Cerysmatic.Factory

The PKRP Cerysmatic Factory Favourites Playlist

2019-12-19T07:00:00.000+00:00

The PKRP Favourite Cerysmatic Factory Playlist is available now via Spotify and Apple Music for your musical factorial edification and here are the Playlist Sleevenotes:

Wim Mertens - No Plans No Projects

A prolific minimalism composer from small-town Belgium doesn't sound like a typical place to start a Factory Records playlist. But then No Plans No Projects isn't a typical Wim Mertens piece either. Built around a simple keyboard refrain, this superb track from the Educes Me album bursts into life around halfway through with LOUD synths and portentous piano. Mertens's other contribution to Factory was the soundtrack to Peter Greenaway's arthouse movie The Belly Of An Architect (Fact 195), while Educes Me holds the accolade of having one of the most sought after (and expensive) formats - the boxed cassette in the yellow case has been known to fetch up to a £200!

OMD - Almost (Hannett Mix)

The Wirral duo's sprightly iconic debut single Electricity has always been a favourite of mine, but this lo-fi Hannett mix of its attendant b-side has stayed with me since its release. Electricity has just been reissued in a new sleeve with a Vince Clarke remix of Almost on the b-side - it should have been the main attraction, not relegated to a flip. I've always liked the strange hissing sound and off-beat drum machine, the plaintive sorrowful lyric and vocal, Saville's braille sleeve and of course the fact Tony Wilson released the single for his then wife Lindsay. It really should have been a double a-side. Either track could have been a hit with a spread of radio play.

Joy Division - These Days

All those amazing and iconic album-tracks and I go and pick an often-overlooked b-side - is this bloke for real? Thing is, Love Will Tear Us Apart will always be one of the most important singles ever and needs no introduction. You'd need a heart of estuary mud to hate it. But tucked away on side two of both formats is what I consider to be one of three very important Joy Division tracks and the link to where the band were heading at the time. Isolation, Decades and These Days demonstrate the band's increased interest in electronics at the time, before Ian's sad demise. Almost 40 years on and still nothing on Movement comes close to any track on the second JD album Closer, with the possible exception of the synth-layered Doubts Even Here, but head to New Order's sophomore set Power Corruption and Lies and preceding single Everything's Gone Green and the link becomes a little more obvious. I love how this song bustles along - great drumming and driving bass from Morris and Hook.

Fadela - N'Sel Fik

Back in the '80s, when global sounds permeated the curious music-lover's conscience via John Peel's interest, Peter Gabriel's Real World and related WOMAD festivals, the public remained a bit nonplussed with the emotional synth-pomp of North African Rai. Wonderfully off-kilter and at odds with typical 4/4 beats being peddled across the pond, N'Sel Fik became a frequently dropped track at the more eclectic parties in Manchester and London. It's tenuous link to rave-culture is derived from the opening line of Fadela's lovely song being lifted and dropped onto "We Are E", a huge breakbeat tune issued in 1991. I suspect the originator was less than pleased with being associated with 'being on one' but it's a decent enough and sought after hardcore banger. Fac 197 itself remains a regular go-to when I'm playing out.

The Durutti Column - What Is It To Me (Woman)

In truth, I could have picked dozens of DC tracks to pop on this playlist but What Is It To Me (Woman) has always captivated me. It demonstrates everything great about the interplay between guitarist Vini Reilly, drummer Bruce Mitchell and attendant guests, including harmonica maestro Rob Gray. Taken from the Stephen Street-produced The Guitar and Other Machines (Fact 204) released in 1987, this track has aged very well and benefits from not being quite so drum-heavy as other tracks on the otherwise pin-sharp GOTM. It's more future jazz than art-rock (or whatever The Durutti Column were being tagged in those days) and is as contemporary as anything in Reilly's enviable and essential canon.

Marcel King - Reach For Love (NY Remix)

For a short spell in Factory's existence, the label acted as a springboard for soulful club tracks with a house twist. Soon-to-be M People luminary Mike Pickering made a decent fist of it with his Quando Quango project (Genius is just that, Love Tempo and Atom Rock were also rightfully regarded), while Section 25, New Order and A Certain Ratio embraced new technology to create the likes of Looking From a Hilltop, The Perfect Kiss and Life's A Scream. Straight out of the blocks came this bruising rework of former Sweet Sensation, er, sensation Marcel King's glorious Reach For Love. Velveteen vocals and a big-stringed 'n' synthed-up arrangement were given an overhaul by revered producer Mark Kamins, who coincidentally had mixed two of the aforementioned Quando singles. Its flip-side Keep On Dancin' was a favourite of mine for a while but this song translates better when pumped through a decent sound-system. Great record.

