1985, in it's original arrangement, was being played at live shows but would not be officially released until 2014 as part of the Triplex series of EPs. However, these "GM '85" remix versions preceded that by almost 5 years. Released as a download single with a limited run of physical CD-R copies, the artwork on the CD tray shows a photo of Ken Evans, circa 1985, wearing a zebra print shirt which was subsequently scanned to create the front cover artwork, with typography and layout inspired by the various artists compilation album, "Choose 1985". The tie worn by Ken in the photo is also included in the tray artwork, as are various band badges from Ken's collection from that time. Tray artwork and inner sleeve scans are included in this Bandcamp release as a bonus item at download. Arthur Barrow used the same Roland Jupiter-8 synth and Fender Jazz bass guitar on these recordings as used on recordings for Berlin, Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder, the Scarface soundtrack, etc. The LinnDrum samples are sourced from Giorgio Moroder's library files and were installed into Tycho Brahe's LinnDrum for this project.
Original liner notes:
Found a Polaroid from 1985...looking back from the future, it isn't difficult to romanticise that which was. And why not? A watershed year. A hedonistic time of synthpop and Hi-NRG music, dancing in smoky clubs until dawn, second hand polysynths, loud shirts and skinny leather ties. Greed was good. Frankie Say Relax. Stock, Aitken and Waterman blueprinted their "hit factory" style with Dead or Alive. Guitars and drummers were out. Synths, samplers and LinnDrums were in. I wanted my MTV. Meanwhile, electro-disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder dominated the era in the contemporary film soundtrack and synthpop genres, having reinvented himself in the new 24 track digital MIDI world. From his Los Angeles studio Moroder and his crew churned out quality synthpop at a furious rate...Electric Dreams, Scarface, Metropolis, Flashdance, Top Gun, working with pop icons such as Philip Oakey, Debbie Harry, Freddie Mercury, Irene Cara and Terri Nunn...
This recording is an homage to those days. A novelty. An oddity. A pastiche. A lot of fun to create. A song celebrating the year 1985, remixed in the style of 1985's greatest synthpop hit maker, Giorgio Moroder. A glimpse of what Tycho may have sounded like if it had existed at that time.
These remixes would not have been possible without the generous assistance of Giorgio Moroder's programmer, arranger, keyboard and bass player of that era, the wonderfully talented Arthur Barrow, who not only supplied bass guitar and triggered synth parts for this recording, but also used the exact same instruments as on the aforementioned classics. In Arthur's own words, "So authentic it hurts!" Many thanks also to fellow Devotee Cameron Ball, who supplied the perfect guitar parts to add the crunchy icing to this retro cake. Also to Bruce Forat, at Forat Electronics, Los Angeles, for keeping Arthur LinnDrum in fighting condition and supplying Eproms with genuine samples from the era.
Now, where did I park that Delorean...?
- Ken Evans, December 2009.
credits
released December 17, 2009
Ken Evans - vocals, synthesizers, programming and Tycho guitar
Georgina Emery - vocals
Andy Walls - synthesizers
Arthur Barrow - synthesizers and bass guitar
Cameron Ball - guitar
Arthur Lindrumm - drums
Recorded at Tycho Central, Brisbane, Australia, and Lotek Studio, Los Angeles, USA, 2009. Produced and mixed by Ken Evans at Tycho Central. Mastered by Kathy Naunton at dB Mastering, Sydney, Australia.
Dedicated to Max the Studio Cat, a member of our Tycho family - sadly missed, never forgotten.
Australian synthpop band Tycho Brahe was founded in Brisbane in 1993 by Ken Evans and Georgina
Emery.
Based out of Tycho Central, a bunker full of vintage synthesisers, drum machines and science fiction memorabilia, Tycho Brahe has shared the stage with acts such as The Human League, VNV Nation, John Foxx, Covenant, Pseudo Echo, and Real Life....more
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