‘Kenion Street’ compilation reworks Joy Division, New Order, OMD tracks
Rochdale Music Stories releases the “Kenion Street” compilation on August 7 via Alcopop Records, with local artists covering Joy Division, New Order and OMD.
Rochdale Music Stories will release the compilation “Kenion Street” on August 7 via Alcopop Records, on limited-edition orange vinyl and digital platforms. The album gathers emerging Rochdale artists reinterpreting tracks originally recorded at the city’s Cargo Studios and Suite 16 studios, both located on Kenion Street, between 1977 and 2001.
The project comes from a collaboration between the Stockport Music Story, Voltalab Sound Studios and Alcopop Records, funded by Arts Council England, Rochdale Development Agency and Rochdale Borough Council, as part of Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture. The eleven tracks were recorded and produced by Jamie Alsop at Voltalab Sound Studios.
Two tracks were made available ahead of the release: Desyfer and Emma Konnanov’s electro rework of Happy Mondays’ “Twenty Four Hour Party People,” and K-Estate’s synth-pop reinterpretation of Gang of Four’s “Damaged Goods.” Discussing the album, Alcopop Records’ Jack Clothier stated the label was “linking up with our good friends at Rough Trade to bring Rochdale Hour to London, Bristol, Nottingham and Liverpool,” inviting fans “to come listen to our first Rochdale Music Stories album, Kenion Street.”
The full tracklist covers acts including Joy Division, Gang Of Four, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, The Chameleons, OMD, New Order, A Certain Ratio, Nico, The Fall and Stone Roses:
- Micah Stalgic ft. Local Vocals – “Atmosphere” (Joy Division)
- K-Estate – “Damaged Goods” (Gang of Four)
- Desyfer & Emma Konnanov – “Twenty Four Hour Party People” (Happy Mondays)
- P*STARR – “Keep The Circle Around” (Inspiral Carpets)
- Leo HC – “Up The Down Escalator” (The Chameleons)
- PoolEra – “Electricity” (OMD)
- Medley – “Dreams Never End” (New Order)
- Blvckout – “All Night Party” (A Certain Ratio)
- The Velvet Shadow ft. Maisie Thompson – “All Tomorrow’s Parties” (Nico)
- Jennifer Reid – “Totally Wired” (The Fall)
- From The Ground Up ft. Bloom Music Community – “Elephant Stone” (The Stone Roses)
Free launch listening parties, billed as “Rochdale Hour,” take place August 8 at 3pm at Rough Trade shops in London, Bristol, Nottingham and Liverpool, with the full album played and beer from Heywood’s Phoenix Brewery. On August 7, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Peter Hook & The Light and A Certain Ratio play a concert in Rochdale marking the album’s release.
About Kenion Street and Rochdale Music Stories
Between 1977 and 2001, Kenion Street in Rochdale housed both Cargo Studios and its successor, Suite 16, where Joy Division, New Order, OMD, The Stone Roses, The Fall, Happy Mondays, A Certain Ratio and The Chameleons, among others, recorded some of their best-known work. Rochdale Music Stories launched in 2026 to mark Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture, pairing emerging local artists with the studios’ recorded legacy through Voltalab Sound Studios, built on the former Cargo site. The “Kenion Street” compilation is the project’s first album release, following a live launch concert at Heywood Civic in March 2026 where the participating artists performed their reinterpretations.
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