Bruta Non Calculant – World In A Tear [CITI012]

March 6, 2014July 19, 2023 hipodromealbum, bruta non calculant, cititrax, cold wave, electro, minimal wave records, synth waveLeave a comment

Cititrax is honored to introduce Bruta Non Calculant, a new project by Alaxis Andreas G, the mastermind behind Le Syndicat Electronique and numerous other analog electronic, experimental and esoteric industrial folk projects of the past 20 years. Alaxis formed Bruta Non Calculant in 2006 along with his brother Victor-Yann (De Frontanel). Their debut album, World In A Tear, presents 10 tracks drenched in a dark european atmosphere complete with a sound fully formed and heroically executed. Themes of death, lust and unrequited love are all bound in this brown book-esque collection. The songs occupy their own space and communicate in their own language and as such almost seem to have the ability to alter time once the listener has succumbed to their discordant beauty. An unsurprisingly impressive comeback, Bruta Non Calculants debut album blends new wave elements with folkloric balladry impeccably, and approaches this with a modern sensibility. World In A Tear is an elegant collection of seductive songs. Vinyl pressed on white 160 gram housed in a matte full color printed sleeve.

The KVB – Run Away [AMPLA075DD]

February 15, 2014June 16, 2025 hipodromeample play records, cold wave, dark wave, industrial, kat day, nicholas wood, post punk, the kvbLeave a comment

The latest release for The KVB comes via Ample Play, a London label that’s best known for releasing the music of indie rockers Cornershop. The two-track Run Away EP sees the duo on form once again, with more curtailing synths, straitlaced drums and vocals clear as mud. Both tracks on the EP are somewhat contrasting, the title track being dancey and melodic, while “436” is a grungier version of sounds you could expect from Tropic Of Cancer or HTRK.

The KVB – Minus One [AUK109]

January 20, 2014November 13, 2023 hipodromea records, cold wave, dark wave, industrial, kat day, nicholas wood, post punk, shoegaze, the kvbLeave a comment

London-based “dark wave” duo The KVB are a productive lot. Somewhat remarkably, this is their sixth album since 2011. It further explores there trademark distant, discordant, murky sound, blending barely-audible vocals and shoegaze guitars with fuzzy tones, clandestine moods and atmospheric grooves. While they can do full-throttle noise – see the growling “Dominance/Submission” and “Something Inside”, which push reverb and multi-layered guitars to their limits – they’re actually at their best when exploring less intense pastures. There’s much of this on Minus One, with the wide-eyed “Passing By”, dreamy “Endless” and clandestine “Kill The Lights” standing out.

Sixth June – Pleasure [MNQ045]

January 20, 2014July 17, 2019 hipodromecold wave, laszlo antal, lidija andonov, mannequin records, minimal synth, sixth juneLeave a comment

Serbian duo Sixth June – Laszlo Antal and Lidija Andonov – come with a fresh new 5 tracks 12inch EP ”Pleasure”. They play minimal, industrial synthesized music digging into the colder corners of the synthetic 80’s. Sixth June started their musical adventure back in 2007 and they are considered one of the purest talents in the minimal synth new scene. Rising from the obscure music scene in Belgrade, they re-based some years ago in the analog synthesizers paradise called Berlin. Their debut album, Everytime, released back in March 2010 by the German label Genetic Music and the previous EP on Mannequin, ”Back For A Day”, was bringing the band to play to most of Europe. The duo represents perfectly the two sides of the same coin, in fact while Laszlo is producing obscure but expressive, powerful and danceable textures, on the back side the voice of Lidija is living the shape to a wobbling atmosphere you wont escape from. Lidija, apart singing in Sixth June, is a professional actress. Laszlo, composer of all the tracks, instead is an illustrator and music video director.

Lè Travo – Erring And Errant [DE056]

January 13, 2014July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, cold wave, dark entries records, dark wave, lè travo, patrick bollen, post punk, synth popLeave a comment

Lè Travo is the brainchild of Patrick Bollen from Tienen, Belgium. As a teenager in the early 1980s, Patrick would visit ”DeAtelier”, the infamous coldwave/gothic club in Leuven. He would be inspired by Joy Division and other Factory releases, The Danse Society and Cocteau Twins. He gathered a some session musicians and a female backup vocalist. Eventually Patrick bought a Greengate DE-3 sampler, using the brains of an Apple 2E with a keyboard bolted onto it. He crafted loops made from a deconstructed upright piano, hitting the strings directly with a drum stick. Lè Travo made their first appearance on a split LP with Fred A in 1984. ”Erring and Errant” is their debut 7 song LP originally released in 1985. For the reissue 3 bonus songs from the split LP have been added. The songs are coldwave in the vein of Weimar Gesang, Opera Multi Steel, and Clan of Xymox. Guitar, bass and sample interplay with piano and synthesizers with dark and forbidding crescendos in the fast numbers, and elegaic melancholy in the slow tracks. The vocals are delivered with a sense of urgency, while the lyrics are inspired by avant-garde movements such as futurism and constructivism, as well as science fiction and existentialism.

