Systems of Romance

Here’s a long since out of print CD, containing dozens of tracks from Icelandic post-punk band Q4U. I wish I could say it’s the band’s entire discography, but there are so many tracks issued on their original 12” and K7 releases that it’s hard to include them all on one disc. In fact, the few copies I’ve seen of their original material fetch some of the highest prices on Discogs that I’ve ever seen!

This CD, released in 1996 via Icelandic label Norður & Niður, collects many of the band’s best tracks. You can expect, like many of the punk bands of the era, short blasts of female fronted energy, akin to the likes of X-Ray Spex and early Banshees. That said, the band’s use of drum machines and synths calls the early minimal synth movement to mind. An excellent hybrid, if you will. The catalyst for this disc included the resurgence of punk and interest in the Sex Pistols reunion, as the band reunited for a few local shows upon its release, playing exclusively older materal.

The band was rather famous in their native land, thanks to an appearance in the documentary Rokk i Reykjavic. Growing popularity and involvement with other bands led to the band’s first lineup shift in 1982, but not before recording dozens of leftover tracks for the Skaf I Dag K7, the band’s first release. The band would reunite some months later, employing a TR-808 drum machine dubbed Elizabeth II, though no tracks were released then (several demo recordings from this era are included here). Adding a few more additional members, the band would record their debut 12”, 1982’s Q1. Success from this release caused the band to drop the drum machine and focus on a more live sound, which led to opening slots for Classix Nouveaux in 1983. The band would split soon after, but not before recording a handful of tracks that would remain unreleased until this disc.

Phew, quite a mouthful there. Again, this disc does not contain the entire Q4U discography, but presents many of the band’s finest moments alongside some killer unreleased material. Curiously enough, only ONE track from the Q1 12” is missing here, not sure why it wasn’t included, but definitely gives extra incentive to track down the original 12”. Anyway, here’s the information:

Q4U- Q2 1980-1983 CD
1. Sigurinn
2. Draugasaga
3. Barbie
4. Miracle Man
5. Böring
6. PLO
7. Breiðabόlsstaður
8. AMDP
9. Tiskufrik
10. Why
11. Skemmtistaður
12. Plastic Vision
13. Family
14. Turninn
15. Þjόðlagið
16. Ekkert
17. Don’t
18. Creeps
19. Onward
20. Zoo
21. Walker
22. Pelagus-FFH
23. Romance La Paranoia
24. Þeir (Hverjir?)
25. Hoppland
26. Calígúla
27. Get You
28. Toys
29. Nacht Und Nebel
30. I Hate You
31. Má Ég Hjá Þér Borða
32. Judith The Savage Amazon
33. Jack The Skipper
34. Snjόhvit

DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED:  Most of Q4U’s discography can now be purchased on both CD and LP, via Wave Records and Dark Entries records, respectively!  Please support the band!

This entry was posted on June 8, 2010 at 7:04 pm and is filed under 1980s, 1982, 1996, icelandic, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk, punk, q4u, reunited . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.