VARIOUS ARTISTS

Dreams To Fill The Vacuum: The Sound Of Sheffield 1978-1988 CHERRY RED

8/10

4CD boxset explores some less familiar sounds from the steel city Named after the scratchy yet infectious track by I’m So Hollow, this compilation focuses primarily on punk and post-punk but also features flashes of indie, electronic and other esoteric offerings. The usual suspects appear – such as Pulp’s Belle & Sebastianinventing “Everybody’s Problem” or the squelchy, funky, punchy 12” mix of Heaven 17’s “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thing” – but it’s the lesser-celebrated artists that are the focus. The Fast Product label picked up 2.3 before The Human League and Gang Of Four, but their Buzzcocksesque pop-kissed punk (“All Time Low”) feels more like a lost obscurity four decades on. Artery were Jarvis Cocker’s favourite band, and the brilliantly woozy and wonky “The Clown” displays why they deserve investigation. Some bands have remained forgotten for a reason, but they add to the intrigue and sense of discovery nonetheless – the fecundity, energy and eclecticism of the era captured here feels bountiful. From the synthpop shimmer of Vision’s “Lucifer’s Friend” to the dub-doused grooves of the Surface Mutants via Richard Hawley’s dabbling in ’80s jangle indie with Treebound Story, this compilation disproves the myth of a “Sheffield sound” by delivering some wildly innovative, assorted, yet often overlooked, music.

Extras: 9/10. Twelve of 84 tracks are previously unreleased. The booklet includes detailed track-by-track info, pictures, artwork and multiple essays from featured artists.