Regional scenes in Australia have always been something you assemble rather than inherit. Before the information age, music lovers expanded their listening through fragments: live gigs, radio, film soundtracks, and whatever your local record retailer could point you toward. Music couldn’t be “searched” yet – at least not without an obliging Brashs attendant – and the leads you couldn’t verify, you often had to let go. For listeners, it was an endless quest. For artists, the reverse process (finding an audience) meant competing within a crowded scene that, while full of opportunity, didn’t always know what it wanted. By the mid-1980s, Melbourne had become an incubator for artists working against the grain. The industry was still largely defined by it's export-ready rock – but in studios tucked into inner suburbs, bands were experimenting. Groups like I'm Talking  – led by vocalists Zan Abeyratne and Kate Ceberano – alongside progressive acts like Big Pig and Wa...

George Duke ’s 1986 self-titled LP sits at a fascinating crossroads in his career. By this point Duke was already revered as one of the most versatile musicians in American music – a fusion pioneer, former keyboardist for Frank Zappa, and increasingly a go-to producer for crossover R&B. In the early-to-mid ’80s he was busy behind the desk shaping records for artists like Philip Bailey and Jeffrey Osborne , all while maintaining a relentless solo schedule. Much of this work flowed through Duke’s own studio, Le Gonks West in Los Angeles, where he and longtime engineer Erik Zobler built records in a hybrid environment of analog synths, early digital gear, and meticulous overdubbing. That self-contained approach is all over George Duke  – a record that feels less like a commercial “artist album” and more like a producer experimenting on company time. To modern ears, the album’s sound palette is strikingly forward-looking. Like In Square Circle by Stevie Wonder the year...

Yellow Magic Orchestra were early. Computer Game (1978) is built from arcade samples, laser-like sequencing and robust drum programming that still feels futuristic. YMO's sound was clean and functional without being cold – reflective of the three legit musicians standing behind the electronics; Yukihiro Takahashi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Haruomi Hosono. We can’t talk about Computer Game without mentioning that break – the stripped-back drum passage appearing throughout that became ammunition for B-boy DJs, looped on doubles and blended into early electro sets. It circulated through mixtapes and live routines, bridging Tokyo synth lab with South Bronx pavement. YMO were also early adopters of the  TR-808  Rhythm Composer, having borrowed a unit from Roland and road-testing its analogue pulse that would later define electro, rap and techno. For our purposes today, if the A-side is the bait, the B-side is the hook. Yellow Magic (Tong Poo) sounds like the groundwork for synth-po...

This promotional 12" captures a solid piece of Seattle hard rock history, long before the city became shorthand for another sound entirely. TKO were a stadium-ready heavy metal band, built on big hooks, driving guitars and an anthemic, radio-minded swagger that courted the working class. That sensibility led to a deal with New York–based Infinity Records , an ambitious MCA-backed label. Touring the East Coast, TKO opened for AC/DC and Van Halen, swiftly building momentum that resulted in their 1979 debut album Let It Roll . This advanced pressing of the title track had radio DJs in mind and plots them right on the cusp of breaking through. That momentum didn’t last: Infinity collapsed as quickly as it appeared after overspending on signings and promotion – including a bizarre Pope John Paul II record that few stores knew what to do with – and the label that should have been a platform instead became a pitfall. Let It Roll slipped out of circulation just as the band...

Best known as the frontman and chief songwriter of The Cars , Ric Ocasek made this sharp 12" during his solo run in the early '80s. Pulled from his Beatitude era, both tracks use lean drum machines, bright synth work and Ocasek’s unmistakable deadpan delivery. It will be familiar enough for Cars fans – but with a slightly looser, more experimental edge. Interestingly, this record exists as a promotional single in nearly all markets, with the exception of Canada. Jimmy Jimmy is punchy new wave pop with crossover appeal, while Connect Up To Me heads somewhere moodier and more nocturnal, nicely delivered in extended remix form. A cool snapshot of Ocasek stepping just outside the band framework, this one’s an underrated slab of early ’80s synth-rock that still holds up. Media Condition: Near Mint (NM) Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+) *SOLD*

Japan has long been a place of good taste – a bastion where music scenes and subcultures often live their strongest lives outside their country of origin. Throughout the early 2000s, as vinyl collections were being dumped en masse across the world, Japanese dealers and archivists frequently travelled to musical meccas like New York City and London, buying entire sections of record stores for as little as fifty cents a piece. While most of the world moved on, Japan's used record market became the antithesis of an industry in decline – preserving historical music at staggering scale on what is, in our admittedly biased view, its most faithful medium. But there wasn’t just preservation on the demand side. There were still people fighting the good fight on the supply side too – labels insistent on putting new music onto vinyl in a world increasingly dominated by CDs and, later, purely digital listening. In the 1990s alone, this protest took many forms: Warp Records documenting emergin...

