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Steve Beresford & Anne Marie Beretta
Dancing The Line
Wewantsounds - Cat No: WWSLP97
- updated:2026-10-15
Steve Beresford, a British improvisational musician and maverick who—through projects like Flying Lizards and General Strike—masterfully blurred the boundaries between avant-garde experimental music and genres such as pop, rock, jazz, reggae, and dub, and who has recently been featured on compilations like those by Music From Memory, created the 1985 avant-pop synth-slo-funk oddity *Dancing the Line*—released exclusively in France—using an RX drum machine, Yamaha DX7, and other instruments—a unique avant-pop synth-funk album originally released exclusively in France in 1985—is now available for the first time on analog LP via Wewantsounds!! A no-digital, vinyl-only release. Unearthed from the archives. We highly recommend it.
Track List
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SIDE. A
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1. Tendance
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2. Sand from a Desert
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3. Hiver 83/84
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4. Lover of Paradox
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5. Snap
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6. Un Aimant Vivant
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SIDE. B
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1. Altitude
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2. Clins D'œil
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3. Comfortable Gestures
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4. Été 82
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5. Gift of Linen
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6. Horse Tail
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7. Cicada
FIRST EVER REISSUE OF STEVE BERESFORD'S 1985 AMBIENT POP CULT CLASSIC "DANCING THE LINE", A COLLABORATION WITH FRENCH FASHION DESIGNER ANNE MARIE BERETTA, RELEASED ON FRENCH LABEL NATO. WITH REMASTERED AUDIO, ORIGINAL ARTWORK AND NEW LINER NOTES BY NATO PRODUCER JEAN ROCHARD
Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Steve Beresford's highly sought-after album "Dancing the Line", released in France in 1985 on the French label nato. The album, taking its inspiration from French designer Anne Marie Beretta's fashion, features his Alterations acolyte David Toop plus Alan Hacker and Kazuko Hohki (Frank Chickens) with lyrics by Andrew Brenner. The music mixes sophisticated ambient pop powered by a RX11 drum machine with elements synth funk and experimental music. "Tendance" and "Comfortable Gestures" have become underground classics over the years and this is the first time the album is reissued, in partnership with nato who will release the CD version later this year. The reissue includes audio newly remastered by Translab in Paris, original gatefold artwork and a 4-page insert with liner notes by nato's Jean Rochard.
British musician, composer and arranger Steve Beresford has been a vital force in the British and international music scene since the early 70s. Starting his recording career in 1973, recording with the Portsmouth Sinfonia alongside Gavin Bryars and Brian Eno, he went on to collaborate with a wide array of leading musicians in the free improvisation field and beyond, including Derek Bailey, John Zorn, Han Bennink, The Slits, Prince Far I, Thurston Moore and Christian Marclay. He was also a member of the groundbreaking quartet Alterations with David Toop, Peter Cusack and Terry Day.
In the early 80s, Beresford started a fruitful collaboration with French producer Jean Rochard repeatedly attending the latter's music festival in the Chantenay Villedieu village and subsequently recording for his label nato. Rochard himself had a special affinity with the British scene and had started inviting the likes of Beresford, Lol Coxhill, Tony Coe, Mike Cooper to the festival. In 1985, Rochard introduced Beresford to French fashion designer Anne Marie Beretta and, in Spring of that year, the musician came over to Paris with his friend and collaborator, lyricist Andrew Brenner to spend a few days at Beretta's atelier in order to write songs for an upcoming album themed around the designer's works. Together they came up with several songs inspired by the fashion ideas, the fabrics, the colours used by Beretta and the emotions they conveyed.
The recording session took place in Chantenay in Summer 85 in a small clothing shop turned recording studio. It featured Beresford on piano, voice, Yamaha DX7 keyboard and RX11 drum machine, David Toop on flute and guitar, Alan Hacker on Clarinet and London-based Japanese singer Kazuko Hohki from the group Frank Chickens, which Beresford and Toop had recently produced.
The album "Dancing the Line" was released in France in October 1985. It is a subtle mix of ethereal pop songs ("Tendances", "Comfortable Gestures" the latter featured in Music from Memory's "Uneven Paths" compilation), funkier tracks ("Sand from a Desert", "Altitude"), a beautiful piano ballad ("Lover of Paradox") and a couple of free instrumentals ("Horse Tail" featuring David Toop on flute and "Snap" with Alan Hacker on clarinet).
