IKO - '83 & Extra Studio Works

Format: 2 x 12" Vinyl
Catalogue No.: BCK/OTR-LP-0
Release Date: Apr 2022
Genre: Coldwave/Synth

A1. Elevator
A2. Gonadotropic Synthesis
A3. Subway 49
A4. Communication Off
B1. Approach On Tokyo
B2. Digital Delight
B3. Model Type A
B4. Radioactive Mist
C1. Jungle City
C2. Army Service
D1. Military Service
D2. Surrender To The Dream

After a first reissue, which seduced music lovers nearly 40 years after the group’s disbanding, LeBackstore and On The Roof are rereleasing the works of IKO in double vinyl format. ’83 & Extra Studio Works includes the entirety of the ’83 album, plus four tracks recorded after its original release. These additional pieces reveal an outfit that pushes its own limits, gaining in intensity while straying from the abrasive sound of the early days. The keen desire to experiment that has always been present in the trios artistic approach is definitely there. One only has to listen to “Surrender to the Dream” to take the full measure of the creativity that inhabited Dax, Zao and U-Gen.

With an improved overall sound thanks to high-level mastering, IKO’s music is given new life again, this time by Quebec-based enthusiasts. Born a decade too early, IKO is held today in high regard by many connoisseurs and electronic music junkies. This reissue is a well-de-served rehabilitation for one of the most relevant groups of Montreal music history.

A group worth discovering, if you haven’t already.