Six CD set from the British post-punk band containing albums, singles, sessions, alternate versions and 22 previously unreleased recordings. Theatre of Hate burned briefly but brightly during the first couple of years of the 1980s, leaving behind the seminal Westworld album, a handful of highly regarded Peel sessions and independent hit singles and a then-unreleased second album, Aria Of The Devil. Omens brings together those classic recordings alongside main man Kirk Brandon's Stone In The Rain album (recorded by Brandon and fellow Theatre Of Hate man Stan Stammers and issued in the US as a Theatre Of Hate album), and Yonjuuichi, a band-curated collection of more recent sessions and versions, bringing the Theatre Of Hate story into the present day.

Algiers returns with Shook, their first new music since 2020’s There Is No Year. Shook features contributions from Rage Against The Machine’s Zack De La Rocha, Boy Harsher’s Jae Matthews, Big Rube, billy woods, Backxwash, and many more.

In the U.S., Gary Numan is remembered as a one-hit-wonder, while back home in his native England, he continued to crank out hit after hit and became a superstar in the process. His icy space-age persona and sound may be forever associated with early-80's British new wave (Flock of Seagulls, early Duran Duran, etc.), but he was the originator, and today seems pretty darned original. Numan was a scholar of the David Bowie Ziggy Stardust-era, and used Bowie's space alien approach as a starting point. While retaining his futuristic lyrics, Gary stripped Ziggy's sound free of the distorted guitar riffing and posturing, and replaced it with clinical synthesizers and a standoffish stage persona. His music also gives off a paranoid vibe at times, as evidenced on the hits "I Die: You Die" and "Are 'Friends' Electric?" But Numan's songs can also sedate you ("Down in the Park"), while other times sneak up on you (the unexpected punk rocker "Bombers"). And of course there's his sole U.S. hit, "Cars," which sounds like a not so distant ancestor to fellow futuristic weirdos Devo.

Fve CD set. The complete Eyeless in Gaza Cherry Red recordings, compiled and curated by Martyn Bates and Pete Becker. Their entire 1981-1986 output for the label re-worked into five thematic suites by the band, bringing new life and light to familiar and much-loved material. Includes the classics 'Invisibility', 'Veil Like Calm', Kodak Ghosts Run Amok', 'New Risen' and many more. A brilliant introduction for the curious and a fascinating re-visit for long-term fans. During the first half of the 1980s, few artists cut a path as individual and self-contained as Eyeless in Gaza. Over six albums and several classic singles, the duo followed their muse in multiple different directions at once, unrestrained by any desire to fit in with whatever was going on around them. Bursts of primal electronica sat comfortably alongside reflective ballads and lo-fi recordings and polished productions were equally valued, all of it pulled together by Martyn Bates' unmistakable vocals and a singular, minimalist approach to songwriting.

Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys make up Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who were responsible for some of the catchiest and brightest synth pop that the '80s had to offer. O.M.D.'s material was a step above other keyboard pop music of the time, thanks to the combination of intelligently crafted hooks and colorful rhythms that bounced and jittered with pristine charm. Their squeaky-clean brilliancy initiated by both their synthesizers and subdued yet attractive vocal styles gave them a more mature sound over bands like Duran Duran and A Flock of Seagulls, who were attracting a younger audience. The Best of O.M.D. is an excellent compilation of their polished music, starting out with less provocative material like the basic electronic wash of "Electricity" and the bare but ebullient fervor of "Enola Gay." As this set moves along, so does the craftiness of their work, which is evident on tighter sounding songs like "Tesla Girls" and "Locomotion," where the intricacy of their formula begins to take a more resounding shape. O.M.D.'s best work came from 1985's Crush album, which harbored the midnight airiness found in "So in Love" as well as the adolescent innocence that streamed its way through "Secret," which are two of the best tracks on this set.