Solitary Dancer – Dualism [DE154]

April 13, 2017November 1, 2019 hipodromedark entries records, electro, marie davidson, minimal synth, solitary dancer, synth waveLeave a comment

Dark Entries releases ‘Dualism’, the sophomore E.P. from contemporary Montreal-based duo, Solitary Dancer. They are known for their elegant, richly-sculpted sound design and knack for propulsive club rhythms that eschew rigid 4/4 drum patterns. ‘Dualism’ opens with “Anything”, equal parts Drexciya and Dopplereffekt — full of low-end bass stabs, blipping synths; swelling and washing to a cinematic close. For the first time on a Solitary Dancer record, vocals make an appearance in the guise of a male companion who’s lamenting a lost lover. “Losing Touch” takes a classic electro beat, and through the use of elegiac pad washes, distorted bass and menacing vocals, morphs into persistently engaging shapes. The B-side’s ”Emails 2 Myself” is a suspenseful corralling of intriguing sonic elements. Its fractured 707 beats combine with melancholic strings and features vocals by Marie Davidson. Also included is the instrumental version of “Emails”, accentuating the bass drum, snare, hi-hat and melodic synth tones, sailing into the subdued evening sun of the future.

From Nursery To Misery – Pixies In The Woods [DE153]

April 5, 2017July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, from nursery to misery, gina fear, lee stevens, minimal synth, re-release, reissue, synth pop, synth wave, tina fearLeave a comment

From Nursery to Misery were three teenagers who grew up together on the same street in Basildon, Essex. Formed in 1987, the band was comprised of vocalists (and identical twins) Gina and Tina Fear, along with keyboard player and producer Lee Stevens. Lee invited the twins to over to record some music with him, suggesting they try singing over some instrumentals he had written and recorded on a newly purchased 4-track. They played a sum total of four gigs before splitting in 1991. Their recorded output, however, was relatively prodigious, with the band appearing on over 22 compilations, as well as self-releasing two album-length tapes ‘The Oak Tree’ (1989), and ‘Equilibrium’ (1990), and a split EP with Germany’s Nostalgie Eternelle, ‘Art is the Tool’ (1990). All these releases were home-produced, hand-made cassettes distributed and swapped via the Mail Art scene. ‘Pixies In The Woods’ is a 13-track career spanning compilation including three previously unreleased tracks. Tracks range from no-fi synth pop overlaid with ethereal, child-like vocals, to audio collages of animal noises and harrowing, double-speed monologues. Lee’s expansive synth productions, informed by the Blade Runner soundtrack, early electro records, and 4AD acts like Dead Can Dance, provided a rich, spacious platform for Gina and Tina’s sung-spoken introspective lyrics. Their songs are disarmingly direct and unfiltered, the product of three self-confessed misfits exploring difficult, often intensely personal issues.

Helena Hauff – A Tape [DE149]

March 22, 2017November 20, 2017 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, electro, experimental, handmade birds, helena hauff, technoLeave a comment

Dark Entries present ‘A Tape’, a double LP of early work by Helena Hauff. ‘A Tape’ is a compilation of Helena’s earliest recordings from 2011 and 2014, originally released on limited cassette by Handmade Birds in 2015. Clocking in at over 50 minutes, this collection spans Hauff’s musical universe, from jacking acid-techno to krautish zone-outs and scuzzy feedback interludes. It’s tempting to consider it Helena’s debut album, but she views these tracks as mostly forgotten sketches left on the cutting room floor. It a gripping collection of deep, sinister analog synth sequences, industrial dissonance, and heavy percussion. Her equipment set up was a Roland Alpha Juno 2, Juno 60, TB-303, TR-707 and TR-808. Both of the discs end with Hauff stepping outside of the intentionally stiff, robotic rhythms, instead showing her skill at crafting less conventional electronic sounds.

