Great news for Leo (and nearly everyone else, too) - A Guy Called Gerald's 'Black Secret Technology' is to be re-released.

And here is somewhere you can buy it from.

Zarjaz!

I've never really been able to get into this album. Most of it sounds pretty nice, but terribly dated and a bit directionless. Everyone seems to think it's amazing, so I play it every now and then, and sort of enjoy it, but I'm never that excited by it. What am I missing?

It's actually been out since July, but Gerald didn't really tell anyone. (£7 from Boomkat, I got it for.)

Taylor, what you're missing is the reissue. I've never known a remastering job make so much difference to a record; the thin, soupy version can sound a bit twee and almost new age or something, but when you can hear and feel the actual drums and the bass properly it's something else, honestly.

Here's what my slightly tongue-tied internet alter-ego said.

Consistently 3 months behind the times - that's me!

Definitely 'losing my edge', etc, etc.

evilC wrote:

QUOTE:
Zarjaz!

Eh? Wasn't that Madness's post-Stiff record label

It's what Tharg used to say when he was happy.

What's Tharg? (And why am I on the internet asking? I used to be cool.)

Lucia Lanigan wrote:

QUOTE:
What's Tharg? (And why am I on the internet asking? I used to be cool.)

Tharg

He was the editor of 2000AD.

Kind of like an extraterrestrial Wingco.

I see.

ahhh yes zarjazz was indead madness's short lived virgin vanity label.

they loved 2000ad - hence the 80s electro-false horns excess of mutants in megacity one release by the fink brothers that was by the band under a pseudo, and had dredd on the cover.

I bought the remastered Black Secret Technology from HMV a couple of weeks ago for six quid, having listened to a couple of tracks from the tinny original, and was pretty impressed, but the problem is that not having heard much other drum and base, I don't have a point of reference - after hearing BST I feel I could quite legitimately think all D n' B was that good.

The only real drawback with the album is that some of the tracks are too underdeveloped - good ideas fading out anticlimactically after three and a half minutes. That's what I liked so much about Orbital - when they had something good going on, they were masters at building it into a real epic.