Various Artists: Bustin’ Out 1982 – New Wave to New Beat Volume 2

The title of New Wave to New Beat implies a logical evolution that ties together the music contained within, but it’s more a snapshot of disparate electronic-based musical threads that flourished in 1982, running the gamut of post-punk, electro-funk, hip hop, and industrial, with some more related than others. Although there’s plenty of fantastic material present, the standouts being Afrika Bambaataa’s epochal hip hop jam “Planet Rock” and choice cuts by ESG and Man Parish, it flows poorly for something assembled by professional DJ Mike Maguire. The dancier tracks are weighted to the front of the album, while left-field experimental material from people like Portion Control and Pylon brings the record to a full-stop. Nevertheless, the choice of tracks is commendable (even if Shriekback’s “My Spine Is the Bassline” really didn’t need to be included on yet another post-punk compilation), making this collection an intriguing introduction to the broad range of half-remembered electronic sounds pioneered nearly thirty years ago.