Metamatic Forums News and Announcements John Foxx news Deluxe 3 Disc Edition of "Metamatic"...

We're excited to announce John Foxx's classic Metamatic album will be released as a 3CD Deluxe Edition on the 25th of May, 2018. The first 750 orders made through Townsend Records will include a signed John Foxx art card inside a clamshell box.

The original ten track album was remastered from analogue tapes back in 2014, along with various B-sides. A few tapes full of instrumental music from the session were also set aside for remastering but these revealed further discoveries, including alternative mixes and the song Miss Machinery - a mutant, electro-punk twist on Foxx B-side, 20th Century. Meanwhile John Foxx assembled his notebooks from the period which included lists of possible track titles that have now been used for the unreleased material on this album. Some of the notes were also scanned for the artwork, along with previously unseen photos as well as rare drawings and illustrations. Jonathan Barnbrook (regular Foxx collaborator and Bowie's Blackstar designer) worked on the new reissue design as the project grew to forty-nine tracks across three CDs. This includes fifteen instrumentals on disc three which collectively sound like a lost electronic soundtrack with echoes of Quatermass, BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the dark DIY electronics of Thomas Leer and Robert Rental.

This Deluxe Three Disc Edition includes the following...

- Six art cards inside a clamshell box - the first 750 ordered through Townsend Records will include an art card signed by John Foxx...

- Previously unreleased tracks...

- A forty page booklet featuring previously unseen photos by Chris Gabrin, plus rare drawings and illustrations by John Foxx...

- The 2014 remaster of Metamatic album from analogue tapes...

- Every B-side, out-take and unreleased track taken from the best possible source and (re)mastered over the last four years...



The full track-listing is as follows...

Disc One : Metamatic...

01. Plaza
02. He’s A Liquid
03. Underpass
04. Metal Beat
05. No-One Driving
06. A New Kind Of Man
07. Blurred Girl
08. 030
09. Tidal Wave
10. Touch And Go

Disc Two...

01. Film One
02. This City
03. To Be With You
04. Cinemascope
05. Burning Car
06. Glimmer
07. Mr. No
08. Young Love
09. 20th Century
10. My Face
11. Underpass (Radio Edit)
12. No-One Driving (Single Version)
13. Like A Miracle (Alternative Version)
14. A New Kind Of Man (Alternative Version)
15. He’s A liquid (Alternative Version)
16. Plaza (Extended Version)
17. Underpass (Extended Version)
18. Blurred Girl (Longer Fade Version)

Disc Three...

01. A Frozen Moment
02. He’s A Liquid (Instrumental Dub)
03. Mr. No (Alternative Version)
04. The Uranium Committee
05. A Man Alone
06. Over Tokyo
07. Terminal Zone
08. Urban Code
09. A Version Of You
10. Glimmer (Alternative Version)
11. Fragmentary City
12. Metamorphosis
13. Approaching The Monument
14. Critical Mass
15. Alamogordo Logic
16. Touch And Go (Early Version)
17. Miss Machinery
18. No-One Driving (Early Version)
19. Burning Car (Early Version)
20. Like A Miracle (Early Version)
21. No-One Driving (Alternative Version)

**

Pre-order a copy from Townsend Records...

Rob

Townsend didn't waste any time sending out the preorder email. First time I clicked on the link, it didn't go anywhere, but they got it online a few minutes later. Order placed. Near as I can tell, I haven't bought a new version of Metamatic since 2007, so I guess I was due.

goddammit this must be about the 11th time I've bought this album, but there's too many previously unreleased bonus tracks there for me not to succomb. You win

Unreleased material and a signed art card? I'm in!!!

Great release!
I've been waiting for the 2014 master to get a proper release (without having to buy all the other Virgin albums again).
Just curious Robin, does the 3rd disc contain the 1980 demos most of us have on tape?
And if not, will these ever be released?

The short answer is "Some Of Them"...

The ones which John was happy to be released officially and which would work well in the context of the other tracks around them...

As you'll have doubtless noticed - they have been given more 'appropriate' names...

Rob

I ordered as soon as I saw the email from Townsend Records.

Great to have all these tracks collected together plus the promise of unreleased material.

Not moaning but would there have been room to include Jane, the jingles off 'From Brussels With Love' and the short experimental tracks included with Metal Beat? These were recorded roughly around the same time period.

Maybe, I shouldn't be asking here but does anyone know where the 1980 demos could be obtained from, especially as not all of them will be included in this release?

Yes, they were considered.
Yes, there would've been room to have included them.
Yes, they were recorded around the same time period.

However, see my previous comment about John only wanting to include tracks on this release which would work well in the context of the other tracks around them...

Rob

Fair enough Rob.

Looking forward to this release very much.

Not to crow too loudly, but I blogged about this release in 2010!
Post-Punk Monk: Metamania

I'm thrilled by its appearance even though I predicted it in 2013 and it's five years late. Better late than never.

I'm even more thrilled by its modest pricing! I was just complaining last week about the "Roxy Music" super deluxe box with 3xCD+DVD for $160! [though the book may be worth it - it will arrive today after I partook of a half price flash sale online]. This make it imperative that any Foxx fan can afford the goods, and will hopefully snag a few of the uninitiated. If you're going to make us buy this album every time, then the modest pricing and significant upgrading of tracks has been the most soothing of balms. Here's hoping that the color correction on the cover can come close to the original LP printing with that steely gray tone. So far the Japanese Kami pressing has been the most accurate.

I'm thrilled the most with my wife who, once again, immediately bought this for me, though the signed edition was supposed to by my birthday present in September. She told me when I showed her the webpage where I was about to order it myself. Oops.