VA – Back Up Dos: Mexican Tecno Pop 1982-1989 LP [DE-323]

September 23, 2024September 23, 2024 hipodromecasino shanghai, compilation, dark entries records, ebm, interface, los agentes secretos, maria bonita, minimal synth, neo danza, synth pop, voces multiplesLeave a comment

Dark Entries returns to Mexico with Back Up Dos: Mexican Tecno Pop 1982-1989. Following 2021’s Back Up compilation, Back Up Dos delivers 10 more tracks of synth-pop and New Beat, 7 of which have never before appeared on vinyl. From mutant drum machine beats to irresistible synthesizer hooks, fans of the fringes of the 80s will find songs to stir their cold, dark hearts. But Back Up Dos does more than mine retro kitsch; it documents the development of a rich DIY music scene that is still underexplored. As affordable samplers and digital synths spread throughout the decade, post-punk and new wave gave way to more aggressive EBM and cyberpunk sounds. The scene also developed in opposition to the political climate of the times: the rise of the drug cartels and a reactionary turn in national politics. Using home recording techniques, these bands took cues from the electronic wizardry of the Human League and Wax Trax Records while reflecting the vibrant and chaotic Mexican cultural landscape of the era. On Back Up Dos, impeccable pop anthems from Casino Shanghai and Los Agentes Secretos sit alongside gnarled obscurities from Ford Proco and María Bonita, showcasing a decade of sly deviance and enthusiastic experimentation. Back Up Dos compiles synthetic music produced in Mexico at the crossroads from Tecno Pop to Post-Industrial, nourished by culture shock and stories of dystopian worlds.

Severed Heads – Ear Bitten LP [DE-314]

September 9, 2024September 9, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, experimental, industrial, noise, re-release, reissue, severed heads, tom ellardLeave a comment

Dark Entries picks up Severed Heads yet again for Ear Bitten, a double LP reissue of some of the band’s earliest material. As originary Aussie industrial legends – although founder Tom Ellard would balk at being branded as such – Severed Heads shaped the continental subcultural sound with their kitchen electronics, chaotic tape loops, and quietly infectious nursery-rhyme-esque melodies. In 1979 Ellard, Richard Fielding, and Andrew Wright abandoned the moniker Mr. and Mrs. No Smoking Sign and adopted the edgier name Severed Heads “to pretend to be an industrial band such as Surgical Penis Klinik & Throbbing Gristle.” Noise-rockers Rhythmx Chymx had placed an advertisement in a local shop looking for a band to share the costs of pressing an LP. The Heads set about recording a Dadaist racket on a pair of open reel dictaphones and a cassette deck using a TRS-80 computer, Kawai Synthesizer 100F and Korg Mini Pops drum machine. Ear Bitten was released in 1980; original copies now fetch obscene sums, in part due to most of Severed Heads’ copies perishing in a fire at Richard’s home. The band’s next endeavor was a cassette titled Side 2, a collection of free-form experiments fashioned as Ear Bitten’s second side. For this reissue, Dark Entries has collected both Ear Bitten and Side 2 on the first disc, presenting the album in its full form. Disc two includes the original first version of Ear Bitten, which was only unreleased because it was recorded in a format not suitable for pressing.

Patrick Cowley – Kickin’ In [DE-273]

August 25, 2024August 22, 2024 hipodromedark entries records, disco, patrick cowley, paul parker, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Dark Entries again shines a spotlight on bathhouse disco don Patrick Cowley with a newly remastered release of Kickin’ In. Although Cowley tragically passed from AIDS-related illness in 1982, he left an extensive archive of unreleased tapes, many of which Dark Entries has had the honor of releasing. While working as a lighting technician at The City, SF’s disco cabaret, Cowley saw rising star Frank Loverde perform. Cowley asked Loverde to contribute vocals to some material in progress, and Frank, Linda Imperial, and Peggy Gibbons joined Cowley in the studio. The resulting songs included “Kickin’ In,” a 9-minute cybernetic disco stormer that taps into the essence of Cowley’s hi-NRG sound: equal parts spaced out and zoned in on the dancefloor. In May 1978 Cowley joined Loverde on stage at The City to perform “Kickin’ In” as they opened for disco diva Sylvester. “Kickin’ In” was initially released in 2015 via Honey Soundsystem who found the tapes in the basement of Megatone Records owner John Hedges. This newly remastered version was made possible due to the discovery of the original multi-track recordings of “Kickin’ In,” allowing for a fresh mixdown by Jim Hopkins as well as the creation of a new instrumental version. Also included are two impeccably sleazy Cowley jams recorded in 1980, “Thief of Love” and “Make It Come Loose.” Cowley narrates excerpts from his erotic journals on these raunchy slow-burners, capturing the vibe of SF’s leather bars and backrooms. “Thief of Love” features Cowley collaborator Paul Parker on background vocals.

