5CD - Limited Edition Box Set. Includes 77 Tracks and 32 Page Booklet.
Factory Benelux presents an expanded 5xCD box set edition of Always Now, the debut album by cult Factory Records group Section 25, produced by legendary sonic architect Martin Hannett and sleeved by Peter Saville.
Recorded as a trio at Pink Floyd’s Britannia Row studio in London in January 1981, Always Now combined austere postpunk rhythm and noise with elements of Can, Krautrock and modern psychedelia. Key tracks include Friendly Fires, Dirty Disco and New Horizon, along with C.P. (a collaboration with Hannett) and Hit (extensively sampled by Kanye West for the track F.M.L. on his 2016 album The Life of Pablo).
As well as the core album Disc 1 also includes several non-album singles from 1980 and 1981, including Charnel Ground, Je Veux Ton Amour and debut EP Girls Don’t Count – the latter produced by mentors Rob Gretton and Ian Curtis (of Joy Division).
Disc 2 offers a complete live show professionally recorded at Groningen (Netherlands) on 26 October 1980, as part of a Factory package tour, as well as a John Peel Session recorded in January 1981.
Disc 3 is part-improvised second studio album The Key of Dreams, recorded and produced by the band themselves a few months after Always Now, and released by Factory Benelux in June 1982.
Disc 4 consists of further experimental material recorded in 1981 and self-released on a cassette called Illuminus Illumina. The disc closes with an extended live encore jam recorded with all four members of New Order at Reading University on 8 May 1981.
Disc 5 captures the band live on tour in Europe and North America in early 1982, including dates at New York Danceteria and the 9:30 Club in Washington. The set was originally intended for release as a live album on Factory America, with the landmark gig at Danceteria given a surprise onscreen puff by none other than Madonna on her recent ‘Celebration’ world tour.
The 32 page booklet features unseen images by noted photographer Philippe Carly and texts by founder members Larry and Vin Cassidy. Also included is the first ever interview with guitarist Paul Wiggin, whose sudden departure in late 1981 saw Tony Wilson try (and fail) to recruit pre-Smiths teenager Johnny Marr as replacement.
Tracklist:
Disc 1
Friendly Fires
Dirty Disco
C.P.
Loose Talk (Costs Lives)
Inside Out
Melt Close
Hit
Babies In The Bardo
Be Brave
New Horizon
Haunted
Charnel Ground
Human Puppets
Knew Noise
Up To You
Girls Don’t Count
Oyo Achel Ada
After Image
Red Voice
Disc 2
One True Path (Peel)
Babies In The Bardo (Peel)
Hit (Peel)
Je Veux Ton Amour
Friendly Fires (Outtake)
One True Path (Outtake)
Loose Talk (Costs Lives) (Live 1980)
Human Puppets (Live 1980)
Knew Noise (Live 1980)
Friendly Fires (Live 1980)
Girls Don’t Count (Live 1980)
New Horizon (Live 1980)
Haunted (Live 1980)
You’re On Your Own (Live 1980)
One Step (Live 1982)
Disc 3
Always Now
Visitation
Regions
The Wheel
No Abiding Place
Once Before
There Was A Time
Wretch
Sutra
The Beast
Sakura
Hold Me
Sakura (Matrixmix)
You Leave Me No Choice
Disc 4
Fallen Monument
Are You There?
Virtually Everything
Tape Loop
Subferior
Cry
In The Garden Of Eden
Rigi Rigi
Floating
Openingt
Alone Pt 1
Untitled
Rose Apple Island
Open Those Eyes
Reading Uni Jam With New Order
Mirror (Live 1980)
Disc 5
God’s Playground Pt (Live 1982)
Babies In The Bardo (Live 1982)
Trident (Live 1982)
Dirty Disco (Live 1982)
Sakura (Live 1982)
Inside Out (Live 1982)
One True Path (Live 1982)
Floating (Live 1982)
The Beast (Live 1982)
You Leave Me No Choice (Live 1982)
God’s Playground Pt. 2 (Live 1982)
Warhead (Live 983)
Haunted (Live 1982)