Today it’s been 34 years since Electronic Body Music ensemble NITZER EBB released their equal legendary debut album That Total Age (11 May 1987) on Mute Records. It was produced by Phil Harding. That Total Age was preceded by the singles Murderous (November 1986) and Let Your Body Learn (April 1987) while the third and final single to be taken from this album, Join in the Chant, followed in August the same year. The latter single would probably become one of the band's most known musical anthems and reached position 9 on the US Dance Charts of 1987.

That Total Age is considered to be one of the most important and influential Industrial / Electro / Electronic Body Music albums until this day.

The symbols on the cover of the album stand for "Force is Machine", "Visions of Order", and "Muscle and Hate".

That Total Age was released in many various versions like single 12” LP, double 12”, cassette album and CD.

That Total Age (LP) Mute Stumm 45 (UK)

1. "Fitness to Purpose" 5:00
2. "Warsaw Ghetto" 3:47
3. "Violent Playground" 3:46
4. "Murderous" 5:40
5. "Smear Body" 5:40
6. "Join in the Chant" 6:05
7. "Alarm" 3:41
8. "Let Your Body Learn" 2:48
9. "Let Beauty Loose" 2:24
10. "Into the Large Air" 4:13

That Total Age (CD) Mute Stumm 45

1. "Fitness to Purpose" 5:03
2. "Violent Playground" 3:49
3. "Murderous" 5:43
4. "Smear Body" 5:49
5. "Join in the Chant" 6:05
6. "Alarm" 3:41
7. "Let Your Body Learn" 2:48
8. "Let Beauty Loose" 2:24
9. "Into the Large Air" 4:13
10. "Join in the Chant" (Metal Mix) 5:16
11. "Fitness to Purpose" (Mix Two) 4:56
12. "Murderous" (Instrumental) 5:04

DISCOGS

Lisa Gerrard and Jules Maxwell, best known for their work as part of the legendary band Dead Can Dance, present their studio album 'Burn'. Produced by James Chapman (MAPS), this long-play is being released via Atlantic Curve, a London-based label that is part of the Schubert Music Europe.
The record began its journey more than seven years ago, when Lisa met Irish theatre composer Jules Maxwell before working together for the first time. Things really took root when Gerrard and Maxwell began writing songs for their earlier collaboration 'The Mystery Of The Bulgarian Voices (Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares)'. They were later introduced to Chapman and asked him to produce this album, which represents a stunning departure for all three of them.
Jules Maxwell explains: "'Burn' was never planned to be an album. Like many joyous things in life, it grew slowly and unexpectedly. One song at a time. The seeds had been planted by Lisa and I whilst we were working on songs for another album, but didn't begin to flower until months, years later. Without Daryl Bamonte's tenacious encouragement and James Chapman's sonic vision it would not have come to fruition at all. Lisa Gerrard is in my opinion one of the most important singers of her generation and it continues to be an enormous privilege for me to be working with her. What we have created still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up from time to time. Listen to it in one go from beginning to end if you can."
Lisa Gerrard introduces this long-play "The album begins with 'Heleali', a meditation on the eternal rise and fall of the tides. It is a call to let go of the past and reflect on the elusive shadows of evaporation."
With Chapman joining the duo as producer, ideas generated freely and over time, a distinct sound for their work began to emerge. Their focus was to create something that was both euphoric and compelling; more inventive than what they had worked on separately in the past. From gentle beginnings, each track builds and intensifies, creating a hypnotic experience to listen to from start to finish. With Lisa remaining in Australia, Jules adding his keys and percussion from France, and James bringing new light to the sound from England, the three were literally worlds apart, but those worlds fused in this music.
"It was such a huge honour for me to work with Lisa and Jules in making this album, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. My role was really to build on the ideas, and it was a pleasure to work with such rich and exciting material. I was very grateful to be given the freedom to explore the production, there was a real trust between everyone from the beginning, which made things very exciting for me. Having such freedom from the start enabled me to be more confident in the ideas, which in turn created more possibilities with the choices that were made. When I listen to the album now, I feel that freedom and excitement within each track," says James Chapman.
Sosna's video is among seven specially commissioned films to accompany the release of the album. The first of these, created by Polish director Jacob Chelkowski's video for the title track 'Noyalain (Burn)', proves more than a little provocative in these days of Covid, as it portrays the simple, traumatic act of touching.
Early March, Jules Maxwell also released his sophomore solo album 'Nocturnes' - the debut release for the newly-formed Archangelo Recordings. This beautifully melancholic collection of instrumental pieces was written and recorded over the past four years, much of it in collaboration with the acclaimed UK-based Vincent Dance Theatre.

41 years ago, producer/fan/friend Ric Ocasek (The Cars) brought SUICIDE: ALAN VEGA · MARTIN REV to ZE Records to record "The Second Album" (May 1980).

Suicide was always about life:

Nightlife decadence with “Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne”… “Mr. Ray” who was the arresting officer - Detective Inspector Ray - when Alan & Marty got caught up in a raid on The Clash & Suicide's hotel in Blackburn on that infamous Clash On Parole Tour (1978)… street drama in “Harlem” and a sweet sexy lady “Shadazz” that came from outta the skies.

