Post-punk trailblazer David Chesworth’s 1979 opus 50 Synthisizer Greats reissued on vinyl

The charmingly mis-spelled and sought-after synth LP returns.

David Chesworth’s pioneering debut album 50 Synthisizer Greats from 1979 will be reissued on vinyl for the first time via Chapter Music.

Long before home studio was a thing, David record the album in his parents’ lounge room, on an Akai 4000 DS reel to reel tape machine and using a monophonic Mini Korg 700 synth, borrowed from fellow post-punk icons Tsk Tsk Tsk.

As the label explains, he bounced the tracks down Akai‘s primitive “sound-on-sound” feature which results in unexpected echo effects and an enduring final sound. If you listen carefully, some of the earlier recordings he taped over can be spotted throughout the album.

Described as an album of “minimal synth investigations, full of inquisitive humour and playful experimental spirit,” original copies of 50 Synthisizer Greats are known to trade for three digit sums. The remastered album is reissued with liner new notes and photos from David Chesworth himself, plus two digital-only bonus tracks.

Due on 31 March, pre-order the record here.

Tracklisting:

2. Have Beat – Will Travel

3. Could You Repeat That?

4. Green Lady

5. 3 3/4

6. Malignant Humour

7. Give ‘em Heaps

8. Kraut Mich Mit Einem Dachshund

9. Do The Boogaloo

10. C.H.C.M.C.

11. Hommage To Billy Holiday

12. A-Sat

13. The Shady Elements

14. I Told You So

15. Etc

16. Necrophilia

17. Forbin Project

18. Bi-Pole Antenna

19. O! Wow!

20. Flea Circus (Synth Version)

21. Synthetic Neo Classic Promenade

22. Joe Fibernacci – Private Eye

23. ?

24. Inverted Commas Space Outlaw

25. Co-Co- Nut Smooth

26. Feelings Diminished

27. Alternately Yours

28. Just About

29. Its All Done With Headphones

30. Mind Your Expander

31. Making Waves

32. No Strings

33. 100

34. It Don’t Mean a Thing

35. Then I Transmitter

36. Feline Twice the Cat

37. Tropical Fruit Salad