Max & Mara – Less Ness [DE054]

December 3, 2013July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, cold wave, dark entries records, electro, mara barenbaum, max & mara, max brotman, minimal synthLeave a comment

Dark Entires is excited to introduce the debut album “Less Ness” from contemporary Bay Area duo, Max and Mara. Their collaboration began in 2012. Max is based in Oakland and has been a part of various projects most notably Brotman and Short and his current solo work as Business Etiquette. Mara is based in San Francisco and is known for her solo work as Group Rhoda. On “Less Ness” they worked with a hardware set up: 808 and Elektron drum machine, Moog, MAM, and Sequential Circuits synth with splashes of Mono/Poly and collage elements, vocoder lines and dubbed out vocals. They step away from the the computer as much as possible and prefer that their ideas can be traced back to the tools so that a sense of physicality remains. They find inspiration from all kinds of far out sounds, most notably dub, industrial, and various drug culture tangents. Lyrically the songs revolve around topics such as escapism, looking though cultural windows, and character role development. Some songs are a bit more surrealist in content with elements of hard realism and critical commentary.

Figure Study – Figure Study [DE053]

December 3, 2013July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, april chalpara, cold wave, dark entries records, figure study, minimal synth, nathan antolikLeave a comment

Dark Entries is proud to present the debut album by Figure Study, a contemporary band from New York. Figure Study is the Manhattan-based duo of Nathan Antolik and April Chalpara. For their debut self-titled album, Figure Study utilizes a carefully tailored set up of vintage analog synthesizers and drum machines. Figure Study creates a lush sound where haunting vocals echo over dark melodies that reflect an isolated and disintegrating world. Songs flux between dissonant dance numbers and more sparse, somber compositions, each carrying a sense of urgency and modernism. Figure Study’s sound includes influences from such early underground artists as Kirlian Camera, Nine Circles, and The Actor.

Alessandro Parisi – La Porta Ermetica [GD004]

December 3, 2013December 2, 2013 hipodromealessandro parisi, brassica, cold wave, disco, electro, giallo disco records, mushyLeave a comment

Giallo Disco Records are proud to present our first release from a non-in-house artist and our first 100% Genuine Italian. Alessandro Parisi, who had previously released through Lux and Minimal Rome. Alessandro’s unique retro-futurist soundtrack re-imaginings are Italian through and through. Armed only with a TR707, Roland JX3P and an old Teac 244 Tape Recorder his music is organic, magickal and scary as hell… Special guest remixer for this release is Brassica (Dissident / Cyberdance / Nocturnes) which sees his cosmified rework of ”Hesperius Draco” as a soundtrack to Timberland attending a voodoo ritual in an abandoned Detroit warehouse.

Blancmange – Irene & Mavis [MW050]

November 5, 2013July 19, 2023 hipodromeblancmange, cold wave, minimal synth, minimal wave records, neil arthur, reissue, stephen luscombeLeave a comment

A 10” reissue of Blancmange’s seminal debut EP Irene & Mavis. Formed in the UK by Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe, Blancmange recorded the six songs on Irene & Mavis in 1979 and released it as a 7” EP in 1980. Irene & Mavis, though not exactly representative of what Blancmange later went on to become, is a fascinating relic that captures the gestation period of the duo, fresh out of art school and keen to experiment. The D.I.Y. sound of the EP fits right in there with the early output of Soft Cell, the Human League, and Cabaret Voltaire; but what separates it from those like-minded releases of the time is that its even more distinctly English. The Irene & Mavis EP is simultaneously pioneering, provincial, and surreal in its down-to- earth playfulness and lack of artifice. It stands out as an important record, capturing the mundane with modern electronics and remains as an artifact representative of the band before they went on to reach pop chart success.

Tropics of Cancer LIVE @ Boiler Room 19.09.2013

October 31, 2013October 31, 2013 hipodromeboiler room tv, camella lobo, cold wave, dark wave, live act, post punk, tropic of cancerLeave a comment

Figure Study – Lesson One [DE049]

October 31, 2013July 17, 2024 hipodromeapril chalpara, cold wave, dark entries records, figure study, minimal synth, nathan antolikLeave a comment

Dark Entries is proud to present the debut 7″ of Figure Study, a contemporary band from New York. Figure Study is the Manhattan duo of Nathan Antolik and April Chalpara, who share writing and production duties, while April handles the vocals. For their debut single “Lesson One” they utilized small, simple analog synthesizer set up of all vintage Roland analog synths and drum machine. Figure Study’s sound includes influences from early minimal synth music such as Kirlian Camera, Nine Circles, and The Actor.

