Second Layer – World Of Rubber [DE096LP]

August 8, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromeadrian borland, album, dark entries records, graham bailey, industrial, new wave, post punk, second layer, synth popLeave a comment

Second Layer was a side project of Adrian Borland and Graham Bailey, members of post punk band The Sound. The music was bleak, detached, and desolate, but very beautiful. Honest songwriting and a harsh sonic backdrop set them apart from their peers. Second Layer’s World of Rubber, first released on Cherry Red way back in 1981 – some two years after the duo’s first outing on 7” – has long been considered something of an industrial classic by those in the know. Here, it gets a deserved re-press from the folks at Dark Entries. 34 years on, it still retains the power to shock, with Adrian Borland and Graham Green’s raw, weighty mix of post-punk basslines, sharp guitars, fuzzy electronics, tape loops and basic drum machine grooves still sounding deliciously fresh. Certainly, it’s comparable to many more celebrated releases of the time, and arguably more spontaneous in feel.

Bézier – Telomeres [DE097]

July 29, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, bezier, dark entries records, electro, minimal synth, robert yangLeave a comment

Analogue synthesizer enthusiast Bezier first surfaced on Dark Entries in 2012, delivering the hard-wired retro-futurist fantasy Ensconced. Two years on, he’s finally ready to release the follow-up, the similarly sharp and sci-fi themed Telemores. As with his previous output, the influences are obvious – think Radiophonic Workshop, electro, minimal, new wave and Italo-disco – but he smartly steers clear of pastiche and empty revivalism. Instead, we’re treated to a range of dancefloor-friendly instrumental cuts, cyborg jams, and intoxicating robot rinse-outs. Closer “Fukushima”, in which he doffs a cap to the synthesized horror-disco of John Carpenter, is particularly potent.

Miss Kittin & The Hacker – Lost Tracks Vol. 1 [DE098]

July 29, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromedark entries records, electro, michel amato, miss kittin, the hackerLeave a comment

The Dark Entries label presents some previously unheard archive material by Caroline “Miss Kittin” Herve and Michel “The Hacker” Amato. Four tracks recorded between 1997 and ’99 – when their production partnership was in its’ infancy – The Lost Tracks Volume 1 contains a number of fuzzy, stylish, floor-friendly bangers, from the S&M-themed madness of opener “Leather Forever” and stripped-back electro gem “Nightlife”, to the high-tempo acid-loaded freakishness of “Loving The Alien”.

Wish Key – Orient Express / Last Summer [DE95]

July 16, 2015November 1, 2017 hipodromedark entries editions, dark entries records, discomagic records, italo-disco, lorella ghilardi, manlio cangell, manlio cangelli, re-release, reissue, wish keyLeave a comment

Wish Key was an Italo Disco duo of Manlio Cangelli and Lorella Ghilardi in Milan. Their first single “Orient Express” was released in 1983 by Discomagic Records. It begins with a rolling baseline, bright synthesizer stabs, and a sampled train siren. The double-tracked male/female vocals compliment each other perfectly, heightening the dramatic tension. On the flip is “Last Summer”, a slower paced affair with Silvia recalling a dream of lying on the beach and having a good time.

Josh Cheon Interview

July 15, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromedark entries records, interview, josh cheonLeave a comment

Clay Pedrini – New Dream [DE094]

July 6, 2015November 1, 2017 hipodromeclay pedrini, dark entries editions, dark entries records, italo-disco, re-release, reissue, sensation recordsLeave a comment

Dark Entries Editions announce the next reissue in their series of rare Italo Disco club hits. Clay Pedrini is a musician and singer from Milan. He released his only single, New Dream, in 1984 on Sensation Records.

Blue Russell – I Wanna Fly Away [DE093]

July 6, 2015November 1, 2017 hipodromeblue russell, dark entries editions, dark entries records, italo-disco, lorella ghilardi, manlio cangelli, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Dark Entries Editions announce the next reissue in their series of hard to find Italo Disco club hits. Blue Russell was the husband/wife duo of Manlio Cangelli and Lorella Ghilardi from Milan. Cangelli was a session musician and composer for many Italian singers, making music for commercial TV and working long days in the studio. He had a strong passion for the analog synthesizers of the time and discovered the latest drum machines.

Smersh – Super Heavy Solid Waste [DE090]

June 23, 2015June 12, 2024 hipodromealbum, chris shepard, dark entries records, industrial, mike mangino, smersh, technoLeave a comment

Dark Entries returns to the New Jersey basement studio to unearth another compilation cassette recordings by Smersh titled Super Heavy Solid Waste. Smersh was the duo of Mike Mangino and Chris Shepard, who began making music together in the late 70s. They were uninterested in traditional notions of songwriting or live performance. Smershs sound is a lush hybrid of techno, industrial, dance, and experimental. Sometimes easy, sometime not. Most songs revolve around driving EBM style beats, intricate industrial noise manipulation and synth melodies. The Smersh sound has so many faces it doesn’t fall into any one category. For Super Heavy Solid Waste we have selected 8 songs, focusing on the harder, harsher, rhythmic side of Smersh’s vast discography.

