Anna Logue Records resurrects another long lost relic from 1982 by Know (like you’re in the know) comprised of brothers Garry and Neil Todd. The original 7″ on Cask is quite the collector’s piece that once sold for over $300 USD, and one is currently listed on Discogs at a whopping $400 plus. This set of circumstances is prime for a re-release, and what better label to do it than Anna Logue Records? They have scored some serious cred not only reissuing greats like League Of Nations, Car Crash Set and Transparent Illusion to name a few, but also building an impressive roster of current artists such as The Silicon Scientist, BlipBlop, Twins Natalia and many more.
The reissue consists of the original two tracks off the 7″ “Knights Of Pleasure” and “Times Change” and on the B-side Blipblop, The Silicon Scientist, Flashbacks (Silent Signals/Echo West) and Twins Natalia featuring Kriistal Ann (Paradox Obscur) all perform their take on the two classic Know tracks. You can find the 12″ on ultra clear (211 copies) and black (115 copies). Both versions are numbered and on 140 gram vinyl with a matt laminate soft touch sleeve, double-sided postcard and download code.
The original two tracks were brought to life with the Korg Micro Preset M-500, Moog Liberation, Roland Jupiter-8 synthesizer and a Roland CR-8000 drum machine. The end result is a minimal synth masterpiece, complete with plenty of peppy addictive hooks, blips, and bleeps. Blipblop rework the both “Times Change” and “Knights Of Pleasure” with a more contempory vibe while The Silicon Scientist expands the sound-verse to a more open and cosmic approach. on “Knights Of Pleasure”. Flashbacks deliver a solid rendition of “Knights Of Pleasure” in a more minimal approach than The Silicon Scientist and Blipblop. Finally, Anna Logue Records alumni Twins Natalia join forces with Kriistal Ann to conjure up some airy synthpop with minimal undercurrents highlighted with Kriistal Ann’s unmistakable voice. The concept of reworking the tracks rather than remixing is quite cool.
Know somehow eluded my never-ending quest of musical exploration. I was pleasantly surprised because one would think by now that all of these lost gems would have reissued already if they were good. Maybe it’s licensing that gets in the way, cost or something else. Maybe the artists are very picky as to which label they want to work with? Anna Logue seems like contender for everything with enviable history of longevity and quality. This is a call to action not only for the original work but also for the brilliance of the rework. This is a win win for the minimal synth freak from a nostalgia perspective as well as the fan of the modern day approach. The mastering was done by Stefan Bornhost of the Silicon Scientist, while the sleeve design was created by long time collaborator Steve Lippert. The dandelion on the cover belongs to the creative output of Mike Jackson.
Reach out to Anna Logue Records to pick this up. It will be gone before you know. Hind sight is 20/20. You’ve been warned!
