On this day, 39 years ago, Frank Tovey released his last studio album under his alter ego Fad Gadget. This album was called Gag and was released on 1 February 1984 by Mute Records. It features one of Fad Gadget's best-known songs and biggest club hits ‘Collapsing New People’ which was also released as a single and supposedly features German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten.

Almost sure is the fact the song was Frank Tovey’s tribute to his Mute label mates.

Blixa Bargeld, head and voice of Einstürzende Neubauten, once mentioned this collaboration in an interview which was recorded in the 2005 Einsturzende Neubauten out of print book ‘No Beauty Without Danger’.

“ We got together through a chain of coincidences. Fad Gadget did a record with Gareth at Hansa Studio and the lead singer Frank Tovey wrote the song “Collapsing New People” with the line: “Sat awake all night / But never see the stars / And sleep all day / On a chain-link bed of nails.” That was a direct reference to the Neubauten. Now Tovey had the clever idea to ask the Neubauten whether we’d play on it so that the whole thing wouldn’t be misinterpreted as criticism. That’s when we did our first recordings with Gareth. At the same time, those were also the first recordings that the Neubauten did at Hansa Studio. After all, in this session, Gareth was confronted with our instruments for the first time. That had sweeping consequences because directly afterwards he recorded Depeche Mode, also at Hansa, and used our overdubs from the Fad Gadget reels for “People Are People.” He later told me about that.”

At the time of the album's release, Frank Tovey made the decision to retire his Fad Gadget persona for good and released all future recordings under his own name.

Gag - Track listing

1. "Ideal World" - 5:39
2. "Collapsing New People" - 4:22
3. "Sleep" - 3:25
4. "Stand Up" - 3:30
5. "Speak to Me" - 3:23
6. "One Man's Meat" - 4:06
7. "Ring" - 3:53
8. "Jump" - 4:09
9. "Ad Nauseam" - 6:32

DISCOGS

Nightly meetings in a dimly-lit basement studio is where Texas-based darkwave band, In A Darkened Room and ultimately the debut album, Sorrows were born. Sorrows is the culmination of the release from the repetition and seclusion brought on by the pandemic. The title is a fitting "black umbrella" under which the eight aching tracks reside.

“We wanted to feel the beauty in this chance to create while untethered by the constraints of 'normal' times, but the sense of ever-present doom on our doorstep weaved a constant thread of sorrow into our music." - CJ Duron.

Sorrows is a down-tempo, sensual, and melodic dream-dance, interlacing eight stories that feel like grey sky cemetery drives, dawn's heavy fog light, and a sad, sweet smile you'll never see again.

Sorrows is available on CD and on all major digital platforms NOW!

www.facebook.com/inadarkenedroomband

On the 30th of January 1984 The Cure performed at the Munich Alabama Halle, Germany.
The show was captured and later broadcast by German TV on several occasions.
Enjoy!

Set list
Munich Alabamahalle 30/01/84
M (not on either of both videos)
Shake Dog Shake
Primary
Piggy In The Middle
100 Years
Banana Fishbones
Wailing Wall
10:15 Saturday Night
Play For Today
A Forest
The Top (2nd YouTube video only)

Encores:
Pornography (2nd YouTube video only)
Forever (not on either of both videos)

34 years ago, the album “Technique” arrived as New Order closed out the nineteen-eighties with one, last breath of creative genius in FACT-275 (Released 30 January 1989).

This is an album which has split fans since it inception, between the dark-brilliance of “Power, Corruption & Lies”, to this their more accessible side.
“Technique” was more disco inspired effort, displayed fully in the track “Mr Disco”, highly danceable with that-orchestral-synth crescendo after the first chorus, it manages to still sound fresh against their previous work.
In the single “Fine Time", we find a satirical brilliance in the simplest of themes, based wholly on sex. With an eruption of drums and random guitar that cranks to the high point of eighties-music. Throughout the lyrics are more playful though remaining honest, this is by no means a commercial move but a natural progression in style.

The more mellow sides of the album have a charm all of their own, “Vanishing Point” is a more softly-constructed synth based song, reflective and mood ridden. Throughout “Technique” manages to balance evenly, the guitar-disco anthems and the euphoric dance style already verging on the horizon as ‘House Music’ made its entry into the world. This is the sound of a band at the top of their game, fearlessly treading waters of experimentation and executing with ease all manners of directions taken.

A submerged sound of progressive-rock can surprisingly be found in the abrasive “Run”, although certainly different in style, it does not so much take away from the flow of the album but adds that extra dimension instead. The proceedings close with heavy-synth and guitar solos in the glorious “Dream Attack”, a song built to bring not only “Technique” to a close but also the decade and this chapter in the story of New Order.

Dream Attack;

“Nothing in this world
Can touch the music that I heard
When I woke up this morning
It put the sun into my life
It cut my heartbeat with a knife
It was like no other morning
I don't belong to no one
But I want to be with you
I can't be owned by no one
What am I supposed to do”

Technique (Original 1989 Track List)

01. Fine Time 4:42
02. All the Way 3:22
03. Love Less 2:58
04. Round & Round 4:29
05. Guilty Partner 4:44
06. Run 4:26
07. Mr. Disco 4:20
08. Vanishing Point 5:14
09. Dream Attack 5:13

[Kevin Burke]

Today, exactly 34 years ago, Nitzer Ebb released the second single Hearts & Minds (30/01/1989) taken from their previously released, second studio album Belief (09/01/1989).
It was released by Mute Records as 7", 12" & CD-single in various versions, some with different subtitles and tracklist.

Hearts & Minds (7")
A. Hearts & Minds (Radio Mix)
B. For Fun (LP Version)
Hearts & Minds (12")
A1. Hearts & Minds (Mix Hypersonic)
A2. Hearts & Minds (Mix Subsonic)
B1. Captivate (Orbit Mix)
B2. For Fun (LP Version)
B3. Time Slips By (PK Mix)

Hearts & Minds (Hypersonic Mix)
1. Hearts & Minds (Mix Hypersonic)
2. For Fun (Mix)
3. Time Slips By

Hearts & Minds (Mix Subsonic)
1. Hearts & Minds (Mix Subsonic)
2. For Fun (LP version)
3. Time Slips By (PK mix)
Hearts & Minds (Continued) CD
1. Hearts & Minds (Mix Hypersonic)
2. Hearts & Minds (Radio Edit)
3. For Fun (Mix)
4. Time Slips By (PK mix)

Hearts & Minds stayed 8 weeks in the Billboard 'Dance Club song' chart and peaked at the 16th position on the 26th May 1989.

Hearts & Minds lycrics

You, you, I saw you
You, you, I saw you
Could it, could it be heart
Could it, could it be bone

This body rapture
This body rapture
You're wrapped up tight
You're wrapped up tight

Your empty words
Your empty soul
Your empty words
Your empty soul

You're you, you, you
I saw you
You, you, you
I saw you

You with your heart
You with your mind
Hearts and minds
Hearts and minds

Never again, no never again
Never again, no never again
Bodies wrapped up tight
Bodies wrapped up tight

Is it tight enough for you
Heart and bone
Heart and bone

This could be it
This could be you
This could be it
This could be you

Your body jerks
Your body shakes
Your body jerks
Your body shakes

You're you, you, you
I saw you
You, you, you
I saw you

This body rapture
This body rapture
Your empty words
Your empty soul

This could be it
This could be you
You're you, you
I saw you
You, you, I saw you
You

DISCOGS