X-O-Dus - See Them A Come

When it came to sound-system mixes, reggae dub-lord Dennis Bovell certainly fitted the bill. The great man's deft touch can be found on one of the most collectable 12" on Factory, X-O-Dus's epic English Black Boys (Fac 11). It's such a shame that an album never materialised after such a fine landmark debut record, although LTM Records did curate a rather fetching round-up of studio material some years back. My personal preference, as with many Factory singles, is its speaker-scaring b-side See Them a Come. This is some serious heavyweight material and when piped through a capable mixing desk, is eight straight minutes of pure rib-cage rattling reggae euphoria.

Kalima - Take It Easy

I've got a soft spot for the unsung Kalima, a soul-jazz collective born out of the remains of the rather more avant-garde Swamp Children. Along the way, Kalima issued a handful of unjustly ignored singles like The Smiling Hour, Whispered Words and Weird Feelings, as well as a string of albums that had one foot in the golden age of crooners and one in the latter day Acid Jazz age. The band's final Factory album Feeling Fine (Fact 249) is perhaps their most consistent, least 'trad' set and includes some remarkable musicianship and decent songs, including this cracker. Languid, woozy and slinky, Take It Easy surpasses the album's curious single choice Shine and, in fact, most of the band's mostly likeable catalogue.

Section 25 - Inspiration

One of the first Factory albums recommended to me by one Nick Clarke who ran Rhythm Records in Plymouth during the early to mid '80s was Section 25's crystalline From The Hip. Fact 90 remains one of my all-time favourite LPs and still sounds timeless to this day. When most synth acts from the decade pummelled the hell out of our earholes with leaden drums, the Blackpool outfit wove featherlight beats with hopeful and er, inspirational songs that took the band to another level. many cite the single Looking From a Hilltop as the key track on this album but I'm positive that this epic closer made far better use of the available New Order-donated technology.

Stockholm Monsters - Partyline

The original scallies and Perry guys and gals weren't afraid to get all controversial and political on our asses with songs like How Corrupt Is Rough Trade?, Your Uniform and this stunning electro post-romantic belter. Issued as a 12" only, one can't help thinking that a radio 7" might, MIGHT, just have landed the Stockies with a minor cult hit back in the day. Somewhat unlike their usual edgy alternative jangle-pop, Partyline is the sort of tune that Pet Shop Boys or New Order might have made if they'd upped the speedball dosage at a Top of the Pops rehearsal. I love this record. Its flipside, Militia, is also essential, making this one of those archetypal Factory singles that works on both sides.

The Railway Children - Brighter

And here's another landmark single. Wigan's oft-forgotten songsmiths The Railway Children knocked out several sprightly singles and a pair of decent albums for both Factory and latterly Virgin Records. Brighter sported great b-sides in History Burns and Careful and sounded like a Top 10 hit all summer long. Great sleeve from Johnson Panas too. How, HOW, did this not strike a chord with the then radio DJs? It still sounds like a burst of summer some thirty years later.

The Wake - Torn Calendar

Melancholy is something that Factory Records was very good at. In Scotland's The Wake, they had it in litres. The band's debut album was Harmony, a solemn post-punk postscript that inadvertently invented twee-pop without actually being 'pop', while celebrated single Talk About The Past earned plaudits aplenty from media to fanbase. But it was the peerless much-delayed Here Comes Everybody LP that really put The Wake amongst the indie pigeons. The entire album is nothing short of a sad-face masterpiece, with the slightly trippy pretty Torn Calendar leading the field of many many centrepieces and would-be singles.

The Names - I Wish I Could Speak Your Language

My first non-JD/NO Factory single purchase was Fac 29, the exemplary Nightshift by Brussels-based rock 'n darkwavers The Names. Along with its powerful boundary-crossing flip I Wish I Could Speak Your Language, here was a 7" single that delivered some of Martin Hannett's most brutal production, without compromising the band's delicate and austere lyricism. Everything about this song demonstrates everything about those involved - the huge smash-snare drums typified by Hannett's dextrous hands, urbane almost paranoid lyrics and subtle uses of synth and guitar hooks. The Names' track record might not have spawned 'hits', but their concise canon contains few misses.

