Deltiology - Arab Strap

Arab Strap can be rightly considered as one of Scotland's most infuential bands. From 1995 to their split in 2008 the band released a whole series of excellent singles and albums -mostly on Glasgow indie label, Chemikal Underground but also a few like the 'Cherubs' EP and the Elephant Shoe album on the Go Beat! label. In today's post we feature 3 promotional postcards that were printed by Chemikal Underground to tie in with the releases: Philophobia (1998), The Red Thread (2001), and the Here We Go / Trippy single (1998). Very nice items indeed.
Arab Strap recently reformed (2016) to play a couple of gigs to mark their 20th anniversary. They'll also play a string of festival dates during the summer of 2017 though no new recorded material from them has been forthcoming so far.

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Click on images to see larger versions.

Philophobia artwork / graphics : Marianne Greated / Adam Piggot
The Red Thread artwork / graphics : Gavin Moffatt / Adam Piggot


Images courtesy of and ©David Bonney

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aidan john moffat : ten short songs for modern lovers

aidan john moffat
ten shorts songs for modern lovers
7" mini vinyl LP (10-tracks on a 45 rpm single format)
limited to 1000 copies
chemikal underground (2010)
chem147

artwork / design : aidan john moffat
photography : unknown

Excellent new single (or ultra-mini LP) from former Arab Strap vocalist, Aidan John Moffat. Ten tracks in total, all of which fit onto two sides of a 45rpm 7” single. With a total running time of around nine minutes the ten songslargely deal with issues surrounding love, romance and sex. All delivered in Moffat's own inimitable style. Comes in a superb 60s style ep sleeve. one2zero

Available from Chemikal Underground  in a limited edition of 1000 copies.

Download version also available.

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Image:  ©japanese forms.

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arab strap - there is no ending 7" single

© japanese forms.

arab strap
there is no ending / the first big weekend (four tet mix)
7" single (sleeve and label detail)
chemikal underground (2006)
chem094

Sound of Young Scotland - Flickr Group

Label detail from Arab Strap's penultimate single on Chemikal Underground. The label will be releasing a vinyl retrospective of the band's early years in May 2010. See here for more details. one2zero

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Arab Strap - Dream Sequence 7" single

Arab Strap
dream sequence / dead air 
Chemikal Underground - 2005
CHEM081 
Image: ©japanese forms 2010

The third-last official release by Arab Strap on Chemikal Underground in 2005. Another great track from the fabulous album: The Last Romance; an album more upbeat, as the band put it, but, like the tracks on this single, yet more tunes dealing in some of the darker aspects of relationships. Comes in a similar sleeve to the Speed-Date 45 with matching graphics and typeface. Artwork by Rik Lee. (japanese forms)


Chemikal Underground will be releasing a comprehensive box-set of all their early material sometime in April 2010. See here for more details.

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Arab Strap - Speed-Date 7" EP

Arab Strap 
speed date (filthy version) / preface: set the scene / the girl i loved before i fucked 
Chemikal Underground - 2005
CHEM086
Image: ©japanese forms 2010

Antepenultimate official release from what was one of my favourite Scottish indie bands of fairly recent years. Arab Strap saw the light of day in 1995 and almost immediately became one of the most influential bands on the late 1990s Glasgow music scene. Over the ten-year period that Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton played together, before finally splitting in 2006 to go there separate ways, the band released numerous songs that were no more than a celebration of a sexually empty, drug-and alcohol-dependent life. Indeed, right from the start and throughout their career a lot of their lyrics were sung not only in their native Scots tongue but continued to focus exclusively on drink, drugs and sexual misery. They were brilliant ! Now, as solo performers, both continue to make some fine discs that are certainly worth checking out. This ep, like most of what they released, is an absolute gem and a must have for any fan of the band. Artwork by Rik Lee. More Arab Strap stuff up soon. (japanese forms)
Chemikal Underground will be releasing a comprehensive box-set of all their early material sometime in April 2010. See here for more details.

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