''Mutant Moments'' is the debut EP by

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

duo

Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their plat ...

. Only 2000 copies were pressed, originally by Big Frock Records, then later by a Japanese fan club, making the record extremely rare and prized by collectors and fans alike. The duo, who attended

Leeds Metropolitan University Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The univ ...

, originally developed a cult following with their performances which routinely included bizarre sexual imagery and visuals representing sexual themes. Some examples include instances where singer

Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He ...

would smear his body with cat food, simulate

sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...

with a full-length mirror, or appear onstage in drag. The band was signed to

Some Bizzare Records Some Bizzare Records was a British independent record label owned by Stevo Pearce. The label was founded in 1981, with the release of ''Some Bizzare Album'', a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, the The, Neu Elect ...

soon after its release, with "The Girl With The Patent Leather Face" being released on the ''

Some Bizzare Album ''Some Bizzare Album'' is the first album issued by Some Bizzare Records. It was released in 1981 as a sampler of the label's musical ethos. The acts were not signed exclusively to the label at the time. Information The album consisted of tracks b ...

'' and later a 7-inch single "A Man Can Get Lost" and 12-inch single "Memorabilia", both being released the following year. The EP includes the song "Frustration," which also appears on their full-length studio album ''

Non-stop Erotic Cabaret ''Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret'' is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released on 27 November 1981 by Some Bizzare Records. The album's critical and commercial success was bolstered by the success of its lead single, a cove ...

'', though the two versions sound very different. The other three songs from the EP also appear on the rarities/bootleg compilation '' The Bedsit Tapes''. The Mutant Moments EP received an official rerelease in May 2020. Originally intended to be a limited release for Record Store Day (UK), it was released as a 10-inch single in clear vinyl, through the band's online shop at Lexer Music.

Track listing

This version of "Frustration" can be found on '' Demo Non Stop'', which was released in 2006 by Some Bizzare.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Soft Cell albums 1980 debut EPs