New Order - Everything's Gone Green

This is the record that kickstarted indie dance-music, no arguments. The likes of Franz Ferdinand, LCD Soundsystem, Friendly Fires and The Rapture probably wouldn't have had their 15 seconds / minutes / hours / years of exposure without this truly majestic record. It doesn't say or do much but it does everything. Never mind Blue Monday or Temptation, Everything's Gone Green remains New Order's first active foray into disco hi-hats and club mixes. Extended for a Factory Benelux 12" with new b-sides, EGG is not only one of New Order's most important records, it remains a masterclass by Martin Hannett who was ultimately swiftly spurned by band and label soon after they'd figured out how he operated his studio toys. Its attendant double 'A' Procession is also prime New Order material from the Movement sessions.

John Dowie - Idiot

Often dismissed as too surreal but revered by the likes of Stewart Lee (and myself), Birmingham's rather edgy humourist looked a bit like Jasper Carrott but couldn't have been more different. His attachment to Factory was all too brief with just three odd grin-worthy vignettes on the label's very first release, the double-7" A Factory Sample, and a lone headline single, the somewhat pub-singalong It's Hard To Be An Egg coupled with its 'visual' flip Mime Sketch. All five Factory tracks formed part of his then live poetry shows and were finally gathered together with his half-dozen Virgin label EP tracks and a slew of hilarious live tracks on the album An Arc of Hives. "I'm the kind of idiot who always ends a sentence with question. Don't I?" - we've all met someone like it and there are even more of Dowie's Idiots around nowadays.

Happy Mondays - Weekends

My first encounters with the Mondays were the Factory 'Supertent' gathering in Finsbury Park in 1987 when the band performed a somewhat chaotic set wearing huge parka jackets and puffing on suspect smoking material and the passable single Delightful, aka the Forty-Five E.P. I've always been of the opinion that Ryder's charges were more talented than people gave them credit (or abuse) for. But Delightful didn't help their cause. The two b-sides however certainly did, especially the song Oasis which eventually ended up in re-recorded form on their debut album Squirrel and G-Man 24 Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out). Recorded with a certain John Cale, 24 Hr (etc, etc) is an unexpected funky treasure in Factory's late canon. Perhaps a little more grown-up than the more familiar Madchester material, the gritty street funk of Kuff Dam (Mad Fuck backwards) and Tart Tart became a regular go-to for me at parties, as did Weekends (or Weekend S as it appears on some copies). Its odd galloping rhythm and barbed lyrics is short, sweet and might have made a hit-single in a parallel universe.

Minny Pops - Dolphin's Spurt

Dutch semi-industrialists with a near 7ft tall singer might not sound very Factory, but Minny Pops's brief honeymoon in Manchester spawned two pin-sharp electro-dance singles and an album for sister-label Factory Benelux. With the man Hannett at the helm for this single, both sides of the Dolphin's Spurt 7" are on point to this day, danceable and timeless, littered with its producer's trademark effects and atmospherics and lyrically insistent, nagging and a little confrontational. It's almost impossible to make out the words spat out by singer Wally van Middendorp but who cares? He's bigger than all of us.

Royal Family and the Poor - Visions

Liverpool's Mike Keane was the north-west's resident anarchic occultist, renouncing conventional mass-media and musical practice in favour of creating early demos and live shows of ritualistic chants, highly charged howling and the odd song here and there. After a few personal struggles, Keane's Factory output remains something of a treasure chest. Debut single Art on 45 was a sort of funky My Favourite Things and has since been given the nod by Maximo Park's Paul Smith and first album Temple of the 13th Tribe had a helping hand from Peter Hook and Stockholm Monsters' Lita Hira. For me though, sophomore set We Love The Moon - the Project Phase 2 continues to be Keane's masterpiece. Recorded with Pink Industry's Ambrose Reynolds, WLTM includes the superb Pagan Way (which still isn't on Spotify after all this time) and the 'hit' Visions, a glorious example of Keane's occasional foray into sensitive pop songs.

