2020 marks the 25th anniversary of The Human League’s seventh studio album ‘Octopus’. Featuring 7 previously unreleased tracks, the 2CD format includes the original album plus a second disc of demos, singles and edits. Also featured are two bonus tracks that the band made with Yellow Magic Orchestra - “Behind The Mask” and “Kimi Ni Mune Kyun”.
'The Zodiac Years' is a box set containing 3 Human Instinct albums - 'Snatmin Cuthin' (1972), 'The Hustler' (1974) and 'Peg Leg (The Lost Tapes - 1974/2002)'. All have been re-mastered from the original Zodiac tapes. As one of New Zealand's premier groups, The Human Instinct have contributed a large portfolio of illustrious recorded works to our country's musical landscape. The Human Instinct had it's origins in Tauranga in 1958 as the Four Fours, and after major local success became the first beat band to try the London scene. The band ended up performing on the same stage as some of rock music's greats including The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Small Faces, Spencer Davis Group, The Moody Blues and Manfred Mann. On the band's return to New Zealand it changed line-up to include Billy TK and Neil Edwards. The Human Instinct remained active through until the early 80s with its membership including some of the country's top musicians, exploring a range of musical styles.
Still Telling Everybody - 30 Years of Hits' is a milestone collection of Human Nature's biggest hits spanning across three decades. The album features two previously unreleased tracks, a reimagined version of their smash hit 'Don't Say Goodbye' and the Motown classic 'This Old Heart of Mine'.
A new three-CD package, ‘Essential’ offers an overview of the Virgin Records-era of Sheffield synth-pop band The Human League.
The Human Zoo's great claim to fame among garage / psychedelic fans is that they were managed by Jim Foster, guitarist with the Human Expression, the West Coast psych act that scored a modest hit with the song 'Optical Sound.' That's not a lot to base a reputation on, but the lone album the Human Zoo left behind is pretty good stuff, and suggests with better promotion they could have risen to much more impressive heights. Boasting two lead singers (Roy Young and Jim Cunningham), the Human Zoo worked up a full and dynamic sound with impressive harmonies on these sessions, and the rest of the band shows off some solid chops - John Luzadder and Larry Hanson are a capable guitar combo, with Hanson also doubling on keyboards, while bassist Bob Dalrymple and drummer Kim Vydaremy hold down the rhythm with strength and confidence…
Synth pop's first international superstars, the Human League were among the earliest and most innovative bands to break into the pop mainstream on a wave of synthesizers and electronic rhythms, their marriage of infectious melodies and state-of-the-art technology proving enormously influential on countless acts following in their wake. The group was formed in Sheffield, England, in 1977 by synth players Martyn Ware and Ian Marsh, who'd previously teamed as the duo Dead Daughters; following a brief tenure as the Future, they rechristened themselves the Human League after enlisting vocalist Philip Oakey. The trio soon recorded a demo, and played their first live dates; they soon tapped Adrian Wright as their "Director of Visuals," and his slide shows quickly became a key component of their performances.