Reality Unit Concepts

The Dance - "Soul Force" OUT NOW

2007-10-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Other Music wrote a fantastic review of The Dance reissue - check it out below! You can buy it here.

"I was rather surprised that the Dance didn't get much of a turn in the revival spotlight a few years back, when all sorts of reissues featuring names like ESG, Bush Tetras, the Contortions, et al. were popping up faster than you could say Ronald Wilson Reagan. Aside from a single track appearing on Soul Jazz's first New York Noise compilation ("Do Dada" -- off their first EP Dance for Your Dinner), I don't recall seeing the group listed on any other collection or re-release. But by no means are we scraping the bottom of the post-punk barrel with this offering. By the time their excellent, second and final album, Soul Force, had been released on the British Statik imprint in '82, the Dance had become a staple act at clubs like the Peppermint Lounge and Danceteria, and were bigger news overseas -- they even turned down the opening slot for what would be the Clash's historic gig at Bond's, choosing to tour Europe in support of their first LP, In Lust.

Like much of the downtown music scene of NYC and elsewhere, the Dance's sound was a cultural fusion of music styles, blending the urgency of punk with dance music, reggae, and a large dose of funk, thanks to Louis Watterson's fluid, elastic bass lines. But the Dance also had an accessibility that most of their skronky brethren were lacking, comfortably balancing art school intuition with a sense of melody that might have broken through to the new wave friendly American market had a US label gotten behind them. Soul Force captures the band at their height. Having scaled back their line-up from five members to four, the group began recording this album while in London (the two bonus cuts are taken from these sessions). A much cleaner production than the somewhat murky In Lust, the Dance's lock-tight rhythm section provides a perfect pocket for singer/organist/steel drummer Eugenie Diserio's immediate, expressive melodies, her lyrics blending a sense of romanticism with everyday observations. (The first verse of "You and Only You" is reportedly inspired by an encounter between Diserio and Joe Strummer at a party.) While there is something distinctly New York about the band in their sense of experimentalism -- a la guitarist Steven Alexander's spidery, 12-string-electric leads and, at times, an almost free-style approach in the music -- the Dance would also sit perfectly between your Delta 5 and Raincoats records. (A friend recently commented that "Looking for the World" sounded like the B-52s' Kate Pierson singing with the Slits. I laughed, went home and put on the record and had to agree. I'm still waiting on his description of their Stevie Wonder cover of "Do Yourself a Favor.")

Sadly, the Dance's story reaches a too-often-told ending. Soul Force never saw proper release in America, but band leaders Alexander and Diserio found themselves in the studio with producer Arthur Baker, recording a track for Island Records, which would only be shelved following a shake-up with the label staff. The Dance disbanded soon after, the various members going on to careers that range from painting and banking executive to Diserio starting a successful astrological web site. I can't imagine what it must be like for a group to finally see their album available in their homeland some 25 years after its creation. Thankfully, ReRelease has rescued the Dance from dustbin obscurity and into the digital age with this download-only reissue. For me, rediscovering Soul Force takes me back to those long gone days when I stumbled on late night college radio and was instantly allured by the exotic sounds of post-punk and new wave. This truly is essential listening for any fan of the aforementioned. [GH] (October 5, 2007)"

ReRelease jazz mix on Galactic Fractures Sunday

2007-09-08T10:08:00.001-07:00

I'm on the road but check this out. There will be an exclusive jazz mix on PJ's Galactic Fractures show Sunday night... lots of cool vinyl-only jazz rarities being spun (with the exception of a luke vibert track). Free download, be sure to subscribe to PJ's podcast, he posts mixes with killer guests on a weekly basis!

http://www.galacticfractures.com

Thesda - "Spaced Out" confirmed for re-release

2007-08-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce that one of the next releases for ReRelease (the first online, artist-centric, re-release music label) is Thesda's "Spaced Out" album from 1979. Don't let the generic cover or late 70s release date fool you, this is a fantastic funky jazz / modern soul album that defies description and is consistently in demand from collectors.

