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Previously Unreleased - Volume One

by Playgroup

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1.
Move My Body 05:21
2.
3.
4.
5.
Flyte Mode 03:30
6.
Ice Palace 04:20
7.
8.
9.
10.
Nothingness 07:56
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
MX Jam 04:54
16.
Hey Hey 05:26
17.
18.
19.
1 UP 05:07
20.
21.
+ Life 06:07
22.
4 U 04:14
23.
24.
Get Down 06:51
25.
Strange Daze 06:00
26.
27.
28.

about

NB: Features 2 tracks unavailable digitally anywhere else!

Following PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED - the critically-acclaimed run of nine 12” vinyl EPs released this summer over 9 weeks by Trevor Jackson’s much loved PLAYGROUP - a Limited Edition Double CD (and Digital Album) of highlights from the vinyl will be released on December 2nd, via Yes Wave records.

The music featured is a collection of reworked demos and unreleased recordings. A hedonistic mix of raw Disco, Dub, Funk, Electro, New Wave & Post Punk that still sound as relevant today as they did when initially recorded for the debut PLAYGROUP album during 1997 - 2001.

Several of the tracks were freshly re-edited and tweaked with the assistance of Sasha Crnobrnja from In Flagranti. Ed DMX lends a helping hand on one track, two feature the vocals of Mike Z from the seminal new wave band Crash Course In Science, and a young Kieran Hebden (AKA Four Tet) plays guitar on the album’s final number.


“I started writing demos for what eventually became the Playgroup album at the start of 1997, after an extensive period producing recording and remixing dark hip hop based tracks as The Underdog. I consciously wanted to move in a different direction combining influences from my youth along with inspirations from the foundations of club music, that were barely written about seriously in the mainstream media at the time”, explains Trevor. “Inspired by the hedonistic early days of house, disco, post punk, no wave, electro and dub, these tracks reflect a unique moment in time. The emergence of underground club culture in New York, London, Chicago, Paris and Northern Italy was driven by pioneering DJs playing a wildly diverse soundtrack to a passionate, dance driven and open minded audience. A sensory overload of chemicals, bass, smoke, sweat, sex and danger; a testament to the non-air conditioned, non-i-Phone infested and non- corporate clubbing days of yore.”


Praise for ‘PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED VOLUME 1’:

“Dub-inflected dance floor bangers, dive in!” Q, 8/10 

“An aural history lesson and a potent reminder of Jackson’s unstinting creativity” Mojo, 4/5 

“Subterranean grooves, dubby and dirty as soot” Mixmag, 8/10 

“Low slung ESG basslines, old school house, clanking electro dub and cosmic techno - epic!” DJ, Album Of The Month, 8/10

“Jackson remains one of the dance world’s most knowledgeable curators; that he’s also this talented at fusing his influences into something so respectful and revelatory is just ridiculous” FACT, Best Of 2016  

“Music that matters. Pretty special” Ransom Note, #6 top 100 of 2016 

“Confirms Jackson’s unique genius as one of the UK’s most audaciously questing but evocative sonic alchemists” Electronic Sound

“A highly recommended collection that proves what an original talent Trevor Jackson has been over the last 20 years” DMC World, 5/5 


PLAYGROUP’S self-titled debut album was released on the Virgin affiliated Source label back in 2001, then re-issued on Trevor’s own Output recordings label in 2003. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with Mojo stating “there will be few better albums this year” and The Face calling it “a shuddering amalgamation of risky disco, punk-funk and early house vibrations”. Rolling Stone described “perfect incandescent pop funk” whilst XLR8R dubbed it “a concept album that does that rare thing - actually delivers”. Featuring Kathleen Hanna, Peaches, Gonzales, Edwyn Collins, KC Flightt, Rowettea, Roddy Frame, Dennis Bovell and Shinehead, the album played a key part in the rediscovery of modern dance music’s foundations rooted in the 80’s underground - something that still powerfully reverberates today.

‘PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED’ follows the success of last year’s multi-edition album release ‘F O R M A T’ via The Vinyl Factory and media praise his ‘Science Fiction Dancehall Classics’ On-U Sound compilation, and the ‘Metal Dance’ series for Strut.

credits

released December 2, 2016

All tracks produced and mixed by Trevor Jackson, recorded during 1998-2001. Additional Production on 3/6/12/13/14/16/17/20/21/25/26 by Sasa Crnobrnja, Additional Production & Mixing on 2 by Ed Dmx.

All tracks written by Trevor Jackson, Publishing Copyright Control Except 3/6/12/13/14/16/17/20/21/25/26 co-written by Sasa Crnobrnja, Publishing Copyright Control/Top of the Month Music (ASCAP). 2 co-written by Ed Dmx, Publishing Copyright Control. 17 & 20 co-written by Michael Zodoronsky, Publishing Copyright Control/Flagellette Tidy Music (ASCAP)

Vocals and lyrics on 17 & 20 by Michael Zodorozny, vocal production by Johm Wicks. Bass on 10 by Luke Hannam. Sax on 10 by Ted Milton, Horns on 8 by Dick Cuthell, Percussion on 9 & 10 by Pete Lockett, Guitar on 24 by Keiran Hebden. Additional Keyboards on 24 by Ben Cowan

Design and Art Direction by Trevor Jackson, Images used courtesy of Bill Bernstein and used under license. Disco - the Bill Bernstein Photographs is published by Reel Art Press

P + C 2016 Yes Wave Records Ltd

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