Terpsichore (Silly Not To) is a definitive 1981 post-punk and synth-pop compilation album released by EMI Records. Named after the Greek muse of dance, the record perfectly captured a pivotal moment in the UK and European underground music scenes, documenting the transition from raw post-punk into electronic, New Wave, and "futurist" club music. The LP is highly prized by vinyl collectors today because it serves as a time capsule for the early-1980s subculture, featuring pioneering solo work from electronic icons like Thomas Dolby alongside essential club hits from Gina X Performance and Classix Nouveaux.
Beyond its mainstream tracks, the compilation is historically significant for its curation of rare, exclusive, and obscure musical projects. It includes hard-to-find tracks like Naked Lunch's "Horror Shock Horror," recorded at Abbey Road Studios, and "Friend For A Day" by M.A.O., a rare synth-pop side project by Mik Sweeney of Classix Nouveaux. By blending British avant-garde synth music with international sounds from artists like Japan's Sandii and Germany's Die Fehlfarben, the album provides a comprehensive, high-energy overview of the experimental dance movement that shaped the decade's pop landscape.
