RECORD TURNOVER 80s HITS #210
Iron Curtain was a Santa Barbara 80s group who a lot of people first heard of through Minimal Wave’s 2007 compilation The Found Tapes. This coincided with the re-discovery of Steven Fields who was the main member of the group. The same year another US label, Pylon Records, put out a compilation of their music called Desertion 1982-1988. That 12-track cd, which was later given a double-vinyl edition, included all of their four singles. Two of those were released by the band themselves including their debut ”Terror Story” with this classic cover art.
It must have stirred some interest because the next year an another release appeared. Artifact included 8 earlier tracks, some of which appeared on the band’s first release – a seftitled and self-released cassette from 1981. Check out this amazing video for ”Black Gloves” from 1983.
Apart from Fields the group also include people like Doug Norton, Bruce Cooper and Terry Bower. There’s a great interview with Fields over at Minimal Wave where he talks about being inspired by punk and playing in The Neighbours with this then-girlfriend. He then formed Iron Curtain with Norton and his brother, inspired by OMD.
A repress appeared in 2020, after Fields apparently found the masters and it was remastered. Pylon also released two live cassettes originally released in 1981 and 1982.
