LOWLIFE - The Black Sessions

Limited edition promo LP Nightshift 1988



"Lowlife were formed in Grangemouth 1985 when original Cocteau Twins bassist Will Heggie joined former Dead Neighbours members Craig Lorentsen, Grant McDowell and Stuart Everest. Their atmospheric, moody soundscapes were often compared to Joy Division, New Order, Comsat Angels and – yes – The Cocteau Twins, yet the band received widespread acclaim over the course of six albums released through indie label Nightshift: Rain (1985), Permanent Sleep (1986), Diminuendo (1987), Godhead (1989), The Black Sessions (1988), San Antorium (1991) and Gush (1995)".
(LTM Publishing publicity release)

"Lowlife emerge from a distant eerie grace, out of an echo or pause with unworldly drama. The isolation, resonance of this music can bring to mind the notion of music of the spheres. (...) Inevitably though, Lowlife are most profound when they are devastatingly desolate. They remain immaculate sonic tragedians, utterly peerless".
(Ian Gittins, Melody Maker)

"During 1988 plans were laid for the next album, and in the summer the band started to record assorted demos at Stuart's house on an old Portastudio and even more ancient two-track Revox. These songs were to form the basis of Godhead more than a year later - as well as what has become known as The Black Album, something of a holy grail amongst Lowlife devotees. What happened was this. The demos were presented to Jeff at Working Music, who in turn was tied to Chappell Music, where one Charlie Gladstone was based. He also ran an in-house label - Idea Records - and it was intended that the album would be financed and released by them. Chappell then pressed up around 250 copies of the 1988 demos in a plain black sleeve and circulated these around the business, mainly at the Midem trade festival in Cannes in January 1989. Stephen Fellows of The Comsat Angels heard the demos, and agreed to produce the next album at Axis in Sheffield. I personally was a huge fan of The Comsats since interviewing them during my time writing for Sounds. However, all was dependent upon our next option with Working Music and Chappell being exercised to fund the sessions. However US giant Warner Bros Music took over the Chappell operation, and the new regime didn't like what they'd heard about Lowlife, or our reputation, or the ICA incident, or the cost of taking up the option. So we were dropped, and gloom and despondency set in".
(Brian Guthrie, Nightshift)

ENJOY


Moved To Tears