Now Berlin-based duo The KVB land on Geoff Barrow’s Invada label for the first in a series of releases. Mirror Being differs from most releases from The KVB as the pair’s deep set vocals, a key component of their sound, are largely absent from the 10 tracks but their reverb soaked mastery of guitars and analogue gear is still very much evident throughout.
No More are a band from Kiel, Germany, founded in the summer of 1979. Their music is rooted in early Post Punk / No Wave. No More began as a quartet with Andy A. Schwarz (vocals, guitar, bass), Tina Sanudakura (synthesizers), Christian Darc (drums, vocals) and Thomas Welz (bass, vocals). In 1982 No More released the mini-album “A Rose Is A Rose’ on 10′. Songs on this mini-LP convey the desolate and bleak attitude of German youth in the early 1980s. This reissue compiles all 8 tracks from the mini-LP, both tracks from the Suicide Commando’ 7′ plus 3 demos from 1982.
Coldwave / darkwave debut album by San Francisco based producer Gabriel Ramos. While the band has gone through some lineup changes Ssleeping Desiress has essentially remained the sole recorded output of Gabriel Ramos, who has been the only constant member. The album runs the boundaries between minimal synth, coldwave, and electro with lyrical themes spanning gentrification to coping with loss.
Medical Records in collaboration with Crispy Nuggets is proud to present a collection of tracks by Post Industrial Noise. PIN was an “audio artsemble” conceived in 1982 in Columbus, Ohio by the trio Robert Crise Jr, Gerald F. Nelson, and Dana Riashi Ritchey. The output of PIN could be described a more experimental/minimalist offshoot of new wave with pleasant synth sequences blanketed in rich synth tones. The opening track “Sketch” has a definite cold wave vibe with slightly echoed vocals over a subtle drum machine beat and monotonous synth lines. “Prelude” is a deep instrumental cut with synth and sample interplay resulting in a hypnotic slab of brilliance. The tracks on this collection have been restored from the original analog tape reel for this reissue.
For a brief moment Turin was Italy’s Sheffield, producing an astonishing number of DIY electronic groups. In the context of a wider Europe, Italy has never been thought of as a hotbed of minimal electronic music, but Mannequin Records compilations Danza Meccanica: Italian Synth Wave 1982-1987 have shone a light on a scene little heard, even within Italy’s borders. But the history was still incomplete.. some new horizons now must be unveiled, showing that between the years of 1982 and 1984, the city of Turin in northwest Italy was home to a quiet underground renaissance of experimental electronic music.
Anniversary Edition of this Italian Cold Wave masterpiece from 1984. On a cold autumn evening in Milan in 1981, Nino La Loggia met Giacomo Spazio for the first time. The two had the same passion for music: Kraftwerk, Joy Division, DAF and the whole new scene of proto-electronic wave headed by Cabaret Voltaire. Together they decided to start the musical project called 2 + 2 = 5, a tribute to Orwellian dystopia. Shortly after, Cha Cha Hagiwara joined the band. Already a keyboard player in Jeunesse d’Ivoire, she enriched the band’s raw sound with sonority and resonance which we can now define as analog. In 1983 the trio entered the studio to record their first LP titled ‘Into The Future’, now reissued by Mannequin Records for the 30th Anniversary.
Debut release for Electronic Emergencies hailing from Rotterdam. They present their first release, a new album of Dutch cold wave legend Das Ding: Why Is My Life So Boring? It’s a brand new 10-track album, which sounds crisp and young in the club and mature when you play it at home. Das Ding has always had that certain thing; strict and detached beats combined with warm melancholic melodies, emotionally distant and intense at the same time. The sound is clearly analogue and very specific since Danny Bosten rebuilds his vintage synths and builds his own sequencers and modular systems.
The Rattler Proxy, a sonic duo from Athens, release their second single featuring two original songs – ”Company of Wolves” and ”Death Machine” – along with two remixes of the latter by Antoni Maiovvi and Jokers Of The Scene. The Rattler Proxy explore the realm of urban alienation through intense and claustrophobic soundscapes. Often swapping their pulsating electronic crawl, for digital rockabilly-esque freak-outs, theirs is a world of back alleys and gang laden imagery, a rhythmic decent into a hellish, concrete landscape.
Mannequin Records announce the reissue of one of the most important Dutch Wave bands The Actor, with their seminal 1982 tape “Exploded View”. “In the beginning of the eighties, a new phenomenon emerged: home taping. This way of recording resulted in a lot of noise. But that was less important then getting one’s music out to the public. A well known label for cassette bands in those days was the dutch Trumpett Tapes. They were the first to publish the music of The Actor, who became their top selling cassette band in 1982 and 1983. The Actor’s first release was Exploded View in 1982. The songs – sung both in English and German – often related to fashion, modernism, dancing and appearence. This made The Actor “quite fashionable.”
