Description
The first recordings by Cha Boom Cha are a mixture of minimalistic, analogue synth pop with a touch of guitar. Some people might say ‘hey, this sounds a bit like The Cure’s Japanese Whispers era!’, but definitely a different story. From the four songs recorded in 1986 only the song ‘Dancing Brave’ made it to a couple of compilations, namely 1987’s ‘The Jamboree Bag’ (Primitive Records, vinyl only) and 1988’s ‘The Trance compilation’ (Being Cut / Primitive Records, cassette only), but in a shortened, more guitar orientated remix.
‘Dancing Brave’ is one of the first songs written by Cha Boom Cha using a drum machine and synths. A song, when performed live, that Duncan (in)famously produced a pig’s heart on a coat hanger for the line ‘put your heart out on the table, break it in two’. Some masochism, darkness and disappointment with a guest appearance from Frank Sinatra. ‘Never left my heart in San Francisco…’. ‘Big Stars’ features a sequenced bassline using the classic Roland SH101, the first affordable professional synthesizer. Some interesting backwards guitar in the instrumental break. Lyrically, some ironic reflection on making music with machines. ‘Such a shame your hands are square, no humanity there’. ‘Love, say it with me, love!’ is a song about love songs, with lyrics capturing extracts of dialogue, he said, she said… Then ‘Breathe in’, a wandering song with uplifting instrumentation, a forerunner of the song ‘Groovy Baby’. And finally the ‘Dancing Brave’ remix as featured in the 1987 and 1988 compilations. A version where the rhythm line at the beginning was cut, making the song to fade in from silence and where more guitar presence was favoured.
These early Cha Boom Cha recordings are great synth pop songs that deserved to be rescued and finally available together as our ‘Dancing Brave’ EP, just like we think it should have been done in 1986. The songs have been transferred and carefully remastered from the original ¼” reel tape by Nicolás Zúñiga. The ‘Dancing Brave’ EP is presented in a limited, hand numbered edition of 260 copies, housed in a heavy matt finish sleeve with wonderful artwork by David Lanna and includes an insert.
The digital download version is available from our Bandcamp site here:
The digital download version is available at: www.deadwaxrecords.bandcamp.com
By the way… ‘Dancing Brave’ (1983-1999) was an American-bred, British-trained racehorse that became quite famous in 1986 :o)