Non-Consumers’ Product Guide: Factory Benelux Day, pt 3

Put your money away. Part 3 of 3.

We’re on the last third of Benelux’s 45s.

Surprize: In Movimento 12” (1984)

Italy. The mid 1980s. No socks and slip-ons. Sweaters tied over shoulders. Copper sunsets on monuments. And cool dance music made by some Factory-headed Italians, converted by New Order and ACR’s giro d’Italia of June ‘82. Avanti o Popolo!

Nyam Nyam: Fate / Hate 12” (1984)

Produced by Hooky. Halfway through the extended mix, someone had the good idea to nick and insert the synth bassline from ‘I Feel Love’. Probably Hooky.

Lavolta Lakota: Prayer 7” (1984)

Produced by Hooky. Featuring original members of The Stockholm Monsters. Again, much was stolen.

La Cosa Nostra: Coming Closer 12” (1984)

Thumping Belgian club noise from a country then undergoing a Front 242-led (and New Order inspired) hard electro explosion, liebe Gott!

Time for cheese and jenever. Zaanlander and Bols. The Zaanlander’s a golden yellow colour. Mellow, milky flavour. The Bols gin has a kind of brandy-like sweetness and sharpness to it.  Minor *!* : Dutch people, who consume vast amounts of cheese, are among the slimmest in Europe. Why is this? It’s because a certain amount of  low-fat dairy- and Dutch cheese is low in fat- helps your body process and absorb other fats more efficiently. Plus alcohol consumption is lower in the Netherlands than it is in Belgium, Britain, Germany and Scandinavia. Most days. Not today.

ACR: Brasilia I & II 12” (1984)

Wicked latin knees-up. Goes well with cheese, beer, gin, marijuana, coffee and chocolate cake. Shake it. When Donald Johnson sings of “Making love by candlelight,” it’s with an alarmingly knowing assurance.

!*! More communist iconography from ACR. Having referenced this famous piece of Alexander Rodchenko’s graphic design for the ‘Wild Party’ sleeve, ‘Brasilia’’s sleeve features a photograph of Young Pioneers, the communist scout movement that young people in the USSR were pretty much forced into. Some of the rules the Pioneer had to swear by included-

No. 4. A Pioneer is friendly to the children of all countries.

No. 5. A Pioneer learns well.

No.6. A Pioneer is polite and well-disciplined.

No.7. A Pioneer is careful with public property.

No.11 A Pioneer does physical exercises every day, and loves nature.

Sounds fair enough to me.

Life: Dites Moi 12” (1985)

French version of Factory single made by The Other Two and some roadie mates.

Life: Optimism/Better 12” (1985)

‘Optimism’ is one of the hidden wonders of the Factory story. An uplifting pop song that wants to be dance music, played by a band who haven’t woken up yet. Consisting of The Other Two and some roadie mates. “When things look bleak, I just switch off. How else could I sleep?”

Simon Topping: Prospect Parc 12” 1985

Latin percussion from one of Manchester’s finest wordsmiths.

I’m not kidding about this New Age stuff. It’s weird. Just as the calcified, creamy taste of a hard old cheese melts in my mouth- it’s time for a mid-80s New Order single. Can’t fucking believe it.

New Order: The Perfect Kiss 12” (1985)

Never liked this song much; but another brilliant and unique dance mix on the b-side, that should be dropped in some very now places, and would make a pumping soundtrack to a remake of ‘Pretty In Pink’ or ‘St Elmo’s Fire’.

Section 25: Crazy Wisdom 12” (1985)

‘Crazy Wisdom’ is a fine brooding electro pop song that was once, in typically oblique Factory-band fashion, called ‘Program 52’. The lovely ‘Guitar Waltz’ is one of Section 25’s gentlest and floatiest moments.

An unpleasant conspiracy theory has grown up around the song ‘Program 52′. I spread it about only reluctantly, and salivatingly. Some say that ‘Program 52’ referred to the LED display on one of Section 25’s drum machines. Others still maintain, with known evidence, that ‘Program 52’ in fact referred to the avowedly “Buddhist” Section 25’s initiative to systematically liquidate various large communities on national, ethnic and religious grounds.

Good band Section 25, but they took that military aesthetic thing way, way too far.

Stockholm Monsters: How Corrupt Is Rough Trade? 12” (1985)

I will always love this record. One of pop music’s greatest ever four-chord melodies played on synth strings. Makes me feel sixteen again.

Playgroup: Euphoria 12” (1985)

Club tunes from New Yorkers influenced, yet again, by New Order; they got about, to be sure.

Durutti Column: Tomorrow 7”/12” (1986)

Vini’s best ever pop song (after ‘Take Some Time Out’).

Stanton Miranda: Wheels Over Indian Trails 12” (1986)

Funky club pop song, with ‘Johnny Marr’ guitar, and produced by The Other Two, that wipes the floor with most refried ‘80s populist crut. I’m sure Stanton Miranda influenced Madonna. Stanton Miranda, and her band Thick Pigeon, were great.

*!* The fellow from Thick Pigeon went on to win awards for his scores for Coen brothers’ films.

That was it. Those were the singles Factory Benelux put out. Very little that’s bad. Much that’s spectacular, including the sleeves. I have danced a lot, in a European heatwave. Haven’t learned much, except maybe this- in the mid 1980s, a time when both Factory and Manchester later claimed to be leading the charge in dance music and dance culture, Factory gave two thirds of their best dance music to their ‘secondary’ European imprint.

And one more thing. I think the Factory obsessions and aesthetics were surprisingly cross-pollinated and incestuous among many of the people connected with the label. Which is very unusual, for a big group of people, never mind Mancunians. Maybe the label was strongly led after all, despite what they say.

A fine day. Thank you Tony Wilson, Factory and Factory Benelux. Let’s hope you continue to inspire ordinary people to tremendous artistic feats.

(Most of the music written about in this piece is available on CD from LTM.

http://home.planet.nl/~frankbri/contact.html

Thank you to LTM for their work.)