Yugoslavia is a raw cold minimalist band from Murcia, Spain, and “Vertebra” is their debut on Catalan label Oráculo Records.
Yvgoslavia – Vertebra [OR_DUB01]
cold wave
VA – MRG014 [MRG014]
Marguerite Records announces its first release of 2023, MRG014 a New Wave, EBM and Electronic compilation composed of six tracks. Side one features artists who already appeared in Marguerite discography. A1 opens up with ‘Noi Non Ci Saremo’ a bruise of nostalgic, new-romantic and dreamy 80s vibes from Diana Berti, followed up by Black Dot’s ‘Recurrent Disorder’ with occult spoken-word intonation of Le Chocolat Noir reminding of John Balance, over acid bassline, electro beat and syncopated noises by Christian Kroupa. ‘Unknown Faces’ close up the A side – an EBM track with a killer raw beat and distorted bass ready for sweaty dancefloors from the label heads duo Bianco Negativo. Flip side is unwrapped by one of the synth pioneer and UK based artist Timothy J Fairplay with ‘Love Boat For Four’ that drags you straight into a sci-fi movie fiction with the 8 bit electronic synths. B2 is Highest Bidder from Harlem Electronics, a seductive minimal rhythm with a dark undertone. The journey ends with ‘Svart Magi’ an hardware industrial jam by the Swedish producer Celldöd.
VA – Ethniques Psychedelics [PLA032]
Platform 23 returns to where it began, working the Vox Man Records to bring their compelling and unique archive to light, to create again a compilation from their cult cassette releases. Offering more than the sum of their parts, the best of two cassettes is compiled here in “Ethniques Psychedeliques”, a snapshot of contributions from far and wide, based on the warm expanse of ethnic world music with an idiosyncratic psychedelic nature throughout the selections, from the early 80s DIY post-punk scene.
Years of Denial – Suicide Disco Vol. 2 [VEYL036]
Years Of Denial is back on Veyl with their second LP ‘Suicide Disco Vol. 2’. The follow up to 2019’s ‘Suicide Disco’, the duo makes a triumphant return, elevating their distinct sound which fuses dark wave, goth, new-beat, post-punk, EBM, and techno. The LP features 12 tracks all written and produced at Ark of Noise studio, located miles away from the polluted noise of social turbulences, immersed in isolation, creative indulgence, and poetic writing.
Ambassade – The Fool [OMLP25]
Optimo Music presents Ambassade’s new album ‘The Fool’. Following hot in the heels of the acclaimed ‘Young Birds / Palette’ 12″ on Optimo Music, ‘The Fool’ is destined to be another Cold Wave, Synth, New Industrial, Experimental …whatever you want to call it …classic. “Born from several years of research and contemplation on the human mind ‘The Fool’ can be understood as a reflection to the dark energies – natural, political, human and otherwise – that are released when it comes to religion, greed and power.”
Plague Pits – The Light [TNP3]
Plague Pits is a collective from Bern, Switzerland. Inspired by the D.I.Y. electronic tape underground of yore, they play disco dirges for the Anthropocene – cold wave for a heating planet.
Plague Pits – Punishment & Extinction [YCR-161]
Plague Pits is a collective from Bern and Zurich, Switzerland. Inspired by the D.I.Y. electronic tape underground of yore, they play disco dirges for the Anthropocene – cold wave for a heating planet. “Punishment & Extinction” compiles some of the stand-out tracks from an array of self-released, cassette-only EPs Plague Pits have put out since late 2021.
De Fabriek – Music For Hippies [PLA043]
Platform 23 again explores to the dense voids, this time with a touch of the funk, with a reissue of Dutch experimentalists De Fabriek and two tracks from their “Music For” cassette series, this time calling all Hippies. Featuring both original and reinterpretations from modern-day heads, Dunkeltier and Khidja, this double-pack is something of an oddity, showcasing the bands’ expansive range, moving away from the noise, drone and industrial soundscape releases they had become known for and crafting here, free flowing, groovy longform jams.
Arnaud Rebotini – I Drive East [MNQ157]
A dream collaboration with Dario Argento for the soundtrack of his new film ”Occhiali Neri”, Maestro Arnaud Rebotini is back on Mannequin Records with a brand new 4-tracks ep ”I Drive East”. For this new ep, Arnaud started working more on a song form, deeply inspired by his rock’n’roll roots. Having heroes like Suicide or Alien Sex Fiend in mind, he was able to create the perfect link between EBM and Industrial Rock. The final production was orchestrated diving deep into percussive drums and digital synthesizers, a mega hybrid of analog and digital, recalling back our favourite mid-80’s productions.
