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No Wave/Mutant Disco whimpers from Downtown 81

January 9, 2011 by Fosco Lucarelli Leave a Comment

What’s Downtown 81? Watch the trailer here.

‘New York Beat’ was shot over December 1980 and January 1981. It was initially funded by Fiorucci and Rizzoli, but the movie was abandoned in the mid-’80s due to financial problems. Producers O’Brien and Maripol resurrected the film after acquiring the rights in 1999 (over a decade after Basquiat’s death). It was released in 2000 as ‘Downtown ’81.’

Full text on Wikipedia

Here are some excerpts of the movie, documenting the rich NYC musical scene during the late 70’s / early 80’s:

DNA (Arto Lindsay band) – Blonde Redhead

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZctJ3xhNFlw

The Plastics – Copy

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP0iPQEMX6A

Tuxedomoon – Desire

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daztfmN9Cfs

James White and the Blacks – Sax Maniac

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vWZFl4xpoY

Kid Creole & the Coconuts – Mr. Softee

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLNc5Kk3YKc

Gray (JM Basquiat band) – So Far So Real

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EbC4GF2kXM

(Unfortunately I couldn’t find any other videos of a lot more artist featured in the movie: Teenage Jesus and the Jerks (Lydia Lunch), Liquid Liquid and Suicide, above all.
Here’s the complete soundtrack)

Further reading: No New York compilation.

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