The Musical Sorcery of Belbury Poly

Along with artists like The Advisory Circle, The Focus Group, and Pye Corner Audio, Belbury Poly has long been one of the leading lights of hauntology, that bizarre little musical genre that loves to imagine alternate pasts and the future as envisioned by post-WW2 England. Over the past 20+ years, Jim Jupp — the man behind the Poly, and one of the co-founders of the Ghost Box label, where many of these artists reside — has been spinning up musical worlds all his own.

For his newest album, Sorcery, Jupp indulges in his love for ’80s sci-fi and fantasy, and more specifically, the soundtracks that breathed life into such works: “It was a musical moment dominated by the sounds of Prophet 5, DX7 & PPG synthesizers, Fairlight & Synclavier music computers, TR808 drum machine & Simmons Drums (those ubiquitous hexagonal drum pads) and of course the much-maligned fretless bass.”

More: “It’s also an era that’s now seen as something of a golden age for fantasy and science-fiction books, comics, TV, movies and games (particularly in Britain where it was fuelled by a satirical post punk reaction to Thatcherism). In Jupp’s memory these things go hand in hand; as a child his nerdy fandom was soundtracked not as it was for most by Heavy Metal, but by the electronic pop of Bill Nelson, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Japan, and Frank Chickens. Also, by otherworldly TV soundtracks & production music of the era: Elizabeth Parker and Paddy Kingsland at the BBC, The Parry Music Library, Rod Argent’s new age library albums and even Clannad’s Robin of Sherwood score.”

Sorcery will be released by Jupp’s own Belbury Music label on September 25, 2026.