Minny Pops
Standstill To Motion
Formed by vocalist/band leader Wally van Middendorp in Amsterdam in 1978, Dutch electro pioneers Minny Pops took their name from a primitive Korg drum machine. The band released several singles and a debut album, Drastic Measures, Drastic Movement, on independent Dutch label Plurex before joining Factory Records in 1980. Minny Pops' association with the legendary Manchester label would see them produced by Martin Hannett, tour with Joy Division and later New Order, and become the first Dutch group to record a Peel Session. Singles including Dolphin's Spurt, Secret Story and Time were followed by the acclaimed album Sparks in a Dark Room in 1982. The band released two further albums (Poste Restante and Fourth Floor) before splitting in 1985. A concert at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on 24 December 1981 would prove to be their last live performance as Minny Pops.