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12"
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1972 009EP
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2022 restock. "Forty years ago, on July 8th and 9th in 1981, a group formed by the splintering of some of Bristol's essential post punk bands, entered the hallowed studio at Berry Street in London to record their debut single. What would emerge was not only an exuberant post funk classic on the A-side, but also a wildly influential dub workout on the flipside, whose reverberations can still be heard today. Both songs have proven essential in very different ways. A focal point for the unique punk-funk that was coming together in Bristol as the bridge from the '70s to the '80s arrived, Maximum Joy was formed by Glaxo Babies multi-instrumentalist Tony Wrafter and 18-year old vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Janine Rainforth. Soon they drafted in additional Glaxo Babies in the form of drummer Charlie Llewellin and bassist Dan Catsis, along with guitarist John Waddington, fresh from The Pop Group. The group set about making a one-of-a-kind mix of funk, punk, pop, jazz, dub, soul, afrobeat and reggae; creating a brilliant charge of danceable tunes wrapped around elastic basslines and complex percussion, punctuated by melodic horns and stabs of guitar, all of it highlighting Rainforth's naturally enthusiastic vocal style. Bursting at the seams, 'Stretch' feels like it can barely be contained within the studio walls. Rainforth delivers a vocal performance that can only be found within the freedom of someone recording their first ever single. The group's love of funk is evident on 'Stretch', but the heavy influence of dub and reggae from their surroundings shapes the moody skitter of 'Silent Street'. Here, the sing-song vocals seem to drift across the heavy late-night air. The two songs are wildly different, yet both could only have come from this key collection of players. Paired with the likes of The Pop Group, The Slits, The Raincoats and the On-U-Sound collective, Maximum Joy still stands out as a unique voice in the movement. Y Records head Dick O'Dell would join the sessions and give the release a warm home in the UK while legendary 99 Records in New York took on the US release since Maximum Joy made perfect sense being equal parts ESG and Liquid Liquid. This 12-inch has been a staple for DJ's in the know since day one."
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LP
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1972 005LP
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2020 repress. "A focal point for the unique punk-funk that was coming together in Bristol as the bridge from the '70s to the '80s arrived, Maximum Joy was formed by Glaxo Babies multi-instrumentalist Tony Wrafter and 18 year-old vocalist Janine Rainforth. Soon they drafted in additional Glaxo Babies in the form of drummer Charlie Llewellin and bassist Dan Catsis, along with guitarist John Waddington, fresh from The Pop Group. The group set about making a one-of-a-kind mix of funk, punk, pop, jazz, dub, soul, afrobeat and reggae; creating a brilliant burst of danceable tunes wrapped around elastic basslines and complex percussion, punctuated by melodic horns and stabs of guitar, all of it highlighting Rainforth's naturally enthusiastic vocal style. They immediately took their place on the rosters of influential labels like Y and 99 with iconic debut single 'Stretch', as the band had clearly captured something special. Entering 1982, Kevin Evans had replaced Catsis as Maximum Joy set out to make what would be their only full length LP. Recording at Berry Street and The Lodge with producers Adrian Sherwood (On-U-Sound legend), Dave Hunt (the Flying Lizards and This Heat) and Pete Wooliscroft (Kate Bush, Talk Talk, Peter Gabriel and OMD,) the band would mix practiced grooves with imaginative improvisation. The results were absolutely jaw-dropping."
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2x12"
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SSR 001LP
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Sold out, 2018 repress expected... Silent Street is the new collaborative label from Chris Farrell (Idle Hands) and Kiran Sande (Blackest Ever Black). For their first release, they present a compilation of singles by one of their shared musical lodestars: Bristol's extraordinary Maximum Joy. Formed in 1980, by 18 year-old vocalist Janine Rainforth alongside Tony Wrafter, a trumpeter/saxophonist previously affiliated with Glaxo Babies. Wrafter's former accomplices, Charlie Llewellin (drums) and Dan Catsis (bass), completed the original line-up, alongside erstwhile Pop Group guitarist John Waddington. With a youthful confidence and energy that leaps out at you even now, they took their diverse influences -- punk, modern jazz, disco, dub, funk, soul, Afro-beat, and chansons -- and distilled them into some of the greatest, most intoxicating pop music ever made. Together they carved out a story which today stands as a sumptuous feast for anyone interested in the roots and evolution of "the Bristol sound". There are links, back and forth, with The Slits and Dennis Bovell, On-U Sound through to the Wild Bunch, Massive Attack, Smith & Mighty, and Tricky's "Aftermath". Thirty-five years on, it's impossible not to be blown away by their combination of instrumental virtuosity and DIY pluck, and by their fearless application of disorientating dub FX. In terms of open-minded, progressive, and life-affirming music made in the post-punk era, little else comes close. This first ever official reissue of Maximum Joy material is centered around the trio of singles the band released on Y Records in 1981-1982. Their first, "Stretch", became an anthem on the New York club underground, a cult staple at Danceteria and on late-night radio. This compilation gives pride of place to their first B side, "Silent Street/Silent Dub": a languid tribute to long summer nights in St Pauls. Llewellin's mesmerizing one-drop kit and Catsis's outrageously heavy bassline anchor the track, allowing Rainforth's exquisite vocal and Wrafter's trumpet to soar within the expressionistic dub mix. In both subject matter and execution, it is the definitive Bristol tune. "White And Green Place (Extraterrestrial Mix)", "In The Air", and wistful instrumental "Simmer Til Done" also feature; the non-Y bonus is the 12" version of "Do It Today", Maximum Joy's contribution to the Fontana compilation Touchdown (1982). Sleeve notes by Janine Rainforth, Tony Wrafter, and Kevin Pearce.
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