Liquid Liquid: Salvatore Principato (vocals, percussion); Richard McGuire (guitar, piano, melodica, bass, percussion, alarm bell); Dennis Young (marimba, roto toms, percussion); Scott Hartley (drums, percussion, talking drum).

Additional personnel: Richard Edson (trumpet); Elliott Sharp (bass clarinet); Bill Kleinsmith (berimbau); Al Diaz (congas, metalphones, gonza, sawblades).

Engineers include: Greg Curry, Bruce Tovsky.

They were among the first to merge new wave and disco aesthetics, and this compilation marks the first time this seminal New York band's canon has ever been available on CD. The three EPs (they never made a full album) and assorted live tracks collected here make a case for the band as punk-funk pioneers. Liquid Liquid hailed from the same early '80s NYC art-dance scene as Bush Tetras, ESG and Konk, whose grooves continued to be sampled reverently by hip DJs for years after the bands' demise. The minimalist, dub-influenced funk grooves that are the core of the band's songs have a hypnotic quality, but are never less than invigorating.

NY scenesters like Richard Edson (Sonic Youth, Konk) and Elliott Sharp make guest appearances on trumpet and bass clarinet, respectively. It's the manic polyrhythms laid down by the band on congas, marimba, drums and other percussive devices that contribute most significantly to the ambiance of their thinking man's funk, though. The previously unreleased live cuts are an unexpected bonus, showcasing the band at their most frenetic and exciting.