ZTT – New Collectors Editions and Compilations!
A Secret Wish
ZTT. One of my favourite record labels, owned and run by my favourite record producer, Trevor Horn.
Nowhere near as popular or influential as they were, but still home to an eclectic bunch of artists. However, one of it’s strengths is it’s back catalogue and under the guidance of curator Ian Peel, the Element series of re-releases continues unhindered and unabated!
Coming out on July 19th 2010 (conveniently 10 days before my birthday!) are two exciting releases. Firstly, we have the 25th anniversary re-release of Propaganda‘s “A Secret Wish“. Often overlooked at the time, it spawned some awesome tunes and influenced many. Sadly for Propaganda, a Teutonic quartet based in London, Frankie Goes To Hollywood were blowing everything else out of the water, including Propaganda, their own label mates. But the upshot was that the things learned with the production of “Welcome To The Pleasuredome” (also recently re-released as a collectors edition) were taken and refined and used in “A Secret Wish”, with Trevor Horn stepping back as an Executive Producer and allowing Steve Lipson to produce this masterpiece of art pop.
I have the rare SACD version of this album in glorious digital 5.1 and it still blows you away today, but this double disc edition with remixes, b-sides and rarities is a worthwhile addition to anyone’s collection.
Influence
Also on the same day, we will witness the first, and probably best, all round Art Of Noise collection. Usually, you have to settle for a collection centred around particular incarnations of this art pop collective, but the release of the aptly named “Influence” sees all era’s of AON united under one album sleeve. From early works to the slightly embarrassing late 80′s period and back to the “almost” original line up in the 90′s and 00′s, this 2 disc collection features some of the finest, most pretentious pop you will ever have the pleasure of hearing.
With both sets only costing £7.99 each, you have no excuse!!
Latest SACD purchase: Propaganda – A Secret Wish
This arrived today, and whilst I have yet to listen to the whole album, I did listen to “Duel” and “Dr Mabuse” which both sounded awesome and really work well in DSD & 5.1. Another Horn & Lipson masterpiece 
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The SACD can be bought from Amazon UK HERE
I had also forgotten how attracted to Claudia Brucken I was (and still am !)
