By the turn of the 80s, the impact of David Bowies ground- breaking Berlin recordings the synths, the alienation, the drily futuristic production was being felt on music across Europe. Whats more, the records being made were reflecting back and influencing Bowies own work 1979sLodgerand 1980sScary Monstersowed a debt to strands of German kosmische (Holger Czukay), new electronica (Patrick Cowley, Harald Grosskopf), and the latest works from old friends and rivals like Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel and Scott Walker, all of whom had been re-energised by the fizz of 1977.

Compiled by Saint Etiennes Bob Stanley and the BFIs Jason Wood,Fantastic Voyageis the companion album to their hugely successfulCafExilcollection, which imagined the soundtrack to David Bowie and Iggy Pops trans-European train journeys in the mid-to-late seventies. Fantastic Voyage is what happened next.

Bowies influences and Bowies own influence were rebounding off each other as the 70s ended and the 80s began, notably in the emergent synthpop and new romantic scenes as well as through the music of enigmatic acts like the Associates and post-punk pioneers such as Cabaret Voltaire.

LikeLowandHeroes, some of the tracks onFantastic Voyageare spiked with tension (Grauzones Eisbr) while some share those albums sense of travel (Simple Minds Theme for Great Cities, Ryuichi Sakamotos Riot in Lagos) and others find common ground with Lodgers dark, subtle humour (Thomas Leers Tight as a Drum, Fripps Exposure).

This is the thrilling, adventurous sound of European music before the watershed moment when Bowie would abandon art- pop for America and the emerging world of MTV with Lets Dance in 1983.Fantastic Voyagesoundtracks the few brief years when the echo chamber of Bowie, his inspirations, and his followers created an exciting, borderless music that was ready to challenge Anglo American influences.

Tracklist

1. Simple Minds -Theme for Great Cities
2. Cabaret Voltaire – Silent Command
3. Ryuichi Sakamoto – Riot in Lagos
4. Grauzone – Eisbar
5. The Associates – White Car in Germany
6. Patrick Cowley – Nightcrawler
7. Isabelle Mayereau – On a Trouv
8. Chas Jankel – 3,000,000 Synths
9. Peter Gabriel -No Self Control
10. The Walker Brothers – Nite Flights
11. Thomas Leer – Tight as a Drum
12.Daryl Hall – The Farther Away I Am
13. Harald Grosskopf – So Weit, so Gut
14.Robert Fripp – Exposure
15. Areski Belkacem and Brigitte Fontaine – Patriarcat
16. Basil Kirchin – Silicon Chip
17. Holger Czukay – Ode to Perfume