1 9 8 1 | P O S T - P U N K

M U S I C O P H I L I A

1 9 8 1 | P O S T - P U N K

Post-punk has a lousy name. It’s temporally accurate, mostly; and meaningful in that post-punk music generally benefited from the jolt of energy and attitude that briefly was punk, even when it was often made by musicians who’d been at it for years. But punk was mostly musically and culturally discrete, insular and self-constrained.

Post-punk, conversely, represented a flourishing of many sounds, myriad scenes, and many styles, all with roots reaching back (garage rock, krautrock, funk, jazz, musique concrete, ska) and branches reaching out and intertwining (hip-hop, disco, Latin musics, dub), all while leaning eagerly forward into the future.

In part post-punk was the liberation of “art rock” from the virtuosic grip of progressive rock, and from the from the exclusiveness of forebears like the Velvets and Kraftwerk and Roxy and Bowie. It was to varying degrees the breaking down of barriers between “rock” and non-white musics, always with the risk of appropriation; but mostly created with a sincere attitude of learning and engagement, rather than theft.

Women in post-punk were not an oddity, an opening act, but were instead at the very center of its most creative scenes in a way rock music had rarely seen. Certainly post-punk was a rejection of “disco-sucks” and cock-rock meatheadedness, as even its simplest power pop forms generally rejected brute machismo.

Post-punk was revolutionary in that it helped expand rock music’s typical access to means of production, and broadened the circle of who could be at the forefront; but it was also evolutionary of rock music’s best possibilities, no an ex nihilo event, and as such was made to last.

1981 was the not the year that defined post-punk (look, probably, to 1979), but it was the year that exemplified it’s almost-boundless breadth and depth. If this set has a thesis, it’s that post-punk was defined not by its “greats,” but by how great even its peripheral players were, as a movement that empowered people to both take over the means of production (and distribution and criticism and celebration, in ways that epitomized the ethos of “independent music” to this day), and also the means of expression.

The “greats” are indeed great in 1981: your Talking Heads, your Gangs of Four, your Wires, Raincoats, OMDs, and This Heats. But in intensity, if not in reach, they were matched by Family Fodder, Crash Course in Science, Dif Juz, and Goat That Went Om. This set is a celebration of them all, their indefatigable spirit of artistry, exploration and fun.

[‘1981’ was originally created as a physical box set of CD-Rs in 2004, when I was 24. Now this music is four decades old, and so am I. But if I can’t say the same for myself, the music feels as vibrant and brand-new as ever. Please, support artists who made music in 1981 and who make it in 2021: buy music, don’t just stream!]

1 9 8 1 | F E E T

01 [00:00] British Electronic Foundation - Rise of the East02 [02:45] Bush Tetras - You Can’t Be Funky03 [05:30] Heaven 17 - We’re Going To Live (Edit)04 [08:20] Foxx, John - Europe After the Rain05 [12:20] Dome - D-D-Bo06 [16:15] 23 Skidoo - Last Words07 [19:55] ESG - UFO08 [22:45] Gang of Four - What We All Want09 [27:50] Rip Rig Panic - How Caged Bird10 [31:20] Logic, Lora - Wonderful Offer11 [34:25] Mekons - St Patrick’s Day12 [37:05] Newman, Colin - Alone13 [40:00] Kraftwerk - Numbers14 [44:25] Liquid Liquid - Zero Leg15 [47:00] Massacre - Gate16 [49:40] Family Fodder - Film Music17 [53:40] Goat that Went Om - The Pirate Song18 [55:30] Dif Juz - Diselt19 [58:15] This Heat - Paper Hats (Edit)20 [63:35] Trio - Danger Is21 [65:55] Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - The New Stone Age22 [69:25] Pigbag - Sunny Day (Edit)23 [73:05] Public Image Ltd - Flowers of Romance24 [76:05] YMO - Light in Darkness

[Total Time: 79:44]