Why pay $700 for a copy on ebay when you can get the remastered version from www.rerelease.net for under $10? And give money to the artist while you're at it?

Check our myspace page for a taste. The full album will be available for purchase in October, 2007.

ReRelease is LIVE with the Mass Jazz Underground!

2007-06-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

The rerelease.net website is live with two albums: Arni Cheatham's "Thing" and Elysian Spring - "Glass Flowers." They will be available for purchase on iTunes and other online retailers in a little over a month. I won't tell you how much time it took me to get this far, but I'm pleased with the website. Check it out, listen to the clips and let me know what you think. I'll be adding more extras over the next weeks, so I'm open to suggestions.

Confirmed for re-release: Arni Cheatham's "Thing"

2007-05-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that ReRelease will also put out Arni Cheatham's amazing "Thing" LP. I've been talking with Arni since I interviewed him for a Groundlift magazine article. The liner notes will go far beyond that article, and the digital copy will be of the highest possible quality.

There are now three albums (Elysian Spring, Mark Harvey, "Thing") set to come out in a series on jazz in the late 60s and early 70s in Massachusetts. The series will be called "Mass Jazz Underground." I feel it paints a sophisticated picture of music in the state. This is very special music to me, and I hope the venture continues so more of this kind of music can see the light of day.

If you have suggestions on music that should be re-released online, please drop me an email. ReRelease is pro-artist, and gives the majority of profits directly to the artists while they retain rights to their music.

Confirmed for Re-Release: Elysian Spring

2007-05-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to say that Elysian Spring has agreed to have ReRelease.net put out their sole 1969 album digitally. Recently interest was sparked in this obscure bit of Massachusetts jazz history when Gilles Peterson spun the track "Blues Sands" on his Gilles Peterson Worldwide radio show. The music of Elysian Spring is cerebral and spans genres seamlessly without sounding cliché. To the contrary, the album sounds fresh in 2007 as it did nearly 40 years ago: the dual flutes of Bruce Krasin and Rainer Bertrams on "Lotus," the soul-jazz of "2 & 2," and the bluesy bop of "Umbrellas in the Sun." It is a unique album for the time period and just the kind of music that I want to see more people able to purchase and listen to.

Cover art, recording, and publicity are currently being finalized. This and other albums will be available for purchase online in July, 2007.

Confirmed for Re-release: Mark Harvey Group & Duets

2007-04-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your encouragement about the idea of a digital re-release label. It's very heartening to see so many positive comments about this very new idea.

I'm happy to announce that Mark Harvey's first two albums, "Mark Harvey Group" from 1972 and "Mark Harvey and Friends" from 1981, will be the first albums on the ReRelease label. They will also be first in a series on underground jazz classics from the MA area. I have long had the idea to do this, and it's really fantastic to see it coming together.

Mark is a professor at MIT, methodist minister, and prominent figure on the improvisatory jazz scene. His albums have been released on the UK-based Leo records and his Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is going strong after nearly 35 years (how's that for longevity?).

The current goal is for the website to go live May 15th with three full albums for sale through iTunes, eMusic, and other prominent online retailers. ReRelease is currently talking to a prominent post-punk group out of NYC as well as several other improv/jazz groups about participation. Stay tuned!!

New digital label: ReRelease.net

2007-03-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to announce a new chapter in my quest to make old music available again. I'll be working directly with artists to re-master, publicize, and distribute their old records online. The artists will retain rights to their music and receive the majority of the profits. This new venture will be called ReRelease.net. It would be similar to the label Anthology, but focus on independently-released electronic music and jazz.

I hope you'll be as excited about this venture as you have been reading my posts in the last few months. Please be in touch with me at andrew@rerelease.net with any ideas or contact information for artists that are interested in giving new life to their old records by re-releasing them online.