it so endearing. It is a snapshot of what was possible for the future. It inspired me to move away from the idea of “ songs “ to the oppertunities provided by producing purely ambient & often in my early studio days very experimental pieces of music. The idea that the conception of the piece was as important as the execution of it. That a performance could be studio based & stay studio based with no reason whatsoever to go through the grind of rehearsing, arguing, finding, paying for & producing a live band.

I lapped it up, along with Bill Nelson’s home studio output, I saw the future written in big friendly neon letters, Do it yourself !

The track listing :

JOHN FOXX A JINGLE *1
THOMAS DOLBY AIRWAVES
REPETITION STRANGER
HAROLD BUDD CHILDREN ON THE HILL
DURUTTI COLUMN SLEEP WILL COME
MARTIN HANNETT THE MUSIC ROOM
THE NAMES CAT
MICHAEL NYMAN A WALK THROUGH H
BRIAN ENO INTERVIEW
PHILL NIBLOCK A THIRD TROMBONE
JEANNE MOREAU INTERVIEW
RICHARD JOBSON ARMOURY SHOW
BILL NELSON THE SHADOW GARDEN
DURUTTI COLUMN PIECE FOR AN IDEAL
A CERTAIN RATION FELCH ( LIVE)
KEVIN HEWICK HAYSTACK
RADIO ROMANCE ETRANGE AFFINITE
GAVIN BRYARS WHITE'S SS
DER PLAN MEINE FREUNDE
B.C. GILBERT & GRAHAM LEWIS TWIST UP
JOHN FOXX A JINGLE *2

You know what I’m listening to.

4 comments:

Kate said...

Is it out on CD David?

David said...

Yes it is out on CD but I am not sure if it is available in NZ,

Anonymous said...

David, I hope Caits is getting better or soon starts to get better....David.

David said...

Thankyou David, I appreciate that kind thought