Eleven Pond – Bas Relief LP [DE-001R]

July 17, 2024July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dan brumley, dark entries records, dark wave, eleven pond, jack schaeffer, james tabbi, jeff gallea, new wave, post punk, re-release, reissue, synth popLeave a comment

Dark Entries celebrates its 15th anniversary by returning to where it all started, the initial darkest entry: Eleven Pond’s masterpiece ‘Bas Relief’, an ultra-obscure album from 1986 that would become a definitive dark pop holy grail. Eleven Pond was James Tabbi (vocals, acoustic guitar), Jeff Gallea (drum machine, synthesizer, vocals), Jack Schaeffer (guitar) and Dan Brumley (synthesizer, samples, vocoder, melodica). They met in Rochester, NY, while attending art school, brought together by their shared love of 4AD and Factory Records. Taking cues from acts like Joy Division, Fad Gadget, and For Against, Eleven Pond’s infectious basslines, churning guitar riffs, and atmospheric synths will charm all fans of moody music. But what really makes Bas Relief shine is the timeless songwriting on classics like “Tear and Cinnamon”, “Portugal”, and the anthemic “Watching Trees.” With only 500 copies in it’s initial release, ‘Bas Relief’ resurfaces with a fresh remaster that corrects a pitch shift from previous reissues. ‘Bas Relief’ is a true lost relic of the cold 80’s and an essential piece Dark Entries history.

VA – Rock Rendez Vous: Musica Moderna Portuguesa 1985-1986 [DE307]

June 23, 2024June 20, 2024 hipodromecompilation, dark entries records, post punk, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

The seductive sounds of Portugal swing to Dark Entries on Rock Rendez Vous: Música Moderna Portuguesa 1985-1986, a compilation of vintage Iberian synth, wave, and postpunk gems. The legendary club Rock Rendez Vous (RRV) opened its doors in Lisbon in 1980, heralding a new era in the Portuguese underground. Although touring acts like Killing Joke, Danse Society, or Echo & the Bunnymen graced its stage, RRV more vitally served as ground zero for a new generation of Portuguese bands, one simultaneously in touch with broader international musical movements while being invested in establishing a national sonic identity. Rock Rendez Vous culls 9 tracks of prime Portuguese indie tunes from the Música Moderna Portuguesa compilations released in 1985 and 1986, documenting the heyday of this movement. Jangly and brooding postpunk gems like “Levante” from Jovem Guarda, Projecto Azul’s “New Sides,” and Essa Entente’s “Festa Final” are well-represented here. Meanwhile, quirky Balearic-laced synthpop gems like D. W. Art’s “Mate” or Zona Proibida’s “Musak” add a subtly regional flare. Rock Rendez Vous: Música Moderna Portuguesa comes housed in a sleeve designed by Eloise Leigh featuring a photo of the club RRV, and also includes a double-sided insert with lyrics, photos, and liner notes.

Ortrotasce – Dispatches From Solitude LP [DE324]

June 15, 2024June 14, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, nic hamersly, ortrotasce, synth popLeave a comment

Ortrotasce comes to Dark Entries with Dispatches from Solitude, their latest LP. For over a decade, Nic Hamersly has been using the Ortotrasce (pronounced: or-tro-task) moniker to unleash brooding-yet-propulsive darkwave anthems upon the world. Hamersly’s work explores the intersection between industrial and synth pop, drawing a line from the sounds of the past to the present. Recorded during the Covid and post-Covid era, Dispatches from Solitude brings 8 tracks of tightly wrought synth-pop exploring grief, romance, and our strange world – which just keeps getting stranger.

