Bronski Beat New Album, The Age Of Reason, Out 28 July
- Written by Marky Edison
Steve Bronski has teamed up with singer Stephen Granville and programmer Ian Donaldson to create an updated line‐up of this classic, much‐loved synth-pop band. Their new album, The Age of Reason, is their first in 22 years. With The Age of Reason, the trio pay homage to the origins of Bronski Beat through an inventive and inspired reworking of their landmark debut album The Age of Consent. But, crucially, they also present a template for the future direction of this latest Bronski Beat line-‐up with three all new songs and a generous offering of celebratory dance mixes thereof.
The first of these new tracks is an inventive cover of the queercore disco classic, Sylvester's 'Stars' (written by the scene legend Patrick Cowley), which has been given a refreshing electro-soul makeover. There's an all new song, 'I'll Be Gone' that celebrates, with Bronski Beat's trademark searing vocals, the euphoric self-‐realisation gained in ditching a less than perfect love affair. There's also palpable evidence that Bronski Beat have lost none of their social campaigning and gay activist zeal by virtue of the inclusion of their heart-breaking tribute in song to the recently murdered Brazilian transsexual Dandara dos Santos. 'Flower For Dandara' is a sensitive, sung eulogy to the victim of a callous lynching by a gang of transphobic thugs; an act that was so horrific that it made global headlines. 'Flower For Dandara' also makes an appearance on the second 'New & Remixed' disc with four variant versions that feature the voice of Rose McDowall, singer with cult ‘80s favourites Strawberry Switchblade.
Bronski Beat have been a going concern since 1983's trail-blazing The Age of Consent album; there have been a number of different singers through the years that have included Jimmy Somerville, Jon Jon Foster and Jonathan Hellyer, all of whom made their mark on the history and development of one of the leading queer electro-pop bands of our time. The constant in all the line-‐ups to date has been their chief songwriter and programmer, the genius producer and founding member that is Steve Bronski.
Disc One
1. Why?
2. No More War / It Ain’t Necessarily So
3. Screaming
4. Love & Money
5. Smalltown Boy
6. Heatwave
7. Junk
8. Need A Man Blues
9. Close To The Edge
10. Hard Rain
11. Run From Love
12. A Flower For Dandara
Disc Two
1. Stars (Radio Edit)
2. Stars (Extended Mix)
3. Stars (Sordid Soundz Remix)
4. Stars (Qubiq Cosmic Energy Extended Mix)
5. Stars (S.S. Darkstar Mix)
6. I’ll Be Gone
7. I’ll Be Gone (Dub & Dusted Mix)
8. I’ll Be Gone (Stompin’ Stiletto Mix)
9. I’ll Be Gone (S.S. Down & Out Mix)
10. A Flower For Dandara (Radio Edit)
11. A Flower For Dandara (Sordid Soundz Edit)
12. A Flower For Dandara (Extended)
13. A Flower For Dandara (Sordid Soundz Extended)