Domino Set to Reissue Liquid Liquid

Leave it up to Domino to pull one of the most influential — and most recognisably sampled — ’80s no wave bands out of relative obscurity. The UK label and ever-tasteful reissuer has announced it will be resurrecting the long-out-of-print Liquid Liquid EPs, which were originally released in the early ’80s in very limited quantities on 99 Records.

One-upping Beastie Boy’s Grand Royal label, which also gave Liquid Liquid some reissue treatment in the late ’90s, Domino will be including a string of unreleased bonus tracks and live recordings, beefing up the three EPs’ combined 14 tracks to a hefty 23.

If you haven’t yet hunted down Liquid Liquid’s work, chances are you still familiar with their seminal track "Cavern” from the Optimo EP. It features one of the most classic bass lines of all time, made famous by Melle Mel’s "White Lines (Don’t Do It),” which became one of the early hip-hop’s biggest hits. Hell, chances are you mom even knows this sample. And it’s the infectious grooves of tracks like "Cavern,” as well as Liquid Liquid’s tribal-tinged tactics and echo-drenched vocals, that have influenced everyone from Animal Collective to LCD Soundsystem to Tortoise. Even the hipper-than-hip UK club, Optimo, took its name from these guys.

Liquid Liquid’s Slip In and Out of Phenomenon will be released on CD and triple vinyl May 19 via Domino.

Here’s the tracklisting:

1 Groupmegroup
2 New Walk
3 Lub Dupe
4 Bellhead
5 Rubbermiro
6 Spearbox
7 Lock Groove (In)
8 Lock Groove (Out)
9 Push
10 Eyes Sharp
10 Zero Leg
12 Where's Al
13 Optimo
14 Cavern
15 Scraper
16 Out
17 Sank Into The Chair
18 Outer
19 Groupmegroup
20 Sank Into The Chair
21 Elephant Walk
22 Setmeonmyown
23 Not Again

Liquid Liquid "Optimo”