As the dust settled following the punk rock explosion, countless new genres began to solidify and coalesce. Chief among these, in a field of its own, was Synth Pop – a suitably descriptive umbrella for the new electronic pop sound which had emerged over the previous couple of years.

Originally considered a novelty, or perhaps the eccentric sound of the laboratory technician, 1980 saw Synth Pop shake off the stigma and become the most vital, modern and energetic musical movement on the planet. From upbeat disco evolutions to ice cold post-punk expressions, dancefloors, record racks and the music press soon filled with unusual and futuristic new artists, many of whom found homes with major labels, a long way from the independent DIY aesthetic which predominated.

"Musik Music Musique" captures a snapshot of this milestone moment in music. Independent novelties and curiosities sit alongside big budget pop perfection. Artists who would go on to sell millions take their first steps into this new landscape whilst others make the briefest contribution before the wave moves on. For every too-cool-for-school Human League there is a so-far-out-it’s-in Yello. For every Kim Wilde a Kevin Harrison. In retrospect, the speed at which these new instruments and production techniques were absorbed by such a variety of artists astounds and confounds.

Not to be confused with so many synth-pop-by-numbers budget releases, "Musik Music Musique" is an essential and insightful compendium of a place and time unique in musical chronology. Within a year, electronic pop was the rule rather than the exception, but for now it was as cutting edge and unfamiliar as anything heard since Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville first unveiled his Phonautograph in 1857.

TRACKLISTING:

DISC ONE

01. MESSAGES - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
02. MUSIK, MUSIC, MUSIQUE – Zeus
03. COITUS INTERRUPTUS – Fad Gadget
04. COMPUTED MAN – Xynn
05. METAL LOVE – Rod Vey
06. VENDOR'S BOX – Gina X Performance
07. LAWNCHAIRS – Our Daughter's Wedding
08. TOKYO – Science
09. ONLY AFTER DARK – The Human League
10. VICTIMS OF THE RIDDLE – Toyah
11. DCT DREAMS – Nick Nicely
12. DIAMONDS, FUR COAT, CHAMPAGNE – Suicide
13. WAITING – Ultravox
14. MONEY – Moebius
15. FALLING YEARS - The Fallout Club
16. DA VORNE STEHT NE AMPEL – Der Plan
17. NO, NOTHING, NEVER - Dark Day
18. SONS AND LOVERS – Hazel O'Connor
19. SYMPATHY - Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls

DISC TWO

01. GLOW - Spandau Ballet
02. OFFICIAL SECRETS – M
03. CHIP N ROLL – Silicon Teens
04. GALACTICA – Rockets
05. TUNING IN TUNING ON – Kim Wilde
06. EUROPEAN MAN – Landscape
07. CAN'T YOU TAKE A JOKE? HA HA HI HI! - Henriette Coulouvrat
08. A CIRCUIT LIKE ME – The Metronomes
09. NO ONE DRIVING – John Foxx
10. KEBABTRÄUME – D.A.F.
11. HARMONITALK – Gary Sloan And Clone
12. YELLOW PEARL - Philip Lynott
13. DALEK I LOVE YOU [DESTINY] – Dalek I
14. MANNEQUIN – Taxi Girl
15. THIS WORLD OF WATER – New Musik
16. QUIET LIFE – Japan
17. CHASE THE DRAGON – Kevin Harrison
18. DISKOMO – The Residents

DISC THREE

01. ASTROBOY [AND THE PROLES ON PARADE] – Buggles
02. MANNEQUIN – Berlin Blondes
03. A CERTAIN WAY TO GO – The Passage
04. BETWEEN – Sic
05. BIMBO – Yello
06. IMAGES OF DELUSION – Genocide
07. THE LONELY SPY – Lori And The Chameleons
08. LUCY – Craze
09. I'M A COMPUTER – The Goo-Q
10. DOCTOR …? - Blood Donor
11. BRUSHING YOUR HAIR – Alex Fergusson
12. DRAWN AND QUARTERED – The Korgis
13. MIND OF A TOY – Visage
14. D'YA THINK I'M SEXY – British Standard Unit
15. LIVING WILD - Mataya Clifford
16. PRIVATE LIVES – Systems
17. THE EYES HAVE IT – Karel Fialka
18. SUIS-JE NORMALE - Nini Raviolette
19. CHINA BLUE VISION – Eyeless In Gaza
20. THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING – The Red Squares
21. DAMPFRIEMEN - La Dusseldorf