On September 3rd 2012 fierce panda will be releasing 'Spirit Of Talk Talk', a double album which features 30 contemporary acts from around the globe re-interpreting many of Talk Talk's greatest moments. On Thursday September 6th there will be a similarly fragrant launch party with a pawful of the tributees paying respect and playing their Talk Talk covers in the midst of their full live sets, plus live visuals from original Talk Talk artwork designer James Marsh, and that party looks like this:

fierce panda & Club Fandango present...
'SPIRIT OF TALK TALK': A LAUNCH PARTY starring
TURIN BRAKES (10.00pm)
+ FYFE DANGERFIELD (9.30pm)
+ TALK TALK TRIBUTE IMPROV (9.05pm)
+ JAMES MARSH ART SHOW (8.45pm)
+ GOLDHEART ASSEMBLY (8.15pm)
+ THE TENFIVESIXTY (7.45pm)
+ SAM ZERO 7 (DJ SET) (11.00pm)
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH 2012
LONDON GREAT PORTLAND STREET 229 VENUE
(229 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PN. 0207 323 7229)
DOORS 7.00PM
ADVANCE TICKETS £12.00 from http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=520456&interface=clubfandango

The 'Spirit Of Talk Talk' launch party is a one-off event designed to highlight the release of the album and also the publication of the lush book with the same name. The twin CD opus comes swaddled in artwork by creative Talk Talk stalwart James Marsh and sees profits going to the Rare Bird Club. The finely-honed and impeccably toned 'Spirit Of Talk Talk' book will be published in September by Essential. An online hub has been launched at www.facebook.com/SpiritofTalkTalk and you can pre-order the album via www.fiercepanda.co.uk right now.

Fittingly then, for one night only the whole of the 229 will be given over to many things Talk Talk-related. Of the acts confirmed alt.pop dreamers Goldheart Assembly (who cover 'Chameleon Day'), simmering boy/girl newcomers The TenFiveSixty (who get sultry with 'It's My Life') and Turin Brakes, who chose to revisit 'Ascension Day', will all play their Talk Talk choices along with a selection of their very own superhits.

The Talk Talk tribute band features Phil Ramacon (piano), Rupert Black (organ), John McKenzie (bass), Martin Ditcham (drums) and Gale Paridjanian from Turin Brakes on guitar. Several of these gentlemen played live in Talk Talk’s band back in the day. Together they will be reinterpreting a handful of Talk Talk songs, some in the company of Guillemots frontman Fyfe Dangerfield, who himself will be gracing us with a mini-acoustic set. Beyond the musical action there will be the live film from James Marsh, a merchandise stall selling both the album and book, 'Spirit Of Talk Talk' playback action and much more besides.

So it was 1982 when Mark Hollis and crew first soared into view with a slew of deceptively commercial hit singles. However by the time Talk Talk delivered the seminal 'The Colour Of Spring' album (their third) in 1986, which brilliantly merged pop instinct with experimental flair, they'd long since shed any hint of being mere also(duran du)rans. Whereupon Hollis turned his back on the mainstream completely and made three further albums (two as Talk Talk, one solo) of breathtaking scope and mindblowing minimalism before - obviously - fading from view. And yes, we appreciate the irony of putting on a tribute show to a band who virtually had to retire from touring because they admitted that everything they recorded after '86 was 'unplayable' live.

Still, some of these acts featured on the 'Spirit Of Talk Talk' album - notably King Creosote, White Lies, Zero 7, Joan As Police Woman and Linton Kwesi Johnson - will already be familiar to listeners. Many of the others are creeping out of the shadows of outfits such as The Verve (RIP), Arcade Fire, Grandaddy, Guillemots and Bon Iver - we'll let you work out who is who. One of them, Ian Curnow, even played keyboards for Talk Talk first time around.

'Spirit Of Talk Talk' then: 30 tracks. Two compact discs. One book. One launch party. Several labours of love. Perhaps even a notorious perfectionist such as Mark Hollis would appreciate the effort put into this project. Now, that's the spirit...

‘SPIRIT OF TALK TALK’: THE TRACKLISTING

Compact Disc One BR> 1. Lone Wolf ‘WEALTH’
www.facebook.com/lonewolfofficial
2. Zero 7 (feat Only Girl) ‘THE COLOUR OF SPRING’
www.zero7.co.uk
www.onlygirlmusic.com
3. S Carey (Bon Iver) ‘I BELIEVE IN YOU’
www.scarey.org
4. Recoil (feat Shara Worden) ‘DUM DUM GIRL’
www.recoil.co.uk /
www.mybrightestdiamond.com
5. Duncan Sheik ‘LIFE’S WHAT YOU MAKE IT’
www.duncansheik.com
6. Thomas Feiner / Fyfe Dangerfield / Robbie Wilson ‘THE RAINBOW’
www.thomasfeiner.com /
www.fyfedangerfield.com /
www.facebook.com/autumnchorus
7. Halloween, Alaska ‘AFTER THE FLOOD’
www.halloweenalaska.com
8. Nils Frahm / Peter Broderick / Davide Rossi ‘IT’S GETTING LATE IN THE EVENING’
www.nilsfrahm.de /
www.peterbroderick.net
9. King Creosote ‘GIVE IT UP’
www.kingcreosote.com
10. Lights (feat Darkstars) ‘LIVING IN ANOTHER WORLD’
www.iamlights.com /
http://soundcloud.com/darkstars
11. Zelienople ‘THE RAINBOW’
http://zelienopleband.com
12. Joan As Police Woman ‘MYRRHMAN’
www.joanaspolicewoman.com
13. The Last Dinosaur ‘RUNEII’
www.thelastdinosaur.co.uk
14. Jack Northover ‘?’ www.jacknorthover.com

Compact Disc Two
1. The TenFiveSixty ‘IT’S MY LIFE’
www.thetenfivesixty.com
2. Recoil (feat Linton Kwesi Johnson & Paul Marshall) ‘INHERITANCE’
www.recoil.co.uk
3. Turin Brakes ‘ASCENSION DAY’
www.turinbrakes.com
4. White Belt Yellow Tag ‘TODAY’ www.whitebeltyellowtag.com
5. Ian Curnow (feat Human) ‘I DON’T BELIEVE IN YOU’
www.eemusic.co.uk /
www.myspace.com/24human
6. Goldheart Assembly ‘CHAMELEON DAY’
www.goldheartassembly.com
7. Matthias Vogt Trio ‘APRIL 5TH’
www.matthiasvogt.net
8. Do Make Say Think ‘NEW GRASS’
www.domakesaythink.com
9. Jason Lytle ‘TOMORROW’S STARTED’
www.jasonlytle.com
10. White Lies ‘GIVE IT UP’
www.whitelies.com
11. Lia Aces ‘TIME IT'S TIME’
www.liaices.com
12. The Lovetones ‘THE PARTY’S OVER’
www.myspace.com/thelovetones
13. Thomas White ‘CANDY’
www.electricsoftparade.co.uk
14. The Black Ships (feat Amelia Tucker) ‘RENEE’
www.facebook.com/blacksubmarine /
www.ameliatucker.com
15. The Acorn ‘TAPHEAD’
www.theacorn.ca
16. Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) ‘I BELIEVE IN YOU’

BONUS DOWNLOAD TRACKS
1. Minerva Lions ‘ASCENSION DAY’
2. Mike Gill (feat Robert Owens) ‘IT’S MY LIFE’
3. Kurran & The Wolfnotes ‘EDEN’