Minimal Wave Records

Hello everyone,

MR-010 will be the classic LP “Compass Kum’pas” by Liverpool’s Dalek I.  It will be out around 12/1/11.
Here is some info:

Originally released in 1980, “Compass Kum’pas” was the debut album by the Liverpool duo consisting of Alan Gill and Dave Hughes.  Also known as “Dalek I Love You”, their name was a fusion of the Daleks (famous Doctor Who villains) and the name Darling, I Love You which was an early idea for the band’s name by Alan Gill.  The early incarnations of the band featured David Balfe (later in The Teardrop Explodes) and Andy McCluskey (later to form Ochestral Manoeuvres in the Dark).  Alan Gill also was a member of The Teardrop Explodes at one point down the line.  The LP was critically acclaimed but unfortunately flew under the radar in terms of revenue generation.  Medical Records in collaboration with Dave and Alan are proud to present this seminal work on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years.  The album can best be described as a pastiche of passionate synth-pop and highly restrained post-punk.  At times very danceable pop is sharply contrasted with moody synth and vocal passages shrouded in a thick cloud of melancholy.  The track “Destiny (Dalek I Love You)” is a highly catchy synth hit and was a 7” single at the time.  “8 Track” tells the peculiar tale of the love affair with a piece of recording equipment.  “Freedom Fighters” grabs you with sharp synth hooks and drags you to the dance floor.  The cover version of “You Really Got Me” is a very stripped down and restrained interpretation with angular chopped guitar.  The LP is a synergistic cross between the stylings of early OMD synthpop, minimalist post-punk guitar, and a likeness to the piecemeal song structure of Van Dyke Parks.  LP includes a bonus insert with early photos and a special written piece on the band by Kurt B. Reighley.  As an extra to the LP, a bonus flexi-disc is included that includes the B-sides “Happy” and “This Is My Uniform”.  Presented with much love on high-quality 180gram hot pink vinyl in a limited edition of 1000 hand-numbered copies.  For fans of early OMD and analog synth pop.

Contact me for direct orders.  18 US dollars + shipping from me.
thanks!!

LP available next week!

Guys, i don’t want to sound unpleasant or rude and i know it’s annoying to ask this but i keep asking myself why you did this reissue. I don’t get why a record like this one gets a reissue when it was out in thousands of copies in many countries and you’ll find copies almost everywhere and at a cheap price… don’t get me wrong, i like a lot Medical Records and the tastes of the guys beyond the label is just amazing (i own some releases and the only one that i don’t like is OGI - but it is my personal opinion and that’s not the point). Don’t get me wrong again, i love Dalek I and i consider it to be a pivotal album in the story of english postpunk but… there are also hundreds (literaly!) of unknown tapes, 7” or whole LPs that beg to be reissued… the only reason i can think of, is that this record is a kind of all-time favourite of one of the guys beyond Medical and he had this dream about reissuing his favourite record from his favourite band….                                                                                                                                                                 

Anyway, is there a chance for us to hold a copy in our hands of the Guyer’s Connection’s Portrait LP? Speaking of a total, jaw dropping, immaculate, flawless masterpiece of the purest minimal synth (can you notice that i like it a lot? )

That said, i want to point out again that i really like and respect this label. I’m literaly drooling for some of the 2012 releases : Glowalla 10” (woooow )  - Tony Carey’s Yellow (wow Ejaw J! ) and Axxes (way to go!!! that’s an amazing idea, i mean to include the some less usual synth-music in the catalogue, i hope they will put out other titles of the so called Berlin School or, as i say, the progeny of Schulze)

Hi there and thanks for your feedback.  I really appreciate it actually.  You are partially correct about the motivation for this reissue.  Though there are used copies floating around on ebay and discogs for decent prices, there are plenty of people out there who have never heard of this record.  And, yes, this is one of my all-time favorite new wave records.  When I started this label, I had a dream to release Dalek I, Chrisma, OGI, and two others I won’t mention yet.  The last two are going to be fulfilled too, but I want to keep them secret for now.  Part of the fun of starting a label is introducing great records to naive ears.  The collector world already knows about this record and how to obtain a used copy at the lowest price where the new generation of vinyl shoppers will find this gem in a store with a cover with cool graphics and an awesome description.  It also has the fun bonus flexi with 2 b-sides and an insert with liner notes and bio on the band (and don’t forget the colored, 180gm vinyl, numbered, etc).

Thanks for the excitement of my 2012 releases too!  I am equally excited!  You forgot to mention the UNRELEASED tracks of Gay Cat Park!

Troy

Oh ok, that’s clearer and sorry man, i completely forgot about Gay Cat Park - great news obviously!

And what about the reissue of Guyer’s Connection’s Portrait?

As far as “Portrait” goes, rumor behind the scenes is that there will be a reissue sometime in the future.  All I can say is that Medical is NOT the label as far as I know!

You are right about the plethora of rare stuff to reissue.  Don’t worry, it will keep me (and all the labels doing this) busy for years to come!  Feel free to email me sometime if you want to make suggestions.  I like to have “feelers” out there with good research!

Best

Just a quick mention that Dalek I is available and selling right along but plenty of copies available from label direct or fine shops/distros.

Quick update on Medical past stock:

Lou Champagne System “No Visible Means” MR-009 - still available with plenty of copies

OGI “S/T” MR-008 - still available with decent stock left still

Guyer’s Connection “S/T” MR-007 - label has only about 30 copies left but still available around the world from shops/distros

Der Plan (both releases) MR-004 and MR-005 - both sold out from label but available in limited copies from shops/distros but probably not many

Chrisma “Hibernation” MR-004 repress - still available with < 100 copies from label.  First edition on clear wax sold out

Chrisma “Chinese Restaurant” MR-003 repress - label is down to last 10 copies…

Deutsche Wertarbeit and Alexander Robotnick - long long sold out

thanks for reading
Troy