Acid techno experiments from the Italo disco master with Alessandro Adriani extended rework of Technologies.
mannequin records
Alessandro Adriani – Montagne Trasparenti [MNQ123]
Alessandro Adriani has become a trusted source for all kinds of beyond-the-grave minimal synth, industrial and coldwave delights. Aside from his work in releasing forgotten gems and up to the minute synth incantations, Adriani has also been quietly issuing out his own music as well. Originally released in 2016, ‘Montagne Trasparenti’ is now repressed on Mannequin Records with a full new graphic design.
Alessandro Adriani – Fuoco [MNQ119]
The album ‘Montagne Trasparenti’ by Alessandro Adriani, originally released in 2016 on Monofonus Press, is now repressed on Mannequin Records with a full new graphic design. This is the preview of the album, an EP featuring the track ‘Fuoco’ and a remix by none other than Silent Servant.
Decadance – On and On (Fears Keep On) [MNQ055]
Mannequin Records presents a new press of Decadance “On And On (Fears Keep On)”, one of the most iconic underground Italo-wave track ever. Produced by Franco Rago & Gigi Farina, the masterminds behind cult italo disco projects ‘Lectric Workers, Wanexa, Expansives, Atelier Folie, Peter Richard and many more, the single was originally released in 1983 by Proto Records.
Nocturnal Emissions – Spiritflesh [MNQ103]
Mannequin Records starts a series of re-presses dedicated to the legendary Nocturnal Emissions, one of the best kept secrets of the industrial genre since the 1970s. Led by Nigel Ayers and Caroline K, the band was one of the first to use tape cutting, avant-garde art, and underground video works to create a stage experience that was being cultivated by like-minded artists like Throbbing Gristle, SPK and Cabaret Voltaire. Originally self released in 1988 on Earthly Delights, ‘Spiritflesh’ is a masterpiece and a major reference for the early drone/dark ambient minds.
20 Albums from 2018
With just a few days from the current year left, I’ve compiled a list of 20 albums from 2018 that I enjoyed this year. Among these I have to highlight the much anticipated Mutant Beat Dance debut album, the first ever album from Gerard Hanson under the E.R.P. project, a new Gerald Donald project and a compilation of unreleased Heinrich Mueller remixes, a Silent Servant follow-up on Hospital Productions, a very interesting Fred Ventura compilation of unreleased house tracks, a new Lebanon Hanover, the beautiful debut album of Curses, the impressive Eindkrak album and the debut album of the Romanian producer Șerb.
The list is compiled in chronological order.
Eindkrak – Brullend Staal [Unknown Precept]
Bourbonese Qualk – Laughing Afternoon [PLA030/MNQ111]
Mannequin Records and Platform 23 come together to start a series of stand-alone reissues of the music of post-punk / industrialists Bourbonese Qualk, starting with their 1983 album Laughing Afternoon. Formed in Southport during the late-70s, the band came to prominence out of South London’s squat scene via their own Recloose Organisation. Early releases including the band’s first experiments put to tape and the now highly sought after Sudden Departure compilation featuring luminaries Colin Potter, Eg Oblique Graph (Bryan Jones) and Lol Coxhill, laid the foundations of their burgeoning sound. Recorded and produced at the Recloose Studios in Camberwell in 1983, Simon Crab, Julian Gilbert and Steven Tanza infused their music with politically charged atmospherics, instrumental exploration, heavily laden reverb and dub, all projected by drum machine rhythms to assemble a musical collage which encapsulated strands beyond contemporary music. Track titles decipher little, as with the music, a discourse not belonging to a set style or movement, but crossing boundaries of supposition, pushing distortion and outernational leanings towards something else, a primordial discant. While tape loops warp the ears and spoken vocals propel songs like Blood Orange Bargain Day and To Hell With The Consequences and contrasting guitar acoustics pierce the mood on Qualk Street and Spanner In The Works, the overall embrace is claustrophobic, embedding a foreboding for the times. This unique, indulgent, cross genre melting pot where pounding rhythms, wailing trumpets, mournful melodica and electronic pulses all spiral in a contagious dissonance that heralded Bourbonese Qualk to the wider world.
Life In Sodom – The Stains [MNQ098]
Conceived by vocalist Gerrie Brand, the band Life In Sodom was starting out as performance art, and quickly became more as Gerrie surrounded himself with some of the best musicians from the club and art scene in South Florida, including Mystic Bill, who was playing the guitar with the band in the early stages. Originally self-released in 1991, the single ”The Stains” became an underground club hit and charted on many college radio stations, in both the extended and the original version. The single was distributed as a hard to get promo only release. The repress contains also the title-track of the single “Phantasmagoria” – another cult tune for early 90’s goth djs – originally released in 1992 and a friendly dancefloor cut of the title-track by Alessandro Adriani.