The Distractions - Time Goes By So Slow

Rightly acclaimed as one of Factory's most charming and rewarding singles, Time Goes By Slow was issued just after the band had already signed to Island. Musically and lyrically embedded in both '60s pop charm a la Adam Faith or The Hollies and post-punk favourites Buzzcocks, The Distractions followed up TGBSS with a handful of singles and a long-forgotten album Nobody's Perfect before taking a lengthy hiatus into the 21st century. More recently, the band have been busy writing and recording for Exeter-based indie Occultation, including the rather splendid sophomore album The End Of The Pier. For me, Fac 12 remains one of Factory Records' most important and timeless early singles.

A Certain Ratio - Waterline

A staple of the band's live set to this day, the funky near-instrumental Waterline was and still is a bit of a game-changer. Unmistakably ACR, the exclusively recorded Fac 52 single ushered in their post-Hannett future with an ankle-deep bassline, vocodered vocals, tight handclap drums and some speaker-bothering effects and atmospherics. Alongside the attendant album Sextet, Waterline with its bonged up and dubbed out flip Funaezekea turned the conventional Brit-funk sounds and ideals into the unconventional. And you can't get a much more unconventional ending to a track than the final 45 seconds on this 12".

- sleevenotes by Paul Pledger/Flipside Reviews for Cerysmatic Factory

Mertens moves around the world

2013-10-24T09:00:00.000+01:00

Here is a selection of concerts by Wim Mertens over the next six months including an excursion to Bangkok at the end of the month and special performances with Kirmen Uribe performing "Mussche – Lo que mueve el mundo" (What Moves the World).

Meanwhile, don't forget to listen the Cerysmatic Factory Wim Mertens Interview over on Soundcloud. This is a 90-minute, professionally-recorded audio interview featuring Brandon Spivey with Wim Mertens.

Itinerary

31 October 2013
19:00
Wim Mertens solo piano
Hall of Music de Chulalongkorn University
Bangkok, Thailand

1 December 2013
Wim Mertens and Kirmen Uribe
"Mussche – Lo que mueve el mundo" (what moves the world)
Violin, cello, piano, voice
Teatro del Canal
Madrid, Spain

31 January 2014
20:30
Wim Mertens Trio
Violin, cello, piano, voice
CC de Kollenbloom
Puurs, Belgium

2 February 2014
20:15
Wim Mertens Trio
Violin, cello, piano, voice
Cultuurcentrum de Meent
Alsemberg, Belgium

22 March 2014
20:00
Wim Mertens Trio
Violin, cello, piano, voice
Toneelhuis
Antwerp, Belgium

25 March 2014
21:00
Wim Mertens and Kirmen Uribe
"Mussche – Lo que mueve el mundo" (what moves the world)
Teatro Arriga
Madrid, Spain

Facs In The Attic Part 3

2013-10-03T18:00:00.000+01:00

After exploring the vaults of Factory Records in both Part 1 and Part 2, the third chapter in our Facs In The Attic series deals with the first overseas releases. We'll have a peek at Factory Benelux issues, old and new, plus round up a few interesting related items released on Belgian cousin Les Disques du Crepuscule.

Factory Benelux

Recently revived as part of the LTM empire (though run as a separate entity), Factory Benelux was a comparatively short-lived project that ran initially for eight years from 1980 to 1988. It could be argued that some of the label's earlier exclusive releases were superior to those issued by the same acts on Factory. Regardless, the value of most of the Benelux catalogue is encouraging - clearly the availability of many of the original FBN releases proved to be scarce in the UK at best, impossible at worst, making the label a hit with collectors.

The earliest singles by A Certain Ratio (Shack Up 7" - FBN 1-004), The Durutti Column (Lips The Would Kiss/Madeleine 7"/12" - FBN 2-005) and Section 25 (Charnel Ground / Haunted 7") all fetch around £15-£20 depending on seller, while further later exclusives by Crispy Ambulance (Live On a Hot August Night 12" - FACBN 4), Section 25 (Je Veux Ton Amour 7" - FACBN 5) and Crawling Chaos (Gas Chair LP - FACBN 6) weigh in from anything between £20 and £50 (for the latter) - these need to be in mint condition to achieve those prices.

