Circle X - Prehistory Circle X
Pickup available at Record Plant Farsley
Usually ready in 24 hours
Some 42 years after its initial release, Circle X’s ‘Prehistory’ returns to the vinyl format. New listeners to this music will discover, in addition to the roiling compulsion in its odd, dance-damaged clockwork and instinctive joining of feral and aestheticized values, a refined understanding of the width and breadth of post-punk music, both in and out of its time.
Circle X operated between 1978 and 1995, formed in Louisville, KY, but existing largely as a New York-based collective, a band who insisted on working outside the standard definitions. Even their name - the symbol of a circle with an X through it - was a provocation.
Typing it in English letters, just the sort of tedium they’d united to transcend. And they did: with two albums, two EPs and a handful of singles, each one of which challenged the developments of the present times with a bewildering synthesis of impulses and energies.
Around 1980, the art aspects of Circle X in performance were brought to the fore. Similarly, the recording of ‘Prehistory’ developed as much on a conceptual basis as the shows. In 2009, Rik Letendre (guitar) told Dusted Magazine, “This was before the age of sampling. We bought a lot of mini-tapes for phone machines, and we were making loops and playing against them. We would record something, play it back through an amp, and then add to it over that. So it was like layered loops. As it became more and more layered, it became more distorted so you didn’t recognize exactly what was happening in the original recording. Things took on their own sonic presence.”
And also: “in France, [their new manager] Bernard Zekri had a bunch of Arabic records: Farid el Atrash, Oum Kalsoum, old 78s. We would listen to those and they had a great influence on us... some of those Oum Kalsoum records... we had no idea what she was saying, but you’d listen to her voice and you just wanted to weep. Also, the orchestration of it was just incredible.”
Circle X’s music has continued to grow through each further iteration of ‘the present times’. ‘Prehistory’ was re-injected into the marketplace via Blue Chopsticks’ 2008 CD edition (at which time, the label described the music as “a tire-burning left-turn... gritty and cloudy... the sound of unhurried, committed exploration”). Again confronting the listener with its dark logic, as it will again today. And tomorrow.
Available to independent retailers on vinyl with printed inner sleeve.
Product information
UNITED KINGDOM
Singles/7” £3.50 + £1 per each additional record.
LPs and 10”: £5.00 for up to 2kg and between £51 and £150 – Tracked 48
LPS and 10”: £12.00 for up to 2kg and over £150 – Royal Mail Special Delivery
For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £10.95 up to 5kg and 15.95 from 5k to 10k
Delivery is by Parcel Force
EUROPE
Singles/7” : £10 Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
LPs and 10”: £13 for up to 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £18.75 up to 10kg.
WORLD ZONE 1
United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, India, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Israel, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Vietnam.
Singles/LPs/10”: £15.00 up to 1.5kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
Singles/LPs/10”: £20 over 1.5kg and less than 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £35 up to 10kg.
WORLD ZONE 2
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Fiji.
Singles/LPs/10”: £18.00 up to 1.5kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
Singles/LPs/10”: £24.00 over 1.5kg and less than 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £43 up to 10kg.
All customers are responsible for paying the necessary customs1 fees charged. We will not be able to under declare the value of any order for customs as it is unlawful to do so.
RETURNS AND CANCELLATION POLICY
At Record Plant, we are committed to ensuring your satisfaction with every purchase you make. We understand that circumstances may change, and you might need to cancel an order or return a product. Our Returns and Cancellation Policy is designed to provide you with clear guidelines and information on your rights and responsibilities when it comes to cancelling orders and returning goods under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation & Additional Charges) Regulations. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the key points outlined below.
RIGHT TO CANCEL
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you have the right to cancel your order for goods. This right begins the moment you place your order and lasts for 14 days from the day you receive the goods.
CANCELLATION DEADLINE
To meet the cancellation deadline, kindly notify us of your decision to cancel your order before the 14-day cancellation period expires. You can contact us via email or phone to initiate the cancellation process.
RETURNING GOODS
If you decide to cancel your order, you are responsible for taking reasonable care of the goods while they are in your possession. To complete the return process, send the goods back to our contact address at your own expense. Exceptions apply if we delivered the item in error, or if the item is damaged or defective.
COST OF RECOVERY
In case the returned goods are not received within the specified conditions, we reserve the right to charge you for the direct costs incurred in recovering the goods.
REFUNDS
Once you have notified us of your decision to cancel the order, any payments made will be promptly refunded to you. You can expect the refund to be processed within 14 days of your cancellation.
ITEMS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CANCELLATION OR RETURN
Certain goods and services are exempt from the right to cancel, including prescription medicines, personalized goods, rapidly perishable items, and more. Please refer to our policy for a comprehensive list of non-cancelable and non-returnable items.
FORFEITURE OF CANCELLATION RIGHT
Your right to cancel may be forfeited if you unseal goods that are not suitable for return due to hygiene or health reasons, unseal sealed audio/video recordings or software, or combine goods with other items to make them inseparable.
At Record Plant, we value your satisfaction and aim to make your shopping experience as smooth as possible. Our Returns and Cancellation Policy ensures transparency and fairness in all interactions. If you have any questions or concerns about cancelling an order or returning goods, our dedicated customer service team is here to assist you.
Please note that specific regulations and details may vary based on your location and the applicable laws. For a detailed understanding of our policy and your rights, we recommend reviewing our complete Returns and Cancellation Policy or contacting our customer service representatives.
