14 Oct 2017
The all-night party just goes on 
Factory Records May 1980 release schedule

May 20, 1980

RELEASE SCHEDULE

Friday 23rd May
FAC 18 Section 25 "Girls Don't Count" 7" 45/33rpm
FACT 14 Durutti Column "Return"; new sleeve, reissue 12" 33rpm
FACT 16 A Certain Ratio "GAB"; new style plastic wallet case

Friday 30th May
FAC 28 Joy Division "Komakino" free flexi-disc 7" 45rpm

Friday 6th June
FAC 17 Crawling Chaos "Sex Machine" 7" 45 rpm

Friday 13th June
FAC 23 Joy Division "Love Will Tear Us Apart" 7" 45/33rpm

Friday 27th June
FACT 25 Joy Division "Closer" 12" 33rpm

FACTORY RECORDS (US) INC SCHEDULE

Friday 30th May
FACTUS 1 Joy Division "Unknown Pleasures" P&D's by R.TradeUS

Friday 13th June
FACUS 2 Joy Division "She's Lost Control" 12" 45rpm by RTUS

Friday 4th July
FACTUS 3 The Durutti Column "The Return of...." 12" 33rpm (Antilles)

Friday 11th July
FACUS 4 A Certain Ratio "Do the Du (casse)" 12" 45rpm (Antilles)

With regards to recent events, we feel there is very little we want to say. The feelings of Ian's friends and colleagues are private and should remain so. We'd like to thank all the people who abet us in record production, the journalists, broadcasters and friends from other companies and bands who have expressed their sympathy. For the young people who loved the music, we hope that some of the above releases help with that empty feeling that we are all going through.

The all-night party just goes on.

--

Transcript of Factory Records release schedule dated May 20, 1980 (2 days after the death of Ian Curtis) from the AHW archive.

View the full May 1980 release schedule.

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10 Jul 2014
So This is Permanence - Lyrics and Notebooks 
So This is Permanence - Lyrics and Notebooks

Edited by Jon Savage and with a foreword by Deborah Curtis, this book is scheduled for publication by Faber on 2 October.

The book will feature Ian Curtis's lyrics of Joy Division's songs interspersed with previously unpublished facsimile pages of Ian's notebooks.

So This is Permanence is available to pre-order now via Amazon.co.uk.

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7 Nov 2013
Ian Curtis's kitchen table on eBay 
One of the more unusual FAC-related items to have ever come up for sale is up for sale again on eBay.

It's the original kitchen table which belonged to Debbie and Ian Curtis when they lived in Barton Street, Macclesfield.

There are just under 6 days left to bid on this unique item and the current bid is 2,550 GBP.

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2 Nov 2012
Peter Blake & Pop Music (& Kevin Cummins) 
The Lowry in Salford hosts a celebration of art, pop music and the life of one of Britain's most influential and best loved artists. Peter Blake and Pop Music runs from Saturday 10 November 2012 to Sunday 24 February 2013, showing music-inspired work spanning more than half a century.

Of particular interest to Factory Records and Joy Division fans will be a special collaboration with renowned rock and roll photographer, Kevin Cummins. The legendary NME photographer gave Blake permission to use an iconic, black and white image of Joy Divison's Ian Curtis, taken in the band's rehearsal room in 1979, to create a new piece of work using diamond dust.

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Kevin Cummins and Peter Blake

Of the collaboration Cummins says: "The gallery that represents me is also Peter's and they approached me to see if I'd allow him to use one of my pictures. I didn't really have to think about it, with an artist like Peter Blake you're not going to say no, so I handed the photo to him to do as he wished.

"The collaboration is quite unusual as I'm used to my pictures being used in a clean way. I don't usually allow people to crop or edit them, so I was really pleased to see the results and find that Peter's use of the image was so respectful. He said that he found the image so strong that he could only put diamond dust around the edge of the photograph, rather than affect the focus of the image."

Also included in the exhibition which marks the 80th birthday of the Godfather of Pop Art, are props used on the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, a portrait of The Beatles themselves, artwork for the 2006 Oasis retrospective Stop the Clocks and Paul Weller's Stanley Road album plus much more.

