SOUND CLIPS HERE: soundcloud.com/darkentriesrecords/drama-loneliness-2xlp-snippets
Drama were the Canadian duo of Eric Simpson (Vocals, Bass Guitar, Guitar) and Don Stagg (Keyboards). Formed in in Mississauga, Ontario in 1978, the pair had previously played together in progressive psych bands Majik and VIIth Temple. Almost every Saturday, Eric and Don would record one song on a TEAC 4 track tape recorder after a couple of takes with very little over dubbing. The pair were influenced by what was playing on the radio during the recording sessions. Everyone else at that time was in a rock or pop band yet Drama were making electronic music. The pair released their debut LP ‘Loneliness’ on Psycho Records 1979. There were 500 albums made and about 200 ended up in the garbage as band members shuffled from apartment to apartment. This was followed by a 4-track 7” later that year featuring live drums and additional guitar.
Seance Centre says it best, “On Loneliness, the pair traded in their velvet and chord charts for thin ties and a cheap drum-machine. The LP still carries a whiff of patchouli, but the sound stings of solder and electricity, and inhabits a nascent zone somewhere between krautrock and new-wave. The vocal cuts are all clustered on the A-side, starting with an ode to the inefficiency of the Toronto Transit Commission - some things never change! The dystopian sci-fi themes are par for the League, and highlights are the love ballad “Anna King” and the charming “Feable”. The instrumentals on the B-side feel decidedly more Teutonic, and have a certain CBC charm that sounds like JP Decerf recording for Parry Music. It even opens with a slinky stoned Pink Panther.” For this first time vinyl reissue we’ve expanded to a double LP with a bonus album of the 4 songs from Old Hollywood 7” and 9 previously unreleased tracks and demo versions. All songs are remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in a jacket with original photo by Don Stagg taken from his apartment rooftop overlooking Toronto of a young teenager sniffing glue and includes an insert with photos and liner notes by Drama.
Includes unlimited streaming of Loneliness
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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supported by 5 fans who also own “God Is A Machine”
Lumberjacks, right here, thrill, breakdown and maybe gieshas tune on a good day. The rest is too sparse and slow. After that killer porn trilogy nothing was going to come close. I'd say this and candida cosmica are closest in sound and thats probably why they got released back to back. Lo fi bleeps and blurps from the early to mid 70s, though candida is rewarding the more you listen. The mid stuff here, still not so much. mattyg107
supported by 5 fans who also own “God Is A Machine”
Ok the quality of some of the tracks for sitting in a dark room since 75 is excellent. The I feel love version here is wild. Just loud synths and much more energy, hell you can see why Cowley took hi nrg further than moroder ever could have in the 80s. The Herbie Hancock take is another one I can't get enough of. Papa is a nice one too, it's all good. Keep digging this stuff up please! It will be a sad day when all his stuff has been released but at least we'll finally have it all. mattyg107
On their 10th record, the Glasgow-based group serves up more wonderfully menacing, gothy synthpop, perfect for dungeon dancing. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 19, 2023