Not Quite Strictly 1979...

The Light Pours Out Of Me Live at The Academy, Manchester 2009

Shot By Both Sides Live at The Academy, Manchester 2009

Gang of Four - To Hell with Poverty(Wanz Dover Ready for the Floor Remix)

From the 2014 re-release of Wire infamous early 80's live album "Document & Eyewitness". The release comes as double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, double album (CD & digital) plus 3 additions to the Legal Bootleg series


It's All In The Brochure

12XU (RFH Version)

Map Ref 41 Degrees N 93 Degrees W

Red Barked Tree

Red Barked Trees

AC Marias - One of Our Girls Has Gone Missing

Howard Devoto - Rainy Season (7" Single Version)

Behold, the first edit from Spec. 

Some of you may know us from our previous incarnation Geek Chic Soundsystem, but we figured geek chic is everywhere now, so time for a reboot.
New Facebook and website stuff to come soon, but in the meantime hit us up on twitter.com/we_are_spec

- TECH. SPEC. -
Peek-a-Boo has long been a favourite. I remember the first time I heard it thinking "this is nuts...", but it somehow managed to remain really accessible, almost poppy.

Part of the oddness is down to the way the track was put together, being a re-edit itself. Budgie essentially reversed, chopped and edited a loop of the brass and drum parts from "Gun", a John Cale cover they'd recorded the year before (1987). this was used as the basis for the track, with additional drums, guitar and accordian layered on top. Siouxsie's lyrics were then recorded using a selection of microphones, giving the vocal a distinctive disjointed sound. Naturally this sort of thing could be rolled out much more easily today with the average DAW setup, but the old-school approach and attention to detail mean the song still stands up today.

So why re-edit it? Basically, I wanted to be able to play it in a Spec. set, and while it kinda would've fitted as it stands it really needed a bit more oomph to sit alongside the production style of the rest of our playlists. Plus the beat needed tightening up a little to keep it crisp on modern PA systems, and a more DJ-friendly structure would be handy. Along the way it seemed to then morph into some sort of Italo-Goth-Disco hybrid. But I guess there are worse genre meldings in existence.

Hope y'like it, hope y'play it, and feedback below would be great.

- Nuff Spec. Ian


Siouxsie & The Banshees - Peek-a-Boo (Spec. Edit.)

Subway Sect - Derail your senses

Gang of Four - Damanged Goods

We welcome Chris Carter from Throbbing Gristle in our 25th Anniversary slot, an influential group for Jon More from Coldcut and in his own words;

"Its 1977 I was 20 & at art college in High Wycombe, 1976 had been a good year….the Sex Pistols had gate crashed our end of year party & The Clash played at the Student Union bar…  The Nags Head Pub had given me an education in all things punk, then Throbbing Gristle played and everything changed. (See a less than complementary review from the local paper on the Solid Steel Facebook page http://on.fb.me/XDa11m )

I could not understand why everyone got so upset…. After this initiation i started going up to London to buy records from Rough Trade…I had to wait until November & then as I walked into the shop - the last moments of Second Annual Report were playing… I think it was Maggot Death-recorded live in Brighton… pretty much a recording of the local dj insulting the band after they have left the stage… i bought the album, wrote about them for Stabmental Fanzine, put on a gig on at Goldsmiths College… went to about 12 of TG's gigs all over the country.. bought all the records… still have the flyers… a fan.
Throbbing Gristle was such an influence from the Industrial Records hyper branding to the sonic assault of their live shows… Still the deepest bass I have ever felt was at a TG's gig at Centro Iberico in London.. 

So we at Solid Steel are proud to have a mix from Chris Carter founder member of Throbbing Gristle and member of Chris & Cosi undoubtedly a major influence on todays electronic music..."


PART 3  +  4    - Chris Carter from Throbbing Gristle
	
https://twitter.com/chris_carter_      
https://twitter.com/ThrobbingGrstle
				
The Haxan Cloak	_	Hounfour (Temple)	_	Aurora Borealis
Andy Stott	_	Bad Wires	_	Modern Love
Roj	_	You Are Here	_	Ghost Box
Moon Wiring Club	_	The Edwardians Begin...	_	Gecophonic Audio Systems
Belbury Poly	_	Your Stories	_	Ghost Box
Tangerine Dream	_	Rubycon	_	Virgin
Emeralds	_	Double Helix	_	Editions Mego
SND	_	3	_	Unknown
Demdike Stare	_	Mnemosyne	_	Modern Love
Emika	_	The Long Goodbye	_	Ninja Tune
Porn Sword Tobacco	_	Thank You	_	City Centre Offices
Jon Brooks	_	Neap Tide	_	Clay Pipe
Ectoplasm Girls	_	Before It's Too Late	_	Ideal
Rework	_	Anyway I Know You	_	Playhouse
Vapourspace	_	Steam	_	Knob 
The Fall	_	Dr Bucks Letter	_	Castle Music
Amon Düül II	_	Archangel Thunderbird	_	Liberty

Solid Steel Radio Show 15/2/2013 Part 3 + 4 - Chris Carter from Throbbing Gristle

Not Quite Strictly 1979...

muddy mike