INTRODUCTION TO THE CHRIS GARLAND ARCHIVE: BACKTRAX 1977 - 2008
HISTORY
1977: KRAFTWERK - TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS
A magnificent mind altering consciousness expanding piece of music, light years ahead of anything else and indeed still is. I first heard this at a fashion show for Paul Howie (the then flavor of the month) in St Paul’s Church Garden in Covent Garden in 1977 and spent the rest of the day driving around various London record stores looking for it, Finally I tracked it down at Town Records on the Kind Road Chelsea, run by PETER KENT, who knew instantly what I was looking for. Some years ,later I lived and worked in DÜSSELDORF, where KRAFTWERK then lived and recorded at their studio KLING KLANG. DÜSSELDORF was the center of the universe as far as I was concerned at that time, certainly for ELECTRONIC MUSIC, with DAF, DER PLAN, LA DÜSSELDORF, KRUPPS and a whole lot more ‘INDUSTRIAL/ELECTRONIC MUSIC PINONEERS’. Far more inventive and stylish than LONDON or NEW YORK, DÜSSELDORF and BERLIN Were definitely for me the places to be.
1977: PRINCE FAR I - UNDER HEAVY MANNERS
1980: STARSHIP AFRICA - CREATION REBEL
1980: THE SLITS - ‘MAN NEXT DOOR’
1981: HUNGRY SO ANGRY / FURTHER THAN FUNK DREAM - MEDIUM MEDIUM
1982: MINISTRY - COLD LIFE / WORK FOR LOVE + EARLY 80S VIDEO 'THE REAL AL'!
1984/5: U-BAHNX - YOUNG HEARTS OF EUROPE/KISS OF DEATH/HOLD BACK THE TEARS
1987: THE TRASH GROOVE GIRLS
1987: WASCH! HOMO SUPERIOR / HOLY PLACES
1987 - 1988: M.E.L.T. RADIOACTIVITY / SEX O MATIC
1990: I.G.L.U. - JE T’AIME. BLACK OUT RECORDS / FORCE INC - FRANKFURT - ACHIM SZPANSKI
1996
1997: THE DISKOWALKÜREN
1998: SYSTEM DE LA MODE
1999: FEDERAL REPUBLIC
2000: ZONK / ZONKFACTORY
2001: THE VIRTUAL ORCHESTRA
2002: DUFT
2002 - 2003: THE BLUE VOID - ACID POP CANDY
2005: P-KOMMANDO
2006: MINISTRY VIDEO
2006: THE POETS OF NOW
2008: MANIFESTO
So this has been a musical history spread over thirty years, it has I must say been quite journey for me, revisiting both good and not so good memories. I have obviously been selective about what is featured here, some things I would like to have included are not featured as I know longer have the tracks/masters or indeed know where they are. However perhaps other things will turn up and can be included at a later date. Looking back on me, in those days, hmmmm! I'm not sure! Certainly a very different person (one hopes) to the one I am today! And probably more convinced about myself than I should have been! Anyway, I hope this 'history lesson' is interesting and entertaining, it certainly has been for me!