Peter Blake Pop Music
The Lowry
Pier 8
Salford Quays
Greater Manchester
M50 3AZ

Tel: 0843 208 6000

The Love Will Tear Us Apart artwork is available to buy in a limited edition of 75 copies priced £1,200 direct from Atelier, Rose and Gray in Ramsbottom.

Peter Blake with Love Will Tear Us Apart by Kevin Cummins and Peter Blake

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7 Mar 2011
Closer to Hooky - The Interview 
Peter Hook talks to Cerysmatic Factory about the just-announced 1102/2011 E.P., Closer - Live, the black arts, post-nuclear attack and, er, chapeaux:

CF: The vibe of Closer is at times spooky. This would have been the case regardless of what came to pass. But what I want to know is, were any of Joy Division or the people present at the recording of the album involved in any... er, occult activities? There is a whiff of brimstone in there, whether or not it's intentional.

PH: An interesting question........... we have all dabbled with the black arts at one point or other but i can safely say that at this point only Martin Hannett was not of this planet. The whiff you smell is not brimstone but possibly worry and confusion.

Martin Hannett's production on Closer still sounds incredible. Was there some kind of breakthrough before or during the recording that made it sound that way, or did the sound naturally emerge?

As is the way of great men, you never know whether they know what they are doing or not? As my mother you to say: "If you can't fight, wear a big hat". He had a very big hat on. I think he knew what he wanted to try and after all the early Factory stuff and 'Unknown Pleasures', he must have been quite confident in his abilities. The interesting thing with 'Closer' was that some of the songs were sketchy so he had much more input into the music, the keyboards specifically. He taught Bernard how to layer and think outside the box in a way. He was also experimenting more with the early ARP sequencers for drums and early ARP Quadra synthesisers.

Did Hannett favour any band members over the others? [I know nothing about recording studio politics, so maybe it's a non-question. In an interview for Scream City 4, John Dowie said that Martin Hannett seemed as if he was 'behind a wall of very thick glass'. This may have been a joke, Dowie talking about the glass in the studio, or maybe he meant that Martin was somehow present and yet remote in his dealings with him.]

No, he treated us all with the same disdain. He was a very obtuse man. It was his way. He had a wicked sense of humour that only he seemed to understand. He was good with Ian though but on 'Closer' he hated me and Barney because we were working to get our ideas in. The portrayal in 'Control' was correct: Bernard and I would take it in turns to suggest things which he took as criticism. I know what Dowie means........

When New Order started producing their own stuff, it seemed like a new magic started to happen. Did you use techniques learnt from Hannett? If so, which ones?

Bernard and I learnt all we could from Martin. As his behaviour got worse we knew we couldn't carry on working with him so we soaked it up like a sponge and used his tricks and techniques as much as possible. What he did teach us was not to be afraid to experiment and believe in what you're doing. Bullshit baffles brains, etc, etc. Go for it. I think we took it further really. I would work on the production with Mike Johnson our engineer and Barney would come up with the mad ideas. We were a great team on the early LPs. I won't get too technical about it though.

Did Tony Wilson provide any guidance during the recording of Closer? And after the recording was finished, did he criticise any of it?

Him and Rob were always there, Rob in particular. Rob much preferred being with the musicians wherever they were rather than be in an office. I think they were both confident that between us we would do a good job. To my knowledge the only criticism was from me and Barney. I got a shock when I learnt of the letter from Ian saying he wasn't happy with it. I thought he was.

How aware were you at the time just how phenomenally far the band had developed in the few years between the time it started an the release of Closer? And after Closer, was there any fear of failure?

Yes, I think we knew we were writing better songs, we had seen that develop. To be honest the songwriting in Joy Division was always easy but we were not thinking about being successful. We were happy doing what we were doing but our main fear throughout 'Closer' was Ian's illness.

The new E.P. by The Light features the 'lost' track 'Pictures in my Mind'. How did that come about and how far developed was the track from all those years ago when you rediscovered it? What kind of state was the tape in and did any vocals by Ian exist?

Yes there were vocals on it. I plan put the original on the fac51thehacienda.com so people can compare it. To be honest it had all the elements needed to finish so it so I can't understand why we didn't.

