Originally issued in an edition of 300 on their No Fans label and for all intents and purposes unavailable and unheard for a decade, the 10th anniversary CD-ification of Richard and Simon's classic debut double-LP still sounds as revelatory and alien as it did when it was released. Tracks like the immortal collage freak-out "Dance: Help The Aged (Give Them A Heart Attack)," the minimal pulse epic "Chord" and the psych-fuzz rock mania of "Goat" have been undiluted in their majesty by the unbearable decade that has elapsed between then and now. Highest rating. Remastered from the original 1/4" analog reels, sounding much improved over the original pressing. New liner notes by Simon. 4 (really 15) tracks, 73 mins. 

"We're listening to LAKE close on a decade since we recorded it. Just as it sounds odd now, what we do today would've sounded bizarre then. We couldn't make this record now. It's like a ghost - so long ago. We've moved on. Our label name, No Fans, was a statement of fact; the record was a dare to ourselves - who in their right mind would ever release anything like this? With No Fans, No Distribution and No Prospect of either, spending over 1,000 pounds on a vanity project when most of our peers were doing sensible things smacked of arrogance. In an ironic bid to launch Lake, a Goat Evening was held in Nottingham at the home of Neil Campbell and Jim Plaistow. Though everyone had a good time, by the end of the evening no-one had bought the album, so we gave away copies to the three people who had shown any interest. Which left 297 copies. The situation was more ridiculous than ever."

--Simon Wickham-Smith