Grey Factor existed for a brief moment at the end of the 70s. It recorded this EP and a live set in 1979, a second EP in 1980 and that was it. This first effort is so very much a piece of its time and just a bit ahead, really. It's easy to hear how bands like the Human League and New Order (and so many others) would take this template and create the electronic pop side of new wave (as opposed to the punk new wavers, which were already in full swing).

Grey Factor Perils of Popularity EP (What We Do Is Secret)

Actually, it's striking how similar this set is to pre-Dare Human League. I have no idea if the first Human League EP actually crossed the Atlantic in a timely manner, but I'm sure the members of Grey Factor had heard plenty of Suicide and Kraftwerk, and they assembled this sound with an astonishing array of electronic instruments. It's so easy to foresee Devo following down this road in the not-too-distant future, and I'm sure someone with a more personal connection to the time could come up with a better example.

If nothing else, this is another snapshot from a time of great musical ferment. The electronic revolution probably had a more lasting effect on modern music than punk, but since one is a manifesto and the other is an approach to music there's little sense in arguing the point. Perhaps not particularly influential, as it's unclear how many people even knew about Grey Factor, but the music tells the story quite eloquently. Something happened, and it was amazing. This re-issue is the proof.

Jon Worley