Dave Trumfio grew up playing music in a suburban Chicago basement, but his native talent soon found him producing talents as diverse as house pioneer Mr Fingers, the legendary The Pretty Things and legendary reggae act Niney The Observer all within months of his first real go behind the mixing desk. Dave soon opened a studio in Wicker Park, just as a small contingent of cult heroes who lived there for cheap rent and cheaper bars - Liz Phair, Urge Overkill, Tortoise et al - burst into acclaim. Dave looked further afield - Billy Bragg & Wilco, Mekons, Captain Beefheart’s Gary Lucas, acts from Iceland, Australia, the UK. One afternoon Dave and his brother Harry recorded nine songs as Pulsars. Within weeks, the band opened for Oasis and was courted by ten labels, and soon signed seven-figure deal with Almo Sounds - founded by A&M owners Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss - the largest deal ever offered to a new Chicago artist. The band played with Sean Lennon, Blur and Supergrass and toured Japan four times, where they were hailed as heroes of subversive minimalist pop . . . but Almo Sounds’ promotion deal with Geffen fell apart just as Pulsars began a tour with Weezer. Promotion was pulled, and radio support collapsed in a mere moment. And that was it! We are reissuing their debut in its intended original form, with the ominous 'banned' cover and early, edgier mixes of some tracks, now available for the first time on vinyl.