Silvia – Silvia LP [DE152]

March 10, 2017July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, minimal synth, re-release, reissue, schallmauer records, silvia, silvia nemanic, synth pop, tommi stumpffLeave a comment

Silvia is the name of a Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW ”New German Wave”) project created Tommi Stumpff and Silvia Nemanic. The pair met in Düsseldorf in the late 1970s and started dating when Tommi was the singer of punk band Der KFC. Silvia was absolutely inexperienced in musical things, she said, “I’ve played the recorder.” Tommi rented Klangwerkstatt studio for a few days in January 1982 to record his an album with his bandmate Ferdinand Mackenthun aka Käpt’n Nuss of Der KFC, but finished earlier than expected. With one extra day that was already paid for, they quickly wrote some more songs and recorded them. All they needed was a singer, so they asked Silvia. Simply titled “Silvia”, the record was released in mid-1982 on cult label Schallmauer Records, which had released many German punk, NDW, and New Wave records in the 80’s. Tommi and Käpt’n Nuss played all instruments and wrote the lyrics. Since Silvia had a very deep voice, Tommi slightly pitched up her vocals to sound higher on the recordings. The album displays Tommi’s transition from punk rock to cold electronics, EBM and eventually Techno. Tommi’s instrument set up was a Sequential Circuits Pro One and Moog Prodigy controlled by a Fricke sequencer and a Korg SQ-10 Analog Sequencer. Silvia urges the listener to save themselves and says “No miracle will happen You die tomorrow, young and guilty” evoking the urban Zeitgeist of the Cold War. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in the original jacket featuring a full color of Silvia on the front with hand drawn magenta type. Each copy includes a replica insert of the original lyrics sheet in German and a postcard featuring a black and white photo of Tommi and Silvia. Sadly Silvia passed away in 2003 and this reissue is dedicated to her.

Beranek – Sound Of Danger [DE147]

March 2, 2017July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, beranek, dark entries records, electro, espen beranek holm, minimal synthLeave a comment

Espen Beranek Holm is a Norwegian musician and comedian, born 1960 and began his music career as a clarinetist. Inspired by early synthesizer bands Kraftwerk and The Residents, he began making experimental pop music. His debut single Dra te’ hælvete’ was released in 1981 and was immediately banned by national TV/radio channel NRK due to explicit lyrics. This gave the young artist tons of publicity, helping the single spend almost 6 months on the national charts. Beranek returned to the Starholm Studios in Oslo from June – September 1981 to record nine new compositions. His debut album, Sound of Danger’, was released on Mind Expanding Records in November 1981. Nowhere near as accessible as the previous single, the album fared poorly commercially. Withdrawing from the single’s fun, kitsch pop, the album is cool and static, driven by thin rhythm boxes, cold synths, and glacial guitars. Taking heavy cues from David Bowie, all of the songs are sung in a nasally English accent, a rare occurrence in Norway at the time. The lyrics are melancholic, but tinged with paranoia. There are also upbeat tracks that evoke a prog or glam sensibility a la King Crimson, Alan Parsons, or Roxy Music.

The Neon Judgement – Cockerill-Sombre EP [DE148]

February 24, 2017October 17, 2023 hipodromedark entries records, dirk da davo, minimal synth, synth pop, synth wave, tb frank, the neon judgementLeave a comment

The Neon Judgement hail from the small town of Leuven near Brussels, Belgium and gave birth to the New Beat and EBM scenes worldwide with the release of their first two cassettes ‘Suffering’ (1981) and ‘TV Treated’ (1982). Always a consistent duo of Dirk Da Davo (synthesizers, vocals) and TB Frank (guitar, drum machine, vocals) The Neon Judgment worked in a parallel world alongside Suicide, Cabaret Voltaire, and the Deutsche Neue Welle. In 1983 they released the infamous 4-song ‘Cockerill-Sombre’ EP containing the dance-floor smash “The Fashion Party” on Anything But Records. Dirk Da Davo says, “First we recorded and mixed the drum parts and effects on 4-track, then we bounced this mix to 2 tracks again what left us with 2 more channels to use for vocals and additional instruments.” Veering between minimalistic industrial drones, odd new wave-ish synth pop and dance music, underlain by cold, mechanical rhythms. The band combine brash and seedy lyrics, with raw synthesizer stabs and repetitive drum machine beats both aggressive and danceable. ‘Cockerill-Sombre’ was recorded in a small basement room under the watchful eyes of Ludo Camerberlin from A Blaze Colour.