The tape in question was lent to someone in trust by Rob Gretton. I don't know the details but the guy copied it and passed it round a rather elite bunch of Joy Division bootleg fans and then someone in the inner circle leaked it and a nice American kid called Seth passed it back to me. He also transcribed the lyrics for me. Thanks Seth. All I did was sing it and make it make sense bar and order wise. The lads in The Light helped me with it and Jack plays bass on it. I don't know where the tape is or even what format it was on: cassette, reel to reel or what?

How did you decide the other Joy Division tracks to include on the E.P.?

That was easy. Rowetta has been helping me out since the start. I think she does a beautiful job and I'm always trying to get her to sing more so I can play bass. A lot of people had been asking her to record them so the idea was there. The problem is it's hard to justify the expense of recording because you do not earn the money back. Nevertheless I'm glad to be doing it. The sleeve is great. It's done by a graphic artist called James Chadderton who specialises in post-nuclear attack drawings of Manchester and it was recorded on the 11 Feb 2011 hence 11022011 as somebody pointed out the date was a palindrome and it worked as a concept.

After the Unknown Pleasures gigs, Closer is the obvious progression but what new challenges does playing the whole of Closer present?

'Closer' is more delicate and uses the 6-string bass a lot so it's a different vibe. When I began with 'Unknown Pleasures' I never thought we would pull it off but Nat, Andy, Paul and Jack along with Phil worked really hard and we did. I know we will do the same with 'Closer'.

What kind of approach will you take to playing the whole of what is overall a very dark album? Will you be faithful to the original or take a new direction?

What I do is take our original and incorporate Martin Hannett's sound in the performance. It's our songs with a shared sound. I do use a lot of Martin's effects so it sounds like the record. I am very, very aware of the respect that people hold for these records and I would never insult their intelligence by doing it half arsed. 'Closer' is one of my favourite records ever made alongside Nico 'Chelsea Girls', Lou Reed 'Berlin', Ian Dury 'New Boots and Panties'. And John Cale 'Paris 1919'.

Are you going to add any other non-Closer tracks that weren't done on the Unknown Pleasures into the set on this tour?

Yes. Dead Souls, Exercise One, Incubation, From Safety to Where, Autosuggestion, Ice Age, Walked in Line.

Of all the people who've approached you to say that they're a Joy Division fan, who's been the most unlikely?

I am so happy whenever anyone says it to me i dont think that way. I now get young and old, male and female. I don't care... It's a great compliment to all four of us that people hold the group and the music in such high regard.

CF: Manchester: since the death of Tony Wilson it feels like a different place. No better, no worse. Just different. Statue? I say, no thanks. Tony, to me, was a kick the statues kind of a guy. What do you think?

I think he would be secretly pleased. Please do one of me though when I've gone and come and kick it!

We're already 14 months into a new, as yet unnamed/uncharacterised decade. Any plans?

I am happy at the moment. The past rears its ugly head but the people I work with make me strong. It's great to be playing the songs again. As for the world I'm sitting here in Doha Airport on my way back from Jakarta and watching the Middle East crumble is a frightening prospect that will mark the decade. Love Hooky '11.

--

Thanks to Hooky and James. Special thanks to Cerysmatic's Size 7¼ Closer Consultant Ian McCartney.

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Insight on the 1102/2011 EP by The Light 
Peter Hook's The Light featuring Rowetta will release their debut EP digitally via Hacienda Records on Monday 2 May 2011. The palindromically-titled 1102 / 2011 EP was recorded by the band and Rowetta on 11.02.2011 at Blueprint Studio in Salford. It features the first ever recording of a previously unfinished Joy Division track Pictures In My Mind with vocals by Peter Hook and three tracks which highlight Rowetta's unique vocal talents: Insight, New Dawn Fades and Atmosphere.

Tracklisting

1. Pictures In My Mind (vocals by Peter Hook)
2. Insight (vocals by Rowetta)
3. New Dawn Fades (vocals by Rowetta)
4. Atmosphere (vocals by Rowetta)

Pictures In My Mind was an unfinished Joy Division track which was unearthed by the band's "bootleg society" from a rehearsal tape stolen in 1977, setting it between Warsaw and Unknown Pleasures. The track was first performed by The Light at the opening night of The Factory in February 2011 with Hooky mindful of Ian Curtis's maxim that one started a song should always be finished, he takes the vocal himself to finish up the track.

