Release 6 - the atlantic group 1994 (USA, Promotional sampler, 1994)
Atlantic, no cat.no.


It's my 200th post on this blog, so I should perhaps have dug out something awesome... But I don't know, I sort of think this blog is about the joy of collecting, in general, and not just about the most fascinating items. So that said, I want to post this, another promo compilation. I find them interesting, this one is in the same vein as a couple I have posted earlier.


Like those previous ones, this cassette contains short snippets of tracks from 13 new releases, with a voice-over telling us how great each release is. This time, we are being treated to nearly two minutes of Elektric Music's TV, and the surprisingly thick American accent of the record company man who has this to say about it: 


"Elektric Music: Esperanto. A sonic break-through from techno pioneers Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk and Lothar Manteuffel of Rheingold. An exciting and accessible new body of work, enigineered to stimulate the masses through the universal language of TV". Well, if you say so. 


If anything, I suppose this cassette shows how difficult it was to market Elektric Music's Esperanto album in the US; although personally I loved it then and love it now, I do think it was a bit removed from the mainstream at the time, especially the North American mainstream. In Europe, there were still the odd synth pop artist that could impact the charts in 1994, and this might not be so out of place alongside New Order and Electronic, Pet Shop Boys, OMD, Saint Etienne, or even bands like Fluke, Björk or Underworld... But here, it's placed among new albums from Stevie Nick of Fleetwod Mac, Stone Temple Pilots, jazz, folk and a bit of Woodstock (OK, and UK dance act Opus III, but still!). I wonder what the average radio programmer would think, listening to this tape in 1994?


As indicated in the pictures below, the cassette had a simple 1-panel J-card, printed on both sides, and a clear shell cassette, with music on one side only. Why didn't the program repeat both sides? Too easy, I expect. Rare item, but not the most coveted... Still, I love it to bits!






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