De-Bons-en-Pierre – Crepes EP [DE139]

February 6, 2017May 17, 2023 hipodromebeau wanzer, dark entries records, de-bons-en-pierre, electro, florent mazzocchetti, industrial, maoupa mazzocchetti, technoLeave a comment

De-Bons-en-Pierre is a project from Beau Wanzer & Maoupa Mazzocchetti. While Beau was visiting Brussels he stopped by Maoupa’s house to jam for a bit. All songs were recorded on April 4, 2016 between 11:00am and 11:00pm, as single live takes.“Crepes” is a 6-track EP, titled so because they ate crepes the majority of the session. Beau says, ”There was a bit of a language barrier. We’d mostly just laugh and nod when something sounded cool to us.” The equipment set up included a Roland TR-808, TR-606, SH-101, CR-78, CR-8000, two Syncussions and effects. Over 23 minutes of garbles, sludgy synths and leviathan rhythms. Surfing the slippery slope between industrial and electro, but never quite falling in, just a dip of your pinky toe to to test the temperature.

Kirlian Camera – Helden Platz [DE143]

January 25, 2017March 24, 2023 hipodromeangelo bergamini, charlie mallozzi, dark entries records, dark wave, fabrizio chiari, kirlian camera, mauro montacchini, re-release, reissue, simona buja, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Dark Entries is proud to release “Helden Platz”, a long out of print 12” maxi single from seminal Italian electronic act Kirlian Camera. Keyboardist/vocalist Angelo Bergamini founded the project in Parma in 1979 and named it after an electronic device that photographs the electromagnetic halo around objects and living beings. By 1980, Angelo had recruited singer Simona Buja, keyboardist Fabrizio Chiari, and bassist Mauro Montacchini. Their demo cassette, “Dawn”, attracted the attention of Italian Records, a popular independent label. Over the next few years the band would release their first mini-LP, “Kirlian Camera”, the full length “ It Doesn’t Matter, Now”, and the singles “Communicate,” “Edges,” and “Blue Room”. The latter was a significant hit, eventually landing them a deal with Virgin Records. By 1987 the line up consisted of Angelo Bergamini on all instruments, Charlie Mallozzi on electronic drums and Simona Buja on vocals. Virgin wanted the band to provide another hit single in order to exploit the success of “Blue Room”, refusing to release the band’s less commercial material. In 1987 the band went Lark Studio at Carimate Castle, Italy to record with Italo disco producer Oderso Rubini. Thanks to the insistence of Bergamini, the label agreed to release “Helden Platz”, German for “Heroes’ Square,” in 1987. The song features Kirlian Camera’s brand of dark wave, marked by haunting melodies, slow moving synth washes, and orchestral strings. The song features the stark, dramatic vocals of Simona Buja, who sings about the “Blue blood of Winter” in a tale of Germany and Austria during World War II. Included here is the extended 12” mix, the 7” edit, plus the original B-side “Burial”, an instrumental that evokes a funeral procession soundtrack.

East Wall – Silence [DE145]

January 20, 2017July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, angelo bergamini, dark entries records, east wall, fabrizio chiari, italo-disco, minimal synth, synth pop, tiziana wells, wilma notariLeave a comment

East Wall was an Italian electronic dark wave band started by Fabrizio Chiari (ex keyboardist of Kirlian Camera) and Wilma Notari in 1982. After a series of demos and live performances, the duo recruited Angelo Bergamini of Kirlian Camera to help with arrangement and synthesizers. They released their debut single ‘Eyes Of Glass’ in 1985 which had huge success in Germany, leading to a deal with ZYX. By 1991 the band consisted of Fabrizio Chiari (Synthesizer, Electronics, Keyboards), Tiziana Wells (Vocals, Synthesizer) and Angelo Bergamini (Synthesizer, Piano, Arrangement). At the beginning of the year, they recorded their next batch of songs at Prominence Studio in Cremona and A Love Sound Studio in Piacenza. “Silence” was self released by the band in 1991. The lead track ‘Silence’ was a left-over song by Kirlian Camera recorded in 1985 with vocals by Simona Buja under the alias Lorenza Larini. It was recorded largely using a variety of now-classic Roland, Yamaha, and Oberheim synthesizers. The album displays East Wall’s maturity and unique aesthetics, with instrumental pieces reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti’ Twin Peaks score. Tiziana Wells sings with pure emotion, hypnotic at times, upbeat and carefree at others. Frankie Teardrop (of the Wierd party and the Systems of Romance blog) describes this album as “possibly the closest thing to darkwave freestyle that exists.’ We decided to expand the album, releasing it as a deluxe double LP cut louder at 45 RPM. We have also included an unreleased extended version of ‘Ice Of Fire’ and the bonus track ‘Intro’, found on the DAT tapes Fabrizio Chiari sent us.

