When you see the bands from your formative days reforming or releasing albums that have clocked up significant calendar mileage, it can make you feel a bit old. But I prefer to put a more positive spin on things. Without wanting to sound elitist or precious or…well, old… such activities remind me of the great soundtrack I had during those early days of my musical learning curve.
So, Lowsunday’s debut being remixed and rereleased as it turns 30 is more of a nostalgia-tinged celebration for me than a reminder that I can’t throw the crazy shapes and dance moves I used way back when… not with my back!
If, when it first saw the light of day, the album was celebrated for its impressive blend of futuristic nostalgia, a merging of the post-punk, shoegazing and pioneering synth sounds from the previous decade with more of the moment dreamscaping and forward-thinking creativity, even today it feels as if it sits on the cusp of the recognisable past and the potential of what might come.
What original singer and guitarist Shane Sahene and Bobby Spell give us is fantastic: a series of remixes, remasters, and reinterpretations that stay true to the original songs but add a wonder sheen and urgency.
If the opener, “So Far Away” blends Cure-esque bass lines with, initially at least, Sisters guitar cascades, when the song really kicks in, it does so in a tsunami of squalling guitars and velocity that neither of those bands ever captured. By contrast, “Your Eden” is more reminiscent of bands like Clan of Xymox, that darkwave balance of synth strings and dance beats, here shot through with liquid post-punk guitars. “Blast” proves that when they choose to do less, the results are certainly more!
And beyond the remastered first disk of this double album release, the second slice is where the truly experimental stuff is found. “Turn Your Love Around” is a dark, shoegaze masterpiece, with guitars raw and razor-wired, and vocals merely distant cries lost in the sonic storm, and “For a Moment” sees them head into the sort of dance-meets-doom territory that Depeche Mode made their own.
What you have here is the best of many worlds. A reminder of how great the band was in the first place. An enhanced take on their original sound. Remixed versions of some of their rarer creations. Totally new takes and re-imaginings of songs across their career. What more could you ask for?
Low Sunday Ghost Machine (2025 remaster) album
Spotify
Apple
Elesgiem (2024 remaster) CD
Digital album