Crash Course In Science – Near Marineland LP [DE328]

April 27, 2024April 25, 2024 hipodromealbum, crash course in science, dale feliciello, dark entries records, electronics, industrial, mallory yago, michael zodorozny, minimal synth, post punkLeave a comment

Dark Entries celebrates its 15th anniversary with legendary synth-punk deviants Crash Course in Science. Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago, and Michael Zodorozny formed CCIS in 1979 after meeting at art school in Philadelphia. As a gesture born of equal parts punk irreverence and brute necessity, the band incorporated toy instruments and kitchen appliances into their aggressive, angular sound. Their anthems “Cardboard Lamb” and “Flying Turns” from 1981’s Signals From Pier Thirteen EP have been staples in adventurous DJ sets for over 40 years – yet some of their finest work is to be found on Near Marineland, a full-length LP recorded in 1981, but remained unreleased in its time. Near Marineland shows the band moving into more diverse and polished territory (although it’s still as abrasive as sandpaper). Tracks like “No More Hollow Doors” and “Jump Over Barrels” highlight CCIS’s singular knack for embedding infectiously monotone hooks in their stiff-yet-funky grooves. Elsewhere we see CCIS going fully unhinged, like on the searing “Someone Reads” or the demented “Pompeii Spared”, where a spray of honks is barely glued together by a frantic synthetic pulse. While this masterwork of malfunctioning analog electronics has surfaced on a few occasions – this first time stand alone remaster includes four never-before-released bonus tracks and includes a lyric sheet. Near Marineland is crucial listening for all devotees of synth-punk and minimal electronics.

Ike Yard – 1982 [DE312]

March 6, 2024March 5, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, experimental, ike yard, industrial, post punkLeave a comment

Dark Entries flashes back to the grimy streets of New York City circa 1982 to bring us an unreleased album from cult outfit Ike Yard. Comprised of Stuart Argabright, Michael Diekmann, Kenneth Compton, and Fred Szymanski, Ike Yard sits between the sinewy proto-body music of the Neue Deutsche Welle and the shattered grooves of their No Wave peers in New York. The band’s initial run was short but blinding. They released an EP for Les Disques du Crépuscule in 1981, which was followed by their legendary self-titled LP for Factory in 1982. They disbanded within a year, frustrated by the slow pace at which the industry was able to release their increasingly challenging music. 1982 features 10 tracks which likely would have become the band’s second LP – only four of these songs have previously seen release on 2006’s 1980-82 Collected via Acute Records. Following the release of Ike Yard, they continued down their tortured path of hybrid electro-acoustic music with an arsenal of now-classic analog instruments, including the Korg MS-20 and the Roland TR-808. Skittering rhythms teeter on the verge of collapse while seasick synth warbles threaten to push us overboard. Electronic washes devolve into waves of feedback. Sneering basslines threaten dancers to move, but how can the body obey? This is dangerous music, gliding along the brink.

2023 Best Albums

January 9, 2024March 6, 2024 hipodromealbum, anatolian weapons, axis records, boo moonman, boo williams, bordello a parigi, carl finlow, cititrax, clone records, cosmetics, credit 00, dark entries records, datasal, die gestalten, die gestalten records, dircsen, dungeon module, fabio monesi, gated recordings, hoga nord rekords, l.i.e.s., ldi records, minimalrome, pinkman records, rapid ear damage, ron morelli, rude 66, science cult, t/error, teslasonic, the creative technology consortium, the exaltics, timothy j fairplay, tom carruthers, tomorrow comes the harvest, veyl, years of denialLeave a comment

Here are our favorite albums from 2023 compiled in chronological order.

