Order here: 
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Platform 23 launches with the reissue of the seminal Alternative Funk compilation series, presenting a selection of music across 2 volumes.  

Known for the highly heralded “Folie Distinguée” album in 1985, what is often over looked is the fact there accompanied 2 further “Alternative Funk” cassette compilations that same year. Coming within the Audiologie series on Vox Man Records, these “Various Artist” selections were indicative of labels that sprung up in the early 80s around the DIY post-punk scene. 

As founders of Vox Populi!, Axel Kyrou and Francis Man, working with close associate Pierre Jolivet’s (aka Pacific 231) VP 231 label, released a number of cassettes, 7” and LPs between 1982 and 1988, as much to self-release their own music as to push new or contemporary artists.   

Here then is a snapshot of the Alt Funk albums, selecting songs that avoid recent or upcoming reissues, to dive deep in the series from industrial to cold wave, proto-dub percussion to avant spoken word pieces. Featuring the likes of Son Of Sam, Philippe Laurent, Fist Of Facts – with a long lost first ever recording – and Human Backs, stepping out from semi-cult name dropping to sit alongside unknowns and never heard from again in Scoop!, Kosa, Zoohtee and the wonderful Randall Kennedy.

What is apparent is an idiosyncratic nature to the selections.  In the same way many independent labels of the time – such as Auxilio De Cientos’ Terra Incognita volumes or Final Image’s Nightlands – created a label snapshot by pulling together far and wide contributions but retaining an overall ‘sound’.  

The Volume 1 and 2 reissue achieve that, mixing experimental with electro, post punk with noise, to offer more than the sum of their parts – an Alternative Funk.

B7. Vox Populi & Man - Megamix

B2. Kosa - Nykowe

Order here:
https://www.juno.co.uk/products/alternative-funk-volume-1/698855-01/

Platform 23 launches with the reissue of the seminal Alternative Funk compilation series, presenting a selection of music across 2 volumes.  

Known for the highly heralded “Folie Distinguée” album in 1985, what is often over looked is the fact there accompanied 2 further “Alternative Funk” cassette compilations that same year. Coming within the Audiologie series on Vox Man Records, these “Various Artist” selections were indicative of labels that sprung up in the early 80s around the DIY post-punk scene. 

As founders of Vox Populi!, Axel Kyrou and Francis Man, working with close associate Pierre Jolivet’s (aka Pacific 231) VP 231 label, released a number of cassettes, 7” and LPs between 1982 and 1988, as much to self-release their own music as to push new or contemporary artists.   

Here then is a snapshot of the Alt Funk albums, selecting songs that avoid recent or upcoming reissues, to dive deep in the series from industrial to cold wave, proto-dub percussion to avant spoken word pieces. Featuring the likes of Son Of Sam, Philippe Laurent, Fist Of Facts – with a long lost first ever recording – and Human Backs, stepping out from semi-cult name dropping to sit alongside unknowns and never heard from again in Scoop!, Kosa, Zoohtee and the wonderful Randall Kennedy.

What is apparent is an idiosyncratic nature to the selections.  In the same way many independent labels of the time – such as Auxilio De Cientos’ Terra Incognita volumes or Final Image’s Nightlands – created a label snapshot by pulling together far and wide contributions but retaining an overall ‘sound’.  

The Volume 1 and 2 reissue achieve that, mixing experimental with electro, post punk with noise, to offer more than the sum of their parts – an Alternative Funk.

A6. Philippe Laurent - Rapide

A2. Scoop! - Caravan

Order here : 
https://www.juno.co.uk/products/alternative-funk-volume-1/698855-01/

Platform 23 launches with the reissue of the seminal Alternative Funk compilation series, presenting a selection of music across 2 volumes.  

Known for the highly heralded “Folie Distinguée” album in 1985, what is often over looked is the fact there accompanied 2 further “Alternative Funk” cassette compilations that same year. Coming within the Audiologie series on Vox Man Records, these “Various Artist” selections were indicative of labels that sprung up in the early 80s around the DIY post-punk scene. 

As founders of Vox Populi!, Axel Kyrou and Francis Man, working with close associate Pierre Jolivet’s (aka Pacific 231) VP 231 label, released a number of cassettes, 7” and LPs between 1982 and 1988, as much to self-release their own music as to push new or contemporary artists.   

Here then is a snapshot of the Alt Funk albums, selecting songs that avoid recent or upcoming reissues, to dive deep in the series from industrial to cold wave, proto-dub percussion to avant spoken word pieces. Featuring the likes of Son Of Sam, Philippe Laurent, Fist Of Facts – with a long lost first ever recording – and Human Backs, stepping out from semi-cult name dropping to sit alongside unknowns and never heard from again in Scoop!, Kosa, Zoohtee and the wonderful Randall Kennedy.

