Seven Fragments for a Subterranean History of the '80s
(Crammed Archives 2)
This second phase of digital, archival reissues focuses on hidden gems released by the label during the ‘80s, including lots of colourful, ahead-of-its-time music: electronic global pop, pre-techno/hip hop/dub-infused beats and much more.
It is centered on EPs by six short-lived acts, by now obscure (yet cult-ish among connoisseurs) who, each for reasons of their own, only ever released one record (and sometimes even no more than a couple of tracks), as well as a compilation entitled Rare Global Pop 1980s.
People In Control - The ephemeral indie-dub collective linked to This Heat, Family Fodder & ON-U Sound (UK)
Maurice Poto Doudongo - Soulful digital rumba funk gems by an as-yet- undiscovered producer from Kinshasa (Congo)
Nadjma - Arabic electropop & proto-experimental drum’n’bass w/Adrian Sherwood (Irak/CH/UK)
Des Airs - Angular, quirky francophone postpunk Brussels combo (BE)
Volti - The beatbox electro latino pop of a young Mexican/New Yorker duo (US/Mexico)
By Chance - Moody & funky new wave by members of The Names & Jo Lemaire+Flouze (BE)
The Rare Global Pop 1980s compilation contains highlights from these six releases, alongside rare singles and remixes by Zazou Wemba, The Honeymoon Killers, Sonoko, Véronique Vincent & Aksak Maboul, Zazou Bikaye, plus a couple of tracks nicely rounding off a selection which narrates a kind of subterranean history of the label’s first decade, and throws some light on what was going on behind the most visible figures of the label at that time (Tuxedomoon, The Honeymoon Killers, Minimal Compact, John Lurie, Aksak Maboul, Colin Newman, etc).
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More details on the compilation:
Dansez le Malimba is from the one-off collab by Hector Zazou and Papa Wemba, which came out on a 12”.
This version of Décollage by The Honeymoon Killers is a remix made in Paris by the band with British engineer Andy Scott (of Château d’Hérouville fame), with added drum overdubs. It only ever came out as a 7” single in France & Belgium, where it enjoyed significant radio success.
Angel is an alternate version of the Zazou Bikaye track, which only appeared in the US version of the Mr Manager album (on Mark Kamins’ Pow Wow label). It’s a remix by Jean-Marie Salaun (Code, Fab Five Freddy).
Bonus b/EA/S/T is a version of a track by Minimal Compact offshoot Foreign Affair, remixed by Mr Big Mouse (Hollander & Kenis) on the night of Ceaucescu’s fall.
Luxury Zombie by Véronique Vincent & Aksak Maboul is edited from a demo containing a rough sketch for the end of Afflux de Luxe (the idea was dropped).
This remix of Zazou/Bikaye/CY1’s Dju Ya Feza was made by Simon Boswell and appeared in the UK version of the remix 12” (licensed at the time to London label Illuminated).
La poupée qui fait non (VK's disco remix) is a fun ditty which made up the B-side of a 7” single by Sonoko.
The tracks by Band Apart, Karl Biscuit and Sussan Deyhim/Richard Horowitz are already available digitally, but we felt they deserve more exposure, and nicely complement this fragmentary, parallel history of Crammed in the ‘80s.