1 9 8 1 | H E A R T

01 [00:00] Cure, The - All Cats Are Grey02 [05:20] Passions - Alice’s Song03 [08:40] Depeche Mode - Any Second Now (Voices)04 [11:10] Durutti Column - The Missing Boy05 [17:40] Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Gloomy Sunday06 [21:00] MX-80 - Promise of Love07 [25:40] Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime (Edit)08 [29:05] New Order - Doubts Even Here09 [33:30] Pete Shelley - It’s Hard Enough Knowing (Edit)10 [38:20] Sound, The - Winning11 [40:30] Japan - Ghosts12 [45:10] This Heat - A New Kind Of Water13 [50:15] Raincoats - Only Loved At Night14 [53:45] Gist - Love at First Sight15 [57:25] Gary Numan - Dance16 [60:05] Psychedelic Furs - No Tears17 [63:25] Gang of Four - Paralysed18 [66:50] Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Romance Of The Telescope19 [70:10] Ultravox - Rage In Eden20 [74:25] Weekend - Nostalgia (Demo)

[Total Time: 79:48]

1 9 8 1 | C O N V E R T I B L E

01 [00:00] Young Marble Giants - Final Day02 [01:45] Orange Juice - Poor Old Soul03 [04:15] Martha & The Muffins - This Is the Ice Age04 [08:20] Altered Images - Happy Birthday05 [11:15] The Church- Too Fast For You06 [14:55] Scritti Politti - The Sweetest Girl07 [19:00] Romeo Void - Myself To Myself08 [22:50] Barracudas - Don’t Let Go09 [26:15] The dB’s- Black and White10 [29:30] Go-Go’s - Our Lips Are Sealed11 [32:15] Magazine - The Honeymoon Killers12 [35:50] Suburbs - Spring Came13 [39:10] Marine Girls - Tonight14 [40:35] Pretenders - Message of Love15 [43:40] Necessaries - More Real16 [46:30] The Teardrop Explodes - Falling Down Around Me17 [49:35] Squeeze - Is That Love18 [52:05] The Go Betweens - Your Turn, My Turn19 [55:15] Robyn Hitchcock - Love20 [59:40] The Stranglers - Golden Brown21 [63:20] The Ramones - It’s Not My Place22 [66:45] XTC - Respectable Street23 [70:20] Pylon - Crazy24 [73:30] Elvis Costello - Strict Time25 [75:20] REM - Radio Free Europe

[Total Time: 80:05]

1 9 8 1 | C O M P U T E R

01 [00:00] Depeche Mode - Just Can’t Get Enough02 [03:40] Devo - Working In a Coal Mine03 [06:30] Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft - Der Mussolini (Edit)04 [08:55] Thomas Dolby - Europa & The Pirate Twins05 [12:15] Associates - White Car in Germany (Edit)06 [15:45] Eurythmics - Take Me To Your Heart07 [19:20] Heaven 17 - The Height of the Fighting08 [22:20] Plastics - Diamond Head09 [25:40] Yello - Bostich (Edit)10 [27:50] New Musik - Areas11 [31:45] Human League - The Things that Dreams Are Made Of (Edit)12 [35:30] Manuel Gottsching - E2 E4 (Excerpt)13 [37:15] Duran Duran - Girls on Film14 [40:45] Tuxedomoon - Incubus (Blue Suit)15 [44:30] Gary Numan - Stories16 [47:40] The Blue Nile - I Love This Life17 [51:25] Chris & Cosey - This Is Me18 [54:25] Moev - Cracked Mirror (Edit)19 [57:55] Cybotron - Alleys Of Your Mind20 [61:30] The Buggles - Blue Nylon21 [63:55] Soft Cell - Tainted Love22 [66:35] Cars - Shake It Up (Edit)23 [69:30] Classix Nouveaux - 62324 [71:55] Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Sacred Heart25 [75:25] Kraftwerk - Computer Love (Edit)

[Total Time: 79:41]

