Needle Time

  Hula - Voice [REDLP 75 UK 1987 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Always best to go out on a high I'd say (if you forget about a misplaced Voodoo Chile cover of course). Hula's final album, Voice is full of worthy highlights - it is a broodingly powerful & complex record, heavier on the technics and pounding beats than their previous. All that seems to be missing is a full-time bass player.  Cut Me Loose and Poison are classic Hula compositions and the single versions will follow on soon, however it's the melodic and somehow haunting  Cold Stare which gets me every time. I've always though this record (produced by Daniel Miller) deserves much more attention & praise. Copies can still be found cheaply on the open market and whilst I am aware the industrial musical world was changing in 1987 (for the worst in my humble opinion), Hula had their place as one of the key acts from the genre. I fear this band's legacy is being ruined by those awful brick-walled compact d...

  Hula - Black Wall Blue [REDT72 UK 1986 24-Bit 176.4 kHz FLAC] The introduction of Darrel D'Silva on saxophone moved the Hula sound briefly close to that of contemporaries Chakk on their Black Wall Blue single. Complex rhythm patterns and slapped basslines, combined with twin vocalists made Black Wall Blue a slow brooding number which stands out today as one of their best singles. The single is backed with the more industrial track Stocky & the horror movie soundtrack inspired 2 A.M. A1 Black Wall Blue B1 Stocky B2 2.A.M.

  Hula - Freeze Out [RED T64 UK 1986 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Back to the Hula re-rips and the first of two twelve inch singles today. Freeze Out was a development of the earlier track Sour Eden , initially recorded for a VPRO radio session in The Netherlands (to save you checking, only the live version was included on 1000 Hours ) and a BBC Radio John Peel session. Both of those session tracks appear of this record. The Hula sound was continually developing, whilst still using regular instruments such as live drums, bass and horns, more & more electronics became more prominent as the releases progressed. This direction was pointing the band towards the growing indie music club dancefloor, however I'm not too sure how you dance to this track. Not A Second Glance was recorded in Holland and reflected more on their early Cabaret Voltaire influenced work. A1 Freeze Out (Club Version) B1 Freeze Out (Radio Version) B2 Not A Second Glance

  Hula - 1000 Hours [REDLP 63 UK 1986 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I last ripped this double album over ten years ago in June 2013, it has been another one of my most requested re-posts since and I've been devilishly resisting the calls. Today, I've just finished a whole new rip of one my favourite moments in Hula history. In theory Hula only recorded three albums proper, but many would agree that 1000 Hours is more than just a compilation of live and session work. This double album is formed from a powerful and energetic live performance at The Melkweg in Amsterdam in early 1985, four session tracks from Dutch radio station VPRO, and one side of new experimental recordings laid down in the studio during the same tour.  Sides one and two are from the mixing desk at the Melkweg gig and show just how well Hula transferred their layered and powerful industrial beats onto the live stage, with live drums, bass and guitar which helped them stand out amongst their Sheffield peers. The ban...

  Hula - Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass [REDT 62 UK 1985 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Hula rework their Motor City Nightmare with quite a bit of help from Hamilton Bohannon's Let Start To Dance (Again) , which was a popular dance reissue around the same time. The track is a personal favourite from Hula's repertoire as it reveals a more commercial side to their dark heavy industrial funk. This is another new rip for the Hula collectors and disco fans everywhere. The message is in the muuuuuuuusic! A1  Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass B1  Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass (Version)

  Hula - Get The Habit [REDT 56 UK 1985 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] It is time to get back to my Hula rips, mostly in chronological order for all those original and new fans among followers. This is a new rip and an upgrade on my June 2021 rip of their 4th single, Get The Habit backed with the pulsating Bad Blood . Further evidence that Hula didn't want fame, popularity or your money... they just wanted your attention. A1 Get The Habit B1    Bad Blood

  Hula - Shadowland [REDLP 71 UK 1986 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I have been slowly working my way through re-rips of the Hula back catelogue (I have nearly everything) in order of release, however I am going to jump briefly out of sequence for this post because I've realised that I had never ripped this album before. Shadowland comprises two lengthy untitled live improvisations recorded at The Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield England on the 26th August 1985. The band were commissioned to assemble live quadrophonic sound sculptures for the British Arts Council's touring Noise In Your Eye exhibition. This album is a stereo recording of the event.  This is not easy listening, nor is it your usual funk-infused industrial-dub Hula.. A1 Untitled B1 Untitled

  Hula - Murmur [REDLP 53 UK 1984 24-Bit 176.4kHz  FLAC] Here is a brand new rip of Hula's finest moment, in detail which I have never heard before. You don't need any other version of this record.  Sheffield's Hula were formed in 1981 by Mark Albrow, Alan Fish and Ron Wright. They all shared a house/squat with the Cab's Stephen Mallinder and Paul Widger (guitarist with They must be Russians, Clock DVA & The Box), which they named The Hula Kula. The band went through three bass players, Alan Watt, Chris Brain and Mark Brydon ( more well known for his later work with Chakk & Moloko), and original drummer Alan Fish was replaced by Nort (both drummed for the Cabs). The immense and intense Murmur album was their most significant, fusing cut ups, samples, pounding rhythms, hard slap bass & vocal paranoia blended into a hard, industrial white-boy funk beat. The band's sound developed more commercially with each release and with three John Peel Sessions they f...

