Nocturnal Projections - Inmates In Images

Inmates in Images is a live album by the short-lived but influential New Zealand post-punk band Nocturnal Projections, released in 2018 by Dais Records. It collects "off the board" recordings from key live performances, attempting to capture the energetic and "unique, unbridled energy" of the band's live shows. Reviewers describe the music as having bright, slashing guitars, driving bass, and tight drums, with the signature urgent baritone vocals of Peter Jefferies, earning comparisons to bands like Joy Division, Wire, and The Fall.

Since Nocturnal Projections was considered a "live" band that was "better live" by its members, this collection draws from the best "off the board" recordings of their performances. This allows listeners to experience the raw energy that characterized their live shows. The compilation includes never-before-released tracks like "Blank Faces" and "Late Night," as well as unheard versions of previously recorded songs. It also features the song "Walk In A Straight Line," which brothers Graeme and Peter Jefferies wrote in 1980 for their previous band, The Plastic Bags.

Nocturnal Projections was formed in Stratford, New Zealand, in 1981 by brothers Peter (vocals) and Graeme Jefferies (guitar), with Brett Jones on bass and Gordon Rutherford on drums. They created a singular style of avant-garde post-punk, with Peter Jefferies' urgent baritone vocals complemented by slashing guitars and a tight rhythm section. The band is often mentioned alongside British contemporaries like Joy Division and Wire, though the New Zealand group developed its own raw-hewn sound with little studio time or fame. Following the band's demise in 1983, the Jefferies brothers and Gordon Rutherford would go on to form the acclaimed group This Kind of Punishment. The release of Inmates in Images and a companion studio compilation in 2018 solidified the legacy of this short-lived but foundational band in the New Zealand punk scene. 

Ripped to MP3

A1 - Inmates in Images

A2 - Walk in a Straight Line

A3 - Moving Forward

A4 - Blank Faces

A5 - Don't Go

B1 - Restoration

B2 - Alone in the Corner

B3 - Words Fail Me

B4 - Late Night