Soul Mining

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Featuring a host of talented musicians, including JG Thirwell (aka Foetus, Manorexia and Steroid Maximus), Zeke Manyika (Orange Juice), electronic DIY pioneer Thomas Leer and Jools Holland, Johnson set out with a clear vision in mind – to produce an album that felt cinematic; a record of width, depth and texture and one which avoided the mundane line-up of the day of two guitars, bass and drums. For as much as I try to expand my taste, I invariably find that the early 80s largely defines it. As such, I've had great success mining that period of music for "new" discoveries, and Soul Mining falls squarely in that camp. What makes it such an exciting find is that its confluence of new wave, synth pop and post punk elements manages to sound unlike anything I've ever heard. Melody Maker placed Soul Mining at number three in its critics' list of the best albums of 1983 [36] and the NME placed it at number 25 in its own list the same year. [37] In 1989 Record Mirror and Sounds both included the album in their critics' lists of the albums of the decade, Record Mirror ranking it at number eight [38] and Sounds ranking it at number 24. [39] Finally, we may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant or other lawful request for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights.

In retrospect, the eighties have often been greeted with an air of sarcasm. The mainstream audience tends to scoff at anything that was released in the era. However, there has been an apparent increase in the popularity of the fluorescent dance music of the eighties in alternative music culture, with artists such as M83 and Chvrches spawning a fresh new interpretation. While the influence may only be stylistic, the sound of The The seems to resemble this trendy new eighties resurgence more than most other groups of the era. This is perhaps due to the fact that The The’s stark, eccentric sound has dated rather modestly, considering the amount of stylistic conventions that are used in this album. The juxtaposition of sounds and themes in The The’s music is obviously a positive addition to their overall sound, creating a unique touch. Not a song less than excellent here - from the tour-de-force opener that is "I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)" to the truly giant closer that is "Giant", plus the additional 12" with the much-loved slower version of "Perfect" (again the title justifying the means) along with two experimental pieces recorded at the time (the rumour has it, these were to form part to The The's abandoned "Pornography Of Despair" album, along with many other b-sides that appeared on other singles from the "Soul Mining" era). Simply, a masterpiece screaming GOLD all over its course of (seven) songs. Originally released on 21st October 1983, the recording of Soul Mining began in the spring of 1982, when the then 20-year old Matt Johnson, financed at this point by London Records, de-camped to New York to record 'Uncertain Smile' with producer Mike Thorne. A subsequent session, again in New York with Thorne, and featuring David Johansen of the New York Dolls, resulted in 'Perfect', yet both sessions, and the deal with London Records, were subsequently scrapped as The The switched to CBS Records and decided to start the album afresh. Work on the album was reconvened at John Foxx's Garden Studios in the then pre-gentrified Shoreditch area of London with Matt co-producing with Paul Hardiman - the album was subsequently mixed at Martin Rushent's Genetic Sound studio. Featuring a host of talented musicians, including JG Thirwell (aka Foetus, Manorexia and Steroid Maximus), Zeke Manyika (Orange Juice), electronic DIY pioneer Thomas Leer and Jools Holland, Johnson set out with a clear vision in mind - to produce an album that felt cinematic; a record of width, depth and texture and one which avoided the mundane line-up of two guitars, bass and drums. The aesthetic of The The was also something Johnson was very conscious of, assembling a supportive and talented team of creative individuals to help him refine his vision - his then girlfriend Fiona Skinner designed the type-face of the unique and enduring logo and his brother Andrew, working under the moniker Andy Dog, created the album artwork, a painting of one of Fela Kuti's wives. The relationship between Thorne and the visitors deteriorated as a result of Johnson and Stevo's actions, and disagreements over the songs' production. Thorne wanted to use his new Synclavier unit, but Johnson preferred the sounds of his far cheaper Omnichord. [9] Eventually a mutual decision was made to abandon the recordings, and Johnson returned to London in November.In the meantime you may be curious to read about the making of Soul Mining in the following interviews in Quietus and Monocle

There are so many high-spots sufferers from vertigo beware. "This Is The Day" is so infectious it should carry a government health warning and the line "you didn't wake up this morning because you didn't go to bed, you were watching the whites of your eyes turn red" is one of my all-time favourite lyrics. "The Sinking Feeling" and "Soul Mining" are hauntingly beautiful. And "Uncertain Smile" is a masterpiece containing an absolutely jaw-dropping piano solo by Jools Holland which remains the finest thing he's ever done.THE THE also recently announced details of a limited edition 12” vinyl release on Sony Music for this year’s Record Store Day on Saturday 19th April 2014. It will be available at participating record shops globally. To coincide with this event, we have managed to obtain 15 Soul Mining vinyl box sets to offer for sale, personalised and signed by Matt.

