If it's Sunday, it must be Techno Pop

Kraftwerk: checkin' out MoMA beforehand.

New York's Museum of Modern Art (that's MoMA to the locals) have announced a special Kraftwerk performance/installation over eight days in April. The group will be giving a special live 3-D performance of their eight albums from Autobahn to Tour de France Soundtracks, with a different album being featured every night (starting Tuesday 9th). Tickets are $25 per night, plus the trip to NY, eight days stay etc.. Not cheap at the end of the day but may well be worth it to witness this unique show.
Dates as follows:
Tuesday, April 10, 8:30 p.m.
1 – Autobahn (1974)
Wednesday, April 11, 8:30 p.m.
2 – Radio-Activity (1975)
Thursday, April 12, 8:30 p.m.
3 – Trans Europe Express (1977)
Friday, April 13, 10:00 p.m.
4 – The Man-Machine (1978)
Saturday April 14, 8:30 p.m.
5 – Computer World (1981)
Sunday, April 15, 8:30 p.m.
6 – Techno Pop (1986)
Monday, April 16, 8:30 p.m.
7 – The Mix (1991)
Tuesday, April 17, 10:00 p.m.
8 – Tour de France (2003)

Even more tantalisingly the 'Werk will also perform "..additional compositions from their catalog, all adapted specifically for this exhibition...". Does this mean we will get to hear some of the fab early stuff like Tanzmusik in a new upgraded format, I wonder?

Colourbox Box

Colourbox: under the box

Colourbox are perhaps one of the most underrated groups of the eighties, reamaining as they did for most of the decade on the fringes, too late for synth-pop and a little too early for the new electronica dance movement towards the end of the decade, which ironically they also championed.
Although they produced some good quality music influenced by electro, reggae, indie and all sorts of other stuff, they never really got the big hit, at least not until they somehow morphed into MARRS in 1987 and produced one of the biggest and most-influential 'one off' singles of all time Pump Up The Volume.

But now their label 4AD is set to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary (if somewhat prematurely) with a brand new 4 CD box set of all their released studio recordings and mixes put together by founder member Martyn Young. CD1 is the 1985 album, Colourbox, and includes all the tracks from the free album that was included with the original 10,000 LPs. The second disc is the 7" singles and the third is the 12" mixes. The final disc includes the 4 track mini-album, Colourbox (yes, same name as album) and loads of other previously unreleased stuff. Spiffing.

Order here if you will.

Back in 1986, Colourbox wrote a theme for the World Cup, aptly calling it The Official Colourbox World Cup Theme which, sadly, it wasn't. Here's the 12" version.

 

Art on your sleeve

Now here's a thing: a recording artist's biography/discography shown on video through their music and respective record sleeves. This is one for John Foxx done by Ratatouille TV, a non profit Dutch tv programme in Amsterdam with music, art and culture.
A good selection here (although it only covers Foxx's work up to mid-80s before his electro-Renaissance) and I like the way they show front and back of the sleeves at the same time, although I think they aren't using two copies but the same one super-imposed somehow. Clever that.
The commentary's in Dutch so I'm not sure exactly what is being said, but a good idea. Enjoy.

David Sylvian's back

And by that, we don't mean 'he has returned', quite the opposite in fact as Sylvian has had to postpone the upcoming tour due to problems with "..a lower back injury that is causing him significant pain and affecting his mobility", ie. he's done his back in.
The official statement published last week was quite clear about the reason for postponing the much anticipated Implausible Beauty tour, and was followed up with a personal message from Dave expressing  ".. sincere apologies (and gratitude) to all who purchased tickets for the shows" and ominously promising that the delay would make the tour "..all the stronger for it.". Mmm.

Not all is lost however as EMI's new best of compilation is still due for release on 27th February. A Victim Of Stars 1982-2012 is a celebration of Sylvian's 30 year solo, or rather post-Japan career,  including tracks done alone and with Sakamoto, Rain Tree Crow and Robert Fripp. And just to make sure the fans buy it there's also the token previously unreleased track Where's Your Gravity?
Speaking of 30 years of history, Sylvian was featured as star interviewee in Smash Hits, February 1982, discussing Japan's surprise 'break' announcement of the time. Click on pic below to see full issue and interview on pages 4 & 5. (Our gratidude - to use a Sylvian-esque term - as ever to Brian at Like Punk Never Happened for the scans)

Dare to feel

According to the The Human League forum and this CD-merchant, a double-CD 30th Anniversary edition of The League's seminal synth-pop album Dare is due out on March 26th 2012.

While the main album seems to be as per 2002 21st anniversary issue, there are also some new masterings including the whole US issue mini-album Fascination!, originally issued in 1982.

Full tracklisting as follows:

 
CD 1

1.The Things That Dreams Are Made Of (2002 - Remaster)
2.Open Your Heart (2002 - Remaster)
3.The Sound of the Crowd (2002 - Remaster)
4.Darkness (2002 - Remaster)
5.Do or Die (2002 - Remaster)
6.Get Carter (2002 - Remaster)
7.I Am the Law (2002 - Remaster)
8.Seconds (2002 - Remaster)
9.Love Action (I Believe in Love) (2002 - Remaster)
10.Don't You Want Me (2002 - Remaster)
Bonus tracks;
11.The Sound of the Crowd (Complete) (2012 - Remaster)
12.Don't You Want Me (Extended Dance Mix) (2012 - Remaster)
13.The Sound of the Crowd (Instrumental) (2012 - Remaster)
14.Hard Times/Love Action (I Believe in Love) (Instrumental) (2001 - Remaster)
15.Open Your Heart/Non-Stop (Instrumental) (2012 - Remaster)
16.Don't You Want Me (Alternative Version) (2012 - Remaster)

CD 2

Fascination! (USA mini album);

1.Mirror Man (2003 - Remaster)
2.You Remind Me of Gold (2012 - Remaster)
3.(Keep Feeling) Fascination (Extended Version) (2012 - Remaster)
4.I Love You Too Much (2012 - Remaster)
5.Mirror Man (Extended Version) (2012 - Remaster)
6.You Remind Me of Gold (Instrumental) (2012 - Remaster)
7.(Keep Feeling) Fascination (Improvisation) (2012 - Remaster)*
8.I Love You Too Much (Dub Version) (2012 - Remaster)
9.Total Panic (2012 - Remaster)

*one hopes that the full-length version of this track is included. this time.