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Anna Domino East & West + Live in Japan [LTMCD 2383]

East & West is the debut mini-album by Anna Domino, originally released by Les Disques du Crépuscule in 1984.

This short, bittersweet set was recorded at Daylight Studio, Brussels with guest contributions from Virginia Astley, Blaine L. Reininger (of Tuxedomoon) and Luc Van Acker. The five tracks include her first single, Trust In Love (an NME single of the week), as well as a beguiling cover of Aretha Franklin's Land Of My Dreams. Rare b-side track Repeating also features.

A bonus treat comes with the inclusion of seven live tracks recorded at Parco in Tokyo, Japan, in January 1987. Professionally recorded for a proposed live album, Anna's crack band includes guitarist Michel Delory and former Associate Alan Rankine. Highlights include two otherwise unrecorded songs (Change and Just Too Much), and a superb 12 minute version of Caught.

Cover art by Joel Van Audenhaege. A vinyl version is also available from Les Disques du Crépuscule.

CD/MP3 tracklist:

1. With the Day Comes the Dawn
2. Land Of My Dreams
3. Review
4. Everyday I Don't
5. Trust, In Love
6. Repeating
7. 'Rythm' (live)
8. My Man (live)
9. Take That (live)
10. Change (live)
11. Just Too Much (live)
12. She Walked (live)
13. Caught (live)

Vinyl LP tracklist (TWI 187)

A1. With the Day Comes the Dawn
A2. Land Of My Dreams
A3. Review
A4. Everyday I Don't
B1. Trust, In Love
B2. Repeating
B3. Zanna
B4. 'Rythm'
B5. Dreamback (demo)

Available on vinyl and digital download. CD is sold out. To order vinyl please select correct shipping option and click on Add To Cart button below cover image, or else contact LTM by email for other payment options.

Reviews:

"The way Anna lingers out desire, as if wounded by apprehension, is quite exquisite" (NME, 11/1983)

"The wounded fragility of Anna's voice is a definite plus. Her approach is not a million miles away from The Raincoats, which is obviously no bad thing" (Melody Maker, 12/1983)

"Land Of My Dreams is a song of thrilling poignancy and confident, lonely calm" (NME, 03/1984)

"Tender panache, intoxicating sound" (Melody Maker, 04/1985)

"Fans of femme folk-new wave (Raincoats, Young Marble Giants etc) should check out this mini album even though the artist floats her lyricism in a gentle electronic wash, and doesn't appear to hail from Britannia. Me, I'm a fan of early Tom Tom Club, Velvets-era Nico, and Maureen Tucker singing Afterhours. Hypnotic with no cosmic aspirations, she could be labelled spaced out, but in a dreamy, nicely sophisticated way" (Robert Christgau, 1984)

"East and West is a chance to catch the early stirrings of a long running career of an artist whose delicately crafted strangeness was both accessible and infectious. It works as fine introduction into her world, off-centre and much richer than our own" (Louder Than War, 05/2017)

"It's a bit surprising that Domino did not get more recognition and college radio airplay at the time. East and West presents a low-key, sultry, somnambulant, cosmopolitan art pop. It fits right in with what one might expect from the high-class Les Disques du Crepuscule label, and the sound will be instantly familiar to anyone who is acquainted with fellow 80s purveyors of sophisticated art pop, slotting in effortlessly with the likes of Kate Bush, Julee Cruise, Bryan Ferry and Peter Gabriel. Like those artists, Domino makes pop music that sounds like it was created with a canvas rather than a recording studio. There are tribal polyrhythms, chilled-out horns, twangy guitar and a steadily ticking drum machine - and that's just the intro of the first track. It's a bewitching, evocative bed of sound onto which Domino's pleasant, laconic voice drops effortlessly. All that's missing is a David Lynch movie to go with it. Even better is the stunning version of Aretha Franklin's Land of My Dreams. Domino takes the swing and the soul out of the song, replacing it with keyboards that circle back on themselves claustrophobically. In place of Aretha's brassy emoting is Domino's naked, fragile croon. When she sings, "In the land of my dreams / You would love me so much more", it is with sadness rather than determination. Truly she makes the song her own" (Popmatters, 07/2017)