24 HRS
Blow Up 45 Series New Wave – No. 2: This UK debut for new Wave Swedish rockers STRIP MUSIC won over UK fans before its release, when Radio 1 listeners voted it the best track on Zane Lowe’s ‘Fresh Meat’ record spin-off on Monday 25th April, earning the record more plays on the rock show.
Signed to buzz independent label, Playground Music in Sweden, Strip Music are a six-piece whose music was described by Vice Magazine in Sweden as ‘Joy Division meets early Manics’. More specifically, their debut album, gives us 45 epic minutes of Joy Division bleakness meets OMD pop joy meets U2 arena dynamics meets Suicide’s synth attack meets the shadowy, trance-like qualities of The Cure.
Something Snaps
Capri were a London-based five-piece who chose their name because it suggests so many things: “Everything from the glamour of the island where Sophia Loren was born to a crap 80s car and the name of a dry cleaners in Mayfair.”
Their debut single for Blow Up’s 1000 Series was described by the NME as “an aesthetically fetching representaion of their rare pop beauty”, their influences ranging from Motown, Roxy Music, Paul Quinn to The Associates and The Beatles.
The Blow Up 1000 Series is a series of 7″ only singles in a die-cut house sleeve which aimed to showcase a diverse range of international talent to the UK. Each single was limited to a run of 1000 copies, and will not be repressed.
Colour Code White
This London based trio hailing from Japan and UK create ‘Digital-Hard-Core-Cinematica’, a combination of symphonic arrangements, sultry vocals, merged with heavy dance beats. Influenced by such artists by Debussy, Serge Gainsbourg, Madonna, and KLF, Lucky 15 incorporate pseudo-classical ideas with authenticity without parody. The result is an exhilarating, eclectic mix of lusciously designed pop music.
He Plays Like A Disease
VA6 was an offshoot from the original line-up of Add N to X featuring Andrew Aveling.
Released in 1996, this limited seven-inch only single was the only output by VA6, and will appeal to both Add n to X fans, and collectors alike. The sound takes it’s cues from the experimental electronic sounds of Vero Electronics (BU004) but with more of a Rock’n’Roll edge (Velvet Undergound), and unlike ‘Vero Electronics‘ has vocals on all tracks.
For fans of: Kraftwerk, Throbbing Gristle, Stockhausen, Suicide, Krautrock, Early Human League, Experimental Electronica, Rock ‘N’ Roll, Velvet Underground, The Fall
That Was Now But This Is Then
This mini album was compiled to enable access to The Weekenders’ deleted back catalogue of singles. The band always believed in singles in their own right, and these tracks were never meant to be leaders to an LP. Tracks have been drawn from BU001 ‘All Grown Up’, BU002 ‘Man of Leisure’, BU003 ‘Inelegantly Wasted’ and the Fierce Panda EP ‘Return To Splendour’.
The Weekenders were one of the early Britpop bands on the Camden scene in 1993, and by the time of the release of this compilation had built up quite a fan base. Their third single ‘Inelegantly Wasted’ was Melody Maker Single of the Week (peaking at No.3 in the indie chart). At the time, the band received a fair amount of press, including an NME ‘On’ Feature, and one of the ‘Tips of the Year’ in Melody Maker and several full page features. In 1995 the band sold out London’s 500 capacity The Garage and went on to co-headline The Carling Stage at Reading the same year. Unfortunately due to other commitments, the album proper was never recorded. However, this compilation remains a great record of the early Britpop sound, and despite being originally released as export only with no UK press, it reached No.18 in the Independent Charts. It continues to sell well both here and abroad, especially in Japan, where the band have achieved a cult status.
All Grown Up / Househusband
The first release on Blow Up Records, released on 4th May 1994 and sold at a launch party at the Tuffnel Park Dome, London withThe Bluetones as guests + Blow Up DJs. The remaining stock was then sold as a mail-order release – a total pressing of a 1000 on 7″ Vinyl.
Produced and engineered by Vic Keary at the legendary Chiswick Reach Studios on 8-track tape. The Weekenders: Paul Tunkin, James Hender, Chris Remington and Steve Smith. Both ‘All Grown Up’ and ‘Househusband’ were recorded as part of an eight song session in February 1994.