Blimey, Light Sounds Dark really went to town on this new compilation of curios, obscurities and delights that’s spread across three 12″s. If you’ve indulged in previous slabs of LSD curated obscurity then you should have an idea of what is waiting for you within the rather tempting mirrored, triple-gatefold sleeve; namely a smorgasbord of industrial, proto rhythms and early wave sounds. Unlike previous Light Sounds Dark transmissions, there is no identifying information of any sort.
The first release by Worn Pop Records, independent label from Kiev, Ukraine, curated by Nikita Mekalin. Tracks by Ukrainian acts Cold Comfort, Aircraft, Geuxx, Londoners Sundaze and Neiv from Italy.
EE Tapes are more than honoured to welcome Nine Circles aboard of their 7″ vinyl series. A new line-up with new challenges, starring Lidia “The Rose” Fiala and keyboard wizz Per-Anders Kurenbach.
The finest German Minimal / Synth from early 80’s NDW Underground by V2 Schneider. For this release Jurgen Schweighart, alias V2 Schneider, sat down, saved and listened to approximately 50 original master tapes, reels and cassettes from 1980 to 1985 including his official tape releases ”Vol. 1” (1981), ”Blues” (1982), ”Abgrund der Gefuhle” (1984), ”Nr.1 in Hong Kong” (1985), ”After A.I.D.S. Symphony” (1985) and many so far unreleased hidden treasures, demos and out-takes. At the request of VOD-Records, none of the tracks were remixed or edited and therefore kept in their authentic original and charming form.
LeLu/Lu’s were an early to late 80’s electronic/synth-based project based around Deni (in the early 80’s known as Yo-Yo and nowadays known as Timekode). In 1985 they released a fantastic 12 song tape on Unlikely Records (URT91) called ”Operating on Specific Cues” which forms the basis of this 25 track 2 LP-release While the tape is still rather unknown to fans of synth music, the three 7”s released from 1985-87 (on Alain Neffe’s Insane Music as well as Possum and R&D Records), with the outstanding tracks ”Spaceman Bassman”, ”Africa” and ”Fragile Thing”, are better known to the minimal synth/wave community and collectors of 80’s wave and minimal synth vinyl.
One of Canadas first synth-pop groups, Rational Youth was formed in the summer of 1981 by Tracy Howe (The Normals, Men Without Hats, Heaven Seventeen) and Bill Vorn (U, Sacred Noise). Within the 10+ years that Howe put Rational Youth on indefinite hiatus, their early vinyl recordings (1981-1982) became much sought after collector items, and had been re-branded as minimal-synth. This 5LP set with booklet provides an almost complete overview of their works from 1981-1984.
Cititrax presents the full length LP by Brooklyn duo Further Reductions. Shawn OSullivan (Vapauteen) and Katie Rose formed Further Reductions in 2008 as an outlet for their shared passion of electronic dance music. O’Sullivan, known for his recent techno releases as Vapauteen on L.I.E.S., 400PPM on Avian and Civil Duty (with Beau Wanzer of Streetwalker) on The Corner has been quite active lately blurring the lines between techno and noise music. With Further Reductions, O’Sullivans rhythmic sensibility is fused with Roses pop leanings to create super lush and atmospheric tracks that work both on and off the dance floor. Informed by the sounds of classic techno and early house, they subtly substitute the structure of functional club music with a more primal absorption based in their unique collaboration. Seductive vocals coupled with organically evolving sequences create a complex narrative that penetrates the subconscious in a way that conventional club music rarely threatens to.
Cold Beats is a record label from Barcelona created to give support to bands and artists in the wave/electronic scene. ‘No Souvenir’ is the third release on the label and comes from the French duo Coco Gallo & Stephane Argillet. The album include 14 tracks and it was recorded and mixed in Paris-Berlin between 2011 and 2013.
Nation starts off the year with brand new artists to the family from San Francisco from 2 ladies on a mission is to present the most emotional and artistic music that brings many moods and colors that equals timeless avant-garde paintings of sound. Abstract darkness from San Francisco. Red Light started as a pact between Kerri LeBon and Rachel Aiello in early 2013,though neither of them had any prior musical experience, they both were determined to dive head first into creating their first recordings…their music being generally angst and moody, the two girls sought to beautify their suffering through sound.
After 10 years of existence, numerous live gigs and great contributions to various compilations (on such labels as Kommando 6, Enfant Terrible, La Forme Lente and Pneu to name a few), :codes has become such an evident part of the minimal synth / cold wave revival that it is hard to believe this is only their first album. Featuring Chris behind the machines and Najah (of Dolina) at the vocals, the French/Belgian duo crafts delicate synth jewels, dark as velvet and cold as ice.
The Hipodrome Of Music 