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Limited Edition
The North West-based duo laisve return with Parallel Motion, a new limited-edition vinyl release that pays tribute to the enduring influence of Section 25 — one of Factory Records’ most innovative early artists. Opening with a cover of New Horizon, originally produced by Martin Hannett for Section 25’s 1981 debut Always Now, the record connects post-punk’s experimental past with a contemporary search for new sonic terrain.
A Dialogue with History
For laisve, Parallel Motion is not simply an act of homage, but a conversation across time. Section 25’s Always Now remains a landmark in British post-punk, shaped by Hannett’s otherworldly production techniques and Peter Saville’s austere visual design. Revisiting New Horizon more than four decades later, laisve honour the spirit of optimism that Section 25 embedded in the track.
“New Horizon was, for us, a very optimistic and uplifting piece about new starts and brighter days despite setbacks,” recalls drummer Vin Cassidy of Section 25, who contributed sleeve notes to the release. “I am very pleased that this song has been covered in such a sensitive and creative way, underlining that the sentiments are still valid now as they were over 40 years ago.”
Soundscapes of the Present
Beyond the cover, Parallel Motion presents a suite of original compositions that extend laisve’s hybrid practice: layered guitars and analogue textures colliding with digital soundscapes, voices treated as instruments, and structures that hover between song and sonic architecture.
Tracks such as Scandia explore betrayal, power, and tragedy, inspired by contemporary events, while Ptarmigan Take Over Grindavik reflects on ecology and climate change, drawing on the story of Icelandic wildlife reclaiming abandoned human settlements. The result is an album that resists easy categorisation, combining post-punk austerity with forward-looking experimentation.
“The best ideas come from nowhere, as if the ether permeates the brain and pulls strands together into new songs,” says Phil Clayton. “Ken has become a master of modern production while I remain very analogue. That tension drives the music forward.”
The Object Itself
True to Factory tradition, Parallel Motion is as much a visual and material experience as a sonic one. The release features:
- 180g Eco-mix vinyl in a deluxe gatefold sleeve, designed by award-winning artist Okki Poortvliet.
- Sleeve notes by Vin Cassidy (Section 25).
- A limited edition signed and numbered art print, The 3 Denials by Henrik Oftenest, printed on 300gsm 100% recycled textured card.
- A download code for high-resolution WAV/FLAC files, including three exclusive bonus tracks.
- Mastering by Alex Balzama, whose credits span Section 25, Matt Johnson, My Sad Captains, and Lethal Bizzle.
Only 200 copies of Parallel Motion will be pressed, each individually numbered.
Carrying the Flame
For laisve’s Kenneth I. Foster, the project is both tribute and continuation:
“There are certain points in time when, if you are fortunate, elements come together to create something really special. When Martin Hannett’s unique production coincided with Section 25’s sound, the result was Always Now. With Parallel Motion we wanted to reflect that ethos — not by imitation, but by building our own structures out of sound, rhythm, and atmosphere.”
By weaving homage with invention, Parallel Motion affirms laisve’s place in the long lineage of experimental, independent music that stretches from Factory Records into the present day — and beyond.
Parallel Motion is available to buy now from Bandcamp
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