Well-curated compilation records are worth their weight, and this excerpt from the Club Classics series by German powerhouse  ZYX Music is a whopper. For the early 00s – an era many refer to as “the dark times” – the pressing is seriously good, which is a relief because 12"s like this are the working DJ's bread and butter. Side A has two solid ’70s Soul cuts from The Staple Singers : the #1 hit I’ll Take You There and the socially significant anthem Respect Yourself (yes, the same song Bruce Willis covered in 1987 – and no, I'm not linking it). Things ramp up on side B with a pair of Disco-Funk bangers from  Headhunters  percussionist  Bill Summers  and his troupe, Summers Heat. Both joints are swell, but MVP goes to their cover of Eddy Grant 's  Walking On Sunshine  for its prototypical synth work and killer breakdown. I found one forthright review questioning ZYX’s liberal use of the term “club classic” across the series. Fair enough...

Detroit-born drummer Paul Humphrey may be unfamiliar to many, but his playing has touched millions: from Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On  (where he was miscredited as “Humphries”) to sessions with Quincy Jones, Steely Dan, and Frank Zappa. In the early ’70s he charted twice in his own right with funk numbers Cool Aid and Funky L.A. before returning to a more straight-ahead jazz setting for this 1982 sextet outing. Featuring trumpeter Oscar Brashear , it’s an acoustic soul-jazz set where Humphrey's rhythmic aptitude – heard on so many studio classics – is given a looser, more lyrical role. Criminally underrated in his own time, this record proves that his groove could be as intimate and conversational as it was chart-topping. A$20.00 + postage Media Condition: Near Mint (NM) Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+) - as pictured

Jon Anderson (of prog rockers Yes) and Vangelis (formerly of Aphrodite’s Child) began releasing music together under the Jon and Vangelis name in 1979, mostly through Polydor Records. Their second LP, The Friends of Mr Cairo , broke into the top 10 in Australia – one of only four countries where it did so – which might explain this curious local pressing. Unusually, this 7” features Beside on the A-side – a reversal of its usual role as the B-side of either State of Independence or Outside of This (Inside of That) . This seems to be the only format where that’s the case.  Minimal and ambient, Beside is built around Vangelis’s signature synthesiser textures, with Anderson delivering one of his most restrained and intimate vocal performances. It’s not a hit in the traditional sense, but there’s a stillness and emotional clarity that quietly lingers – perhaps why someone at Polydor’s Australian office felt it deserved top billing.  Special thanks to Simon...

Until a few weeks ago the name Paul Sabu was foreign to me, despite his fine production work on Gwen Jonae's Destiny , which I've owned for some time. I was about to review an exquisite sale copy of that record, but when it sold and his name reappeared the very next day – this time across an unmissable rainbow backdrop – I took notice. There is little info about the artist credited here: Anna Dalva. She was reportedly mentored by a pre-KISS Gene Simmons, prevented from touring due to her young age, and later found work as a songwriter for Motown [unverified]. What is known is that sometime in 1978, she teamed up with Sabu to churn out Love Potion – a wild disco excursion written just before his breakthrough producing Debbie Jacobs and others. This rugged indie 12” now commands serious collector prices, but we’ve slashed the going rate in half... feeding the sharks is not the 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶 way. *SOLD* Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+) Sleeve Condition: Fair (F) - top ...

Nona Hendryx made her mark as a member of Labelle , the all-female vocal group alongside Patti LaBelle and Sarah Dash. When her solo debut struggled to stand out amid the flood of Disco records released in 1977, she pivoted to a series of left field collaborations that shaped her signature unpredictable style. One such project,  The Cage , saw her team up with former Visage members on the London-based – but distinctly NYC-inspired – label Metropolis , resulting in the powerhouse Jazz-Funk B-side  The Slammer . Thanks to a tip from the  Post-Punk Monk , I discovered that the title track is actually a cover of T-Connection 's Disco chart topper from... you guessed it... 1977! A$10.00 + postage Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+) Sleeve Condition: Fair (F) - some moisture damage

Released late last year, Teddy Mike 's third album nods to a broad spectrum of influences, channeling the likes of 80s funk legends Aurra on some tracks, independent Soul, Gospel, and Boogie-Rap on others, with a steamy return trip to São Paulo also in the mix. Arriving on Teddy's own label and imported exclusively by 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶 –  Slip Away will do just that if you don't bag one of the few copies to hit our shores. A$45.00 + postage Media Condition: Mint (M) Sleeve Condition: M (M) - brand new item in shrink

Described by pundits as " R.E.M. but with less vocals and more guitar", this lost treasure from Indie Rock / Jangle Pop group The Connells contains 3 x A4 promotional printouts showcasing the aspiring South Carolinians in 1987 – and they are still going strong today! Pristine copy salvaged from the proverbial wonderland of US dead stock. A$18.00 + postage Media Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-) Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

A few years back I ordered a dozen records from a seller in NYC sight unseen. This wasn't unusual, however an extra layer of mystery surrounded this purchase. Not only were most titles unknown to me, many were still in their shrink wrap after 30 or more years. The prospect of sealed records frozen in time along with a few particles of 1980s oxygen is a thrilling one, but it can also make warped discs, pressing defects and the like more difficult to spot. Along with a healthy dose of optimism, it can pay to practice being disappointed.  As I opened each audial time capsule, one record stood out. A blue sticker with the record label Blue Earth  struck me with its unique Letraset-style logo. I had seen this typeface on records before, namely William C. Brown's excellent Come On And Go With Me  (1982) and some early Ultimate Breaks and Beats titles, which I imagine gave it a sense of familiarity. Herbie Pabst  was credited as artist, co-writer and co-producer, 1986 the year...