Various – Fac. Dance: Factory Records 12" Mixes & Rarities, 1980-87
It’s hard to believe that another compilation of genuine interest can be wrung from the Factory stable, such has been the level of interest in the label in recent years. Fac. Dance, however, is just that: gathering together dance tracks from Factory’s earlier years, including work from less-remembered outfits like Streetlife and The Hood, the double album offers a snapshot of a remarkably fertile club scene.
Before its gradual narrowing into the baggy sound, Factory’s output in the early- to mid-80s embraced cross-pollination with New York club culture, covering abrasive dance-funk (Blurt), electro (52nd Street) and reggae (X-O-Dus), among other genres. The compilation traces links across this broad spectrum, revealing a common enthusiasm and adventurousness. Here is a tantalising glimpse of routes that British indie and dance might have pursued in the late 80s and early 90s, had the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays not imprinted their influence so emphatically.