New York City, 1982. A group of art school dweebs coalesce somewhere downtown to record the only full-length album ever released by Factory America. A complex network of Roland rhythm machines forms the mutant post-punk foundation of Ike Yard (sometimes erroneously referred to by its catalog number, A FACT A SECOND), rejecting the cold stiffness of acts like Cabaret Voltaire in favor of the inherent funkiness of New York’s no wave sound (read: basslines, syncopated beats, horn stabs) alongside touches of dub, industrial, Soviet austerity and sci-fi aesthetics. A truly unique record unlike anything else I’ve ever heard, and a real collector’s piece; even recent reissues fetch big bucks now. Check out “M. Kurtz,” “NCR” and “Cherish 8.” Official reissue on Superior Viaduct with repro of the original art insert, recommended.
