the of mirror eye

* ESG: Purely Physical (6.5 mb) | Keep On Moving (4.0 mb) | Gimme A Blast (5.5 mb)
From Keep On Moving : Soul Jazz Records : SJR CD138

I really hesitate to use the word Legendary when I describe ESG, because to me, legendary implies something historical, a qualifier that relies on things that already happened. But as this new release, almost 30 years on from their debut shows, they haven’t lost anything. But then again, everything about them is legendary.

The story goes that the Scroggins sisters formed the band in the early ’70’s due to the encouragement of their mother. They grew up in the rough and tumble South Bronx, so this was an alternative to the drugs, guns and sex that was ruling the streets at the time. After much practice, they entered a talent show where they caught the ear of legendary record store/label owner (99 Records), Ed Bahlman. He got them in the studio and they recorded a number of EPs and a full length including the song, UFO, which is one of the most sampled songs in history.

The new album features their trademark stripped down punk/funk style that has spawned a whole generation of fans and bands thirty years on from their first release, “Moody” EP on Factory Records (and the infamous 99 Records in America). First produced by Martin Hannett, ESG were instantly accepted into the worlds of punk/new wave, hip-hop and dance music, a unique position which still holds true today.
From playing at the opening night of Manchester’s legendary Hacienda to the closing night of Larry Levan’s equally legendary Paradise Garage in New York, ESG have remained one of the all-time cult-bands.
Their track “UFO” is one of the most sampled tracks in the history of hip-hop (Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Marley Marl) which lead them to record “Sample Credits Don’t Pay Our Bills” in the 1980s.
Courted by the punk/new wave community they played with groups such as The Clash, A Certain Ratio, Public Image, Gang of Four.
Through 99 Records in New York, they also became associated with the No Wave groups such as label-mates Liquid Liquid and others such as Mars, DNA, James Chance and The Contortions. (from Soul Jazz)

As I wrote before, this new release shows that they haven’t lost their touch, even 30 years down the road. ESG, now augmented by a couple of their daughters, still play their brand of low down, minimal funk. So, strap on those go-go boots and get ready to see how low you can go.

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