Prophecy + Progress is a double CD compilation focusing on UK electronic music from between the years 1978 and 1990. Over the two-disc, there are twenty-eight tracks- with a good mix of tone and type of track- going from the grey ‘n’ grim, onto the experimental, through to more formal tuneful/pop-bound fare.

The release appears on UK’s Peripheral Minimal- which focuses on releasing both old & new minimal synth, cold wave, minimal wave, synthpop, early industrial, post-punk, Kosmische and minimal electronics. The two CDs are presented in a black/ grey/ white/ red colour schemed six-panel digipak, featuring pictures of brutalist architecture. Included is an eight-monochrome inlay booklet- featuring in its centre the tracks credits, then more brutalist architecture-themed art.

Both discs take in fourteen tracks. On disc one we move from wow-wow electro texturing, bounding synth bass line, and sing-song male vocals Vice Verses “Idol”. Onto the disturbing electric tone slicing, buzz bass tones, creepingly synth tones, and claustrophobically layered vocals of Five Times Of Dust's “Automation”. Through to the darting synth funk bass, jaunting synth tones, clapping ‘n’ hissing beats, and sassy male vocals of Peter Hope & David Harrow’s “Too Hot”. Onto unsettling collaging of T.A.C.G’s “Further And Evident Meanings” which brings together layers of child murder-focused news reports, stop-start beats/ synth tones, warbling underwater screams, and other disorientating/troubling sound elements.

On disc two we move from the gloomy/ discordant piano key strikes, jarring reverb/ pitch bend, and sour ambient electronics of Neu Electrikk’s “Practically Isolate”. Onto after the bomb dropped themed synthpop of Final Program “Phase One” with its tuneful/ jaunting keys, climbing synth bass line,  and waveringly harmonic to light effect stretched male singing. Though to decidedly haunting/ uneasy Malcolm Brown’s “Jaws Of The Living", with its blend of warbling ‘n’ wailing electro tone swirls and clipped/ sparse spoken word female vocals. Onto the cold snap electro beats, jangling guitar tones, and sing-song male vocals of UVPØP- “No Songs Tomorrow”.

I thought I had a fair to decent knowledge of UK electronic music from between the 70’s and 90’s, but I knew only a few of the projects/ tracks featured here. All this is a well-arranged, varied, and engaging compilation- with some great work on display….I’ll be most certainly tracking down more work from more than a few of the projects appearing on this two-disc set.