Skip to content

Posts from the ‘New Musik’ Category

6
May

New Musik – From A To B (LP) (1980) – €10,00

posted by ad-vinylrecords.com

 

New Musik were an English synthpopgroup active from 1977 to 1982. Led by Tony Mansfield, they achieved success in 1980 with the top 20 single “Living by Numbers” which was followed up with the top 40 hits “This World of Water”, “Sanctuary” and hit album From A to B.

New Musik’s debut album, From A to B, is one of the best — and most influential — electronic LPs of the ’80s.
Its keyboards may sound dated, but there’s a freshness to these charming, unpretentious songs that hasn’t been spoiled by technological advances in computerized instrumentation.
Many new wave revivalists have attempted to capture the nerdy vocals and quirky synthesized bleeps of From A to B and failed.
This record is a product of its time, recorded when keyboards were viewed as eventually replacing guitar and bass as rock & roll tools.
While many synth pop groups became mired in existential woe to show that they had emotions underneath the layers of Casio hiccups, New Musik is having a blast on From A to B.
“With robot precision/We’re gonna be doin’ just fine,” sings Tony Mansfield (guitars, keyboards, vocals) with geek sincerity on the exhilarating “Straight Lines.”
Like Kraftwerk, New Musik uses keyboards to create moods and not just to make feet move. However, From A to B is more accessible than any Kraftwerk album.
The tracks on the LP are structured like traditional pop songs with choruses catchy enough for the Beatles, a band whom New Musik would cover later on 1982’s disappointing Warp. There are no love ditties, but tracks like the soaring “On Islands” generate warmth and the group often utilizes acoustic strumming to prevent everything from seeming too mechanical.
“Science” is nerdy sci-fi dance music years before Thomas Dolby.

 

Side one

  1. Straight Lines – 5:12
  2. Sanctuary – 4:12
  3. A Map Of You – 3:50
  4. Science – 3:20
  5. On Islands – 4:24

 

Side two

  1. This World Of Water – 3:37
  2. Living By Numbers – 3:28
  3. Dead Fish (Don’t Swim Home) – 5:24
  4. Adventures – 3:52
  5. The Safe Side – 3:09

 

Notes
Release: 1980
Format: LP
Genre: Electronic, Synth-pop
Label: GTO Records
Catalog# GTLP 041

Vinyl: Excellent
Cover: Excellent

Prijs: €10,00