Album News, Digital Music — November 11, 2013 at 8:54 am

Rational Youth releases ‘Magic Box’ 3CD archival set — stream 15-track rarities disc

Rational Youth

Influential Canadian synthpop outfit Rational Youth is digging into its vaults with the release of a new 3CD archival set called Magic Box, which features a 27-song live album that was recorded in 1983 on two discs and a third CD collecting demos, 7-inch remixes and solo tracks from group members Bill Vorn, Kevin Komoda, and Tracy Howe.

Beginning today, you can stream Magic Box’s full 15-track rarities disc here on Slicing Up Eyeballs.

As you can see below, the rarities set features early versions and mixes of many of the group’s synth classics, from “Dancing on the Berlin to Wall” to “Saturdays In Silesia.” It also features two tracks recorded for the “Affection” compilation cassette/magazine in 1982 plus a song from Heaven Seventeen, a pre-Rational Youth project that’s not to be confused with Heaven 17.

Believed to be one of Canada’s first synthpop acts, Rational Youth’s original run stretched from 1981 to 1986, during which time the group released a string of singles and two albums. The band’s 1982 debut, Cold War Night Life, would become one of Canada’s biggest-selling independent albums.

The group has reunited sporadically since the late ’90s.

Artoffact Records’ Magic Box 3CD set — with a T-shirt thrown in, too — can be ordered from Storming the Base, while it’s also available digitally via iTunes.

 

 

 

Tracklist: Rational Youth, Magic Box

Magic Box
1. Bill Vorn, “Untitled” (1981 Cinema V Show Intro)
2. Rational Youth, “Saturdays In Silesia” (1981 Demo)
3. Rational Youth, “Just A Sound In The Night” (1981 Demo)
4. Rational Youth, “Dancing On The Berlin Wall” (1981 Demo Version)
5. Tracy Howe & Kevin Komoda, “Affection Theme – Green Trenchcoat” (‘Affection’ Cassette)
6. Bill Vorn, “Arcade” (‘Affection’ Cassette)
7. Kevin Komoda, “Lakeshore Drive”
8. Rational Youth, “In Your Eyes” (1983 Demo Mix 1)
9. Rational Youth, “Holiday In Bangkok” (1983 Demo Mix)
10. Rational Youth, “Saturdays In Silesia” (7″ Remix)
11. Rational Youth, “City Of Night” (Original 1982 Mix, Unreleased)
12. Rational Youth, “Le Meilleur Des Mondes” (7″ Version)
13. Rational Youth, “Saturdays In Silesia” (2013 Version)
14. Tracy Howe, “Merry Christmas Mary Ann”
15. Heaven Seventeen, “I’ve Got A Sister In The Navy”

Live 1983: Disc 1
1. “Nothing Left To Say”
2. “Just A Sound In The Night”
3. “I Want To See The Light”
4. “Beware The Fly”
5. “Ring The Bells”
6. “Man In Grey”
7. “Dancing On The Berlin Wall”
8. “Holiday in Bangkok”
9. “Saturdays In Silesia”
10. “Pile Ou Face”
11. “Latin Lovers”
12. “Close To Nature”

Live 1983: Disc 2
1. “Intro / Le meilleur des mondes”
2. “Close To Nature”
3. “Latin Lovers”
4. “Just A Sound In The Night”
5. “I Want To See The Light”
6. “Beware The Fly”
7. “Ring The Bells”
8. “Before The Flood”
9. “The Man In Grey”
10. “Dancing On The Berlin Wall”
11. “Saturdays In Silesia”
12. “Nothing Left To Say”
13. “In Your Eyes”
14. “City Of Night”
15. “Pile Ou Face”

 

 

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