FAC Dance 2 : Factory Records 12" Mixes & Rarities 1980-1987

Strut's sequel to 2011's Fac. Dance was compiled and annotated by James Nice, whose depth of Factory knowledge is supreme. Since 1983, Nice has operated the LTM (Les Temps Modernes) label, a valuable outlet for lovingly presented and thoroughly researched Factory and Factory-related reissues, and he authored the 560-page Shadowplayers: The Rise and Fall of Factory Records. Fac. Dance 02 takes further strides to demonstrate the label's breadth from 1980 through 1987. Once more, there's no Joy Division, New Order, or even Happy Mondays. The range of styles is more adventurous than that of any major, including slate-gray death disco from Section 25, scraping dub from X-O-Dus, knotty Algerian rai from Fadela, delirious electro-R&B from 52nd Street, and minimalist punk-funk from ESG. For those who are familiar only with Factory's most known acts, the simmering soul-jazz from Kalima -- redolent of Norman Connors' version of Carlos Garnett's "Mother of the Future," about as removed from "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Blue Monday" as it gets, and absolutely incongruous in 1985 -- will be most the surprising inclusion of all. Yes, the label synonymous with post-punk bleakness and despair released all of this. Some of it has very limited appeal, and enjoyment of the whole thing requires an open mind and a fair amount of patience; Factory collectors will probably derive more pleasure from owning, rather than hearing, all of it. At the very least, Fac. Dance 02 is another fascinating, alternate look at one of the most vital record labels of the '80s. ~ Andy Kellman