Veronica Vasicka – LN-CC Store Mix 033

October 15, 2013September 10, 2014 hipodromecold wave, house, ln-cc recordings, minimal synth, minimal wave records, post punk, store mix, techno podcast, veronica vasickaLeave a comment

Tropic of Cancer – Restless Idylls [BLACKESTLP005]

October 8, 2013December 5, 2019 hipodromeabstract, album, blackest ever black, camella lobo, cold wave, dark wave, post punk, tropic of cancerLeave a comment

Restless Idylls is the first full length album from Tropic of Cancer, the solo project of Los Angeles-based Camella Lobo. Lobo debuted in 2009 with ‘The Dull Age’/’Victims’, a 10” single on Downwards and the first of three collaborations with Juan Mendez (Silent Servant). Two years later came a second Downwards release (‘Be Brave’, remixed by Cabaret Voltaire’s Richard H. Kirk), followed soon after by The Sorrow Of Two Blooms on Blackest Ever Black – the label’s third release and one if its most cherished. Since then there have been 12” releases on Mannequin, Sleeperhold Publications, Ghostly International (a Part Times Punks Sessions live split with HTRK) and a limited edition compilation, The End of All Things, compiling singles and unreleased recordings. Restless Idylls marks ToC’s return to BEB and consists of eight new recordings written in Los Angeles, with additional production from Karl O’Connor (Regis) in New York and London. Its themes? The usual: romance, devotion, pain and helplessness. Mixed up mortals struggling against the brute mechanics of fate, and proving unequal to the task. A forced retreat into private, precious idylls of longing, faith, mystery, even misery. The urgent motorik of lead single ‘More Alone’ is perhaps a misleading foretaste of the full-length, which is more lush, languid and extravagantly despondent than previous TOC material. Troubled hymns from an empty room, in a drowned world. A sensual and sepulchral psychedelia.

Factory Floor – Factory Floor [DFA2392]

October 8, 2013September 16, 2024 hipodromealbum, cold wave, dfa records, dominic butler, electro, factory floor, gabe gurnsey, nikki colk, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

The band drop their highly anticipated album debut on NYC post-punk stalwart DFA. Tracks from both of their singles appear alongside a slew previously unheard synth-wave / EBM gems. A vivid snapshot of a progressive band, still in the ascendant, smashing through yet another ceiling.

DJ soFa – Postwave & Krautpunk for Radio raasHHour Jerusalem

September 5, 2013October 30, 2013 hipodromecold wave, krautrock, minimal synth, post punk, radio raashhour, sofa, synth popLeave a comment

Popsimonova – Popsimonova [ET027/GOOILAND009]

August 26, 2013October 18, 2022 hipodromecold wave, electro, enfant terrible, gooiland elektro, minimal synth, popsimonovaLeave a comment

Popsimonova is the new upcoming queen of cold electro (wave) … her tracks are cold but with lots of energy… intelligent constructed tracks to make you move but also to makeyou take a step back and let the music work on you in different ways… this is what they call electro beyond the former Iron Curtain…and this is what we move to on any good electro party…

Tevo Howard – Nature of Love Mix

July 21, 2013October 19, 2015 hipodromechicago, cold wave, industrial, synth wave, tevo howardLeave a comment

Intergalactic Gary – Les Yeux Orange #012

July 7, 2013June 24, 2019 hipodromeacid house, cold wave, intergalactic gary, les yeux orange, minimal synth, podcast, technoLeave a comment

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Polyphonic Size – Earlier / Later LP [MW045]

June 21, 2013July 19, 2023 hipodromealbum, cold wave, minimal wave records, polyphonic size, roger-marc vande voordeLeave a comment

Minimal Wave present an LP of selections from the prolific Belgian synthpop band Polyphonic Size. Headed by Roger-Marc Vande Voorde, Polyphonic Size formed in 1979. The Earlier / Later LP are remastered selections, curated mainly from Polyphonic Size’s early output as a band, from when they formed in 1979 to when they began working with JJ Burnel in 1980. The tracks on side A represent their early period and were recorded between 1979-1980 and the side B tracks, recorded between 1980-1983, are representative of how their sound evolved whilst working with a producer.

The Actor – Unreal Personality [MW044]

June 21, 2013September 21, 2020 hipodromecold wave, marcel reimer, minimal wave records, sander horsthuis, the actorLeave a comment

ACTOR, The - Unreal Personality

The Actor is a well known but simultaneously quite obscure minimal wave project that emerged from the Dutch home taping scene of the early 1980s. The duo was formed by Marcel Reimer (vocals, keyboards) and Sander Horsthuis (keyboards) in Breda, The Netherlands in late 1981. The track featured on this flexi-disc, ‘Unreal Personality’, is the opening track of ‘Exploded View’ and the archetypical The Actor song, with lyrics directly referring to the band’s name. The song was recorded during the summer of 1982. The equipment they used was the Korg MS-20, Crumar Performer, Casio VL-Tone, and Soundmaster SR-88 drum machine.