Orchestre Rouge- Yellow Laugher LP + Soon Come Violence 7''

I was just reminded about this killer album through a video posting on ye ol' Facebook, perpetual time waster and otherwise social networking site. With that in mind, I've uploaded a killer full length by French coldwave band Orchestre Rouge. Attached is their debut record, 1982's Yellow Laughter, a particularly driving guitar record released on RCA. The record was lovingly produced by Martin Hannett, famed producer for Joy Divison, Blue In Heaven, and a slew of other Factory Records bands.

As for membership, the band was a five piece, featuring Pascal Normal, who worked with both Tanit and End of Data after Orchestre Rouge's disbandment. Théo Hakola and Denis Goulag went on to form Passion Fodder, taking their name from Orchestre Rouge's second LP. As a quick aside, Passion Fodder also featured bassist Pascal Humbert, formerly of Tanit, now known for his work in both 16 Horsepower and Wovenhand. Pretty small world!

Anyway, I've also included the the 7'' of "Soon Come Violence," the band's first single, featuring an exclusive b-side. Without any further ado, here's the information:



Orchestre Rouge- Yellow Laughter LP
1. Soon Come Violence
2. Je Cherche Une Drogue (Qui Ne Fait Pas Mal)
3. Soft Kiss
4. Red Orange Blue
5. Hole In His Thigh
6. The Consul
7. Speakerine
8. Slugs
9. Crows



Orchestre Rouge- Soon Come Violence 7''
1. Soon Come Violence
2. Kazettlers Zeks

*download both here* (reuploaded!)

As an added bonus, here's the official video for "Soon Come Violence!" Been a while since we've had one of these!

Blue In Heaven- Explicit Material LP

Apologies again for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. My internet was out for the majority of last week, and was finally restored after the 4th.

On that note, I'm tackling a few quick requests this week. First up is the second Blue In Heaven LP, 1986's Explicit Material. There are several rips of this record floating around online, but all are either incomplete or terrible quality, so I zipped this one up straight from my own shelves @ 192kps. Here's the relevant info:



Blue In Heaven- Explicit Material
1. Change Your Mind
2. Tell Me
3. Just Another Day
4. Sister
5. Be Your Man
6. I Just Wanna
7. Close Your Eyes
8. Rolling In The Crowd
9. Hope To God

*download it here*

In case you missed it, click here for the band's first record. Otherwise, I'm desperately seeking the band's final EP, entitled Rock 'n' Roll R.I.P.. If anyone has it, please drop a note and point me in the proper direction. I'm also in possession of one of the band's early singles, but am missing all other singles/b-sides aside from the Across My Heart 12''. Holler if you've got them. Otherwise, happy Monday!

Blue In Heaven- All the God's Men LP

Blue In Heaven were a band I covered ages ago, before Systems of Romance became more album-focused. However, as I've just nabbed a copy of their debut record off Ebay for a mere buck (a refreshing change from the usual prices most albums I post fetch), I figure it's appropriate to revisit them for a full length feature.

A quick recap: Blue In Heaven formed in Dublin in 1982, and quickly gained a heavy cult following due to their post-punk edge, recalling the likes of early Bunnymen, the Chameleons, and U2 (who championed the budding band every chance they could). Their first record was produced by Martin Hannett, notorious for his production work with Joy Division/New Order and the rest of the Factory family.

The band's discography consists ofr a handful of singles, two full length records (1985's All the God's Men and 1986's Explicit Material), and a final EP (if anyone has this, please send it my way). The band split in 1989, and soon after, they reformed with a slight shift in direction as Blue Angels, who released one full-length record in 1993.

Here's the info and link for Blue In Heaven's debut:



Blue In Heaven- All the God's Men LP
1. Sometimes
2. The Big Beat
3. It's Saturday
4. Old Ned
5. All You Fear
6. Julie Cries
7. Like A Child
8. In Your Eyes
9. Slowly

*download it here*

No official videos from this era, but click below for some live footage of Blue In Heaven performing 'Red Dress' live @ Self Aid. This song, though a regular in their live set, has never appeared on any Blue In Heaven release...

Section 25

Section 25 formed in Lancashire in early 1978, a pair of brothers recruiting members for a more avant sort of dance group. As they rose to some degree of prominence with England's Factory Records (Joy Divison, A Certain Ratio, Happy Mondays, etc.), the band was immediately written off as a Public Image Ltd. soundalike and as derivative of their fellow Factory mates. Over time however, the band's own subtle style became more apparent.

A more ambient sort of dance band, Section 25 combined pulsing relentless rhythms, jagged guitar work, and alternated between ethereal female voices (heard on their later releases) and an abrupt male voice for vocal duties. Their connection to New Order and Joy Division remained steadfast over their tenure, for their first single was produced by Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis and manager Rob Gretton, their first record by Factory favorite Martin Hannett, and their third LP, From a Hip by Bernard Sumner of New Order. As the band continued to play gigs and record, they shifted from a rhythmic dub sound and evolved into a more electro-dance outfit.

After ten years, the band split and fell silent until June of 2007, when a reunited band (minus vocalist/keyboardist Jenny Flowers, who died before recording more than a handful of tracks in 2004) released their fifth full length Part-Primitiv, a series of new songs written and recorded over the course of six years.

For the downloading, here's a selected duo of tracks. The first is an alternate recording of 'Looking From a Hilltop,' originally featured on From a Hip. The second track is taken from 2007's Part-Primitiv.

download Section 25- 'Looking From a Hill (Restructure)'
download Section 25- 'Poppy Fields'

Click below to watch a video for the first version of 'Looking From a Hill.'



Get some Section 25 discs here:
Amazon.com link

Blue in Heaven

Blue in Heaven, a highly wave influenced post-punk unit, formed in Dublin in 1982 in the wake of explosions from bands such as the Chameleons and Echo & the Bunnymen, and though they never quite rose to the same level of fame and fortune that another particular Irish quartet achieved, they were a minor college radio splash before their swift demise and reform as the Blue Angels in 1990.

After a handful of singles and EP releases, the band's first record, All the Gods Men earned the band a fair amount of buzz in 1985, having been produced by Joy Division/New Order mainstay Martin Hannett and following a paint-by-numbers post-punk aesthetic, with heavy draw from Stooges frontman/solo wonder Iggy Pop. Released just a year later, Explicit Material honed in on their sound, allowing for the previous culmination of influences and styles to shine more than their debut. For today's consumption, I've uploaded a duo of tracks from Explicit Material. If you listen closely, you can still hear the pops and cracks of the vinyl, as the copy I've acquired seems stripped straight from the source. I don't think any of their catalog has gotten a proper dusting off and cd pressing, come to think of it, so I'm uncertain as to how to purchase their material properly unless you stumble across an old LP...

download Blue in Heaven- 'I Just Wanna'
download Blue in Heaven- 'Change Your Mind'

and for your viewing enjoyment, the extremely dated and grit-tastic video for 'I Just Wanna.'



Happy Friday, ladies and gentlemen!