1 9 8 1 | A M P L I F I E R

01 [00:00] The Embarrassment - Celebrity Art Party02 [03:05] Minutemen - Straight Jacket03 [04:05] The Replacements - Johnny’s Gonna Die04 [07:30] Flesh Eaters - Pray Til You Sweat05 [10:05] Black Flag - Louie Louie06 [11:25] Stiff Little Fingers - The Only One07 [15:45] Mx-80 - Cover To Cover08 [18:25] Meat Puppets - Big House09 [19:30] Agent Orange - Too Young To Die10 [21:35] The Saints - Paradise (Edit)11 [24:30] Buzzcocks - I Look Alone12 [27:35] Empire - All These Things13 [30:50] Secret Hate - New Routines-Suicide14 [32:15] The Gordons - Coalminers Song15 [38:00] Virgin Prunes - Twenty Tens16 [40:30] The Cramps - Green Fuz17 [42:30] Minor Threat - Straight Edge18 [43:20] 100 Flowers - Reject Yourself19 [45:55] The Undertones - Julie Ocean20 [47:40] Bad Brains - Pay To Cum21 [49:10] Flipper - Ha Ha Ha22 [51:25] Mission of Burma - Fame and Fortune23 [55:00] Gun Club - Goodbye Johnny24 [58:45] Josef K - Crazy To Exist25 [61:45] Swimming Pool Q’s - Rat Bait26 [64:05] Dead Kennedys - Nazi Punks Fuck Off27 [65:05] Au Pairs - Love Song28 [67:55] Wipers - When It’s Over29 [74:35] X - Adult Books30 [77:55] Zoomers - Give Your Heart

[Total Time: 80:07]

1 9 8 1 | C A S S E T T E

01 [00:00] Clean, The - Billy Two02 [02:20] Fall, The - Lie Dream of a Casino Soul03 [05:30] Dow Jones & The Industrials - Ladies With Appliances04 [07:55] Ludus - Mutilate05 [10:30] Nervous Gender - Fat Cow06 [13:05] 49 Americans - Love at First Sight07 [14:30] Plasticland - Office Skills08 [16:10] Beakers, The - Four Steps Toward A Cultural Revolution09 [17:40] Felt - Something Sends Me to Sleep10 [20:35] Work - Duty11 [21:40] Fall of Saigon - Blue Eyes12 [23:40] Blackouts, The - Dead Man’s Curve13 [27:05] Scapa Flow - Somewhere14 [29:45] Dancing Cigarettes - Mr Morse15 [31:10] Amoebas In Chaos - Designer Genes16 [32:40] Tall Dwarfs - All My Hollowness to You17 [35:00] Monitor - Amphibious18 [38:00] Dolphins - She Took a Long Cold Look19 [39:25] Blue Orchids - Bad Education20 [41:50] Watt, Ben - Departure21 [43:25] Neonbabies - Profi (Edit)22 [46:45] Voice Farm - AM City (Edit)23 [48:20] Laughing Apple - Wouldn’t You24 [50:35] Social Climbers - Hello Texas25 [52:40] Der Plan - Das Insekt26 [54:15] Biting Tongues - Reflector27 [56:55] Flux of Pink Indians - Sick Butchers28 [59:20] Aztec Camera - Lost Outside The Tunnel29 [62:50] Diagram Brothers - Bricks30 [65:35] Human Switchboard - I Used to Believe in You31 [69:30] Half Japanese - My Knowledge Was Wrong32 [70:30] Television Personalities - This Angry Silence33 [73:05] Philosophic Collage - Toxic Poppies34 [74:40] Violent Femmes - Waiting For The Bus (Demo)35 [76:45] Thick Pigeon - Silhouettes

[Total Time: 80:10]

