Ona K Full, New, Luna

New Musik's debut album, From A to B, is one of the best - and most influential - electronic LPs of the '80s. Its keyboards may sound dated, but there's a freshness to these charming, unpretentious songs that hasn't been spoiled by technological advances in computerized instrumentation. Many new wave revivalists have attempted to capture the nerdy vocals and quirky synthesized bleeps of From A to B and failed. This record is a product of its time, recorded when keyboards were viewed as eventually replacing guitar and bass as rock & roll tools. While many synth pop groups became mired in existential woe to show that they had emotions underneath the layers of Casio hiccups, New Musik is having a blast on From A to B. "With robot precision/We're gonna be doin' just fine," sings Tony Mansfield (guitars, keyboards, vocals) with geek sincerity on the exhilarating "Straight Lines"…

New Musik's near-total lack of commercial acceptance is one of the great mysteries of early-'80s pop. Their music, rooted in classic pop songwriting but with a forward-looking interest in shiny electronics, is both instantly accessible and coolly forbidding. This dichotomy is most clearly expressed in the split between group leader Tony Mansfield's melodies, which are hummable, welcoming, and often quite bouncy, and his lyrics, which even Joy Division's Ian Curtis might have sometimes found a little too alienated.
Having released their debut album in 1980 and seeing modest success with the single 'Straight Lines', New Musik's sophomore album, released in early March of 1981, marked a maturing in the band's sound; one where the synthesizer would play a more predominant role in creating an atmosphere which lasts the duration of the album…

Woo - A La Luna (1991) {Grunki Records S SRT 90 CD}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 215 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 123 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 30 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1991 Grunki Records | S SRT 90 CD
Experimental / Avant-Garde / Electronic / Folk / Folktronica / Ethereal / Ambient Jazz

"A La Luna" presents the delicate, naive yet deep sound of Woo across a long form album that invites you on a curious journey of discovery. With a melodic instinct bordering on exotica, and unique range of instruments in the sound palette and a dreamlike approach to processing, there's nothing out there that sounds quite like Woo, and as ever it's a joy to delve into their sound world and leave more earthly familiarities behind.

2017 collection from the British merry music makers. Madness continue to cement their position as the UK's favorite band, with their House Of Common and House Of Fun events becoming annual fixtures in every fan's calendar. Madness are national treasures, with a huge following. Their shows consistently sell out and sales of their current album confirm that, after nearly 40 years, they are still as relevant as they ever were. The last Madness best-of, Total Madness, was released in 2012 and comprised 23 singles. Since then the band have released two more studio albums: Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da and their current record, Can't Touch Us Now, each spawning three or four singles. Full House is a best-of and then some, featuring 42 of the band's very best songs, including the hit singles from all of their records (including the above), plus a few of the band's favorite album tracks. It is a joy to listen to; in mostly chronological order, the set charts the highlights of their career, from 1979's 'The Prince' to 2017's 'Another Version Of Me', with smash hit singles like 'Our House' and 'It Must Be Love' nestling in between.

The Gipsy Kings had major crossover success with their splendid and innovative third album, which used drums, bass, percussion, and synthesizer to beef up the sound. This French import is their first album from 1983, and it is a much more traditional affair, with only acoustic guitars, voices, and hand claps. It shows that artistically the sound did not need to be beefed up; the music is still wonderful. How can an array of seven guitars and full-throated passion not be wonderful? Commercially, the additions to their sound helped break The Gipsy Kings through to a larger audience, but now that their name is known, it should be possible for more people to go back and appreciate this album. It is in no way crude or unpolished, and the artistry and playing are of an equally high quality.