Electribe 101 follow the 2022 release of their ‘lost’ second album “Electribal Soul” with a deluxe, definite reissue of their classic 1990 debut album “Electribal Memories”.

Originally released in 1990, “Electribal Memories” propelled the band into fame. It was also one of the first albums to emerge out of the nascent global house music scene which was – at that point – still very much the domain of 12” single and associated remixes.

“Electribal Memories” will be available as a deluxe 4 CD set collecting together remixes, extended versions, radio edits and original band demos. The deluxe edition was compiled by club culture historian Bill Brewster and comes with new sleeve notes by Billie Ray Martin, an essay by Pete Paphides and original band photography from the era.

About Electribe 101

Electribe 101 formed when Hamburg-born/London-based sometime S’ Express member Billie Ray Martin hooked up with four musician/producers from Birmingham (Joe Stevens, Les Fleming, Rob Cimarosti and Brian Nordhoff). The result was a mix of deep house sounds of Chicago and Detroit with a distinctive European twist. The band were signed by Mercury Records and taken under the wing of Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins.

The band released five singles in the UK, all of which featured on their debut album “Electribal Memories”: “Tell Me When The Fever Ended”, “Talking With Myself”, “You’re Walking”, “Lipstick On My Lover” and a cover of Odyssey’s deep soul classic “Inside Out”. After recording a follow up to “Electribal Memories” that stalled before release, Electribe 101 called it a day.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Today Electribe 101 release their first single in over 30 years. “Insatiable Love” is taken from the band’s upcoming 2nd album, “Electribal Soul”. “Electribal Soul” is the previously unreleased second album from the UK electronic pioneers. The album will be released 18th March 2022 through Electribal Records.

For now you can stream the single “Insatiable Love”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Thirty years after the songs were recorded, we’re now finally able to hear what the second and final chapter of Electribe 101’s story sounded like.

Out on the 18th of February 2022 through Electribal Records is the previously unreleased second Electribe 101 album, “Electribal Soul”. Recorded in 1991 by the quintet of vocalist Billie Ray Martin and Birmingham-based electronic musicians Brian Nordhoff, Joe Stevens, Les Fleming and Roberto Cimarosti, “Electribal Soul” was conceived as the sequel to the band’s 1990 debut album, “Electribal Memories”.

“There was a degree of confidence among us when we came to write the second album,” recalls Billie Ray Martin. “To me, the songs we put down sound like some of our finest moments.”

The band finished mixing the album at London’s Olympic Studios in 1991 assisted by Apollo 440’s Howard Gray on production duties for “Deadline For My Memories”, “Insatiable Love” and “Space Oasis”, with Gray supported by talented engineer Al Stone.

It was however never released as the band got dropped by Phonogram at the end of 1991.

You can check out the album below, while orders can be placed here.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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30 years since their creation, the never before released Frankie Knuckles remixes of Electribe 101’s “Heading for The Night” are finally made available on 12“ vinyl and CD. This EP of remixes precedes the release of Electribe 101’s second, never before released album “Electribal Soul”, later this year.

UK based electronic group Electribe 101 was founded after vocalist and writer Billie Ray Martin had placed an ad in Melody Maker in 1988: “Soul rebel seeks musicians – genius only”. Billie headed to meet the four responding musicians (Brian Nordhoff, Joe Stevens, Les Fleming, and the late Roberto Cimarosti) at their studio in Birmingham.

“I took three songs with me, one of were the lyrics and melodies to (Electribe 101’s first single) “Talking with Myself”, as well as a copy of Julian Jonah’s “Jealousy and Lies”,” says Billie. “I told the guys: I’ve heard the future, and this is what I want to do. I had heard Julian’s track at the WAG Club and I still remember the moment I stopped my shimmying and just stood there, staring, then turning on my heels and going straight to the DJ to ask what this record was. The guys had already experimented with some more dance orientated tracks and were instantly sold on the idea.”

Originally self-released on white label and championed by pirate radio, “Talking with Myself” quickly got them enough attention to sign to Phonogram Records. “Because we weren’t yet used to writing together, we tried different approaches,” explains Billie. “I brought along a few songs I’d already written with others. Other songs we wrote from scratch. “Heading for The Night” is one of those songs. The guys had developed the music and I wrote and sang the melody and lyrics straight onto the track, without making any arrangement changes.”

The band had also found fans in the US, and saw mixes from some of the most in-demand remixers of the day, including Chicago House producers Larry Heard and the late Frankie Knuckles. “Frankie had already done such an incredible job with “Talking with Myself” and he was smitten with “Heading for The Night””, recalls Billie. “He enjoyed mixing it so much that he did six mixes, each one brilliant and soulful in its own way. His effortless and perfect vocal production while creating a more danceable version makes this another Knuckles masterpiece.”

While “Heading for The Night” had been considered for single release, these legendary remixes never saw the light of day. Until now.

Release date is 9th of July, Vinyl End August. Full pre-order info here.

What happened to Electribe 101 ?

In June 1990, Electribe 101 released its debut album, “Electribal Memories”. The same year the band toured as support act for Depeche Mode.

As the group started work on recording its second album, the band members had differences of opinion with Mercury/PolyGram Records and tensions grew between the members. The label refused to release its second album and Electribe 101 split in 1994.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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