Musik Music Musique 1979 is the fourth volume in the series from Cherry Red and is sub-titled The Roots of Synth-pop.
The 3 CD set is released on 16 January 2026. Featuring a colossal 60 tracks, the collection is made up of well-loved classics from 1979 alongside lesser-known gems. Musik Music Musique 1979 features The Buggles, Tubeway Army, The Human League, OMD, John Foxx, Visage, Yello and more. The compilation has track by track information along with sleevenotes by Electronic Sound magazine’s Mat Smith.
Video Killed The Radio Star
Disc one opens with Technopop from The Buggles Clean, Clean single (recorded in 1979 but released in 1980) and is also available on their debut album The Age of Plastic. I’m glad that the compilers avoided the obvious Video Killed The Radio Star, that is ubiquitous on compilations covering this era, plus they made the decision to include the pre-Buggles version from Bruce Wooley & The Camera Club, a more new wave tinged take on this 80s classic. Technopop is a slice of nostalgic pop, driven by Trevor Horn’s bass and vocals, and Geoff Downes multi-layered synths.
M offer Made in Munich, a track cut from the same cloth as their massive hit, Pop Muzik. Robin Scott is joined by members of Level 42 on this addictive track, that name checks John Travolta at one point. The Korgis Cold Tea saw James Warren and Andy Davis move away from their progressive rock past with Stockbridge, to this more angular electronic, 10cc on acid sound.
The first little-known highlight on this compilation comes from Dutch musician Floris Kolvenbach and his Metal Voices project, with the haunting At The Banks Of The River, an adventurous song with a mournful chorus.
Armband by Karel Fialka is a catchy piece of electronica from 1979. Fialka is also known for his singles The Eyes Have It and Hey Matthew (a top 10 hit in 1987). Life In Tokyo (Pt 1) from Japan is a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder, and is one of the bands finest singles.
Tubeway Army’s Are Friends Electric? was released on Beggars Banquet in May 1979 and soon made its way to no1 in the UK singles chart. There will be more from Gary Numan later in this compilation. Pop duo Dollar’s Star Control (B- Side Mix) was the b-side of the more tame Who Were You With In The Moonlight single in May 1979, and is a charming vocoder driven space themed oddity.
The Lone Ranger (1979 Remix) from Rupert Hine’s Quantum Jump was a top 5 hit the second time around, thanks to championing from DJ / television personality Kenny Everett.
“Taumatawhakatangihangakoayauo-
Tamateaturipukakapikimaungahoro-
Nukypokaiwhenuakitanatahu”
If you know, you know. Rupert Hine was an important figure in 80s pop (and beyond), producing and working with Rush, Tina Turner, Howard Jones, the Fixx, Bob Geldof, Thompson Twins, Stevie Nicks, Suzanne Vega as well as releasing a series of influential solo albums, including my favourite, 1982’s Waving Not Drowning.
Birmingham’s Fashiøn deliver the single Technofascist, one of the bands early tracks before line-up changes and a huge pivot in sound that led to the magnificent Fabrique album in 1982. The Technofascist line-up had a sharp post-punk sound, and I remember seeing this line-up supporting The Stranglers at The Rainbow in 1980.
The Cars sprightly Night Spots is an album track from Candy-O, the US bands second album. Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club’s early version of Video Killed The Radio Star features a line-up that included the influential musician Thomas Dolby, and is a spikier more new wave take on what went on to be an 80s classic.
Mirror Of Infinity from the US synth trio Moebius is another gem that passed me by on its original release, with progressive vocals on top of an icy synth soundtrack. The only mis-step for me appears with an awful cover of The Stranglers Hanging Around by Final Program, a cover where the musicians are playing as if they have never heard the original, far superior version. An instant skip from me!
One Rule For You
Disc two opens with an absolute banger in Gary Numan’s no 1 single Cars, that sounds as great today, as it did on its original release in 1979. Nuff said.
Donna Summer producer Giorgio Moroder offers the title track from his album E=MC², a synth pop, disco masterclass. Daft Punk fans will likely enjoy this track.
Nice Mover from Gina X Performance was produced by German producer Zeus B. Held (Fashion / John Foxx), who has his own track titled Held It on this disc. The Gina X Performance had an underground hit with No G.D.M., and were surely an influence on the mighty Propaganda in the later part of the 80s.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s Almost slipped by me when I bought their Electricity 7″ single, why didn’t I play the b-side? Almost is a delicate, forlorn piece of electronica that stands up well. The Men (an early incarnation of The Human League) appear with a funky bass line driven I Don’t Depend On You.
One Rule For You from After The Fire should have been a massive hit, with Rupert Hine, Muff Winwood, Rhett Davies and John Leckie on production duties on their second album Laser Love. Thrash was the debut single from Cowboys International, a short lived pop band, who mixed new wave with synth pop.
Factory Records act Minny Pops early single Dolphin’s Spurt has an inventive guitar line running through the sparse electronics.
Producer extraordinaire Zeus B. Held bridges Krautrock and the late 70s electronic explosion with Held It from his second solo album, that will appeal to fans of John Foxx’s The Garden album. The Swedish band Secret Service round off disc two with the saccharin pop of Oh Susie. Once you hear this song, you will struggle to get it out of your brain for days.
Living By Numbers
The third and final disc opens with a track from The Human Leagues Reproduction album, the insanely catchy Blind Youth. Back To Nature from Fad Gadget (Francis John Tovey) was a dark electronic single released by Mute Records.
Landscape (featuring future acclaimed producer Richard James Burgess) contribute the 12″ version of the playful instrumental Japan, a precursor to the bands hits with Einstein A Go-Go and Norman Bates. Japan sounds like a theme tune to an 80s cop show that sadly never existed. What a bass-line too.
Frequency 7 by Visage was the b-side to their debut single, Tar, and is a sparse, dark piece of Ballard influenced electronica. Living By Numbers New Musik was an early single from the band that featured producer Tony Mansfield.
“They don’t want your name, just your number”
Suicide’s Dream Baby Dream, produced by The Cars’ Ric Ocasek, has found a new audience due to the songs use on television and in film, including Alex Garland’s disturbing Civil War.
John Foxx appears with Young Love (the 1979 version that was first released as part of a Metamatic album reissue). Forever Tonight by Hammer (featuring Jan Hammer, Miami Vice theme composer and future Styx vocalist Glen Burtnick) is a disco infused synth pop song.
Computer was included on Toyah’s debut album Sheep Farming In Barnet and has aged particularly well. Thomas Leer and Robert Rental’s Attack Decay is an album track that offers an industrial, warped peep into the future.
Don’t Dither Do It (7″ Version) from Steve Hillage (former member of Gong and future founder of System 7) is an enjoyable new wave, disco crossover. Rheinita (7″ Version) from La Düsseldorf is an instrumental shiny electronic pop piece.
Musik Music Musique 1979 disc three closes with the barely recognisable lo-fi cover of The Beatles All You Need Is Love by Instant Automatons.
Musik Music Musique 1979 is a wonderful time capsule that showcases the futuristic experimentation of the electronic / post-punk tinged sound that grew out of punk before mutating into the heady electronic pop that dominated the first half of the 80s.
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TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
The Buggles – Technopop
M – Made In Munich
The Korgis – Cold Tea
Metal Voices – At The Banks Of The River
Yello – I. T. Splash
Dalek I – The Kiss
Karel Fialka – Armband
Japan – Life In Tokyo (Pt 1)
Black Rod – Going To The Country
Tubeway Army – Are Friends Electric?
Dollar – Star Control (B- Side Mix)
Quantum Jump – The Lone Ranger (1979 Remix)
Fashiøn – Technofascist
The Cars – Night Spots
Devo – Strange Pursuit
Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club – Video Killed The Radio Star
Moebius- Mirror Of Infinity
Tanya Hyde – Herr Wunderbar
Final Program – Hanging Around
Metrophase – New Age
DISC TWO
Gary Numan – Cars
Giorgio Moroder – E=MC²
Gina X Performance – Nice Mover
Blah Blah Blah – In The Army
Gerry And The Holograms – Gerry And The Holograms (Alternate Drumbox Version)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Almost
The Men – I Don’t Depend On You
Telex – Rock Around The Clock
They Must Be Russians – Nagasaki’s Children
Silicon Teens – Memphis Tennessee
Henry Badowski – Making Love With My Wife
After The Fire – One Rule For You
Cowboys International – Thrash
Jude – Mirror Mirror
Minny Pops – Dolphin’s Spurt
Mi-Sex – Computer Games
Passage – 16 Hours
Zeus B. Held – Held It
The Family Fodder – Sunday Girl #1
Secret Service – Oh Susie
DISC THREE
The Human League – Blind Youth
Fad Gadget – Back To Nature
Landscape – Japan (12″ Version)
Calvin Twilight – Harmony
Cuddly Toys – Madman (Original 1979 Japanese Mix)
R.L. Crutchfield’s Dark Day – Hands In The Dark
Visage – Frequency 7
New Musik – Living By Numbers
Suicide – Dream Baby Dream
John Foxx – Young Love (1979 version)
The Dodgems – Science Fiction (Baby You’re So)
Genocide – Pre Set Future
Hammer – Forever Tonight
Toyah – Computer
Thomas Leer and Robert Rental – Attack Decay
Plain Characters – Man In The Railings
Steve Hillage – Don’t Dither Do It (7″ Version)
La Düsseldorf – Rheinita (7″ Version)
Tim Blake and Jean Phillipe Rykiel – New Jerusalem (Extract)
Instant Automatons – All You Need Is Love
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