What is apparent is an idiosyncratic nature to the selections.  In the same way many independent labels of the time – such as Auxilio De Cientos’ Terra Incognita volumes or Final Image’s Nightlands – created a label snapshot by pulling together far and wide contributions but retaining an overall ‘sound’.  

The Volume 1 and 2 reissue achieve that, mixing experimental with electro, post punk with noise, to offer more than the sum of their parts – an Alternative Funk.

A1. Stanislas Noel & Jean-Cristophe Utz - Money Money

Order Here :
www.juno.co.uk/products/alternative-funk-volume-2/698856-01/

Platform 23 presents the 2nd collection of songs selected from the Alternative Funk series released Vox Man and VP 231 Records.  Originally appearing in 1985 across 1 vinyl and 2 cassette albums these cult collections have long been in collectors (and bootleggers) sights and finally see the first official reissue.    

As with Volume 1 (PLA023) the series covers the weird, wonderful, esoteric, exotic and quirky sound and puts them in a reset context that immediately gives clarity of the original’s curation.  

This volume opens with some DIY electro stealers, first with Dee Nasty’s Orientic Groove, where the early French hip-hop pioneer lays down a battle commence of beats, slapped bass and YMO keys, before the second offering from Scoop! and their rap attack, juxtapositions the past series and leads to label heads Vox Populi! & Man and their continued look at the rudiments of cut up manipulation and scratch techniques.  

The avant rappears with 3M’s percussive marker and legendary Amus Tietchens’ is ever challenging, before Melsjest’s post-punk meets the Weirmar possibly steals the side as Vox Pop spoken outro joins those (micro)dots.   

The cult of Randall Kennedy returns with another garage-fuzz gem.  His stories for wackos’n’weirdos end all too soon and are followed by Liquid Liquid’s Dennis Young, diving deep with Intuition, before Stanalis returns with another winner. Bene Gesserit is a killer and welcome addition, before Kosa return with more industrial clippings and volume 2 heads to the door with Capital Funk’s electro-punk bomb – possibly the series champion – while the slap bass-scratch of California’s Psyclones leads to a music hall end in the homage to mum’s favourite, Chukk.  

What these Volumes again highlight is how the DIY aesthetic of so many independent labels was supplemented and spread via collections of friends, contemporaries and often, literally pen pals, to mail in their offerings that are then picked for wider ears.  While some of these artists have become known, just as many are who and whats, but they sit side-by-side as warranted and often killing the scene of what Axel and co sought to be…the Alternative Funk.

B6. Capital Funk - The Last Set

B3. S Noel - Wondercat

A6. Melsjest - Der Sound Kosten

A5. Amus Tietchens - Triumph Des Wilden

A2. Scoop! - Asphalt Zombie

Order Here:
www.juno.co.uk/products/alternative-funk-volume-2/698856-01/

Platform 23 presents the 2nd collection of songs selected from the Alternative Funk series released Vox Man and VP 231 Records.  Originally appearing in 1985 across 1 vinyl and 2 cassette albums these cult collections have long been in collectors (and bootleggers) sights and finally see the first official reissue.    

As with Volume 1 (PLA023) the series covers the weird, wonderful, esoteric, exotic and quirky sound and puts them in a reset context that immediately gives clarity of the original’s curation.  

This volume opens with some DIY electro stealers, first with Dee Nasty’s Orientic Groove, where the early French hip-hop pioneer lays down a battle commence of beats, slapped bass and YMO keys, before the second offering from Scoop! and their rap attack, juxtapositions the past series and leads to label heads Vox Populi! & Man and their continued look at the rudiments of cut up manipulation and scratch techniques.  

The avant rappears with 3M’s percussive marker and legendary Amus Tietchens’ is ever challenging, before Melsjest’s post-punk meets the Weirmar possibly steals the side as Vox Pop spoken outro joins those (micro)dots.   

The cult of Randall Kennedy returns with another garage-fuzz gem.  His stories for wackos’n’weirdos end all too soon and are followed by Liquid Liquid’s Dennis Young, diving deep with Intuition, before Stanalis returns with another winner. Bene Gesserit is a killer and welcome addition, before Kosa return with more industrial clippings and volume 2 heads to the door with Capital Funk’s electro-punk bomb – possibly the series champion – while the slap bass-scratch of California’s Psyclones leads to a music hall end in the homage to mum’s favourite, Chukk.  

What these Volumes again highlight is how the DIY aesthetic of so many independent labels was supplemented and spread via collections of friends, contemporaries and often, literally pen pals, to mail in their offerings that are then picked for wider ears.  While some of these artists have become known, just as many are who and whats, but they sit side-by-side as warranted and often killing the scene of what Axel and co sought to be…the Alternative Funk.

