Solid Pleasure
An early laboratory of voices and rhythm.
Start with Bostich, then compare the later Berlin performance. The song stays in 1980 in this archive even when the performance belongs to a much later era.
The videos of this chapter
- 1980 · Music video · Solid Pleasure
Bostich
From Zurich to the dance floor.
The band’s official biography describes Bostich’s breakthrough in New York’s underground clubs. Start with the early recording, then compare the Berlin performance: what remains instantly recognisable when a familiar song moves into another setting?
- 1980 · Live performance · Solid Pleasure
Bostich · Live In Berlin
How to listen
Find the anchor.
Rhythm
Follow the pulse for a few bars. Which sound makes you anticipate the next beat? Now listen for something that happens between those beats.
Listen to the shape of a word.
Voice
Notice the beginnings and endings of the phrases. Does the voice carry a tune, behave like percussion, or move between the two?
Listen beyond the centre.
Space
Without changing the playback, notice what feels close and what feels distant. Which small sound becomes easier to hear on a second pass?
Later milestones
- 2021 · YELL4O Years. A retrospective, not a reset of the songs’ original dates. Universal’s 2021 biography describes the four-CD edition and its album-by-album liner notes. Source ↗
Sources: YELLO discography ↗. Video availability can differ by region.