East Wall – Eyes Of Glas [DE144]

January 20, 2017July 17, 2024 hipodromeangelo bergamini, dark entries records, east wall, fabrizio chiari, minimal synth, synth pop, tiziana wells, wilma notariLeave a comment

To accompany their re-release of East Wall’s superb 1991 debut album, Silence, Dark Entries has decided to put out the Italian band’s forgotten debut release, 1985 single “Eye of Glass”. Tending towards the darker end of the Italo-disco spectrum, but blessed with typically cheery synthesizer melodies and skewed female vocals, it’s a record that seems far more inspired by the earlier British new wave synth-pop movement than pleasing the clubs of Rome or Rimini. The vocal version is accompanied by a subtly different instrumental, which includes waves of warm synths and offers more prominence to the band’s bubbly electronics, throbbing arpeggio bassline, and delay-laden drum machine hits.

Bocal 5 – Musique Electronique LP [DE137]

October 4, 2016September 21, 2023 hipodromealbum, bocal 5, dark entries records, doc pilot, evy tinguette, florian guillou, mickey lepron, synth pop, synth wave, zouka dzazaLeave a comment

Bocal 5 were a No Wave art group composed of Doc Pilot (synths, vocals), Zouka Dzaza (bass), Florian Guillou (synths), Mickey Lepron (electronic drums, bass) and Evy Tinguette (lead vocals). The project was born in November 1980 in Tours, France as the brain child of Doc Pilot. Between 1981 to 1986 Bocal 5 recorded one 7” single and a cassette-only album before taking a year off in 1984 to launch X-Ray Pop. Influenced by Erik Satie, Brigitte Bardot, Suicide and Young Marble Giants, they call their music ”minimum naive new wave.” “Musique Électronique” is a 19-track compilation of songs recorded across 1983, most of which have never been released on vinyl before. 16 tracks appeared on the “From Bocal 5 To X-Ray Pop” album originally released on cassette by Sound of Pig in 1984. Both tracks from their debut 7” originally released in MB5 1984 are included and show a progression in sound as a result of newer recoding equipment and techniques. Also present is a song from the tape compilation “Andreas N°3 L’Animal” released by Fraction Studio in 1984. Armed with a Korg 770, MS-10, Prophet Pro-One, Roland TR-707 and TB-808 they crafted their own brand of quirky synthesized electronic pop. Songs are short, concise and well structured; richly textured, moving at a quick speed with hardly a pause. Evy’s pouting, tongue-in-cheek vocals (sung in French) come together for a catchy, sensuous, danceable, eccentric psychedelic ride. This collection shows the group’s sense of humor, vitality and carefree playfulness.

Die Form – Zoo LP [DE136]

October 4, 2016July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, cold wave, dark entries records, die form, electro, experimental, philippe fichot, post punk, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Die Form is a French post-industrial and electronic band formed in 1977-1978. The name ‘Die Form’ means ‘(the) form/shape’ in German and is a play on the English homonym ‘deformed’ and on the French homonym ‘difforme’ (deformed). Die Form is the primary project of electronic musician and multimedia artist Philippe Fichot. He began by recording a number of experimental cassette releases in the late 1970s and formed the Bain Total label to release these early cassettes, as well as various side projects such as Krylon Hertz, Camera Obscura, Eva-Johanna Reichstag, Hurt and Fine Automatic. In 1982 Die Form released their debut vinyl album, “Die Puppe” in a limited edition of 1,000 copies. “Zoo” is a compilation of 10 tracks recorded during the “Die Puppe” sessions from 1980-82. These were the first esoteric electronic experiments, often improvised. Underlying themes of eroticism, death, and other ‘taboo’ subjects become apparent in both the music and the album artwork, which Philippe also produced. The album was recorded with entirely analog equipment, including a Roland MC4 Micro-Composer, TR-808 Rhythm Composer, ARP 2600, and Kawai 60F recorded to a Revox B77 reel to reel tape machine. Songs range from hypnotic, minimalistic proto-IDM to daring experimental sound manipulation. 4 of these songs were featured as a bonus 7” to accompany the 1989 vinyl reissue of “Die Puppe” but remixed for the project. The remaining 6 songs were also remixed and released on CD in 2001.

