XL1

Description

Domino is proud to present the reissue of Pete Shelley's first two solo albums following his departure from the Buzzcocks – Homosapien and XL1. Their release is scheduled for Friday, May 23, 2025. In January 1981, the Buzzcocks entered the studio with legendary producer Martin Rushent, and it quickly became clear, according to the band's guitarist Steve Diggle, that "Rushent... didn't want to produce a rock album and Pete didn't want to make one either." What resulted was a period of great creativity for Pete, who, alongside Rushent, developed a new model for electronic pop music, incorporating the producer's newly acquired synthesizers and drum machines. A model that would later achieve immense commercial success with another Rushent production: The Human League's Dare. Across these two albums, Shelley combines his incisive songwriting with powerful electronic rhythms and catchy synthesizers, creating records at the crossroads of radio rock and London's burgeoning club scene. These albums still sound as fresh today as they did upon their release, but unfortunately, the innovative aspect of Homosapien and XL1 was somewhat overshadowed: on one hand, by the colossal influence of his former band, and on the other, by the meteoric commercial success of The Human League. The situation was not helped by the BBC's broadcast ban of the single Homosapien for homophobic reasons (although this did not prevent the track from becoming a "true LGBT electro anthem" in gay clubs of the time). We are thrilled to bring these essential pieces of pop history back into the spotlight. Neither of these albums has been reissued on vinyl in their original form since their initial release. We have carefully worked to restore the artwork and have included new liner notes by Clinton Heylin. Each album is accompanied by a bonus disc collecting the various dub versions and dance remixes that Shelley and Rushent created for clubs – reissued on vinyl for the very first time.