Grey Factor 1979-1980 A.d. (Complete Studio Recordings)
For fans of: The KVB, Automatic, The Mall, Boy Harsher, Bite Marx, Future Shoxxx, Devo, Fad Gadget, Jeff & Jane Hudson. Pioneers of the Los Angeles underground art damage electronic music scene, Grey Factor have been more myth than legend for over 40 years. The band recorded two experimental synth / post-punk EPs, made one riotous appearance on the influential cable tv show New Wave Theater and gigged sparingly before disbanding. None of their recordings have been officially released in physical format until now. In 1978 Jeff Jacquin, Joey Cevetello, Jon Pospisil, and Paul Fontana, using what would today be considered a goldmine of vintage electronic equipment, recorded The Perils of Popularity EP at Eldorado Recording Studios with a young engineer named Dave Jerden (prior to his work with Talking Heads and Byrne / Eno). The EP was dubbed onto cassettes and distributed at one of the 20-odd gigs Grey Factor played at legendary L.A. punk venues like Madame Wong’s, The Hong Kong Café, and The Masque. Word spread quickly, and the “too cool to care” underground were soon cramming their way in to view this new phenomenon. In 1980, Paul Fontana left the band and was replaced by Anne Burns and Joey’s brother, John Cevetello, to create The Feel of Passion EP. The synthesizer and drum machine setup of the first EP was expanded to include guitar and bass, female vocals and saxophone. After a confrontational performance on New Wave Theater, Grey Factor called it quits, the members deciding that there was just nothing else left to do. This release includes Grey Factor’s two studio Eps remastered from the original tapes, pressed on vinyl with 16-page booklet. It marks the launch of Damaged Disco, the new label founded by Dave Trumfio (Pulsars, Mekons) and handled by Tiny Global Productions.