From the makers of Sharon Signs To Cherry Red , further inspired by its own Junkshop Glam series and genre defining box set “All The Young Droogs”, RPM follows up with Super Sonics. A celebration of the multi-faceted British alt. rock/pop scene which flourished 1992-1998, midway through attracting the term Brit Pop.
Compiled by DJ, curator and contemporary scenester Martin Green, who ran the London club Smashing during the period. Artists such as Blur, Oasis, Pulp were all attendees, and the club became a breeding ground for many future bands. In parallel Martin compiled and coproduced the genre defining Loungecore compilation The Sound Gallery released on EMI in 1995, using many tracks which had populated the early club sets. Martin tells the full story in the booklet.
Capturing the scene then as Time Out’s nightlife editor, and representing it now with his images on our front cover and inside the booklet is renowned pop culture journalist and club photographer Dave Swindells.
The scene was a fusion. Grunge was out Glam was in. 70's charity shop tops, jeans went skinny, fringes floppy and sportswear vintage donned. Soundtracks, TV themes, Moog grooves, Punk, Indie, Hi Nrg, Glam and New Wave hit the decks. Different aspects of 20th Century musical culture collided to create something new. Super Sonics is a slice of ‘single’ heaven from across the range of musical styles which sprouted. Such styles were referred to as the New Wave Of New Wave, The Scene That Celebrates Itself and more until Brit Pop was coined to cover it all.
The criteria for a successful collectors ‘Junkshop genre’ to evolve is a music scene happening when ‘singles’ were currency, and a tier of artists who didn’t necessarily progress up the charts or into albums but who were fully involved in the scene. Super Sonics includes representations from other key scene clubs such as Blow Up (the label from which is still going today) and Fantasy Ashtray whose nightly host was Davina McCall. Other scene alumni include radio presenter Lauren Laverne - famously emerging from Kenickie; Louis Elliott from Rialto who founded the Port Elliott festival; Ella Guru of the Voodoo Queens - a leading artist of the Stuckist art movement; We Are Pleb (whose track here is previously unreleased) begat TV sensation Dennis Pennis by way of singer Paul Kaye and Paul Jones guitarist with Linoleum and later Elastica who now guides today’s artists as A&R at Rough Trade Records.
In Super Sonics Martin Green has compiled a compelling listening experience. And it’s very Brit: Dave Devant is the 90s Alan Klein (the 60s Londoner whose LP “Well At Least It’s British” inspired Damon Albarn’s “Modern Life is Rubbish”); other songs dwell on London Girls, the virtues of Pimlico and a Penthouse in Belgravia; and Earl Brutus request Take me to your Harvester...
