Led by drummer, Scott Hartley and featuring bass, vocals and various percussions by Richard McQuire, Salvatore Principato and Dennis Young respectively, Liquid Liquid were influenced by the DIY Punk aesthetic and by African music, but most of all the idea of groove-based songs.

Their short recording history was punctuated by one of the most seminal art rock/dance crossovers. The famous bassline from ‘Cavern’ ended up in the court room via Grandmaster Flash’s ‘White Lines’ in a long-winded and well publicised case against Sugar Hill Records in 1983. Even though the group and their label 99 Records won the case, the entire legal process exhausted and traumatized their label boss, Ed Bahlman so much, he retired from the music industry and the label shut down.

As a result, Liquid Liquid’s four EP’s for 99 Records have become much sought-after and collectable items. Original recordings from other 99 Records artists such as ESG, Konk, Bush Tetras, Vivienne Goldman, Glenn Branca, Maximum Joy and Congo,  sell for ridiculous amounts of money. So keep an eye out and your wallet if you happen to come across one of ‘em.

Alongside other NY labels such as ZE, Sleeping Bag, Acme and Flip, 99 Records perfected the sumptuous blend of disco-fied beats with post-punk quality. The quintessential sound of Downtown.

Liquid Liquid – Cavern