Other highlights from the catalogue (now with a shorter FBN prefix) include The Names' sprightly Calcutta 7"/12" at around £15-£20, two further Section 25 releases, Key Of Dreams LP (FBN 14 - £35) and Crazy Wisdom 12" (FBN 45 - £25), two Minny Pops records, Time 7" (FBN 11 - £30) and Sparks In a Dark Room (FBN 15 - up to £50!), two Stockholm Monsters 12" singles Miss Moonlight (FBN 19 - £15) and How Corrupt Is Rough Trade? (FBN 46 - £15) and the original pressing of Durutti Column's wistful Deux Triangles 12" EP (FBN 10 - £30), all of which were only pressed in the Low Countries.

Remaining releases from the initial tenure can be found priced upwards of £10, even those that seemingly match Factory UK singles and albums. However, such as in the case of Swamp Children's So Hot LP (FBN 21 - £20) and Quando Quango's Love Tempo (FBN 23 - £20-£30), a different sleeve can increase collectibility somewhat.

The new, all-sparkly, Factory Benelux label, revived in 2013, has already notched up one rarity - the limited 1000 copies edition of Durutti Column's Short Stories For Pauline (FBN 36) has already prompted a few chancers on Discogs to charge upwards of £30 for a copy.

Les Disques du Crepuscule

Cousin Les Disques du Crepuscule (originally based in Brussels) didn't release a lot of music by Factory artists but occasionally licensed material by a few of the acts and vice versa.

Wim Mertens

You may remember one Wim Mertens from Part 2 of our Facs In The Attic series - £200 for a cassette version of Educes Me should jog your memory. His Belgium catalogue is extensive to say the least but his early Crepuscule releases are also worth a small bankroll (most have admittedly been re-issued on EMI, but original vinyls still command decent prices). For vinyl issued under the collective name Soft Verdict, you can expect to cough up a small mortgage for The Power Of Theatrical Madness 12" (TWI 283 - £50), Maximizing The Audience on 12" (12 TWI 580 - £25), its attendant double-album of the same name (TWI 480 - £20 upwards) and the debut-album For Amusement Only (TWI 049 - £50 upwards). Albums under the Wim Mertens moniker aren't a lot cheaper with perhaps the scariest value being attributed to his (count 'em) 6 CD set Play For Me (TWI 831-2 - £100 average) and the 13 CD set Moment (TWI 1980 - £400).

Anna Domino

Rather more modest is Anna's fine catalogue of dark earthy and intelligent pop. Original vinyl versions of the albums East Meet West (TWI 187) and This Time (TWI 777) can fetch £10 upwards, while her 7" single Trust In Love (TWI 177) hits £15 regularly online, sometimes more.

Cabaret Voltaire

Providers of FAC 82 (Yashar), Cabaret Voltaire issued rather more records for their Belgian friends, including the landmark Three Crepuscule Tracks 12" EP, which includes Sluggin' Fer Jesus (TWI 007 - £10), Fools Game/Gut Level (TWI 120 - £10), the bleeptastic What Is Real on CD single (TWI 948-2 - £12) and the not dissimilar mini-album Percussion Force on CD (TWI 951-2 - £20).

Devine & Statton

OK, not strictly a Factory artist but the Ludus/Young Marble Giants-related pair have a connection - their acoustic cover of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle, issued as a 12" EP in 1989. TWI 908 was pressed in seemingly short supply and promptly deleted, just as it started to pick up airplay on Radio 1 evening shows. It's worth around £15 in mint condition.

The Durutti Column

Vini Reilly's music probably appeared on more Crepuscule compilations than actual headlining releases but DC did issue a couple. Both on CD, Fidelity (TWI 976-2) and a re-jigged Circuses and Bread (previously issued on Factory Benelux FBN 36 and Factory FACD 154, now called Bread and Circuses) (TWI 988-2) can raise you about £10-£15.

The Names

Responsible for one of Factory's most-revered 7" (Nightshift), The Brussels-based outfit not surprisingly booked themselves a place on their home-label with two releases. The Names' Martin Hannett-produced Swimming LP (TWI 065) can earn you £20-£25 for a top copy while the 12" The Astronaut (TWI 111) came in two colours, black and green vinyl. The former is worth about £10, the green about double.

Thick Pigeon

The quirky outfit's Two Crazy Cowboys album on Factory isn't their only money-spinner worth seeking out - two of their 7" singles are too. Subway (TWI 023) is one of the label's defining moments and is worthy of a £20 note while Dog/Tracy and Pansy (TWI 108) is worth around £10.