Continue reading →

Code Industry – Structure [DE303]

July 4, 2023July 3, 2023 hipodromeantler subway, code industry, dark entries records, ebm, new beat, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Seminal EBM-techno outfit Code Industry surfaces on Dark Entries with a reissue of their Structure EP. Detroit-based musicians Rob Myers, E.N. Sevy, Kyl Crys, and William Keith formed Code Industry in 1989 following their previous project, Code Assault. Among the few Black artists working in the idioms of EBM and industrial during their time, Code Industry tackle issues of racism, the media, and the hypocrisy of patriotism. The band’s frigid synths and menacingly whispered vocals display their affinity for European EBM acts like Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb, but their adventurous production and high- tech grooves situate their work equally within the Detroit techno continuum. The Structure EP was originally released in 1991 via the legendary Antler-Subway label.

De-Bons-en-Pierre – Card Short of a Full Deck [DE301]

May 19, 2023May 17, 2023 hipodromebeau wanzer, dark entries records, de-bons-en-pierre, industrial, maoupa mazzocchetti, technoLeave a comment

Dark Entries’ resident scuzzmasters De-Bons-en-Pierre return with the “Card Short of a Full Deck” EP, featuring six tracks of their signature sludge. In 2016, Beau Wanzer and Maoupa Mazzocchetti fused forces in order to infect the world with their mutant analog strain, a noxious hybrid of 80’s DIY cassette electronics and 90’s Birmingham techno. Card Short of a Full Deck follows 2017’s Crepes EP and 2019’s EP No. 1 and EP No. 2, all released via Dark Entries. Their latest salvo features six tracks composed for a live performance in 2019. While a damaged sense of whimsy has pervaded their previous work, Card Short sees the duo ramping up the absurdity to obscene levels. Skittering rhythms dance over ghoulish basslines and haunting, rave-evocative chords on cuts “Le Râle du Mâle Alpha” and “Puddle Points”. Elsewhere, like on “Card Short of a Full Deck” and “Accidental Surgeries”, contorted vocals battle careening synths amidst post-apocalyptic waste.

The Creative Technology Consortium {CtC} – Panoramic Colorsound [DE300]

April 22, 2023August 29, 2023 hipodromealbum, andrew bisenius, cooper, dark entries records, ebm, experimental, jakbeat, jason letkiewicz, krautrock, soundtrack, steve summers, synth wave, the creative technology consortium, traxxLeave a comment

The venerable Dark Entries celebrates it’s 300th release with “Panoramic Coloursound”, a triple LP from The Creative Technology Consortium. Traxx, Andrew Bisenius, and Jason Letkiewicz forged the CtC during the depths of pandemic isolation. Drawing from film and television music of the 80’s/90’s and armed with a mighty array of vintage analog and digital synthesizers, they set out to explore heists, vices, and catastrophe. Panoramic Coloursound collapses sound and image into a neon blur throughout its 25 tracks. While retro scores were the starting point for the CtC, the project does more than pay dutiful homage — these notes are warped and skewed, devolving into decaying digital soundscapes. EBM-inflected basslines pop up on tracks like “Catastrophe” and “A Retro Vice”, menacing numbers that recall Traxx and Letkiewicz’s legendary work as Mutant Beat Dance (a project also featuring Beau Wanzer). “Follow Our Kode” pairs heroic synths with funky bass, striking cosmic chords akin to the material that Traxx and Bisenius have released as An Anomaly. Krautrock-esque guitars slide along anthemic pads on “Beautifully Polluted Sunset”, which comes across like an alien Miami Vice closing theme. The CtC channel corroded VHS vibes while making music for the future.

Garland – Heartbeat [DE289]

March 16, 2023March 14, 2023 hipodromedark entries records, garland, italo-disco, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

The Dark Entries Italo drop continues with Garland’s “Heartbeat”. This is another 1986 dancefloor bomb produced by Claudio Corradini along with Massimo Filippi. Art Déco singer and songwriter Claudio Valenti conceived of Garland as an outlet for his more dancefloor-oriented material. Inspired by Valenti’s time spent in London seeing Steve Strange (of New Romantic group Visage) DJ at Heaven, “Heartbeat” is an epic Italo number with a heavy New Wave stamp. Both the “Song Version” and the “Dance Version” are included on this reissue, with the latter featuring an extended intro and stripped down arrangement. This reissue is dedicated to Claudio Corradini, who sadly passed away in 2021.