Le Syndicat Electronique – Le Syndicat Electronique [MNQ125]
Mannequin Records presents a 2xLP retrospective compilation of the french electro/wave pioneer Le Syndicat Électronique, the historical electro/wave project by Alaxis Andreas G., founder of the seminal Invasion Planète Recordings – the first French minimal electro/wave/experimental label founded in late 1998 by the insurance proceeds of a car crash. Heavily influenced by the work of masters like Kraftwerk/John Carpenter/Front 242, Alaxis Andreas G. is responsible for many others dark electronic / industrial / neofolk projects – to name a few: A//, Bruta Non Calculant, Swesor Brother, La Séduction Des Innocents, It & My Computer, Eva VIII.
VA – Death Of The Machines Vol. 1 [MNQ127]
Mannequin Records presents the first of a new serie of compilations underthe ‘Death of the Machines’ serie, the dancefloor/experimental oriented side of the label, dedicated to new artists. Connecting music producers from all over the world, this new compilation will unearth names who are already building strong grounds for the future.
Alessandro Adriani – Mugako Podcast 017
Alessandro Adriani – Inverted Audio MIX 284
Black Merlin – Oba Enka [MNQ124]
George Thompson aka Black Merlin is joining the family of Mannequin Records with this insane EP for the Death of the Machines, the series dedicated to new artists ready to smash the dancefloor. 3-tracks strongly permeated by drones’n’noises, EBM basslines and a 4/4 straight tecnoish kick drum.
Doris Norton – Artificial Intelligence [MNQ121]
Mannequin Records present a trilogy of reissues from the avantgarde Italian-born producer Doris Norton, ”Norton Computer For Peace” (1983), ”Personal Computer” (1984), ”Artificial Intellingence” (1985). Apple’s first music ”endorsement” and Roland affiliate, Doris Norton is one of the most important women pioneer in the use of synths and in the early electro / computer music.
Alessandro Adriani – Dekmantel Podcast 180
Nexda – Words & Numbers [ERC037/MNQ097/BP102]
Mannequin, Emotional Rescue and Blowpipe come together to release the music of Dutch post-punk, industrial outsiders Nexda, by releasing a collection of music drawn from all their single and EP vinyl releases, to offer a compelling album. Taken from two 12′ EPs, a split 7′ and a flexi 7′, all released in 1982, the music within Word & Numbers captures striking compositions, part of, but some way removed from their contemporary post-punk bands coming out of the Dutch Ultra’ scene of the time.
Raw Ambassador – Mental Disorder [MNQ107]
Raw Ambassador steps in again for Mannequin Records series ”Death Of The Machines ” with a veritable feast of 80`s industrial and primitive EBM bangers. Four trax of Mutant Industrial music designed for spreading disease and bringing disorder in every dance floor around the globe.
Doris Norton – Personal Computer [MNQ120]
Mannequin Records present a trilogy of reissues from the avantgarde Italian-born producer Doris Norton, ”Norton Computer For Peace” (1983), ”Personal Computer” (1984), ”Artificial Intellingence” (1985). Apple’s first music ”endorsement” and Roland affiliate, Doris Norton is one of the most important women pioneer in the use of synths and in the early electro / computer music.
Doris Norton – Norton Computer For Peace [MNQ116]
Mannequin Records present a trilogy of reissues from the avantgarde Italian-born producer Doris Norton, ”Norton Computer For Peace” (1983), ”Personal Computer” (1984), ”Artificial Intellingence” (1985). Apple’s first music ”endorsement” and Roland affiliate, Doris Norton is one of the most important women pioneer in the use of synths and in the early electro / computer music.
VA – Waves Of The Future [MNQ100]
Mannequin’s 100th – a compilation looking forward featuring an international and serious cast. The modern synthwave scene would be significantly poorer without the keen ear and tireless efforts of the Mannequin label run by Alessandro Adriani. Mannequin continues to go on exploratory missions to find the best and most relevant aspects of genres like acid, industrial, EBM, post-punk, coldwave and still more. Which brings us to Mannequin’s newest project and 100th release overall: the Waves of the Future double LP compilation, which itself is not a conventional retrospective collection. Case in point – none of the artists appearing on this collection have put out their own releases on Mannequin yet, despite acting as Mannequin’s unofficial ambassadors (via DJ sets and other means). This makes the set even more compelling rather than less so, since it shows how Mannequin fits into a larger picture that includes other scene leaders and label owners including Beau Wanzer, Willie Burns, Silent Servant and Ron Morelli.
The Hipodrome Of Music 