Editions MEGO

Originally released in 1986, The Shivering Man is an exemplary piece of sound sculpture from former Wire guitarist Bruce Gilbert. His second solo album, it saw him expand the minimalist base of his 1984 debut This Way by adding vocals and semblances of genuine melody into the miasma of abstract industrialism and mind-altering drone works that sounded like nothing else that was going down during the Reagan-Thatcher era. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Editions MEGO label offers this beautifully restored edition of Shivering, remastered by renowned visual artist Russell Haswell and boasting a cool update of Angela Conway’s original cover art. And though no bonus audio tracks were added to the original LP, which marks its official domestic debut on CD in its complete form, it does contain the video for the album’s title track, which was originally broadcast on the BBC’s Channel 4 and features the performance art of acclaimed choreographer Michael Clark. A quarter-century later, Gilbert’s avant-garde masterpiece gets the revival it deserves just as the rest of the world is finally catching up to its process.