In the last years, the album has been rediscovered by a growing legion of new fans and has become an underground favourite with many DJs and collectors around the world. "Dancing the Line" was only released in France at the time and Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue this gem worldwide in its original format in partnership with nato.
Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Steve Beresford's highly sought-after album "Dancing the Line", released in France in 1985 on the French label nato. The album, taking its inspiration from French designer Anne Marie Beretta's fashion, features his Alterations acolyte David Toop plus Alan Hacker and Kazuko Hohki (Frank Chickens) with lyrics by Andrew Brenner. The music mixes sophisticated ambient pop powered by a RX11 drum machine with elements synth funk and experimental music. "Tendance" and "Comfortable Gestures" have become underground classics over the years and this is the first time the album is reissued, in partnership with nato who will release the CD version later this year. The reissue includes audio newly remastered by Translab in Paris, original gatefold artwork and a 4-page insert with liner notes by nato's Jean Rochard.
British musician, composer and arranger Steve Beresford has been a vital force in the British and international music scene since the early 70s. Starting his recording career in 1973, recording with the Portsmouth Sinfonia alongside Gavin Bryars and Brian Eno, he went on to collaborate with a wide array of leading musicians in the free improvisation field and beyond, including Derek Bailey, John Zorn, Han Bennink, The Slits, Prince Far I, Thurston Moore and Christian Marclay. He was also a member of the groundbreaking quartet Alterations with David Toop, Peter Cusack and Terry Day.
In the early 80s, Beresford started a fruitful collaboration with French producer Jean Rochard repeatedly attending the latter's music festival in the Chantenay Villedieu village and subsequently recording for his label nato. Rochard himself had a special affinity with the British scene and had started inviting the likes of Beresford, Lol Coxhill, Tony Coe, Mike Cooper to the festival. In 1985, Rochard introduced Beresford to French fashion designer Anne Marie Beretta and, in Spring of that year, the musician came over to Paris with his friend and collaborator, lyricist Andrew Brenner to spend a few days at Beretta's atelier in order to write songs for an upcoming album themed around the designer's works. Together they came up with several songs inspired by the fashion ideas, the fabrics, the colours used by Beretta and the emotions they conveyed.
The recording session took place in Chantenay in Summer 85 in a small clothing shop turned recording studio. It featured Beresford on piano, voice, Yamaha DX7 keyboard and RX11 drum machine, David Toop on flute and guitar, Alan Hacker on Clarinet and London-based Japanese singer Kazuko Hohki from the group Frank Chickens, which Beresford and Toop had recently produced.
The album "Dancing the Line" was released in France in October 1985. It is a subtle mix of ethereal pop songs ("Tendances", "Comfortable Gestures" the latter featured in Music from Memory's "Uneven Paths" compilation), funkier tracks ("Sand from a Desert", "Altitude"), a beautiful piano ballad ("Lover of Paradox") and a couple of free instrumentals ("Horse Tail" featuring David Toop on flute and "Snap" with Alan Hacker on clarinet).
In the last years, the album has been rediscovered by a growing legion of new fans and has become an underground favourite with many DJs and collectors around the world. "Dancing the Line" was only released in France at the time and Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue this gem worldwide in its original format in partnership with nato.
An album inspired by the fashion of French fashion designer Anne Marie Beretta, featuring Steve Beresford on the Yamaha DX7, RX11, drum machines, and piano; chants by Kazuko Hohki of Frank Chickens; flute, guitar, and bamboo flute by David Toop; clarinet and saxophone by Alan Hacker; and whispers by Andrew Brenner. It features avant-garde, high-style, experimental avant-pop, Balearic-cosmic reflow-field synthesizer slow funk, and ambient jazz—all imbued with Steve Beresford’s signature witty humor. This is a masterpiece that allows listeners to fully savor these beautiful soundscapes. 13 tracks in total.
Just like the original, this release features a gatefold artwork double-page spread. It comes in a deluxe package that includes a 4-page insert with liner notes by Jean Rochard of the original release label, nato. A wonderful, hidden gem of avant-pop, cosmic ambient jazz, and slow funk.