Jago – I’m Going To Go [DE133]

August 24, 2016May 27, 2020 hipodromedark entries records, disco, frankie knuckles, full time records, goody music, jago, luciana cirrillo, michele violante, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

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Jago was the studio project of Michele Violante created in Milan, Italy in 1983. The line-up also included Luciana Cirrillo aka Kynsha, who wrote lyrics and sang back up vocals. The name Jago comes from Iago, the main antagonist in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’. In those years, Michele produced a lot of songs and published material for Full Time Records. “I’m Going To Go” was recorded at Forum Studio in Rome in 1983 and released on Full Time the same year. He made an electro-funk demo with a Gibson Les Paul, but during practice the song became soulful funk but arranged with new wave electronics. The song revolves around a slick atmospheric bassline, driving electronic percussion, and tight rhythm guitar and synths. The setup for the recording was a Casiotone MT-40 keyboard, Boss DR-55 and Sequential Circuits Drumtraks drum machines, an Akai cassette recorder, and a Revox A77 for multi-tracking. Lead vocals were done by session musician Bruno Kassar, delivering Kynsha’s playful lyrics along to the lead melody. Also on the A-side is the Instrumental Version which became a hit in New York after Larry Levan played it repeatedly at the Paradise Garage. Full Time asked Levan’s long time friend Frankie Knuckles to make a remix. It was released in 1985 as the “Plant Mix”, and is included here on the B-side. This was Frankie’s first released remix, although the record label misspelled his name as ’Frankye’. The remix clocks in at over 8 minutes, and is a dub edit made using the stereo master of the instrumental track.

Expansives – Life With You [DE131]

August 24, 2016July 17, 2024 hipodromedark entries records, expansives, franco rago, gigi farina, italo-disco, leader records, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Gianluigi “Gigi” Farina and Francesco Rago are to be counted among Italo disco’s true originators. Operating as a duo under many monikers, they brought us masterpieces such as Wanexa’s “The Man From Colours”, ‘Lectric Workers’ “Robot Is Systematic”, and Decadance’s “On And On”. Their sound is propulsive and ethereal in equal measure – dense, psychedelic, and tinged with melancholy. Their first composition was under the name Expansives. “Life With You” was recorded in Milan in 1981 and released on Leader Records in 1982, and features then 16-year old Xenia Monneret on lyric-writing duties. They wanted to incorporate a more electronic sound to break the classic disco mold, and in the process, they created an early, raw example of what would come to be known as Italo Disco. A thumping bass synth and processed drums set the groove, while Francesco sings of his loneliness. Tension is released when he later breaks into a Bee Gees-esque falsetto, but in the context of such an unusual song, the uncanny becomes familiar, the familiar becomes uncanny. Unfortunately they were not able to afford a professional recording studio and had to re-record each take over the same reel of tape. This caused a subtle surface noise buzz that adds to the warm analog feel of the song. On the B-side is the instrumental version with extended breaks, drum claps and dubbed out bass line.

Executive Slacks – Seams Ruff LP [DE128]

August 21, 2016October 4, 2023 hipodromealbert ganss, album, dark entries records, executive slacks, industrial, john young, matt marello, minimal synth, post punk, synth waveLeave a comment

