Thomas Leer is an innovative electronic musician who was born in Port Glasgow, Scotland. In 1978, Thomas released his first single, “Private Plane”/“International”, on his own Oblique Records. Both songs were recorded in his small Finsbury Park flat over three days, using a TEAC A3440 4-­track recorder and an ALICE mixing board. The only effects used were a Watkins Copicat tape echo unit, Electo Harmonix DrQ filter, an old Roland drum machine, and a Stylophone. So as to not wake his sleeping girlfriend, Leer’s vocals were nearly whispered, which lends them a textural, psychedelic quality. NME named “Private Plane” Single of the Week, and the hand-stamped first edition of 650 promptly sold out. For this expanded reissue, we’ve added 2 bonus tracks. “Kings of Sham”, from the 1981 Cherry Red Records sampler “Business As Usual”, is perfect motorik trance, echoing Conny Plank’s 1970′s productions. “Saving Grace” is the extended instrumental version of Leer’s second single “All About You” from 1982, a slow­-burning cosmic work-out chock-full of anthemic synth riffs.

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