Factory Benelux presents In Movimento, the debut mini-album by Italian ambient funk group Surprize, originally released by Factory Benelux in April 1984.

Formed in Bologna in 1980, Surprize issued two singles in Italy (Nu-Clear Dance and The Secret Lies In Rhythm) before supporting New Order on tour, and joining Factory Benelux in 1983. That same year the sextet travelled to Manchester to record mini-album In Movimento at Revolution Studios, produced by Bernard Sumner of New Order and Donald Johnson of A Certain Ratio. Surprize also played shows with New York hipsters Konk; three members later formed Slava Trudu!!, a conceptual art project produced by Yello.

This 2013 remaster also includes all six tracks from their early Italian singles. The CD booklet contains archive images and a short essay by guitarist Luca Patini. Cover art by Igort.

"We started off as a high school band in Bologna in 1979, fusing punk and reggae, then added some ska elements when 2 Tone exploded. Our sound only really matured once we started listening to 70s funk, African rhythms, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, Headhunters, but Eno/Byrne My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and Remain in Light by Talking Heads turned on something inside us. Our second single, The Secret Lies In Rhythm, is probably the most representative Surprize record. By then we were aiming for hypnotic riffs and repetition, kind of trance music, like Sufi whirling. In June 1982 our manager Fran Tomasi organized a short Italian tour by New Order, on which we were the opening act. Bernard Sumner liked our energy and rhythms (and I hope also my guitar style, since I was experimenting with feedback a lot), and afterwards he offered to produce a record for Factory Benelux. In fact Donald Johnson of A Certain Ratio was the main producer, and went for a very heavy bass and rhythm sound. So In Movimento is really a producer's record, very electronic, cut at Revolution Studios with the aid of a phras.......
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Factory Benelux presents In Movimento, the debut mini-album by Italian ambient funk group Surprize, originally released by Factory Benelux in April 1984.

Formed in Bologna in 1980, Surprize issued two singles in Italy (Nu-Clear Dance and The Secret Lies In Rhythm) before supporting New Order on tour, and joining Factory Benelux in 1983. That same year the sextet travelled to Manchester to record mini-album In Movimento at Revolution Studios, produced by Bernard Sumner of New Order and Donald Johnson of A Certain Ratio. Surprize also played shows with New York hipsters Konk; three members later formed Slava Trudu!!, a conceptual art project produced by Yello.

This 2013 remaster also includes all six tracks from their early Italian singles. The CD booklet contains archive images and a short essay by guitarist Luca Patini. Cover art by Igort.

"We started off as a high school band in Bologna in 1979, fusing punk and reggae, then added some ska elements when 2 Tone exploded. Our sound only really matured once we started listening to 70s funk, African rhythms, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, Headhunters, but Eno/Byrne My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and Remain in Light by Talking Heads turned on something inside us. Our second single, The Secret Lies In Rhythm, is probably the most representative Surprize record. By then we were aiming for hypnotic riffs and repetition, kind of trance music, like Sufi whirling. In June 1982 our manager Fran Tomasi organized a short Italian tour by New Order, on which we were the opening act. Bernard Sumner liked our energy and rhythms (and I hope also my guitar style, since I was experimenting with feedback a lot), and afterwards he offered to produce a record for Factory Benelux. In fact Donald Johnson of A Certain Ratio was the main producer, and went for a very heavy bass and rhythm sound. So In Movimento is really a producer's record, very electronic, cut at Revolution Studios with the aid of a phras.......
more