Central Unit

Mannequin is really happy to present the 30th Anniversary Edition of the 12’’ EP ‘Loving Machinery” from Central Unit, the cult New Wave mitteleuropean band based in Bologna (nowdays reformed with a different lineup). Formed in 1981, they were among the first in Italy to manipulate synths, drum machines and other electronic devices (as far as we know they were one of the few bands in the world able to program a Korg-KR55 drum machine) to create atmospheric soundscapes and they were considered the Italian answer to Tuxedomoon, who spawned a whole school in the Italian underground.

After the first live appareances as opening act to bands like Spandau Ballet and Monochrome Set in their Italian tours, Central Unit published in March 1982, the 12’’ EP “Loving Machinery” with 4 tracks, including a cover of “What Use?” from Tuxedomoon.

The EP first entered Belgian and German charts with the single Saturday Nite, thanks to its skeletal electronic beats and minimal synth atmospheres, combined with mechanical basslines and relentless bass guitar meanderings, with slothy saxophone murmurs peeping out here and there.

Central Unit joined some important live shows in Italian and foreign festival (remarkable their show in 1983 at No Wave, No Jazz festival in Berlin where they played with Fad Gadget, Einsturzende Neubauten and Notorische Reflexe), they released an album for major label CGD, produced by Tuxedomoon bassist Peter Principle in 1983.

Cover art by the renowned cartoon artist Giorgio Carpinteri (Frigidaire, Linus). Carpinteri was part of the so- called Valvoline group, a group of experimental comics artists, that followed in the footsteps of José Muñoz, Joost Swarte and Art Spiegelman.

• 1 saturday nite
• 2 rock onze
• 3 what use
• 4 beset city