Having performed with the band consistently since 2007 at events such as Versus Cancer, 1234 Festival, Vintage and The Factory gigs, The EP features The Light's regular guest vocalist Rowetta, across three of the classic Joy Division tracks which she has been consistently singing live with the band, Insight, New Dawn Fades and Atmosphere.

Having received great reviews for her vocal performances from Joy Division fans, Factory aficionados and her own fan base, Hooky decided to record Rowetta's unique renditions of these tracks late last year, and she joined the band at Blueprint to lay down the vocals in February 2011.

Peter Hook's The Light features Peter Hook on vocals and bass, Jack Bates on bass, Nat Wason on guitar, Andy Poole on keyboards and Paul Kehoe on drums.

--

More info at www.fac51thehacienda.com and www.peterhook.co.uk.

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2 Nov 2010
10 + - 7" = Joy Division vinyl box set 
Rhino has confirmed details of a Joy Division 10x 7" vinyl box set entitled + - to be released on 6 December in Standard and Deluxe formats and is intended as a tribute to Ian Curtis. Free downloadable high quality mp3s are also part of the deal for purchasers of the physical box set.

This new collection consists of ten vinyl 7" singles (some of which replicate tracks originally released in this format over thirty years ago) in a special presentation box. The music has been remastered from the original tapes by Stephen Morris and Frank Arkwright (Metropolis Studios). The tracklisting is compiled by Jon Savage (England's Dreaming, Joy Division) and everything is brought together under the creative direction of who else but Peter Saville.

+- is a numbered limited edition of 5000 copies. The Deluxe version, numbers 1-500, will contain a limited edition Peter Saville art piece as well as two exclusive promotional CDs + and -.

Tracklisting

1. Warsaw b/w Leaders Of Men
2. No Love Lost b/w Failures
3. Digital b/w Glass
4. Autosuggestion b/w From Safety To Where
5. Transmission b/w Novelty
6. Atmosphere b/w Dead Souls
7. Komakino b/w Incubation & As You Said
8. Love Will Tear Us Apart b/w These Days
9. She's Lost Control (12-inch Version) b/w Love Will Tear Us Apart 2 (Pennine Version)
10. Isolation b/w Heart And Soul

Thanks to Tim for spotting.

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29 Oct 2010
A Polite Joy Division postcards competition 
Joy Division, Polite Cards' latest set of postcards featuring the work of Kevin Cummins (following on from the Manchester and Liverpool boxed collections) is also their most impressive. Housed in a dark grey 'hessian'-style box reminiscent of a cut-down-in-size entry in the Factory Records cassette box series, the 20 black and white A6-sized postcards on quality card stock are presented in suitably reverential fashion. A simple black ribbon poking out to facilitate the easy removal of the cards is a lovely touch.

Understandably, half of the cards feature Ian Curtis and the most iconic shots we know and love are all present and correct (Ian dancing on stage at the Leigh Rock Festival, Ian seated and smoking a cigarette, Ian close-up smoking a cigarette and looking into the lens) but we also get several less familiar shots, both in performance and rehearsal.

The other half of the collection includes various group shots of Joy Division in rehearsal at TJ Davidson's and several of the classic shots from the famous snowbound Hulme 'Joy Division footbridge' shoot.

However, perhaps the most interesting is of a relaxed looking Joy Division sitting together and looking relaxed (and decidedly normal) at Art & Furniture in Manchester in January 1979. This was on the same day as the Hulme shoot but after the snow, as Kevin Cummins explained to Cerysmatic Factory:

"It was after the snow. I wanted to be safe and get some indoor shots in case they [the NME] wouldn't use the snow pics. It was a shop in town. Art & Furniture was owned by Jonathan Silver who owned a couple of, er, boutiques in Manchester. I'd bought a suit off him and Ian bought his wedding suit. It was all very-anti rock 'n' roll - that shot looks like it's shot in a gentleman's club or something...."

If you didn't have the cash to splash out on one (or all) of Kevin's large prints from his Arca exhibition or the Juvenes coffee table art book, then this box set is a highly recommended medium budget option.

