X-O-DUS - English Black Boys - Factory Benelux - LP
Billed as Rainy City Reggae, the all-too-short musical career of Manchester's X-O-Dus has been documented before by sister-label LTM (CD only - now remastered for 2021). To complete the picture, a limited never-before available vinyl pressing has hit the shelves and very welcome it is too.
Adorned with the same Peter Saville designed sleeve that housed their only previous commitment to vinyl - the hard-to-find Factory Records 12" See Them a Come / English Black Boys (both included here), English Black Boys ably demonstrates how Brit-reggae was in rude health in the early '80s. If producer Dennis Bovell had taken X-O-Dus under his wing for the impending Drone studio sessions (included on side 2), we might be comparing them to Misty in Roots, Black Slate, Steel Pulse, Matumbi or early Aswad.
As it is, their songs are heartical and the players' collective musicianship isn't in doubt and bearing in mind the Drone tracks are demos transferred from archived tapes, makes this re-release even more impressive. Their lead guitarist (I'm guessing Ricky Jones) deserves a mention for some seriously colourful but dainty licks throughout.
Apparently Factory were keen on issuing a second X-O-Dus single at some point. But their time was taken up with some group called Joy Division. Pop stars, eh?
Martin Hannett + Steve Hopkins - The Invisible Girls - LP
Also previously issued on CD and now available on vinyl for the first time is this intriguing collection of themes and instrumentals recorded by Factory's in-house producer of the time Martin Hannett and keyboard meastro Steve Hopkins.
Together they were The Invisible Girls and backed John Cooper Clarke and Penetration's Pauline Murray on a handful of albums and singles, before Hannett lost the plot through chemical over-indulgence and falling out with Factory. The full story can be found in the sleevenotes.
Musically, we're lazily talking urban indie-funk or moorland psychedelia, depending on your powers of imagination. Huddersfield Wastes is a canal-deep clavinet groove with much thwunking of bass and trademark floaty keyboards, while Scandinavian Wastes and Toy of a Toy are perhaps a little more widescreen with some neat piano motifs and that typical smash-snare 'n' bass.
There's an instrumental take on Pauline Murray's gorgeous Time Slipping leading off side 2, before the whole album becomes more avant-garde and trippy, particularly on the aptly-monikered Space Music which sounds like a cross between Cluster and Juan Atkins and the hypnotic drone of The Music Room (previously found on versions of the Crepuscule compilation, From Brussels With Love).
Both via Burning Shed