No More – A Rose Is A Rose [DE084]

May 21, 2015November 24, 2021 hipodromealbum, cold wave, dark entries records, industrial, no more, post punk, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

NO MORE - A Rose Is A Rose

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.

Carlos Peron – Dirty Songs [DE092]

May 21, 2015November 8, 2017 hipodromecarlos peron, dark entries records, industrial, techno, yelloLeave a comment

4-track EP by Swiss musician Carlos Peron, founding member of Yello. ‘Dirty Songs’ is a collection of songs from Carlos Peron recorded between 1980 and 1986. The recordings were made with the core set up of an ARP 2600, Rolands Drumatix, TB-303 and TR-808.

Thomas Leer – Private Plane EP [DE088]

May 7, 2015April 1, 2019 hipodromedark entries records, minimal synth, re-release, reissue, synth pop, thomas leerLeave a comment

Thomas Leer is an innovative electronic musician who was born in Port Glasgow, Scotland. In 1978, Thomas released his first single, “Private Plane”/“International”, on his own Oblique Records. Both songs were recorded in his small Finsbury Park flat over three days, using a TEAC A3440 4-track recorder and an ALICE mixing board. The only effects used were a Watkins Copicat tape echo unit, Electo Harmonix DrQ filter, an old Roland drum machine, and a Stylophone. So as to not wake his sleeping girlfriend, Leer’s vocals were nearly whispered, which lends them a textural, psychedelic quality. NME named “Private Plane” Single of the Week, and the hand-stamped first edition of 650 promptly sold out. For this expanded reissue, we’ve added 2 bonus tracks. “Kings of Sham”, from the 1981 Cherry Red Records sampler “Business As Usual”, is perfect motorik trance, echoing Conny Plank’s 1970′s productions. “Saving Grace” is the extended instrumental version of Leer’s second single “All About You” from 1982, a slow-burning cosmic work-out chock-full of anthemic synth riffs.

Josh Cheon – Death Metal Disco Club #075

April 26, 2015July 6, 2020 hipodromedark entries records, death metal disco club, electro, josh cheon, minimal synth, podcastLeave a comment

Continue reading “Josh Cheon – Death Metal Disco Club #075” →

Moral – And Life Is… LP [DE087]

March 20, 2015October 31, 2017 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, hanne winterberg, ingolf brown, marco andreis, moral, re-release, reissue, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Moral was the trio of Marco Andreis (Guitars, Bass), Hanne Winterberg (Vocals) and Ingolf Brown (Synthesizers, Rhythm Box, Sequencer) from Aarhus, Denmark formed in 1981. They released their debut mini-album ”Dance of the Dolls” on cassette in 1981 and the album ”Whispering Sons” on cassette in 1982. During the summer of 1983, Moral recorded and produced their debut LP, ‘And Life Is’ at Ingolf Browns home studio. It was the first release on Ingolfs label ARP Gramophone in August 1984. Influenced by early 4AD Records, Joy Division, Brian Eno and Wire, the band crafted their own brand of Nordic melancholic Post Punk. The album develops the bands signature sound of airy, glacial synthesizers with crepuscular guitar and serpentine melodies. The main synthesizers used are the primitive Roland TR-606 Drumatix, the percussion side-kick to the TB-303, plus the BOSS DR-55 Dr. Rhythm drum machine. Hannes hauntingly beautiful vocals walk the line between germanic chill of Nico and Alison Statton of Young Marble Giants. Lyrical themes of cold nights and blossoming relationships paint a detailed picture of youthful life in Scandinavia. This deluxe edition contains three bonus tracks that originally appeared on the ‘Somewhere Outside’ compilation.

Portion Control – I Staggered Mentally [DE085]

February 18, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, dean piavani, ian sharp, industrial, john whybrew, portion controlLeave a comment

Portion Control is a British electronic and industrial band from South London. The trio of John Whybrew, Ian Sharp and Dean Piavani started out experimenting with electronics in 1980. The band released their first official vinyl album “I Staggered Mentally” on In Phaze Records in 1982. This album laid the template for the harder edged rhythmic industrial sound of the 80s and 90s. “I Staggered Mentally” is as raw as electronic music gets. Dean Piavani’s anguished vocals are the lone human element amidst electric drones, metallic beats and alien analog flickers. The perfect soundtrack for the harsh, even malignant, urban-industrial nightmare.

