From Brussels With Love [TWI 007]

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Compilations \ From Brussels With Love [TWI 007]

Les Disques du Crépuscule is proud to present 40th anniversary editions of iconic compilation From Brussels With Love. Bearing the catalogue number TWI 007, From Brussels With Love was the very first release on Crépuscule back in November 1980, and now returns in 2020 on cassette, gatefold 2xLP (coloured vinyl), and 2xCD hardback 60 page 10-inch square earbook

Originally released as a cassette with a 16 page booklet packaged in a PVC wallet, From Brussels With Love featured 21 exclusive tracks from the international avant-garde and new wave, as well as contributions from the celebrated Factory Records roster. Then, as now, the featured artists include A Certain Ratio, Gavin Bryars, Harold Budd, Thomas Dolby, Dome, The Durutti Column, John Foxx, Martin Hannett, Richard Jobson, The Names, Bill Nelson, Kevin Hewick + New Order, Michael Nyman and Der Plan.

Running for 78 minutes, the cosmopolitan ‘cassette journal’ was curated by Michel Duval, Annik Honoré and Wim Mertens, and also includes extended interviews with Brian Eno and legendary French film actress Jeanne Moreau. The cover art is by Jean-François Octave, with additional artwork in the booklet by Benoît Hennebert, Marc Borgers and Claude Stassart.

From Brussels With Love quickly sold 6000 copies around Europe, earning rapturous reviews in the UK music press. "This is a reminder - without really trying, without being obvious - that pop is modern poetry, is the sharpest, shiniest collection of experiences. Is always something new" (Paul Morley, NME). More recently, Dan Fox of art magazine Frieze described TWI 007 as "a masterpiece of distinctly northern European post-punk eclecticism."

To mark this 40th anniversary Crépuscule will issue 3 remastered editions. The most ambitious of these is a deluxe 2xCD earbook edition (TWI 007 CD) presented as a 10-inch square hardback book (60 pages), with two full length audio CDs. The book includes rare images, posters, sleeve designs and period ephemera, plus a detailed history of the Crépuscule label between 1979 and 1984, with contributions from Michel Duval, Annik Honoré, Wim Mertens, Octave, Hennebert and photographer Philippe Carly.

CD1 includes all 21 tracks from the original cassette. CD2 includes tracks omitted from TWI 007 for reasons of space, as well as related Crépuscule tracks by Michael Nyman, Bill Nelson, John Foxx, Richard Jobson, Durutti Column, Repetition and The Names, and also contemporary songs by other Belgian artists including Digital Dance, Polyphonic Size, Aksak Maboul, Karel Goeyvaerts and Marine.

In addition, there is a facsimile cassette package in PVC wallet (TWI 007) limited to 500 copies, as well as a gatefold double vinyl edition (TWI 008) pressed on coloured vinyl (Disc 1 is black, and Disc 2 is white), with the booklet pages printed on the inner gatefold. Both the cassette and vinyl come with a digital copy (MP3)

A multi-format bundle is also available including the cassette (TWI 007), coloured vinyl (TWI 008) and 2xCD earbook (TWI 007 CD) plus a Stassart postcard, a brand new LDDC/FBN sampler CD, an Umbrellas In the Sun DVD, a full size reproduction Plan K 16/10/1979 event poster (folded), and an LDDC spiral slipmat (while stocks of the slipmat last!).

There is also a teeshirt, available either as a separate item or as part of the multi-format bundled version at a reduced price (please email for details).

Cassette + 2xLP tracklist:

1. John Foxx A Jingle *1
2. Thomas Dolby Airwaves
3. Repetition Stranger
4. Harold Budd Children On the Hill
5. The Durutti Column Sleep Will Come
6. Martin Hannett The Music Room
7. The Names Cat
8. Michael Nyman A Walk Through H
9. Brian Eno Interview
9A. Phill Niblock A Third Trombone
10. John Foxx A Jingle *2
11. Jeanne Moreau Interview
12. Richard Jobson Armoury Show
13. Bill Nelson The Shadow Garden
14. The Durutti Column Piece For An Ideal
15. A Certain Ratio Felch (live in NYC)
16. Kevin Hewick and New Order Haystack
17. Radio Romance Etrange Affinité
18. Gavin Bryars White's SS
19. Der Plan Mein Freunde
20. Gilbert and Lewis Twist Up
21. John Foxx A Jingle *3

2xCD earbook tracklist:

CD1 tracklist is same as cassette/2xLP

CD2 tracklist below:

1. John Foxx A Jingle *4
2. John Foxx Mr No
3. Bill Nelson Dada Guitare
4. The Durutti Column For Belgian Friends
5. Richard Jobson + Tuxedomoon Orpheé
6. Aksak Maboul DBB (Double Bind Baby)
7. Karel Goyvaerts Ach Golgotha
8. Marguerite Duras Interview
9. Polyphonic Size Nagasaki Mon Amour
10. Marine Life In Reverse
11. Michael Nyman Mozart
12. Gavin Bryars White's SS (unedited)
13. The Names Nightshift
14. Repetition A Still Reflex
15. Digital Dance Treatment
16. Josef K Sorry For Laughing
17. A Certain Ratio And Then Again (live)
18. John Foxx A Jingle *5

Available on cassette, 2xCD deluxe hardback earbook - and a teeshirt! Cassette and vinyl versions include digital copy (MP3). To order please select correct shipping option (UK, Europe, Rest of World, USA) and click on Add To Cart button below cover image. VINYL IS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK. Separate postage rates apply to USA orders - see bottom pay button (this is due to recent USPS price rises).

Or, you can order with the option of tracked shipping from our friends at Burning Shed (click here to order)

Reviews:

"Trop beau - un must!" (Telemoustique, 12/2020)

"Sometimes the past is better experienced in the now. The reissue of the legendary cassette wallet is a case in point. First released 40 years ago as the debut issue of the iconic Les Disques du Crépuscule, this elusive, almost mystical artefact has now returned, in a guise of high luxury... What makes From Brussels with Love such a glorious experience is, of course, the music. We get 1980 served up as a two-hour sonic time capsule: from modern classical cuts courtesy of then-trendy, now-household names such as Harold Budd and Michael Nyman, to the earnest funk of early ACR. Many will buy it for the fragile and momentarily beautiful Kevin Hewick and New Order track, Haystack. It's probably worth buying for the three beautiful Durutti Column tracks alone; the sublime, slightly trippy For Belgian Friends has to be one of Vini Reilly's greatest moments.

"And there are pleasant surprises from half-remembered heroes. Forgotten man-of-the-future Thomas Dolby appears, with a gentle version of Airwaves (which appeared in a more dandyfied form on his 1982 album, The Golden Age of Wireless). It's a beautiful track, very much like William Doyle’s recent work. Dome's Twist Up reminds us of their cussed brilliance and a number of Gavin Bryars and Bill Nelson cuts surface, which is a great thing. I always liked Nelson’s Kraftwerky take on sound, heard here with The Shadow Garden. Better still is his Dada Gitare’, which gives Marc Hollander's Aksak Maboul a run for their money in the quirk stakes. Gavin Bryars' piano pieces are still very affecting, too. Multiformat reissues of old albums, however 'iconic', are now part of the never-ending treadmill of pop eating itself. I can forgive those who think it's all a bit too much, especially in the times we find ourselves in. But, at the end of the world or not, there is something wonderful when fond memories of forgotten or lost music can be given a new life and meaning. From Brussels with Love is one such" (The Quietus, 12/2020)

"Rich in texture, enigmatic and deeply inspired, From Brussels With Love is a post-punk compilation that set the bar for the movement to follow. Above all, this is a seminal collection of timeless music to be unearthed, freshly discovered and cherished by generations to come" (Resident Adviser, 01/2021)

"The label's first release was a 21 track compilation cassette, which encapsulated Crépuscule's arty intentions and growing relationship with Factory, whose bands provided a number of tracks. This time-capsule offers further fascination: John Foxx provides several jingles, there's a 10 minute interview with Brian Eno - who explains his 'painterly' approach to music-making - and another with actress Jeanne Moreau, while Harold Budd, Gavin Bryars and Michael Nyman all anticipate the contemporary New Classical movement. A magnificent 10" hardback 2xCD version adds a further 18 tracks. 4 stars" (Classic Pop, 11/2020)

"From Brussels with Love is the most wonderful of things, a disc packed with ideas so fresh and so groundbreaking that they still sound life-changing even today - and without a doubt is the perfect introduction to a label which would influence so many of today's classic independents. Put simply, this is a music collector's wet dream and one of the most seminal, inspired compilations of all time" (Boomkat, 10/2020)

"What Eno calls 'intelligent dilettantism'. The 60-page book is fabulous. 4 stars" (Mojo, 12/2020)

"This exceptional treasure trove - the majority of which, incredibly, remains exclusive to this day - announced the birth of mainland Europe’s first boutique, salon inspired label; releasing music, energised by its big British Factory cousin, for art’s sake as well as its own. The package itself is meticulously and lovingly curated, and includes some delightful artefacts reproduced inside the accompanying hardback book. Alongside priceless archive images of the singers, players and indie svengalis are promotional flyers, posters, covers and gig ticket, many produced by label creatives Hennebert, Borgers, Stassart and Octave"

"Also included are some thrilling insightful notes and letters from contributors and associates. It's all such wonderful stuff, and further reinforces the significance of this exceptional sampler, which announced the label's ambition and lofty intellectual ideals in fully formed fashion. Following a mere four years after punk's righteous DIY iconoclasm, this truly was an era-defining turning point, which remains to this day one of independent music's most visionary collective efforts" (Electronic Sound, 10/2020)