Patrick Cowley – Malebox LP [DE-305]

November 17, 2022November 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, disco, funk, patrick cowleyLeave a comment

Dark Entries has a surprise delivery! Malebox brings us six previously unreleased funk-fueled jams from the archives of the cybernetic disco titan himself, Patrick Cowley. Best known for his chart-topping disco anthems, Cowley left us with an incredible body of work before his tragic death in 1982 due to AIDS-related illness. Since 2009, Dark Entries has been working with Cowley’s friends and family to uncover the singular artist’s lesser-known sides, including his soundtracks for gay pornographic films on compilation albums School Daze, Muscle Up, and Afternooners. But Malebox gives us more of the Cowley we know and love: churning disco-funk and hi-NRG tracks that are spacey and sleazy, gritty and sublime. Recorded from 1979-1981, these six tracks illuminate what was one of Patrick’s most creatively exciting periods. “If You Feel It” and “Love Me Hot” were both early Paul Parker demos; the former is a peak hour hi-NRG bomb, while the latter dips into Cowley’s zoned-out space disco sound. Jeanie Tracy’s soulful vocals feature on the demo version of “Low Down Dirty Rhythm”, which was later re-recorded by Sarah Dash. The slower, less-varnished rendition here hits with a wild psychedelic edge. Meanwhile, Patrick’s gifts for careful orchestration and infectious melodies shine on “Floating” and “Love and Passion”, which were likely demo tracks for Loverde. The songs on Malebox display the vitality and inventiveness of a brilliant composer taken from us too soon.

Bill Converse – Take Parts EP [DE291]

October 12, 2022October 12, 2022 hipodromeacid, bill converse, dark entries records, jakbeat, technoLeave a comment

Underground hero Bill Converse returns to Dark Entries with Take Parts, perhaps his most muscular and floor-focused work to date. Converse has honed his analog craft since the early days of the Midwest rave scene, absorbing lessons from luminaries like Claude Young and Traxx. His skill as a producer has been established with releases on labels such as Dark Entries, Fit Sound, and Obsolete Futures, and his prowess as a DJ has been witnessed on floors the world over. On Take Parts, Converse peels away the layers of acidic gauze that have characterized much of his work, revealing his sharp grasp of dancefloor dynamics and DJ functionality. While the 808’s, 909’s, and 303’s are on full display, Converse does not indulge in retro-fetishism; he channels the future forward impulse of the originary rave ethos.

Euroshima – Gala LP [DE292]

September 22, 2022September 21, 2022 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, dark wave, euroshima, polygram, post punk, re-release, reissue, twilight recordsLeave a comment

Cult Argentinian darkwave act Euroshima’s Gala sees a vinyl reissue courtesy of Dark Entries. Euroshima was formed in 1986 by Fabián Iribarne, José Wyszogrod, Ricardo Parrabere, and vocalist Wanda. Originally released in 1987 on Polygram, Gala was a success throughout South America. But to the band’s dismay, they received minimal support from the record label, which meant the album would linger in obscurity outside of the region. This reissue is co-presented with Twilight Records.

Hassan Ideddir – Atfalouna EP [DE287]

April 28, 2022April 27, 2022 hipodromearabic, dark entries records, disco, hassan ideddir, new beat, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Hassan Ideddir’s 1989 single “Atfalouna” sees an expanded repress courtesy of Dark Entries. Born to Berber parents in Morocco, Ideddir began making music at the age of 10 after being discovered singing in the stairwell by his school’s headmaster. Encouraged by his peers, he began playing concerts, and his status grew. In 1987, he played a string of sold-out concerts in Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakesh, in support of a children’s charity. The success of these concerts secured him a record deal, and he went to Paris to record his debut single “Atfalouna” in 1988. Released in 1989 on WEA, “Atfalouna” is a dense slab of multi-genre pop. An opening wash of digital synths and reverberant vocals quickly falls away to a cascade of orchestra hits and pulsing electronic drums; the monotone chant-rap of a female chorus collides with Ideddir’s soaring melismatic vocals, pleading against the injustice and hunger in the world. While Hip-Hop and New Beat borrowed tropes from Arabic music, “Atfalouna” inverts the gesture, resituating orchestra hits and sampling techniques within a Moroccan music framework. A shorter instrumental version follows, which preserves the female vocals. Also included are two tracks not on the original 12”. “Ibina” is a moody, downtempo instrumental that sounds like a cult Italo B-side. The record closes with “Ydouchababe”, an electro number driven by funky guitars, electronic claps, huge horn riff. Here, Ideddir sings of a youth festival honoring Hassan II, former king of Morocco.

