The Lo Yo Yo

London’s The Lo Yo Yo was conceptualized by John “Alig” Pearce in 1984 after his primary group, the deservedly legendary Family Fodder, went dormant. Soon enough a few others were enlisted to round out the quartet, including Mick Hobbs of The Work and Officer! fame, alongside friends Joey Stack and Carrie Brooks. The Lo Yo Yo took elements from their other groups and, in the tradition of somewhat like-minded acts like The Raincoats, Naffi and Amos & Sara, added a strong dub/reggae element.

Shortly before their lone studio LP, which was recorded by Charles Bullen of This Heat fame, the band self-recorded a demo tape at home on an eight track reel to reel, reissued here on vinyl for the first time by Concentric Circles. It is a wonder of DIY production with a rich and layered sound that belies their humble means. Although about half of the songs on the demo would wind up being re-recorded for the studio LP, the demo versions are radically different from what is heard on their proper album. There is a feeling of intensity to the demo that was missing from the LP, which had a noticeably cleaner fidelity and more subdued playing. Here the band plays with true force and determination, with Stack’s socialist leaning lyrics taking on an extra sharp bite. Unafraid to show off their skills at writing irresistibly catchy pop songs, things are carried on by Alig’s big bass sound and a barrage of polyrhythmic dueling drums and percussion. The Lo Yo Yo tapped into a truly special sound, perfectly exemplified on these recordings.