Various Artists

There isn't enough space to mention the Crepuscule compilations blessed with the presence of a Factory artist but we'll mention just one that is seriously worth having. From Brussels With Love (TWI 007 and TWI 008, depending on version) sports tracks by The Durutti Column, Martin Hannett (solo track), The Names, A Certain Ratio and a collaboration between Kevin Hewick and New Order. Early copies cost £25 on average (it's a double album) or as little as a tenner for a re-press (or the LTM CD reissue). The original cassette in PVC pouch with booklet is upwards of £25.

Prices quoted are from Discogs, eBay, sightings in shops and other online sources.

You can find new releases and further information on forthcoming projects on Factory Benelux here and Les Disques du Crepuscule here

The final part of Facs In The Attic will deal with other international releases and non-audio Facollectables!

Facs In The Attic Part 2

2013-09-26T21:56:00.000+01:00

And so we continue with our trawl through the Factory rarities in order to dig out some valuables, some to be found in the unlikeliest of places. All prices are extracted from the 2014 Record Collector Guide, some eager Discogs listings and my own experiences.

Wim Mertens

Take one Belgian neo-classical composer and two simultaneously issued albums (on Les Disques Du Crepuscule), switch the logos and alter the labels and what happens? Er, very little. By the time Factory got its act together and added them to its catalogue, both Educes Me (FACT 190) and the soundtrack to the heavy Peter Greenaway art-house film Belly Of An Architect (FACT 195) had already sold as many copies as they could muster a few months earlier. To be fair, Belly did fairly well and shifted a few units off the back of the film's VHS release (on Palace, sigh) and via continued interest in Greenaway's work. Educes Me, on the other hand, didn't exactly benefit from being on Factory but it did get a curious re-release as a boxed-cassette. If you happen to have such an item - smartly packaged in a bright yellow hue with a colourful inlay booklet - then have a seat. Record Collector valuations clock in at an eye-watering £200. For a tape. No, really. Check out our Wim Mertens discography to feast your eyes on his other work (much of which fetches serious money - see Part 3 of our Facs In The Attic series).

Various Artists

Inevitably, that most frequent purveyor of releases comes up trumps when it comes to Factory valuables. Various Artists releases include the A Factory Quartet double-album (FACT 24 - £20), the Palatine box-set (FACT 400 - £40 to £100), particularly the vinyl and CD sets and two curios that don't feature in the RC book of dreams. The first is the 4 x 12" promo pack which has no number but comes loosely-housed in a PVC sleeve with each track's BPMs helpfully printed on it, plus four white-label copies of Pleasure Crew's I Could Be So Good For You (FAC 169), Fadela's N'Sel Fik (FAC 197 - worth a tenner on its own), The Hood's Salvation (FAC 182) and Meatmouth's Meatmouth Is Murder (FAC 196). I'd estimate a £15 price-tag, partly for at least two of the enclosed records but also for the attractive Johnson Panas sleeve. The second is Martin (FACD 325), a collection of Hannett's finest production work including Joy Division, U2 and A Certain Ratio etc.. I'd pitch this at £15 to £20 all day long for the CD and vinyl.

All of which is peanuts when compared to A Factory Sample. FAC 2 was the first release on the label, came packaged in expensive polythene outers, bolstered by some natty stickers and four sides of music. No wonder it's valued from around the £200 mark. Without the stickers, it's probably worth £100 - £125 and with a scruffy sleeve minus the polythene, around half that again.

The Wake

Before jumping the sinking Factory ferry and high-tailing it to the Sarah label, Glasgow's The Wake released some of the most beautiful songs to ever grace the label. Vinyl copies of debut-album Harmony (FACT 60) and gorgeous (and delayed) follow-up Here Comes Everybody (FACT 130) command around £20 - £25 each, although the former has just been exquisitely reissued as a double-vinyl version on Factory Benelux which may or may not have an effect on prices. The band's singles aren't too hard to come by although the 7" of Talk About The Past (FAC 88) is trickier to track down (£8).

Stockholm Monsters

This under-rated outfit feature in this article due to their two earlier singles, Fairy Tales (FAC 41) and Happy Ever After (FAC 58), both capable of reaching £15 in top condition. There are two different-coloured sleeves for Fairy Tales, a burgundy and a green one, both as easy (or as hard) to find as each other. The band's only album, Alma Mater (FACT 80) is worth £10 of anyone's money, while their superb Partyline 12" (FAC 146) might scrape a few quid less (a travesty) with 7" test pressings doubling the price.