Executive Slacks began in the hot, humid summer of 1980 Philadelphia by Matt Marello, John Young and Albert Ganss, three bored, broke, anxious art students. Starting out with performance art in subways, they soon took their angst-ridden act to galleries and night clubs. The band found their moniker in a run-down bookstore after seeing an ad for men’s polyester pants. They pieced together sounds that captured the growing paranoia of an age predicted by Orwell and the growing inequalities of the 1980s. They excavated two cassettes that contained their earliest recorded material from 1980 and 1981. “Seams Ruff” is a 13 song compilation from these cassette collections plus a bonus flexi disc featuring a live performance on WXPN from 1980. The tracks were created with the use of heavily modified synthesizers and noisemakers, the broken innards of a grand piano, metal oil drums and a spray painted Harmony Rocket guitar. The Slacks drew their influences from contemporaries like Cabaret Voltaire and Tuxedomoon, as well as Disco and Dadaism. Dripping in nihilism, the song’s lyrics tackle the existential dread of the late 20th century and three of the songs are taken from “Mann ist Mann” a 1926 play by the German modernist author Bertolt Brecht. Executive Slacks’ unique brew of primitive electronics, harsh guitars and aggressive vocals inspired many bands like Ministry, Front 242 and Skinny Puppy.

Zwischenfall – Sandy Eyes [DE134]

August 21, 2016October 26, 2022 hipodromedark entries records, fuzz dance, les disques du crépuscule, martin urban, michael sass, stephan kraemer, synth pop, zwischenfallLeave a comment

Zwischenfall formed in Belgium in 1982 with Michael Sass (synths), Martin Urban (bass/vocals) and Stephan Kraemer (guitar/drums). They were united by their interest in combining electronic and traditional instruments, which developed the basis for 1982 demo recordings. By chance Patrick Codenys of the Belgian electro pioneers Front 242, heard two songs and decided to record a 4-song EP. The “Heute” EP was released in 1983 after a week of recording in Front 242’s private studio under the direction of sound-whiz Daniel B. In 1984 Martin Urban left the band and was replaced by vocalist Iben Larssen and bassist Thomas Kürsten. They recorded their second 12” single, “Sandy Eyes”, which contained a remake of their song “Fluct”, sung in the English this time. Some fairly revolutionary techniques were used, including the introduction of sampling (with an Emulator I and Ensoniq Mirage), and ‘gated reverb’, in which the sound of a large reverb room was processed through a Yamaha CS15’s envelope follower. This record was originally released in 1984 on both Les Disques du Crépuscule and Fuzz Dance, packaged in three different covers. The reissue EP features two bonus tracks from the 1984 recording sessions previously unreleased on vinyl: the saxophone drenched instrumental “Polar Magazine” and street beat dance track “Sacred Time”.

The Pool – Dance It Down/Jamaica Running [DE130]

August 21, 2016November 3, 2025 hipodromedark entries records, electro, patrick keel, synth pop, synth wave, the poolLeave a comment

Patrick Keel is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and performer. The Pool was his solo project, the sum of fifteen years of experience in live bands, studios, and home recording. Patrick was heavily influenced by the radio of the early and mid 1960’s in Dallas. The British bands and Black soul of the era gave him a distinct style, and shaped his musical attitude. The New Wave/Punk/D.I.Y. attitudes of the late 1970s inspired him to express himself in a new way. 1980 saw the release of “Pool One,” a sixty minute home-produced cassette. “Pool Two” followed in 1981, which received much praise and little distribution. In 1982 he released a 5-song self-titled vinyl EP of tight, skeletal, synthetic dance music. In 1983, “Dance It Down/Jamaica Running” 12” EP was released on Moment Productions. Based on response from D.J.’s in New York and the Bronx, Patrick went back in the studio and remixed two songs from the self-titled EP for rapping, scratching and break dancing. “Jamaica Resting” was sped-up, extended, and reconfigured as “Jamaica Running”. The whirlpool synth-strut of “Dance It Down” came out of the studio as “Dance In Dub”, with a heavier kick and extended dub outro. These spacious versions were optimal for DJ play, slotting regularly in sets at hip clubs like Danceteria. For this reissue we’ve added two bonus European remixes from the 1984 12” of “Dance It Down/Jamaica Running”, released on Nunk records from Belgium. Both songs employ the use of a Boss DR-55, Korg MS-20, Korg PolySix, and a Prophet 5, and were mixed on a 16- track Ampex recorder. The Pool’s spartan, self-assured songs are experiments you can dance to

Nagamatzu – Above This Noise [DE127]

July 26, 2016July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, andrew lagowski, dark entries records, minimal synth, nagamatzu, stephen jarvisLeave a comment

