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Last week we looked at the start of Clock DVA along with their Wax Trax! album Buried Dreams. This week we're going to take a closer look at the Wax Trax! Era Singles:

• The Hacker
• The Act
• Sound Mirror
• Hacker (Hacked)

The first single, The Hacker, was released in December 1988 (making it the 30th anniversary of this single, this year in 2018). It was released on Interfisch for the German/European markets and Wax Trax! for the USA/Canadian markets. The Italian label Contempo Records reissued it in 1992 as part of a larger reissue series - see this week's Bonus section for more about that. Wax Trax! initially only released it on 12" vinyl but the following year, with the next single The Act, coupled it together for an extended CD single. Text in the German CD single inlay reads:

Within the language of machines, a digital murder, a mathematical terrorist, an algebra of evil. The occult synthesis of alembic technology. Caesura, cleave, cut, digitate, divide, detach, disconnect, sever, slice, luxation, lacerate, truncate. The dissection of knowledge, the hacking of facts.

…that last quote, so relevant even today, 30 years later, maybe even more so!

Clock DVA - The Hacker original German CD single

The second single, The Act, was released in March 1989 on Interfisch and Wax Trax! again. Also, reissued in 1992 by Contempo Records. Dealing with a difficult subject matter and including troublesome photography from Philip Fichot (of Die Form) that got it banned from being stocked in some stores, the cover artwork is actually based on the Histoire De Justine novel by Marquis De Sade.

Clock DVA - The Act original Italian CD single

The third single was Sound Mirror. Once again released on Interfisch and Wax Trax! and then reissued in 1992 by Contempo Records. Sound mirrors, also known as acoustic mirrors, are devices used to reflect and focus sound waves. Before the invention of radar, parabolic sound mirrors were used for possible early warning against enemy air forces approaching - specifically constructed on the south and east coasts of the United Kingdom during World War 2. For this single, collectors should look out for the rare European 7" single albeit, crazily, it doesn't command a high price.

Finally, The Hacker single was remixed by "Techno Geist Associates" (whoever they are), under the monicker of Hacker (Hacked), and released on Big Sex a new subsidiary of Interfisch that was a precursor to the more famous Tresor label. This single was not released by Wax Trax! but was reissued in 1992 by Contempo Records. All formats/releases of this single are collectable.

Clock DVA - Hacker (Hacked) original Italian CD single

In the early 90s the Italian label Contempo Records started out on an ambitious reissue series for Clock DVA. Incorporating many singles, including the three Wax Trax! releases, they reissued five albums. Unfortunately, this is now over 25 years ago, and all of these reissues have become out of print and thus collectable too. The following albums were reissued and you might be able to find second hand copies via Amazon:

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Article number = 77