RECORD TURNOVER 80s HITS #242
Just over a week ago Dark Entries put out a retrospective compilation by Gina X. The German artist originally performed as a part of the trio Gina X Performance, who’ve been called electro pioneers. Founded by Gina Kikoine and producer Zeus B. Held in Cologne back in 1978 – the duo hoped to create a Gesamtkunstwerk that combined poetry, music and performance.
Gina was an art history student at the time and influences by musicians like Lou Reed and Patti Smith. Musically, the project reminds me of later projects like Jyl (an American artist recording in Germany) and Virna Lindt (a Swedish artist recording in London). Both of them were reissued by LTM and Jyl later on vinyl by Dark Entries.
Dark Entries are now presenting the double-vinyl compilation Greatest Fits, gather tracks from the albums by Gina X Performance as well as a later record by Gina X on her own. The set includes 17 tracks that were originally released 1978-1984. The image at the top is from the cover of Gina X’s 1984 single (a Beatles cover that is thankfully not included on this release). There’s a video clip for that one but otherwise youtube comes up dry with footage of the group.
The only one I could find is this clip of ”Tropical Comic Strip” from German tv. Apparently it was part of one-hour show about Tarzan and so it only features Gina briefly in the middle. The song was released on her first album Nice Mover (Crystal, 1978). I hope someone makes a documentary about her life one day.