The Actor – Exploded View + Demos 1981-1984 [MNQ156]
Mannequin presents an expanded double-LP of ‘Exploded View’ from minimal synth Dutch pioneers The Actor. Originally released in 1982 by Trumpett Tapes, the album was repressed for the first time by Mannequin Records in 2014, and now is coming back to life again in 2022, enriched by an extra full-lenght of demos from a 1981-1984 period. Singing both in English and German, The Actor songs are often related to modernism, fashion and dancing, like a sort of early incarnation of Depeche Mode but totally devoted to home taping and diy recordings.
Plague Pits – Poetry From The Future [TNP2]
Plague Pits is a collective from Bern, Switzerland. Inspired by the D.I.Y. electronic tape underground of yore, they play disco dirges for the Anthropocene – cold wave for a heating planet.
Tout Debord – Ça ne veut rien dire [DR126]
Tout Debord is a Paris-based project founded by Leonid Diaghilev in 2020. This is the second release on Detriti Records for the Frech artist.
Bourbonese Qualk – Bourbonese Qualk LP [MNQ115]
The self named LP marked the fifth album and end of the first incarnation of Bourbonese Qualk. Julian Gilbert left the group after ‘The Spike'(1986) to concentrate on writing and theatre, leaving Steven Tanza and Simon Crab who parted ways after touring in Europe in early 1986 and recording this album. Steven Tanza went on to found the group ‘The State’ and while Crab continued as Bourbonese Qualk (with the new line-up of Miles Miles,Crab and Owen If), dissolved the Recloose Organisation label and founded ‘New International’ as the outlet for future Bourbonese Qualk and Recloose Org releases.
Bourbonese Qualk – The Spike LP [MNQ114]
Bourbonese Qualk’s third album “The Spike” was recorded during the period 1984-1985 and published by the Berlin based Dossier/Atonal label while Bourbonese Qualk were involved in organizing the Berlin Atonal festival. Parts of Side 2 of the album is a recording of pieces made for a dance and film performance at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London in 1985.
Sigbefia Five / Formal Defect – Behind Impuls Records [OR106]
All tracks originally released by Impuls Records. Sigbefia Five is Frank Ahdafi, Carsten Barteczko and Sascha Bläser. Formal Defect is Carsten Barteczko and Sascha Bläser. Remastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios.
JG Outsider – JG Outsider [OR108]
“Amor Industrial” originally written by Aviador Dro. Mastered by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany). All tracks previously released by Banshees Records.
More Ephemerol – Fertile Energy [OR107]
More Ephemerol L is C. Fjerstad & Tamara Sky. Mixed and produced by Matia Simovich at Infinite Power Studios (Los Angeles) except “Ex-Raver” mixed by Eric Ulvog. Mastered by Josh Bonati except “Ex-Raver” mastered by Michael Keene. Re-mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios.
Skelesys – Epsilon EP [OR101]
Skelesys with a 4 tracks EP on Oráculo Records. All tracks have been specially remastered for long cut vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).
Fiasko Leitmotiv – Humblekids LP [CBR017]
“Humblekids” is the first studio album by Fiasko Leitmotiv. This work is a journey in multiple dimensions of music and narrative, and even if its deep roots are certainly electronic, the listener will land in different atmospheres, different genres mixed together in new keys, with new meanings, all in a post punk environment. from a narrative point of view, “Humblekids” presents two main styles, one metaphisical and one surrealistic, and somehow the second seems to carry the first one in a mix of tragedy and irony. “Hanako” and “Balls” , the two singles from the album, underline the presence of theese two different but coexisting approaches, tied together in a necessarily sense, like darkness and light , day and night.
Geier Aus Stahl – Strapazen Und Genesung [KH043]
Geier aus Stahl is one of the many artistic guises of Leonard Prochazka. No superfluous elements take away from the core experience of his sound. Somewhere a statement from David Byrne crossed our path, able to highlight something of the essence of Leonard’s art: “No matter how alienated the subject or the singer might appear, the groove and its connection to the body would provide solace and grounding. But the edgy, uncomfortable stuff was still on the foreground”. The debut album ‘Strapazen und Genesung’ takes us to an exciting world that twists, squeaks and creaks, yet is grounded by an unmistakable groove.
The Hipodrome Of Music 