A1. Dee Nasty - Orientic Groove

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www.juno.co.uk/products/exquisite-corpse-between-rhythms-i/709415-01/

Plaform 23 is delighted to release a compilation across 4 EPs of the music of Dutch producer Robbert Heijnen (Psychick Warriors Of Gaia / SUMUS) and his Exquisite Corpse project. First appearing as a one off contribution to a Katharos Foundation compilation cassette in 1986, Exquisite Corpse was resurrected in 1992 as Robbert left PWOG to concentrate on solo music. 

The first home studio sketches were developed as music to be incorporated in PWOG, the music was often having a more melodic and harmonic content.
With limited audio gear, much was created using tape loops and completed in parallel with mixing desk master, engineer and friend, Tim Freeman, as well as with contributions from partner Debbie Jones (The Mistress/DJ Venus).  Released on Dutch label KK Records, the tracks included in these 12”s are taken from a furtive two year period that saw six EPs and three LPs released.  

Starting with Inner Rhythm (Higher World Mix), taken from 1993’s Inner Rhythm EP, Between Rhythms I starts with intent.  Crisp percussion, relentless and interwoven sequences abound over a dark bassline, before the dub meet world sounds of Kupuri show the depth of EC’s outlook.  

This is backed by the rawness of X-Out from 1992’s Strange Attractor EP.   Recorded to cassette before Tim joined the project, the guttural bass and sharp percussion cross boundaries between house and techno.   This deep tribal sound, full of pulsing drums hightlights a sharper angle from much of EC’s output and as such, is a pure club machine.  

The first EP closes with Sitting In A Tree (Time Flies).  The first track to be taken from their debut album, Dream Night Dance Music, the album is rightly considered their strongest, more rounded record, seeing it now trading at spiralled prices.  With all 6 of it’s songs to be covered across the 12” series, the ambient influences and yearning keys here make for a perfect, first ending.

B2. Exquisite Corpse - Sitting In A Tree (Time Flies)

B1. Exquisite Corpse - X-Out

A1. Exquisite Corpse - Inner Rhythm (Higher World Mix)

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Platform 23 presents the 2nd (of 4) EPs of music from Exquisite Corpse.  In Between Rhythms II, a deeper, ambient, percussive selection again returns to the project of Robbert Heijnen.  

As part of the post punk / alternative Tilburg music scene of the mid-80s, Robbert influences of expression and interest in industrial and EBM is apparent.   The move from the metallic sounds (as a member) of the early incarnation of Psychick Warriors Of Gaia to embrace the sounds emanating from late 80s Chicago and Detroit saw the band develop from their early cassette ‘1989’ to the fully formed and now revered 1992 debut album, Ov Biospheres And Sacred Grooves (A Document Ov New Edge Folk Classics).

The parallels between this deep, trippy and haunting melodies meets tribal percussions, highlights some similarities of PWOG and Exquisite Corpse’s outlook during this period.   Looking further, upon leaving the former, the bands sound developed a harder edge, with more focus on rhythm and their exploratory properties indicating the nature of Heijnen influence and part in PWOG and how this was further explored when going solo in 1992.  

The release starts with Shadow Play from his second album, 1993’s Inner Light.   Darkness descends to echo’d drums as the vestiges of developing European techno worlds can be heard in the distance.  What A Life, from the Reassembling Reality EP, brings things down with an ambient beginning moving to Reich loops and sequencing that create shifting melodic horizons.  A personal favourite of the artist, the EP saw the realization of the collaborations with Debbie Jones in design and life.

With the consistent presence of ‘third member’ – in mixing, engineering and support – from Tim Freeman, the songs in the series have a unique, but familiar and inclusive nature.  This can again be heard in Sacrifice from the highly sought after Dream Night Dance Music album.  The interplay of drums, claps and swing are enough alone to warrant acceptance.   To close, Tepu returns to the  Inner Light album.   Darkness, Questioning.  Calling.  Second(s) ending.

A2. Exquisite Corpse - What A Life

A1. Exquisite Corpse - Shadow Play

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The 3rd EP (of 4) looking at the music of Exquisite Corpse’s output from 1992 to 1994.   As with the rest of the series the music included covers the palette of Robbert Heynen’s output and is presented here, remastered and redesigned for club play.  

Working as ever with friend and engineer Tim Freeman, as well as partner Debbie Jones, Heynen’s post-Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia productions took his techno, trance and tribal explorations to a new conclusions.

With Point Zero all these elements come together with possibly the strongest tracks of the EPs.  Opening EC’s sophomore album, Inner Light, there is confidence in the interplay between oscillating sequencing and rattling drums, perfectly and infectiously interweaving between headspace and dance floor. 

B K S from the Dream Night Dance Music album follows and takes things down a notch.  Ethnic leanings interplay with light percussion and a deep bass to pull you till dawn.  

