This is one of my favorite albums of Dark Wave of the eighties, is a hidden gem of Synth-Pop and is not available on CD. This is a rip from my vinyl album.
Around 1980/81 Oxford based band Exit 13 changed their sound & changed their name to Aerial FX. They signed a publishing deal with Island Music, released 2 singles ("So Hard" on Square Records & then "Take It From Here" on Island Records), & then bagged enough studio time to record "Watching The Dance" LP which was released on Kamera Records along with a single "Instant Feelings".
They played shows around London & the UK throughout that period.
Around 1982/83 the focus changed to studio recording & Melton & Bladon left the band. The other 3
continued writing & recording & EMI Records signed them mid 1983. Unfortunately there were creative disagreements with EMI & they didn't progress out of the studio, finally being dropped at the end of 1984. Their studio experiments continued for another couple of years but nothing was released & they stopped making music as Aerial FX around 1986.
Aerial FX at the dawning of the 1980s, the promise of their minimal sound, with its prominent
synthesizers, yielding a publishing deal with Island Records and an early single released by the label. Debut album Watching The Dance has shades of dark synth pop and goth, with future Radiohead manager/producer Chris Hufford firmly in the spotlight throughout. The influence of acts like Modern Eon and others lurk beneath this hidden Dark Wave Masterpiece.
Nowadays Chris Hufford is well-known in music industry as the manager of Radiohead, Supergrass and Gamma Hayes, he also produced some of Radiohead's early recordings, a group he would help steer to massive global success. Chris also run his new project Anti Atlas (Downtempo, IDM, ambient). In the year of 2010 a collection of 12 previously unreleased Aerial FX tracks from 1980 and 1984 was released on CD by Other Voices Records.
The band line-up was:
Chris Hufford - Vocals, rhythm guitar
Bryce Edge - Keyboards, backing vocals
Richard Hart - Lead guitar
Andy Melton - Bass
Simon Bladon - Drums
CHRIS HAFFORD |
Chris Hufford is an English audio engineer, producer, musician and artist manager. Chris founded the Oxford-based Courtyard Studio, while his management company Courtyard Management, looks after the careers of Radiohead, Supergrass and Gemma Hayes.
Members Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge caught wind of the band Radiohead at the beginning of there career, arguably one of the the biggest bands in the world through various demo tapes, liked what they heard, and got in touch. They still manage Radiohead to this day… That said, it's a shame their own outfit didn't turn more heads during their tenure.
Aerial FX – Watching The Dance
Label: Kamera Records – KAM 008
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop, Dark Wave
TRAXS
SIDE A Watching The Dance
A1. Out Of The Window 03:52
A2. Who Is Down There 01:15
A3. Hold Me 03:24
A4. 5.15 01:22
A5. Instant Feeling
SIDE B Strange Sour In The Seed
B1. Servitors 01:52
B2. Accident 04:16
B3. Where Is Tomorrow 07:50
Every Track is connected with the next one, so I did't separeted them. Every side is one track. I hope that you can understand what I mean.
MP3 @ 320 Size: 65 MB
Flac Size: 171 MB
WHERE IS TOMORROW LYRICS
Walls start to crumble
Walls falling down
Our cities are dying,
Tumbling into the ground
Words from our leaders
Political lies
Where is tomorrow, there's no today
You gotta show us the way
Doors to the future
Locked in our way
Never a moment
Never a chance to say
Political gains
Where is tomorrow, there's no today
You gotta show us the way
A nation of heroes
A nation of plagues
Returning for glory
You say there's no way
Please tell me I'm lying
Show me I'm blind
Bring me some hope
And see what you'll find
Where is tomorrow, there's no today
You gotta show us the way
Where is tomorrow?
Thanks for this unknown. I like this lp and like early 80's dark wave. It's a shame that it's only avaible as an lp and isn't exactly cheap.
ReplyDeleteGot The Nits today. Gorgeous !
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I didn't know this group and it's very good. This afternoon sounds in my Hi Fi.
ReplyDelete