Van Kaye + Ignit – A Slight Delay [DE083]

February 18, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, ed van kasteren, ignatine bekken, ignit, minimal synth, re-release, reissue, synth wave, van kaye, van kaye & ignitLeave a comment

Van Kaye + Ignit is the Dutch duo of Ed Van Kasteren (Van Kaye) and Ignatine Bekken (Ignit), who joined forces in the city of Arnhem during early 1980. Self-released in 1981, the album pairs conceptual sophistication with disarming naïveté in a way that has been difficult to replicate since the formative years of ‘bedroom’ electronic music. Both members handle vocals (or non-vocals), and songs feature everything from new wave riffs to slowly shifting oscillator buzzes and eerie electronics over mechanical rhythms. This reissue includes the entire 11-track original c-60 cassette A Slight Delay, as well as all 4 tracks from the “Picassos on the Wall 7” spread across two vinyl discs.

Nu Sound II Crew / Magnus II – Split EP [DE081]

January 26, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromedark entries records, detroit, dj maestro, electro, magnus II, nu sound II crew, re-release, reissue, sam andersonLeave a comment

Dark Entries reissues a split EP of rare and out of print Detroit Electro jams from Nu Sound II Crew and Magnus II. Both were projects of mastermind Sam Anderson aka DJ Maestro. Influenced by Kraftwerk and Cybotron, Nu Sound II Crew created fresh, fast, dark electro beats with tough drum machines and lyrics about traveling through outer space.

Die Form – Die Puppe LP [DE082]

January 19, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, die form, electro, experimental, philippe fichot, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Die Form is a French post-industrial and electronic band formed in 1977. In 1982 Die Form released their debut vinyl album Die Puppe. These are the first esoteric electronic experiments, often improvised, from what would become the sound of the project.Songs range from hypnotic, minimalistic proto-IDM to pure, daring experimental sound manipulation. Unable to fit into any genre, Die Puppe is in a class of music all its own.

Psychic TV – Alien Be-In Remix EP [DE079]

January 10, 2015July 17, 2024 hipodromedark entries records, electro, fred giannelli, genesis p-orridge, john tejada, peter christopherson, psychic tv, silent servant, technoLeave a comment

Dark Entries Editions is venturing into new waters with a remix EP of Psychic TV’s classic song “Alien Be-In”. Psychic TV was formed by Genesis P-Orridge and Peter Christopherson after the breakup of Throbbing Gristle in 1981. “Alien Be-In” was written in early 1989 on an E-mu Emax Sampler and an Alesis MMT-8 sequencer. Vocal samples were taken from a tape Germs drummer Don Bolles sent to Genesis. A didgeridoo rides throughout the song, heavily modulated by a Gristleizer creating a hypnotic effect. Comes with remixes from Fred Giannelli, Silent Servant and a collaborative remix of Silent Servant and John Tejada.

Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras – Catholic [DE080]

November 10, 2014August 9, 2021 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, disco, honey soundsystem, jorge socarras, macro recordings, patrick cowley, post punk, re-release, reissue, synth popLeave a comment

COWLEY, Patrick/JORGE SOCARRAS - Catholic (remastered)

Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem have teamed up to release “Catholic”, the lost opus of disco pioneer Patrick Cowley and Indoor Life vocalist Jorge Socarras. Perhaps one of the most revolutionary and influential people in the canon of disco music, Cowley created his own brand of Hi-NRG dance music, “The San Francisco Sound”. “Catholic” is a genre-bending concept album that ranges from minimalistic proto-techno to synth-driven post-punk. It shows a much broader range than any Cowley or Socarras material available and gives a totally new perspective to one of the most inspiring eras in music history. Patrick forges a unique electronic sound from his collection of synthesizers, modified guitars, and self-constructed equipment while Jorge’s vocals go from hypnotic to camp, singing about gay love juju and tackling classics by Donovan and Stoller & Leiber.

International Music System – Dancing Therapy [DE078]

November 10, 2014July 17, 2024 hipodromedark entries records, giorgio stefani, i.m.s., international music system, italo-disco, maurizio cavalieri, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

When Dark Entries reissue Italo-disco records, they tend to be slept-on or long-forgotten gems. That’s certainly the case with International Music Therapy’s “Dancing Therapy”, something of a break dance-era anthem that was popular in underground clubs around its’ 1984 release. The version included here – the ‘Special Remix’ – is undoubtedly the definitive version of the track, and interestingly sits somewhere between New York freestyle and throbbing, arpeggio-heavy Italo-disco. On the flip you’ll find “Love Games”, a track from the I.M.S album not included on the 1984 single.