Side two opens with the clattering, syncro-rhythms of Traditional Ties With Dreaming.  Taken from their debut EP, Reassembling Reality is itself the perfect elude.  Quasi-dreamlands, drumming for 1000 musicians that loops and builds, dismembers and starts over like a gentile, hypnotic orchestra.  

To complete the EP, Dream Night Dance Music appears again with Elevator showing a love of the original deep house odes emanating from Fingers and Jefferson of late 80s Chi Town.   Fluorescent keys overlay somber drum and bass to sink the most melancholy sunsets.  An end to the beginning.  A beginning to the end.  A third ending.

A1. Exquisite Corpse - Point Zero

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The 4th and final EP of music from Exquisite Corpse brings to a close this series of rebirth and definition. Together, Robbert Heynen, Debbie Jones and Tim Freeman released in just 2 years a stream of sacred, serotonin beats and hypnotic tribal rhythms that shape shifted dance floors.  

Returning to the source, the debut Reassembling Reaility EP, with Hollywood.  A confluence of steppa rim, spoken mystics, found sounds, synth-strings and rolling basslines. Join us. 

Leading to Strange Attractor from the prized Dream Night Dance album, familiarity and progression. Euphoric onrush, bottom end pulsing, sentimental strings, serene keys, pitch shift, a master class of less becoming more.  Aural injection.  

Calling The Quarters off 1993’s Inner Light album starts the final side in bestowing beauty; above so below, in front, behind, around.  Raw, natural, fluctuating, moody, obscure.  The mystery.  

The release and series completes with Etoiles.  Again (aptly) drawn from 1992’s Dream Night Dance Music, the hallmarks’ of this underrated project are there. Detroit bass, lazy hats, counter claps, harmonies for modern times.  

Tribal. Ambient. Techno.  The terms do not justify the music included.  As it should be.  Primal, sanctified, conscious, living.  The journey ending.

B1. Exquisite Corpse - Calling The Quarters

A2. Exquisite Corpse - Strange Attractor

A1. Exquisite Corpse - Honeymoon

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Andreas Hofer's first album finally available again. Second Thoughts Records teamed up with Platform 23 Records, from London, to bring you this beautiful Swiss minimal no wave album.  Contains one unreleased bonus track (only available on vinyl) from the original recording session plus a booklet with pictures of Andreas Hofer's work by Thomas Burla from 1987.  Attentively remastered by Wouter Brandenburg.

"Fire on the roof of the world" is a collection of curious pieces of cabinet, created in the minimally equipped home studio. The eighteen untitled instrumental pieces draw their circles on vinyl in a calm and clear manner, tamed and lost in thought. Somewhere between the target and the sun corona that adorns the plate label, somewhere between a still life that has been cut off and a furtive seance in the back room, guitars and percussion instruments make miniatures for an electric zoo. A strange trip.

A7. Andreas Hofer - Untitled

A3. Andreas Hofer - Untitled

A2. Andreas Hofer - Untitled

A1. Andreas Hofer - Untitled

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Mannequin Records and Platform 23 come together to start a series of stand-alone reissues of the music of post-punk / industrialists Bourbonese Qualk, starting with their 1983 album Laughing Afternoon.  
Formed in Southport during the late-70s, the band came to prominence out of South London’s squat scene via their own Recloose Organisation.  Early releases including the band’s first experiments put to tape and the now highly sought after Sudden Departure compilation featuring luminaries Colin Potter, Eg Oblique Graph (Bryan Jones) and Lol Coxhill, laid the foundations of their burgeoning sound.

Recorded and produced at the Recloose Studios in Camberwell in 1983, Simon Crab, Julian Gilbert and Steven Tanza infused their music with politically charged atmospherics, instrumental exploration, heavily laden reverb and dub, all projected by drum machine rhythms to assemble a musical collage which encapsulated strands beyond contemporary music.  

Track titles decipher little, as with the music, a discourse not belonging to a set style or movement, but crossing boundaries of supposition, pushing distortion and outernational leanings towards something else, a primordial discant. 

While tape loops warp the ears and spoken vocals propel songs like Blood Orange Bargain Day and To Hell With The Consequences and contrasting guitar acoustics pierce the mood on Qualk Street and Spanner In The Works, the overall embrace is claustrophobic, embedding a foreboding for the times.   This unique, indulgent, cross genre melting pot where pounding rhythms, wailing trumpets, mournful melodica and electronic pulses all spiral in a contagious dissonance that heralded Bourbonese Qualk to the wider world.

B4. Bourbonese Qualk - Feast Of Trumpets

B3. Bourbonese Qualk - Building Jerusalem

A6. Bourbonese Qualk - Behind Closed Doors

A4. Bourbonese Qualk - Freefall

A3. Bourbonese Qualk - Barcelona Telephone Exchange

A2. Bourbonese Qualk - Idiot Pain

Reissue label of a ethno-coldwave-post-punk-electro-techno-industrial and more sound.

Platform 23

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