New Musik | From A to B: The Sony Years (2023)

4CD box set bringing together all of New Musik’s three studio albums as well as a disc of B-sides, single edits and remixes. With a booklet containing an interview with Tony Mansfield by Record Collector’s Daryl Easlea. Formed in 1977 by Tony Mansfield, a former member of The Nick Straker Band with bassist Tony Hibbert and drummer Phil Towner, New Musik’s first single, ‘Straight Lines’, was released in 1979, and their debut album, ‘From A to B’, followed in April 1980. ‘From A to B’ entered the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart. Containing their most commercially successful single ‘Living by Numbers’ plus two other hit singles: ‘This World of Water’ and ‘Sanctuary’. The band’s second album, ‘Anywhere’ was released in 1981 and reached No. 68 in the UK following which, Towner and Hibbert departed, and Mansfield cut the next album, ‘Warp’, with the assistance of studio musicians. Mansfield went on to achieve success as a producer with After The Fire, a-ha, Aztec Camera, The B-52’s, The Damned, Captain Sensible, Naked Eyes, and Mari Wilson. Cherry Red Records

New Musik: From A to B: The Sony Years

New Musik were a band that slipped through the cracks of the early-’80s music scene. Too weird to be mainstream pop, too straight to be new wave, their three albums are nonetheless near-perfect examples of how classic pop songcraft met with newfangled technology to make modern, forward-thinking music. From A to B: The Sony Years collects their albums and adds a fourth disc of single mixes, edits, and remixes while presenting a document of the band’s far-too-short career. Their first album, 1980’s From A to B, blends guitars with keyboards, both organic and synthesized, then dials in a punchy, human-derived rhythm section. Tony Mansfield’s vocals are an intriguing mix of heartfelt and detached, and are often doubled with a treated second voice. All Music

It must be like finding the Holy Grail when a band writes a song with a good hook. A simple tune that will live on long after the song has finished. Or even better, when a song’s name is just inferred, and seeing the title conjures memories of the tune. This happened on noticing that New Musik were to have a 4-CD, 3-album box set released, that was to span the band’s career. ‘Living By Numbers’, was a song that had narrowly missed the top 10 in 1980 and it was this that came to mind, that after 43 years still possessed that same magic.

As their debut album, From A to B starts, a doorbell sounds and I’m immediately alerted, as during the seconds that follow, a period of dead air ensues. I’m left wondering how many listeners to this LP (or Cassette) back in 1980 leapt up from their sofas, lazy-boys, or bean bags, to answer their front door, only to hear the vocal of footman, Tony Mansfield sing “You’re running in circles, you’re travelling in straight lines…”, as the fast paced single ‘Straight Lines’ races into your life. A sentiment we can all see ourselves encountering from time to time, that it’s hard to believe after only 3 albums New Musik were to call it a day, as their frontman was to explore a career as a freelance producer. Producing a series of successful albums, for artists the likes of Leeds synth pop band Vicious Pink, The Damned, B-52s and Captain Sensible among just a few. His skill in the use of the Fairlight CMI, a synthesiser and sampling workstation paying dividends. Its ability is something we perhaps take for granted today, but in the early 80s was like travelling to the moon. God Is In The TV

Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.71 x 0.39 x 4.92 inches; 5.15 Ounces
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Lemon Records Uk
Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2023
Label ‏ : ‎ Lemon Records Uk
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BS1LM28G
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 4