Phantom Forth

Phantom Forth were a little-known post-punk trio from Auckland, New Zealand who combined minimal drum machine rhythms, distorted electric guitars, and gloomy female vocals. They were formed in 1981 by Paul Luker (guitar, bass vocals) and his sister Debbie Luker (drums, guitars, vocals). The duo began writing songs and rehearsing at LAB Studio. Soon after, Lorraine Steele (keyboards, percussion, vocals) joined the band, and their song "Night Time Falls" appeared on The Last Rumba, a compilation released by New Zealand indie label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Flying+Nun+Records%22">Flying Nun Records</a>. The group recorded The EEPP in 1983, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Flying+Nun%22">Flying Nun</a> released it in 1984. Paul founded Industrial Tapes, which released material by groups such as Sneaky Feelings and Papakura Post Office, in addition to This Is Heaven, another group he formed with Steele. Phantom Forth's sole release was largely unheard outside of <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Flying+Nun%22">Flying Nun</a>'s cult following, but U.S. label Dark Entries gave it an expanded reissue in 2016. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi