Compass Kum’pas was first released in 1980, getting a few re-issues in the latter years of the decade. Seattle’s Medical Records has come to blow the dust off this forgotten album, prime the needle and lead you into the world of Dalek I.
It’s no news that Liverpool is a music town. But within Merseyside’s sonorous history lie some obscure nuggets. Enter Dalek I Love You. In the late 70’s this duo began to experiment with new analogue machines, the result being a fledgling synth wave sound. Compass Kum’pas was first released in 1980, getting a few re-issues in the latter years of the decade. Seattle’s Medical Records has come to blow the dust off this forgotten album, prime the needle and lead you into the world of Dalek I Love You.
The album opens with “The World.” It’s obvious from the start what you’re in store for, early new wave escapades. The opener is a dense and impulsive outing, catchy lyrics working through the abstraction. Dalek I Love You are quintessential new wave, dripping with D.I.Y. sounds and a chirpy British disposition. “Destiny (Dalek I Love You)” combines synth, string and beats in an indie wave piece. As in many wave tracks, social commentary is woven through the LP. “Freedom Fighters” being an upbeat piece of analogue pop with some extra substance. There is a airy tone across the LP, as in the almost weightless “The Kiss.”A whimsical playfulness similar to some Guyer’s Connection material peppers the LP. But everything is not new day sunshine, with darker elements adding an extra depth to the Korg cheer. Most tracks are brief bursts, ephemeral shorts of red cheeked charm and clouded sobriety. Dalek I Love You’s sound echoes that of The Metronomes, likewise early OMD or Sudeten Creche. There is something of Transparent Illusion to their music too, the concentrated tracks flexing against tightened vinyl grooves. The album throws up a smorgasbord of sounds, even a cover of “You Really Got Me” is on here for good measure.
Scathes of labels are prospecting for lost treasures, staking their claim on forgotten quality. Medical first set out to reissue hidden rarities in 2010. For two years the Seattle imprint has been digging up some decent hunks of gold. Dalek I Love You are no exception. Compass Kum’pas is a relic from the new wave days of yore. The beauty about those days being they still sound as clever and fresh as ever. Dalek I Love You pursue the New Wave agenda of societal discussion and analogue experimentation. But, these Liverpudlians bring an element of fun to the often serious sound of Korg and Linn Drum. Solemnity sits next to silliness in this trailblazing piece of synth pop.
Compass Kum’pas is available on Medical.
