Label: Samizdat

Released 5/3/2024

Italy Import

Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad musical genre that emerged in 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians moved away from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, adopting instead a broader, more experimental approach that included a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-rock influences. Inspired by punk's energy and DIY ethos, but determined to break with rock clichés, artists experimented with styles such as funk, electronic music, jazz and dance music; dub and disco production techniques; and ideas from art and politics, including critical theory, modernist art, film and literature. These communities have produced independent record labels, visual art, multimedia performances and fanzines. These three compilations are by no means "Best Of" or collections of chart hits. They are compilations that endeavor (and they do a good job) to take a wide-ranging look at the UK and American post-punk scene in the years from 1978 to 1984, but here almost everything stops in 1981, giving space to bands and artists that almost always didn't make it beyond the 45rpm mark. A representation of the true "Outside of Everything" of the era. Features Acid Drops, Anorexia, Art Failure, Bloated Toads, The Bouncing Czechs, The Arnold, Reacta, The Record Players, Reptile Ranch, School Meals, Stepping Talk, Stolen Power, and Strutz.

Track listing:

1. Acid Drops– Distance (Bromley, 1981) 
2. Anorexia– I'm A Square (Hertfordshire, 1980) 
3. Anorexia– Pets (Hertfordshire, 1980) 
4. Art Failure– In Vogue (Manchester, 1979) 
5. Bloated Toads– Happy Home (Sussex, 1980) 
6. The Bouncing Czechs– 1992 (Bristol, 1981) 
7. The Arnold– God Is Walking A Tightrope (Kent, 1980) 
8. Reacta– Sus (London, 1978) 
9. The Record Players– Don't Go Backwards (Kent, 1978) 
10. Reptile Ranch– Saying Goodbye (Cardiff, Wales, 1980) 
11. School Meals– Headmaster (Leamington, 1978) 
12. Stepping Talk– Common Problems (Manchester, 1979) 
13. Stolen Power– Little White Lies (London, 1981) 
14. Strutz– Break Point (Scotland, 1981)