Thomas Leer & Robert Rental Announce Vinyl And CD Reissue Of "The Bridge"

THOMAS LEER AND ROBERT RENTAL   ANNOUNCE LONG-AWAITED REISSUE OF THE BRIDGE   VINYL AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1979 OUT JANUARY 28 ON THE GREY AREA OF MUTE   LISTEN TO “MONOCHROME DAYS”

Left to right: Thomas Leer & Robert Rental  credit: Chris Carter

“The Bridge spans the gulf between punk and electro. It’s as good as the best of ’79 and still potent, still the future.” – Ian Rankin   “The Bridge remains a record for the here and now, just as it did there and then." – Karl O’Connor (Regis / Downwards Records)   “This a record way ahead of its time, made by two pioneers of sound with ingenuity, basic electronics and a world of young minds to distort. Love it!” – Clint Mansell   The Grey Area of Mute has announced details of a long-awaited reissue of Thomas Leer and Robert Rental’s influential 1979 album, The Bridge. The record will be available on vinyl for the first time since its original release and on CD for the first time since The Grey Area of Mute’s release 30 years ago. This new reissue will be available on limited edition white vinyl and CD – both featuring new sleeve notes – on January 28.   Pre-order The Bridge here. Listen to “Monochrome Days” here.   The reissue of Leer and Rental’s sole collaboration will coincide with “From The Port To The Bridge,” an exhibition detailing the duo’s work and legacy, due to run at The Horse Hospital in London from January 21 through February 10.   Thomas Leer and Robert Rental, both from Port Glasgow in Scotland, were at the vanguard of a DIY electronic scene that went on to influence and inform the ‘80s synth-pop movement. After self-releasing two solo 7” singles, they came to the attention of Throbbing Gristle and signed to their label, Industrial Records. Their one and only collaboration, The Bridge, was originally released in 1979, the first non-TG associated release for the label.   Recorded at Rental’s home over two intense weeks using equipment provided by Throbbing Gristle – with only rudimentary explanation of how to use it – their groundbreaking album went to #9 in the UK Independent Chart and its influence was cited by a number of electronic musicians at the time including John Foxx, Matt Johnson (The The) and ABC.   Robert Rental, who sadly died in 2000, later went on to collaborate with The Normal (Daniel Miller). Rental’s live album, Live at West Runton Pavilion, 6-3-79, was released in 1980 by Rough Trade and he released a single on Mute, “Double Heart” / “On Location,” in 1980. He also produced music for The Comic Strip’s A Fistful of Traveller’s Cheques before retiring from the industry. Thomas Leer went on to release albums on Cherry Red and Arista. He formed Act with Claudia Brücken (formerly of Propaganda) in the late ‘80s who released music on Trevor Horn’s ZTT label. After a hiatus, he re-emerged with a series of releases from 2001 and currently lives in Greenock, Scotland.   “From The Port To The Bridge” originally exhibited in 2018 in Greenock, the neighboring town to Leer and Rental’s birthplace. The Horse Hospital’s exhibition will include photographs, equipment (including the EDP WASP which is ever-present on The Bridge), ephemera, cuttings, and film to tell the story of Leer and Rental’s work. “The exhibition is extensive and the presentation is imbued with care,” says The Wire. MORE ABOUT THE GREY AREA The Grey Area was founded in 1990 to restore and reissue albums by important and influential artists. It was initiated by catalog deals between Mute and Throbbing Gristle, Can and Cabaret Voltaire. The label went on to be the home for the catalogs of DAF, Virgin Prunes, SPK, Swell Maps, Dome, The Radiophonic Workshop, and The Hafler Trio as well as key early works by Wire, Buzzcocks, and Einstürzende Neubauten. Dormant for a few years during the 2000s, The Grey Area emerged again quietly in 2013 with the re-release of Cabaret Voltaire’s Virgin period work, Richard H. Kirk’s solo work, the Sandoz catalog, and a new agreement with Throbbing Gristle. The Grey Area is stepping up its series of re-releases, looking to shine a light on important works from the past 30 years as well as continuing to champion classics from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.   The Bridge Tracklisting 1. Attack Decay 2. Monochrome Days 3. Day Breaks, Night Heals 4. Connotations 5. Fade Away 6. Interferon 7. Six A.M. 8. The Hard Way In and the Easy Way Out 9. Perpetual   Pre-order The Bridge   THOMAS LEER: SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC   ROBERT RENTAL: SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | BANDCAMP   MUTE: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | SOUNDCLOUD