2021 Top 3 – Readers List

December 26, 2021January 6, 2022 hipodromealex from queens, body musick, cosmic underground, dark entries records, delodio, epm music, filmmaker, froid dub, italo moderni, kma60 rezpektiva, levon vincent, light in the attic, mike tansella jr., modern analysis, nation records, novel sound, research & development mix series, she lost kontrol records, sons of traders records, tartarus records, the advent, the fair sex, the-ne21, traxxLeave a comment

The end of the year is always a good time to step back an reflect and for me is also a time to take a look at what our readers enjoyed the most on hipodrome. This is a summary of the top 3 albums, compilations and recordings that our readers liked the most this year. I’m really proud with our visitors and you can see they have a good taste in music.

Continue reading →

Lena Platonos – Balancers [DE-286]

November 6, 2021November 4, 2021 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, electronics, experimental, lena platonos, synth popLeave a comment

PLATONOS, Lena - Balancers

Greek electronic music legend Lena Platonos returns to Dark Entries with Balancers, an LP of previously unreleased material recorded between 1982-1985. Athens-based Platonos has worked with the label previously to reissue her three solo LPs – Gallop, Sun Masks, and Lepidoptera – as well as to release three accompanying 12” EPs featuring modern remixes of her work. She is renowned for her forays into cutting-edge electronic experimentation as well as her striking, impressionistic poetry and lyrics, always recited in Greek. The twelve tracks on Balancers reveal a murkier side of Lena, one draped in tenebrous washes and oneiric utterances. Ragged analog rhythms feature on several tracks, even breaking into a brooding electro groove on “A Cat in the Corner”, but the predominant tone is sparse and somber. Mournful instrumental “Phaethon” swells to mythological proportions, while “In September” feels small enough to fit in your pocket. Lena’s poetry sits amidst lush pads and Radiophonic Workshop-esque squiggles, her voice setting an intimate tone in the shifting electronic sea. Inspiration is drawn from Greek mythology and architecture, and lyrics evoke a soft sorrow, an ambivalence towards love, life, and the passage of time. Although the material here spans 3 years and features a range of recording fidelities and synthesis techniques, the collection possesses the heft of a singular artist’s vision.

VA – Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop 1980-1989 [DE285]

September 27, 2021September 27, 2021 hipodromecompilation, dark entries records, new wave, post punk, synth popLeave a comment

VARIOUS - Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop 1980-1989

On Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop, Dark Entries brings us 10 divergent tracks of Mexican electronics from 1980-1989, full of skittering analog drum boxes and saucy synthesizer hooks. 8 of these songs were culled from the 2005 CD-only compilation Backup: Expediente Tecno Pop on AT-AT records. Also included are two previously unreleased cuts. This release marks the first time many of these songs will have appeared on vinyl; it is also the first ever vinyl compilation of Mexican New Wave and post-punk. While synth pop and obscure electronics from Europe and the United States have been extensively documented, much less attention has been paid to such offerings from the periphery. Back Up serves as a vital document of Mexico’s flourishing DIY scene in the 1980s, surveying a wide range of styles and moods. By using home recording techniques, the bands featured here were able to circumvent relying on the expensive studios of the era. Tracks by Avant Garde, Vandana, and Silueta Palida mine the kind of dreary-but-infectious wave that long-time Dark Entries fans will celebrate. Meanwhile, Volti and Artefacto offer a floor-ready pop sound that has echoes of NY freestyle, with Latin percussion and boxy beats. But darker turns are present as well, with Decada 2s New Beat-inflections and electro experiments of Syntoma and their side project Escuadrón Del Ritmo.