  Hula - Fever Car [RED T47 UK 1984 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Last week's Hula rips seem to have caught the interest of many blog followers, this afternoon I returned to a single which I last ripped in 2012 - a brand new high resolution rip should go down well with many of you. The grinding electro-industrial-funk of Fever Car was possibly the band's best known single from their Murmur period, which eventually got the Sheffield troupe a slot supporting Depeche Mode on tour in 1986. More Hula soon, as time allows. A1 (No One Leaves The) Fever Car B1 In The Shutout B2 Bats Lost .....Bloodrush B3 Hard Stripes

  Hula - Cut From Inside [RED 35 UK 1983 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Here is the debut long player from industrial art-funk noise terrorists Hula in a sound quality well beyond my expectations. I am hearing many more ingredients in this very complicated, detailed and dynamic recording.  The four tracks on each side flow cohesively, blending abstract rhythms, funk bass (supplied by the thumbs of Chakk's Mark Brydon), distressed voices, overdubs and loops. Cut From The Inside is an intensive listening experience which works well with good quality headphones or in the full room listening environment. I am hearing much more on this rip than my old 2013 rip, which was produced back then with inferior equipment. A1 Flesh Metal A2 Mother Courage A3 Church Juice A4 Murder In The Clean States B1 Release The Grip B2 Dirt Talk B3 Stretch The Attitude B4 Subliminal

  Hula - Black Pop Workout [RED 18 UK 1982 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Those expecting something mainstream on a Tuesday had best look away.... Last ripped for my old ESWA blog back from around 2011, I am turning my attention to Sheffield abstract ensemble Hula for the next two rips. I will feature virtually their entire back catelogue of releases in a run of posts over the next few weeks. No better place to begin than with their first commercial release for Red Rhino Records back in 1982. The band's debut EP was recorded and mixed at Western Works & their own Hula Kula studio in 1981/2 and produced by Stephen Mallinder & Chris Watson from Cabaret Voltaire. It's a low fidelity, dark & experimental affair, much in the vein of early Cabs, but with a greater use of guitar, bass & drums and less electronics, a direction the Cabs were to sample on their subsequent 2X45 album, which coincidentally featured both Hula drummers, Alan Fish and Nort. A1 Feeding The Animal A2...

  Hula - Get The Habit [REDT 56 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] In all my ripping years, I believe that I have ripped just about everything by noise industrialists Hula. It seems that I may have over looked this single, released back in 1985 on Red Rhino Records. So here it is .....as noisy and obtusely funky as ever, Hula unleash a barrage of noise-funk on the unsuspecting listener. This is for everybody else! Shadowland was also overlooked, so that will appear when time allows. A1  Get The Habit B1    Bad Blood

  Hula - Murmur [REDLP 53 UK 1984 24-Bit FLAC] Ladies & gentleman, I am pleased to welcome the return of the mighty Hula. It has been ten years since I last put my needle to Murmur with the intention of a rip. Here is a new 2021 rip of this important album by Sheffield's industrial noise-funk terrorists.  Sheffield's Hula were formed in 1981 by Mark Albrow, Alan Fish and Ron Wright. They all shared a house/squat with the Cab's Stephen Mallinder and Paul Widger (guitarist with They must be Russians, Clock DVA & The Box), which they named The Hula Kula. The band went through three bass players, Alan Watt, Chris Brain and Mark Brydon ( more well known for his later work with Chakk & Moloko), and original drummer Alan Fish was replaced by Nort (both drummed for the Cabs). The immense and intense Murmur album was their most significant, fusing cut ups, samples, pounding rhythms, hard slap bass & vocal paranoia blended into a hard, industrial white-boy funk bea...

Hula - Cut Me Loose [REDT 80 UK 1987 24-Bit FLAC] Hula's final single (before their aborted attempt at commercialism) was released as a five track EP, and included two live tracks recorded at Wembley Arena when they supported Depeche Mode. Annoyingly, Discogs refers to our beloved Hula as Hula(2) ...don't you just hate that? Apparently the coveted number one slot is given to a acid house knob twiddler also known as Hot Hands Hula who released this single. A1 Cut Me Loose A2 Cut Me Up B1 Burn It Out B2 Invisible (Live) B3 Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass (Live)

Hula - Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass [REDT 62 UK 1985 24-Bit FLAC] There are a couple of Hula singles in my collection which never made it onto the original ESWA blog.  One of these was  Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass where  Hula rework their Motor City Nightmare with quite a bit of help from Hamilton Bohannon. This rip did appear on the ESWA 2.0 forum in March 2018. A1 Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass B1 Walk On Stalks Of Shattered Glass (Version)