"A pure blast of love from the low countries. Originally a cassette release by Crepuscule in 1980, From Brussels With Love was one of the key compilation albums of the time, and over the years has gone on to become something of a benchmark for post-punk collections. This 2020 reissue has been carried out with the care and attention to detail one has come to expect from LDDC: the book looks a thing of real beauty, and as much a part of the whole thing as the music and words. The shifts of emphasis between wildly different music and words are something few tried at the time, and it's seldom (if ever) been done as well since. Whilst opening up new vistas to explore, it is never anything other than compulsive listening – two things that all compilations should aspire to be. From Brussels With Love remains one of a kind" (Louder Than War, 11/2020)

"Delight in the full-throttle assault of The Names and Repetition, smile indulgently at BC Gilbert and Graham Lewis and Radio Romance, raise an eyebrow at Brian Eno's oddly stuffy interview" (Record Collector, 09/2020)

"A masterpiece of distinctly northern European post-punk eclecticism. Almost every track is an unabashedly melancholic or angst-ridden gem" (Frieze (Dan Fox), 04/2007)

"At the time, both as an artefact and a selection of tracks, FBWL seemed perfectly to articulate the sepulchral, twilit and mainland European sensibility that would be one of the musical and subcultural consequences of punk. Crépuscule was concerned above all with high aestheticism and modern connoisseurship, and heard now FBWL sounds as thrillingly new and seductively poised as it did 27 years ago. Oh, where did all the time go?" (The Wire (Michael Bracewell), 04/2007)

"This is a reminder - without really trying, without being obvious - that pop is modern poetry, is the sharpest, shiniest collection of experiences, is always something new" (NME (Paul Morley), 12/1980)

"Fantastic! The perfect Christmas gift! FBWL is over 80 minutes of sheer scrapbookalia. It is a lovingly put together way of deflating modern music, and at the same time of exalting its basic merits. A searing, sprawling, exotically chaotic way of achieving the almost impossible and restoring rock music to something that will nearly surprise you. It is endless and endlessly, genuinely entertaining listening. As pretentious as hell, of course, but there is only one thing worse than that - and that's not being pretentious. This tape, a long mysterious piece of collective modern overdrive, points to a future somewhere. And it looks more crimson that rosy, it's that good" (Sounds (Dave McCullough), 12/1980)

"This really is a treat - a brand new remastered edition of one of the most elusive, sought-after compilations of all time. It has everything you could possibly ask for: every track is a winner, it's all exclusive material, and supremely varied, with tracks ranging from modern classical to new wave with room in the middle for a couple of 'ambient' interviews. A disc packed with ideas so fresh and so groundbreaking that they still sound life-changing even today. Without a doubt the perfect introduction to a label which would influence so many of today's classic independents. Seminal, inspired, essential" (Boomkat, 2/2007)

"Reissue of the week. The perfection of From Brussels With Love still persists anno 2007" (De Standaard, 02/2007)

"Sometimes one has to admit to simple fandom - of wonderful albums with industrial and French pop, synaethesia with interviews and poetry readings, daring experiments in classical music, and confident eclecticism of the highest standard" (Westzeit, 03/2007)

"Three decades on, it still stands as a fascinating document of the times" (Plan B, 03/2007)

"As musical time-machines go, FBWL is perfect. It takes you right back to 1980, when when some of the most interesting music was being made by independent artists and labels outside the shipping routes of chart pop. Why did it take 27 years to put this out on CD properly? Four stars" (Record Collector, 04/2007)

"An amazing reissue which sets the bar high with quality and attention to detail" (Brainwashed, 02/2007)

"Completely original and beyond compare" (Magic, 03/2007)

From Brussels With Love

Originally released on 20 November 1980, the deluxe cassette compilation From Brussels With Love featured 22 exclusive tracks from the front rank of the international avant-garde and new wave, as well as several artists from the feted Factory Records stable in Manchester. Although the first proper release on boutique Belgian label Les Disques du Crépuscule, the catalogue number assigned to the project (TWI 007) betrays the fact that the early history of the label (and thus its debut) is a little more involved.

The label had been formed at the beginning of 1980, by Brussels scenesters Michel Duval (an economist by training, and journalist for several arts magazines including En Attendant and Plein Soleil) and Annik Honoré (then working in London, but a booker for the seminal Plan K venue, and also writing for En Attendant). A strong cultural link was forged between Brussels and the Factory/Manchester cadre after the Joy Division concerts at Plan K on 16 October 1979 and 17 January 1980, and cemented when A Certain Ratio, Durutti Column and Section 25 performed at Plan K on 26 April. In addition, Brussels band The Names had joined the Factory roster.