Albums to Hear Before You Die – Artists beginning with T". The Guardian. 22 November 2007. p.5 (supplement) . Retrieved 2 January 2012. The sleeve features a ‘2 faced’ double cover to mirror the audio content – THE THE’s Andy Dog artwork features on one side, and DJ Food’s illustrative interpretation of the artwork on the other, and a top opening makes this sleeve entirely non-preferential. This record fits snugly inside the Soul Mining 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Boxset to complete the collection.a b Thorne, Mike (31 October 2002). "The The: Uncertain Smile". The Stereo Society. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021 . Retrieved 21 November 2018. Thomas Leer – synthesisers on "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)", "The Twilight Hour" and "Giant" Lyrically prowess such as this can allow for more forgiveness of musical missteps, but that isn't an issue here either. The music is upbeat and catchy for the most part. This is a fantastic album that is a weekly listen if not more and has been since before Christmas last year. I close this out with my favorite lyric, one that gives me hope for my future, however hollow it usually rings during the day-to-day. Originally released in 1983, 'Soul Mining' is the major label debut album by post-punk outfit The The, fronted by Matt Johnson. Featuring the singles 'Uncertain Smile', 'Perfect', and the iconic 'This Is The Day', the album, which is Gold-certified in the UK, has been long out of print on vinyl, except as part of a limited run 30th anniversary 2 LP box set reissue in 2014. Featuring a host of talented musicians, including JG Thirwell (aka Foetus, Manorexia and Steroid Maximus), Zeke Manyika (Orange Juice), electronic DIY pioneer Thomas Leer and Jools Holland, Matt Johnson set out with a clear vision in mind - to produce an album that felt cinematic; a record of width, depth and texture and one which avoided the mundane line-up of two guitars, bass and drums. Lauded with critical acclaim ('Soul Mining is a brilliant and very idiosyncratic album' - The Guardian ; 'Like shaving lotion applied to cleanse a wound, Johnson's songs are attractively scented and sting like hell' - Melody Maker) the music and lyrics of 'Soul Mining' are as fresh and relevant today as they were almost 40 years ago. MJ: Yeah, I am. In fact I’ve got a load of the tapes in the flat that need baking. I’ve been recommended something called a Dried Fruit Dehydrator that’s supposed to be more effective than the standard equipment. You bake tapes at a low temperature in a convection oven for 24 to 48 hours. These are non-standard solutions to a very new problem. The key thing is to digitize as soon as you’ve got them ready. I’ve got to get my old AKAI and REVOXes serviced and ready to go. I’ve got hundreds of tapes and most of them aren’t marked. What was I thinking? What an idiot. I’m the only person who can do it because I’m the only one who knows what to look for. That’s a process that I’m looking forward to it but it’s so time consuming. The plan is to do a box set. My first actual album was actually a cassette called See Without Being Seen and I do know where that is but it’s so rough. That will be one of those things that I put out without even advertising, purely for the hardcore followers. I was about 16 when I did that album. Pornography Of Despair will be fine. That will sound better than Burning Blue Soul. Spirits I think will sound pretty decent but I have to make sure it sounds good and I’d like to put it out as a nice set with photographs and the history.

Graphic designer Fiona Skinner, who had become Johnson's girlfriend in 1982, created the bespoke typeface used on Soul Mining. [1] [15] The album and the single "This Is the Day" marked the first appearance of the band's logo, which also used Skinner's font, and which would be used on the majority of the The's subsequent releases. Rylance, Stephen (29 July 2014). "This Is the Day: The The – 'Soul Mining: 30th Anniversary Edition' ". PopMatters . Retrieved 27 November 2021. The original New York-produced 7" single versions of "Uncertain Smile" and "Perfect" were included on the The's greatest hits album 45 RPM: The Singles of The The in 2002, while the two 12" versions were included on the second disc of the 30th anniversary reissue of Soul Mining in 2014. Reviewing the remastered reissue in 2002, PopMatters said, "It may not make the list of best records of the '80s, but it's damn close, and would definitely stir some intense debate over its inclusion." [40] A supplement entitled "80 from the 80s" in the August 2007 issue of Mojo included Soul Mining as one of only four albums from 1983 to make its list of the 80 best albums of that decade, [41] and three months later in November 2007 The Guardian included Soul Mining in its list of 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die, where it stated that Johnson's "artful pop ... hides an underlying menace at odds with the chart-toppers of the time". [42] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. p.307. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

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Additionally, you can opt out of some of these services by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out portal at: http://optout.aboutads.info/. This June, Sony will release a 30th Anniversary deluxe vinyl version of The The’s, 1983 album Soul Mining. Mulholland, Garry (2007). Fear of Music: The Greatest 261 Albums Since Punk and Disco. Orion. p.161. ISBN 978-0-7528-8243-7. a b Petridis, Alexis (27 June 2014). "The The: Soul Mining reissue review – a brilliant and idiosyncratic pop album". The Guardian. G2 supplement, p. 20 . Retrieved 26 March 2016. British album certifications – The The – Soul Mining". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 27 November 2021.