Before relocating to downtown New York, Mikel Rouse led Tirez Tirez, a Kansas City group formed in the Mid-1970s that Bridged new wave, minimalism, and experimental pop. The Band gained early attention opening for Talking Heads on their 1978 tour, with David Byrne remaining a supporter as Rouse transitioned into New York’s experimental scene, where he connected with figures like Arthur Russell. Story of the Year draws from recordings Made during this shift, combining earlier Tirez Tirez Material with later sessions produced in New York and Brussels. Released in 1982/83 on Les Disques du Crépuscule, the album reflects rouse’s early use of system-based composition within a band format, incorporating layered rhythms and phase-based repetition that would later inform his role in developing totalism.

Positioned between Kansas City and New York, and between post-punk and contemporary composition, the record captures a moment before Rouse’s work fully moved into more overtly compositional territory.