While the Veldt’s full length career had seemingly started in 1994 with Afrodisiac, on the heels of the 1992 EP Marigolds, the truth of the matter was that they’d recorded a full length back in 1989 with a hell of an insane pedigree – the Chavis brothers found themselves not only in London, but working in the new studio September Sound with one of its founders, Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie, as producer. On top of that, Cocteaus singer Liz Frasier did some backing vocals in turn. Exactly why Capitol Records thought this was all a bad idea and shelved the record makes no sense at all, but the Chavises took control of things in 2023 and at last issued it as Illuminated 1989. It’s certainly audibly in debt to the Cocteaus guitarwise, in the best way, with Daniel Chavis’s sweet, warm singing riding the swells and digital shimmer beautifully. Tracks that surfaced in later rerecordings included “C.C.C.P.,” “It’s Over,” “Daisy Chain” and “Heather,” maybe all more crisp in sound but no less compelling, while ‘new’ songs like “Aurora Borealis,” the energetic funk of “Git Up” and “The Everlasting Gobstopper” are great to hear.