1 9 8 1 | B R A I N

01 [00:00] Art Bears - Truth02 [02:55] The Birthday Party - Cry03 [05:35] Glenn Branca - Structure04 [08:40] Klaus Nomi - The Twist05 [11:45] Ex, The - Weapons for El Salvador06 [14:30] Flying Lizards - Hands 2 Take07 [18:35] Negativland - Dearmary08 [20:25] New Age Steppers - Crazy Dreams & High Ideas09 [23:25] Lemon Kittens - Kites10 [26:55] Trio - Kummer11 [29:35] Pere Ubu - Lonesome Cowboy Dave12 [31:30] The Residents - Would We Be Alive13 [34:50] Matt Johnson - The River Flows East In Spring14 [36:20] Eyeless in Gaza - The Decoration15 [39:05] Einstürzende Neubauten - Abstieg & Zerfall16 [43:35] Fire Engines - Candyskin17 [46:30] Section 25 - Hit18 [49:20] Crass - Bata Motel19 [52:50] Liaisons Dangereuses - Aperitif De La Mort20 [54:25] Crash Course in Science - Factory Forehead21 [57:25] Foetus - Thank Heaven for Push Button Phones22 [61:55] Cabaret Voltaire - A Touch Of Evil23 [63:45] Chrome - Planet Strike24 [66:10] DNA - Blonde Red Head25 [68:05] Clock DVA - 4 Hours26 [72:00] Homosexuals - Nursery Chymes27 [74:35] Wim Mertins - Multiple 1228 [75:40] This Heat - Makeshift Swahili

[Total Time: 79:30]

1 9 8 1 | I C E

01 [00:00] Holger Czukay - Fragrance (Edit)02 [03:15] Jerry Harrison - Worlds In Collision03 [08:20] Comsat Angels - Restless04 [11:35] Selecter - Their Dream Goes On05 [15:20] Gun Club - Promise Me06 [17:55] ESG - You’re No Good07 [21:10] Siouxsie & The Banshees - Into the Light08 [25:25] Laurie Anderson - O Superman09 [33:45] Phew - Fragment (Edit)10 [36:20] Honeymoon Killers - Histoire a Suivre11 [39:30] The Del-Byzanteens - Girl’s Imagination12 [46:10] Was (Not Was) - Oh, Mr. Friction13 [49:45] Brian Eno & David Byrne - A Secret Life14 [52:15] Echo & The Bunnymen - All My Colours15 [56:20] Material - Square Dance16 [60:45] Ryuichi Sakamoto - Kachakuchane (Edit)17 [63:35] Grace Jones - Nightclubbing18 [68:40] The Slits - Earthbeat (Peel Session) (Edit)19 [74:25] Robert Wyatt - Born Again Cretin20 [77:30] Delta 5 - Different Fur

[Total Time: 80:09]

1 9 8 1 | F I R E

01 [00:00] A Certain Ratio - Waterline02 [03:35] New Order - Chosen Time03 [07:45] Fad Gadget - Make Room (Edit)04 [11:00] Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics05 [14:15] David Byrne - The Red House06 [17:35] Creatures - But Not Them07 [21:00] Raybeats - Calhoun Surf08 [22:50] Suburbs - Tired of My Plans09 [26:25] David Thomas - Crickets in the Flats10 [31:25] Killing Joke - Butcher (Edit)11 [34:35] Japan - Talking Drum12 [38:10] The B-52’s - Give Me Back My Man (Remix) (Edit)13 [41:15] Lizzy Mercier-Descloux - Room Mate14 [44:00] The Beat - Too Nice To Talk To15 [47:10] Lounge Lizards - Do The Wrong Thing16 [49:45] INXS - Stay Young17 [53:10] Prince - Controversy18 [56:40] Talking Heads - Houses in Motion (Edit)19 [59:30] Bauhaus - Of Lillies & Remains (Edit)20 [62:25] The Specials - Ghost Town (Edit)21 [66:10] Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love22 [70:15] Wire - Midnight Bahnhof Cafe (Edit)23 [72:50] Family Fodder - Emergency24 [75:30] Raincoats - Shouting Out Loud

[Total Time: 80:27]

T H EM U S I C O P H I L I AC O M P A N Y

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