The best of the rest

In no particular order are just some of the other least likely (and most probable) rarities worth seeking out.
The braille sleeved Electricity (FAC 6) by OMD - £60
The only Distractions single on Factory (FAC 12) - £15
The first (and only) reggae 12" by X-O-Dus (FAC 11) - £15
That infamous Sex Pistols cassette (with gold tape, pouch and card) (FACT 30) - £20 - £50
The one and only ESG 7" (FAC 34) - £30
The majestic Nightshift by The Names (FAC 29) - £15
The white vinyl John Dowie 7" with feather (!) (FAC 19) - £15
The two Dutch masters by Minnypops, Secret Story (FAC 57) and Dolphin's Spurt (FAC 31) - £12
The cassette version of Pigs and Battleships by Quando Quango (FAC 110c) - £18
The rare as hen's teeth CD promo and invite of The Other Two's Loved It (FACD 251) - £25 to £40
The first James single Jimone (FAC 78) - £12
The stand-alone Thick Pigeon album (FACT 85) - £40
The sleazy Crawling Chaos 7" Sex Machine (FAC 17) - £20
and the under-rated Chicken Rhythms by Northside on vinyl (FACT 310) - £12

Thanks to Record Collector and Discogs for prices.

Part 3 will feature rarities recorded by Factory artists and issued on Factory Benelux and Les Disques du Crepuscule.

The Wim Mertens exclusive interview

2012-09-12T23:02:00.000+01:00

Cerysmatic Factory is proud to present an exclusive and very rare interview by Brandon Spivey with the Belgian multi-instrumentalist and composer, Wim Mertens.

Recorded in Bruxelles, Belgium on 29 August 2012 the interview covers in depth the origins of Wim's music, his musical education, style, influences, philosophy and recording techniques.

The interview was recorded to a high standard using professional equipment, is punctuated with selected clips of Wim's work and lasts a full 90 minutes.

Many thanks to Brandon Spivey, Laszlo Umbreit (sound recording), Paul Pledger (Executive Consultant), Chusa at Usura and last but not least, Wim Mertens for making it all happen.

--

Listen to the full interview

The Whole of the Past

2010-11-05T00:14:00.000+00:00

Wim Mertens played a stunning 90 minute set plus encores at a very nearly packed out Kings Place in London tonight. Accompanied for nearly all of the evening by Eric Robberecht on violin, Mertens played piano and sang pieces from his extensive back catalogue (even the most avid Mertens obsessives were left wondering what some of the tunes were - fortunately the programme was printed out).

This was Wim Mertens's first proper UK appearance and the fans turned out in force with Hall One very nearly full for this concert as part of the London International Festival of Exploratory Music. Mertens's trademark high-pitched vocals and intricate piano playing sounded crisp in this acoustically perfect setting. Robberecht's violin playing was precise and the two seemed to have a very good rapport on stage, Mertens repeatedly thanking him and the audience in between numbers.

The main set lasted just over 90 minutes and was followed by four slightly more familiar pieces including one from The Belly of an Architect (the Crépuscule album which received a vinyl release as FACT 195 on Factory).

Main setlist (as printed in programme)

Apatride
Zing'up
Finding a People
Unless The Hand Obeys
The Whole of the Past
According to the Real
Its Maschinewesen
And Bring You Back
Without Example
Not at Home
Tactility
At Home
No Testament

Maximizing The Audience

2010-11-01T20:36:00.000+00:00

A reminder that Wim Mertens, the Belgian composer, pianist and classical guitarist (and former Factory Records artist) plays at Kings Place in London on Thursday 4 November 2010 as part of the London International Festival of Exploratory Music.

Tickets are still available from the venue priced GBP 9.50 and upwards.

Thursday 4 November 2010
Hall One
Kings Place
19:30

Wim Mertens live at Kings Place 4 Nov 2010

2010-08-18T16:40:00.000+01:00

The Belgian composer, pianist and classical guitarist (and former Factory Records artist) Wim Mertens will make his long-awaited live UK debut at Kings Place in London on Thursday 4 November 2010 as part of the London International Festival of Exploratory Music.

Tickets are available from the venue priced GBP 9.50 and upwards.

