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Discography of 80s Belgian hardcore punk greats Zyklome A compiled onto 2x12". Includes thick full-color 75+ page booklet with flyers, photos, interviews etc.
Our take: Lately there has been some conversation in the hardcore underground about reissue culture, specifically the tendency for labels to pad out reissues of classic records with (what many see as) unnecessary extra tracks and packaging bells and whistles like posters, booklets, box sets, etc. I’m all for getting the music out there as cheap as possible for the punx, and I also agree that, more often than not, this bonus content only dilutes a record’s original impact while making it needlessly more expensive. But, on the other hand, a well-done reissue can also deepen one’s enjoyment of an original punk artifact. Case in point, this reissue from the 80s Belgian band Zyklome A. I think even the most committed hardcore maniac would concede that Zyklome A’s 1984 LP, Made in Beglium is a good-but-not-great album. Zyklome A can play fast and hard, the production is strong, and the packaging is cool and punk, but the record is kind of samey-sounding, growing repetitive by the end of its 16 tracks. Just a couple of months ago, we had an original copy in the shop and I listened to it several times, trying to figure out if I liked it enough and would listen to it often enough to justify the expense of an original pressing. Ultimately, I let the record go (Usman bought it, LOL), and now we have this double-LP reissue in stock. I’ve been loving this reissue, but I don’t regret my decision to pass on the original because I think this collection does a better job of representing Zyklome A than Made in Belgium did. The first disc of Uitgesproken is a straight reissue of Made in Belgium, and while I don’t have an original copy to compare, I swear this reissue sounds better than the original. The mastering on Uitgesproken is clear, loud, and bright, and when I played disc 1, it hit me in a way Made in Belgium never has. Maybe I was just in the right mood or in the right environment, but without a doubt this collection (both discs) sounds great. Then you get to the second disc, which collects all the split EP and compilation tracks Zyklome A recorded along with a live set. Despite the disparate source material, disc 2 sounds just as good as disc 1 (even the live stuff, which must be straight from the soundboard as there’s no audience noise whatsoever). Maybe it’s because these songs are from different sessions, but disc 2 avoids the samey quality that plagued Made in Belgium, with the band shaking up the tempos and grooves just a hair while remaining very, very punk. And then there’s the booklet, a super thick, full-color tome that tells you everything you could ever possibly want to know about Zyklome A. It’s bursting with pictures, flyers, and ephemera, all of it beautifully photographed and reproduced. Flipping through this booklet while listening to the music, I’m transported to mid-80s Belgium, immersed in Zyklome A’s world. Of course some bands like the Misfits or the Stooges can build a world and invite you in like this on a studio LP… Zyklome A need a little more than that, but visiting that world is just as exciting, and Uitgesproken takes me there more effectively than Made in Belgium ever did. Certainly Uitgesproken is a treat for any 80s international hardcore fanatic (especially at the attractive price we’re selling it at), and while I don’t think we should suspend our skepticism of reissue culture, for me this is proof that a deluxe reissue can be done right.