We have one copy of Joy Division by Kevin Cummins courtesy of those lovely people at Polite Cards. All you have to do is answer this simple question, which in time-honoured tradition is set by none other than Kevin Cummins:

Which of the four members of Joy Division was the last to join the band?

Answers please by email to reach us no later than 22:00 GMT on Sunday 14 November 2010. Usual Cerysmatic Factory competition rules apply - only one entry per person and the winner will be pulled out the Cerysmatic hat shortly after the closing deadline. Good luck!

Joy Division by Kevin Cummins is available to buy now online from the Polite Cards Shop for delivery from 1 November 2010.

--

Postcard Box Set Special Boxed Edition
20 Postcards
148 x 105 mm / A6
Hand Made Box
Printed in England
RRP £25

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28 Sept 2010
The Last Tape 
The Last Tape is a new commission by British artist Haroon Mirza. The work, comprising film and sculptural assemblage, sews together Krapp’s Last Tape (a one-act play written by Samuel Beckett) and Mirza’s exploration of post-punk pioneers Joy Division.

The Last Tape, featuring actor and musician Richard ‘Kid’ Strange, is a reinterpretation of Beckett’s play in which its protagonist, Krapp, looks back at the events of his life as recorded onto tape each birthday. Using previously unrecorded lyrics written by Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, the film depicts Strange enacting the lyrics onto magnetic tape. Strange engages with both the lyrical content and the audible sounds created by the accompanying sculptural works, which includes furniture, turntable, radio, and LCD screen stripped of its backlight and casing, in a performative manner. An awkwardly balanced strobe intermittently illuminates the screen, indirectly referencing Curtis’ epilepsy.

The exhibition is presented in VIVID’s project space in Eastside, Birmingham from Thursday 23 September to Saturday 16 October 2010.

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18 Sept 2010
Closer 
Well that didn't last long.

Ithaca, the yuppie playground on John Dalton Street that was once Rare Records (ex-employee Ian Curtis), appears to have lost it's shine, closed it's doors and is now up for grabs - offers in the region of GBP900k.

Bargain, considering the original fit-out costs originally reported here.

Thankfully, the nearby John Dalton Cafe - now rebranded as Essy's - is still a going concern.

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15 Jul 2010
Joy Division - Les Bains Douches (For Ian) 
This just in from our friends at Part Time Punks:

In honour of Ian Curtis's birthday tomorrow (he would've been 54), our friends at the Part Time Punks radio show on on KXLU (88.9FM in Los Angeles or via kxlu.com everywhere else) will be playing the entire 15 track gig by Joy Division in Paris at Les Bains Douches on 18 December 1979, from 3-6pm Pacific Standard Time.

Mike from Part Time Punks explains the provenance of this recording: "This gig has NEVER been broadcast in its entirety before and is NOT available anywhere else. The concert was recorded from the soundboard professionally by France Inter Radio for a program by Benard Lenoir, but he has never broadcast more than a dozen of the tracks (some in 1979 and some more just a few months back on the anniversary of Ian's passing). And only 9 of these tracks were included on the LP/CD release by MMC/Get back in 2001, and in lesser quality. So. With no exaggeration, I can tell you: this will be a world premiere."

The rest of the programme will be devoted to bands who were inspired by Joy Division, from labelmates A Certain Ratio, Section 25 and Crispy Ambulance to lost DIY greats from either side of the pond: Endgame, Young Weasels, Razor Penguins, In-Sex, Soviet Sex, Punctured Tough Guy, etc, etc.

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24 May 2010
Unknown Pleasures photo gallery Part 2 
Check out Kevin Hewick's photos taken at The Factory on 18 May during the soundcheck for Peter Hook and The Light and in the boardroom at the Ian Curtis / Joy Division exhibition.

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19 May 2010
Free screening of Control on MCR big screen 
Screenfields 2010 kicks off in Spinningfields, Manchester with a special showing of Anton Corbijn's Control.

All are welcome and you can even hire deckchairs. Film starts at 8.30pm.