Since the Factory bands were so prolific, it was agreed that 'spare' recordings could be released on the Continent via a new label, Factory Benelux. The first three releases were 7" singles by A Certain Ratio (Shack Up), Durutti Column (Lips That Would Kiss) and Section 25 (Haunted), which appeared in August, September and October respectively. All carried dual catalogue numbers (FACBN 1-004, 2-005 and 3-006), which in September 1980 resulted in Factory directors Rob Gretton and Tony Wilson insisting that a clear division should be established between Factory Benelux and Les Disques du Crépuscule, the new label planned by Michel and Annik. At an early stage the duo were joined by gifted designer Benoît Hennebert. Crépuscule, of course, translates as 'twilight', an evocative name suggested by Annik. The two labels shared a de facto office at 32 Avenue des Phalenes, 1050 Brussels.

The first true Crépuscule release was a deluxe cassette/booklet package, From Brussels With Love. Compiled between July and October, this stylish 80 minute compilation arrived housed in a plastic wallet and reflected current musical events in Manchester, London and Brussels during the middle months of 1980. In May Joy Division singer Ian Curtis took his own life, leaving the remaining three members to re-group as New Order, who entered the studio for the first time in June as backing musicians for Factory troubadour Kevin Hewick. Bill Nelson and Richard Jobson came into contact with Crépuscule for the first time on 27 June, after playing at a Cocteau-themed event at Plan K, at which Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column also performed. London band Repetition joined Crépuscule via Annik and (surprisingly) found themselves produced by Rob Gretton, while A Certain Ratio contributed a live track taped at Hurrah's in September, during the first Factory trip to New York, another cultural watershed for all involved.

Besides Factory, another crucial influence on From Brussels With Love was radio producer and new music composer Wim Mertens, whose book American Minimal Music had just been published by Kahn & Averill. The featured interview with Brian Eno had been recorded by Wim in New York in June 1979, as was the recording by Phill Niblock. It's therefore hardly surprising that Michael Nyman and Gavin Bryars also agreed to contribute tracks. Mertens would make his own debut on Crépuscule (initially as Soft Verdict) the following year. Eno's Obscure label was another key influence on early Crépuscule.

The compilation was purposefully international in scope, with France (Radio Romance), Belgium (The Names), Germany (Der Plan) and even Scotland (Richard Jobson) all represented, as well as the more familiar British and American contingents. The design, too, was seductively Continental, with text printed in a variety of languages, and copious line/cartoon illustrations by Jean-François Octave which reflected the Belgian and French obsession with bande dessinée. The James Bond references in the title and catalogue number may be credited to cinephile Michel Duval alone.

Almost as interesting are the tracks that failed to make the final cut: at various stages the wishlist included music by Mark Beer, The Associates, Throbbing Gristle, Karel Goeyvaerts, plus mooted live tracks by Joy Division, and literary interviews with Marguerite Duras, Michel Tournier and Alain Robbe Grillet. Released on 20 November in an initial edition of 1000 copies, TWI 007 was an immediate success, retailing at the price of a 12" single and drawing praise from the British music press in December:

"The arrival of this thin tape from Belgium provides a reminder - without really trying, without being obvious - that pop is the modern poetry, is the sharpest, shiniest collection of experiences, is always something newÖ It's as indispensable as the Bow Wow Wow and A Certain Ratio cassettes: all in their own way point to the ways pop is movingÖ Of course it's posey: what isn't? It's pop/art. Insufferably over-fashionable, lavishly over the top, dreadfully dilettantish, finely eclectic. Pop can be so many things" (Paul Morley, New Musical Express)

"This is wild! This is fantastic! The perfect Christmas gift! FBWL is over 80 minutes of sheer scrapbookalia. It is a lovely put together way of deflating modern music, and at the same time of exalting its basic merits. A searing, sprawling, exotically chaotic way of achieving the almost impossible and restoring rock music to something that will nearly surprise youÖ It is endless and endlessly, genuinely entertaining listening. As pretentious as hell, of course, but there is only one thing worse than that - and that's not being pretentious. This tape, a long mysterious piece of collective modern overdrive, points to a future somewhere. And it looks more crimson that rosy, it's that good" (Dave McCullough, Sounds)

While Crépuscule was by no means the first modern independent record label in Belgium (credit also being due to Crammed, Sandwich, Double Dose and others), it quickly became the most prolific, cosmopolitan and culturally significant. The next 18 months saw a raft of releases by a veritable internationale of artists including Antena, Gavin Bryars, Cabaret Voltaire, Paul Haig, Ike Yard, Josef K, Malaria!, Marine, Wim Mertens and Tuxedomoon, and further landmark compilations such as Ghosts of Christmas Past and The Fruit of the Original Sin. Indeed the label would even outlast Factory, the label to which it owed a large measure of its early success.