Thursday 4 November 2010
Hall One
Kings Place
19:30

New Wim Mertens album featuring 'The Belly of an Architect'

2006-08-23T18:24:00.000+01:00

From wimmertens.be:

'partes extra partes'

"Major release for Wim Mertens, 'partes extra partes', recorded with the Flemish Radio Orchestra and directed by Argentine conductor Dante Anzolini. Including some of his most famous compositions 'Struggle for pleasure', 'Close cover' and 'The Belly of an Architect' along with previously unreleased tracks 'In and for itself' and 'With all its might'."

New releases from LTM HQ

2005-03-30T09:19:00.000+01:00

The following are now available from LTM for mail order purchase ahead of the store release dates:

Richard Jobson - LTMCD 2444 '10.30 On A Summer Night / An Afternoon In Company
Blaine L. Reininger - LTMCD 2417 'Book Of Hours'

Guests on the Richard Jobson include guests include Vini Reilly, Wim Mertens and Virginia Astley.

Full details on the news page of the LTM website.

Wim Mertens - 'Un respiro' released 7 March 2005

2005-03-01T23:05:00.000+00:00

Wim Mertens has a new solo album set for release on Monday 7 March. The release marks his 25th year in the business. The official site, wimmertens.be, offers this insight into the new album:

"Un respiro, Mertens' new solo album offers 10 new compositions, often very rythmical tracks composed for two pianos and two voices all performed by the composer himself. Un respiro shows Mertens' passion for the voice, not using it as an instrument but presenting the voice as a guide for the piano, always looking for pure expression only."

Catch Wim Mertens live in Belgium and Germany from March onwards:

11 March - Tongeren, Belgium. CC De Velinx, 20:30. Wim Mertens Ensemble
19 March - Mechelen, Belgium. CC Mechelen, 20:15. Wim Mertens Ensemble
23 April - Genk, Belgium. CC Casino, 20:15. Wim Mertens Ensemble
11/12 June - Weimar, Germany. Festival Köstritzer Spiegelzelt, 20:30. Wim Mertens Solo

The Belly of an Architect

2004-03-26T19:08:00.000+00:00

The following extract comes from a Les Disques du Crépuscule booklet designed by Hennebert in 1990 describing future releases on the label ("a little something for everyone").

The soundtrack [TWI 813 / Fact 195] to the Peter Greenaway film of the same name essentially combines three musical sources. First and foremost is original material from Mertens and noted American avant-gardist Glenn Branca, both of which appearing on both record and film alongside past works by Mertens especially chosen by the director. Though taken separately the music of Mertens and Branca might seem impossibly at odds, here the circular melody of the former works in perfect counterpart to the latter's harsher textures and musique concrete.

More details including an audio clip are available on www.wimmertens.be the official site. Wim Mertens would have perhaps been a suitable candidate for a release on Factory Classical but in the end his only other Factory release is Fact 190(c) Educes Me.

Slightly off-topic but this year also sees the sixtieth birthday of Michael Nyman, the noted composer (of amongst other things excellent soundtracks to Peter Greenaway films such as Drowning by Numbers and The Draughtsman's Contract).

Factory Flicks

2004-02-04T08:58:00.000+00:00

24 Hour Party People, The Beach, The Belly Of An Architect, Blue, Jerry Maguire, The Lawless Heart, Letter To Brezhnev, Mad Fuckers, Married To The Mob, Pretty In Pink, Salvation!, Series 7: The Contenders, Shooting Stars, Too Young To Know, Too Wild To Care, Trainspotting.

All contain music by Factory acts including New Order, Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Wim Mertens.

Some were just concepts or not finished, others full-blown movies to which tracks were contributed.

Scoop on Skopos

2004-01-10T22:16:00.000+00:00

According to his official website, Wim Mertens has just released a new album entitled Skopos (a Greek word which means, 'reach', 'range', 'hitting the target', or 'a musical line that is followed by the melody') and has a February 2004 tour of Belgium on the blocks.

Full details of the Première Belgian Tour Skopos by the Wim Mertens Ensemble:
Thursday/Friday 12/13 February - Stadsschouwburg, Leuven
Sunday 16 May - Stadsschouwburg, Kortrijk

Wim Mertens' recordings for Factory Records comprised the Fact 190(c) Educes Me and the Fact 195 Belly Of An Architect Soundtrack. His complete discography lists 46 (count 'em) albums in a career spanning more than twenty years!