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17 May 2010
Ian Curtis Exhibition Factory photo gallery 
Thanks to moist for the excellent images of the Ian Curtis exhibition now running at The Factory until Wednesday 19 May which are now in a photo gallery.

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16 May 2010
Ian Curtis Macclesfield exhibition back on 
Thanks to Tel on the Message Board for the news that the exhibition about Ian Curtis / Joy Division exhibition at the Macclesfield Museum is back on after being cancelled due to funding issues.

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6 Apr 2010
Fotoreportage23 - In Search of Ian Curtis 
German photographer Katja Ruge exhibits her photo project fotoreportage23 – in search of ian curtis on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the death of Ian Curtis at the kulturreich Galerie in Hamburg, Germany.

The exhibition is based on the book of the same title with 23 locations and 23 portraits of friends, companions, and contemporary bands such as Mark E. Smith, Annik Honoré, Terry Mason, Bloc Party, José González, and Tony Wilson paired with their handwritten stories and personal thoughts about Ian Curtis and Joy Division.

A full associated programme of events in cooperation with the kulturreich Galerie, the Hamburger Fotobuchtagen and Hamburg's club scene will accompany the exhibition.

Katja Ruge was born in Hamburg and is a freelance photographer. More info at www.katjaruge.de.

Exhibition dates at kulturreich Galerie Hamburg

18 May, 7pm: Exhibition launch party: music by DJ Benny Ruess, (revolverclub)
19 May – 6 June: fotoreportage23 – in search of ian curtis – photo project by Katja Ruge
6 June, 3pm: Book presentation – part of the Fotobuchtage, kulturreich Galerie
6 June, 5pm: Sarah Blackwood (Client) + Chris Wilkie (Dubstar) in concert, kulturreich Galerie, admission 5 euro

Additional events

21 May, 12am: Lovegang goes Hacienda – a loving tribute with special guest, Uebel & Gefährlich, Turmzimmer
22 May 2010: PartyNight: revolverclub meets Fotoreportage23, Uebel & Gefährlich

--

kulturreich Galerie
Wexstraße 28
20355 Hamburg
Germany

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6 Mar 2010
...the present is well out of hand 
The 4 March 2010 paper version of the Manchester Evening News also revealed that the Macclesfield Joy Division Festival - also set to commemorate the death of Ian Curtis through a six-week series of events in May 2010 - are GBP 40,000 short of the GBP 200,000 needed to go-ahead.

Potential patrons should contact the Silk Heritage Trust.

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31 Jul 2008
Replaced 
Ian Curtis's memorial stone, stolen from Macclesfield Cemetery at the beginning of July, has been replaced.

The font is now sans serif.

Stephen Morris is quoted in the Macclesfield Express article as saying: "I am glad there is a replacement as I often go to visit the cemetery but it was a shock that the old one had gone".

The search goes on for the original, "But since a fruitless raid on a house in Winsford there have been no new clues as to its whereabouts".

Thanks to Alexandra.

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1 Mar 2008
Dirty Disco 
LTM releases 'Dirty Disco', the first 'best of' collection from Section 25 this March.

It marks 30 years of SXXV and features tracks from all phases, line-ups and albums, as well as an exclusive new 'lounge' version of 'Knew Noise'.

Featured producers include Martin Hannett, Bernard Sumner, Donald Johnson and Ian Curtis.

The booklet includes archive images, an SXXV appreciation by John Robb, 15 tracks and 67 minutes of music.

--

LTMCD 2515 'Dirty Disco (Best Of)
Release date: March 2008

Tracklisting

Knew Noise
Up To You
Dirty Disco
New Horizon
Haunted
Wretch
Sakura
Warhead
Beating Heart
Looking From A Hilltop (Remix)
Reflection
Bad News Week
Power Base
Winterland II
Knew Noise (Lounge Version)

Available direct from LTM and in good record shops priced 10.00 GBP.

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9 Mar 2007
Living like an Outlaw 
Sean Harris and Lennie James, who played Ian Curtis and Alan Erasmus in 24 Hour Party People, form part of the supporting cast (to Sean Bean's lead) in the new Nick Love film 'Outlaw'.

Jim White, in The Word, picks out Harris for special commendation and says that he is "in danger of cornering the market in unhinged movie loonies".

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