Nagamatzu were the British duo of Andrew Lagowski (SETI, Legion, Terror Against Terror) on synths, guitar, and programming and Stephen Jarvis (Pure Motorised Instinct, Terraform) on synths and bass. Formed in 1982 after messing around with old tape machines and drum boxes, making numerous contributions to international compilations and erratically releasing their own cassettes. Their name comes from a character in JG Ballard‘s “Atrocity Exhibition” and their music reflects his influence. Nagamatzu self-released their debut cassette “Shatter Days” in 1983 after messing around with old tape machines, drum boxes and effects. “Above This Noise” is a compilation of 9 songs recorded in the period between the release of ‘Sacred Islands of the Mad’ in 1986 and ‘Igniting the Corpse’ in 1991. It gathers tracks which surfaced on some of the international compilation cassette releases that the band were invited to contribute to in the 1980s as well as some previously unreleased songs. The band’s working method was for Andrew to first record a backing track, usually rhythm, sequence, samples. Then both members would layer more electronics, samples, guitar and bass over the top, recording the whole piece in one take. These instrumentals combine stuttering bass, guitar bursts and funeral keyboards draped over a dragging drum machine beat, calling to mind Clock DVA, early New Order or Cocteau Twins. Their sound is full of complex rhythm patterns and dark electronics.

Bill Converse – Warehouse Invocation [DE129]

July 12, 2016July 17, 2024 hipodromeacid, bill converse, dark entries records, technoLeave a comment

Immersed in the early days of the 90s midwest rave scene, Bill Converse began DJing at a young age in Lansing, Michigan. Luminaries such as Claude Young, Traxx, and Twonz were key early influences. Since moving to Texas in 1998, he has experimented with analog techniques in varied studio bunkers. Early techno, noise, ambient, tape, and paranormal processing are all part of his uncanny sound palette. “Warehouse Invocation” is Converse’s debut 12? release, collecting material from a cassette release on Obsolete Future plus a new unreleased song. Three of the tracks, “Warehouse Invocation”, “Senys Magick” and “Consulted Acid”, were recorded in Austin TX between 2012-2013 at home and direct to tape with no overdubs or multi-tracking. “Riverbank” was also recorded at home in early 2014 in one take with a mic placed outside of the window to record the the sounds of the river late at night. Bill is informed by his surroundings, influenced by scenes of desolation in nature, the sea, the desert, and places of industry, like power stations, old factories, and warehouses. The songs on this EP length reveal a sublime influence from Detroit techno, early Chicago house, and Acid.

Series-A – Evolution Technology [DE126]

July 5, 2016June 24, 2019 hipodromedark entries records, dave webb, detroit, electro, jtc, sam anderson, series aLeave a comment

Series-A was the duo of Sam Anderson aka DJ Maestro and Dave Webb aka Kid Fresh. Sam and Dave both grew up listening to the sounds of the Electrifying Mojo on WJLB in Detroit. They met in 1983 at a DJ gig that they were both hired to play. In 1986, they collaborated on the Nu-Sound II Crew project. After developing a friendship with Juan Atkins, they became hip to the emerging new club sounds that were to become electro and techno. Their subsequent project, Series-A, was named after different car model numbers, but also hints at the evolution of humankind into a new species. In 1987, Series-A recorded the single “Evolution ? Technology” at Spectrum Sounds Studio in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Their set up was a vocoder, E-mu Emulator III, Roland 909 drum machine, and an Otari 24-Track recorder. They landed a record deal with Satellite Records in Burbank, California, which had been founded by Pete Moore of The Miracles. After pressing 50 promotional copies, the label ran into financial problems, and the record never reached a full release. Taking cues Kraftwerk, Grand Master DST, Grandmaster Flash & Jam Master Jay, Series-A created dark electro beats in an era when sampling appeared to be the future of music. Lyrically the song addresses our species’ entry into the technological age. For this EP reissue, the 7” Mix and Dub Mix are included on the A-side. On the flip is a new remix by prolific Ann Arbor producer JTC, an alias of Tadd Mullinix (aka Dabrye, SK-1, & Charles Manier). JTC speeds up and expands the song to seven minutes. Drawing on influences from Ron Hardy to Jeff Mills, he drives around suburban techno landscapes while simultaneously launching the listener into deep space.