During the recording January 1980 at Power Station Studios, NYC, Alan Vega and Martin Rev received a surprise visit by Bruce Springsteen. A quarter of a century later The Boss would cover “Dream Baby Dream”, the single Suicide recorded with Ric Ocasek a year prior to the album’s release.

Listen for yourself why SUICIDE: ALAN VEGA · MARTIN REV is no “Fast Money Music” and just as essential as its predecessor. “Dance”-Dance-Dance. All night long.

Martin Rev and Alan Vega of Suicide working with Ric Ocasek of The Cars on their second record at the Power Station in New York City on January 12th, 1980. (Photo by Ebet Roberts)

The 1999 re-issue on Blast First/Mute contains The Second Album plus 3 bonus tracks: “Super Subway Comedian” and the “Dream Baby Dream”/“Radiation” single. Also included is a bonus disc with The First Rehearsal Tapes, recorded by Suicide at Museum - Project for Living Artists, NYC 1975.

Martin Rev and Alan Vega - Suicide (Original tracklist)

Side A
01. Diamonds, Fur Coat, Chanpagne
02. Mr Ray (to howard t.)
03. Sweetheart
04. Fast Money Music
05. Touch Me

Side B
01. Harlem
02. Be Bop Kid
03. Las Vegas Man
04. Shadazz
05. Dance

DISCOGS

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Alan Vega and Martin Rev / Suicide performing 'Harlem' from their Second Album on 1 August 1980, at Dancetaria, New York City, US. Filmed by Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong as part of their weekly Nightclubbing program. (https://www.gonightclubbing.com/)

Suicide - Mr. Ray (Fan video)

Suicide - Shadazz (Fan video)

This month it’s been 43 years since Kraftwerk released Die Roboter (The Robots), the first single which was taken from their iconic album Die Mensch-Machine (The Man-Machine) album (May 1978).

The original 7” single releases contained Die Roboter (The Robots) on at the A-side and Spacelab on the B-side. Both were shorter (radio) edits as they would appear on the album. The single was released with German sung version of Die Roboter, as well as an English sung version on the A-side. Both featured the English sung Spacelab on the B-side.

The lyrics reference to the at that time revolutionary technique of programming robots and how they can act as slaves for the human race.

The Russian words "Я твой слуга" (Ya tvoy slugá, " mean “I am your servant") and "Я твой работник" (Ya tvoy rabótnik, "I am your worker”).

When the song is performed live, the band is nowhere to be seen onstage but is replaced by legless robotic copies bearing recabling faces of all members.

In 1991, a re-recorded and re-arranged version of the song was issued as a single from the band's album The Mix.

Die Roboter - 7”
A. Die Roboter 4:20
B. Spacelab 3:34

Die Roboter - Lyrics

Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Jetzt sind wir voller Energie
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir funktionieren automatik
Jetzt wollen wir tanzen mechanik
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Wir sind auf alles programmiert
Und was du willst wird ausgeführt
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir laden unsere Batterie
Jetzt sind wir voller Energie
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter

Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik
Ja tvoi sluga
Ja tvoi rabotnik

Wir sind auf alles programmiert
Und was du willst wird ausgeführt
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir funktionieren automatik
Jetzt wollen wir tanzen mechanik
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter
Wir sind die Roboter

Songwriters: Ralf Hütter / Florian Schneider-Esleben / Karl Bartos
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc

Chart peak postions (1978)
18 German Singles Chart
39 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play

DISCOGS

After the highly acclaimed 2020 double album The Air Below The Water, AUTUMN TEARS is thrilled to present their newest offering The Glow of Desperation, featuring 64 minutes of brand new music, presented as a limited CD and digital download.

"To put it simply enough, the theme of the album to be construed is that sometimes we get so desperate that it actually manifests into luminescence. All of the songs actually deal with some form of hope and desperation."

The Glow of Desperation features a fully orchestrated, classical ensemble as well as:

Classical / opera singer & composer Caroline Clarke (Trovatori),

Singer / songwriter Tamar Singer (Zeresh, Cruel Wonders, Necromishka),

Singer / composer / vocal coach Anne "Anaé" Laurent (Anaé & The Petrichor, Adrana),

Tenor opera vocalist Darren Clarke (Trovatori),

Lead vocalist Agnete Mangnes Kirkevaag from the legendary

Norwegian progressive metal act Madder Mortem

Mark Garrett from the avant garde, progressive metal act Kardashev

Classical / opera singer Ann-Mari Edvardsen Alexis, best known as the Former vocalist of Norwegian doom metal / avant-garde band The 3rd and the Mortal (Nightswan, Painting on Glass, In This Room).

Also returning is singer / songwriter Brona McVittie.

Analog mastering by Michael Venia from Sound Mixology.

The CD features a 20-page lyric booklet lavishly illustrated with paintings by award winning artist Marcela Bolívar - http://www.marcelabolivar.com

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