Of the two EPs
Crash Course in Science released during their initial late-'70s/early-'80s run, 1981's
Signals from Pier Thirteen significantly toned down the group's silly side, putting the kitchen appliances back in the cupboard and concentrating on aggressive, robotic machine rhythms. The EP's four tracks were more straight-faced and far more developed than their previous songs, with sheets of industrial noise swirling around the jackhammer electronic rhythms. While the EP didn't make much of an impact immediately following its release, it became a cult classic over the next few decades, with "Cardboard Lamb" and especially the utterly brilliant "Flying Turns" appearing in DJ sets by numerous techno and electro DJs, setting the stage for electroclash and the minimal wave revival in the early 21st century. Dark Entries brought the vinyl EP back into circulation in 2014, and it's as riveting as ever. ~ Paul Simpson