Das Beste Aus Hagen Redux is an icy transmission from the early circuitry of European minimalism. A² revives the pulse of proto-electro with surgical precision—pure voltage, no excess. Cold synth lines snake through monochrome rhythms, delivering drama without decadence. It’s music for neon-lit silence and synthetic nostalgia, built from tape hiss, static tension, and analog dreams. Minimal synth stripped to the bone—resistant, elegant, and eternal.
Again, a unique compilation by the leading Belgian re-release label Walhalla Records, specialized in minimal synth, cold wave, electro, and more. Following the widely acclaimed — and mostly sold-out — previous Underground Wave releases, totaling six albums so far and counting, there is now Volume 7. This release features Dutch and Belgian bands, each filling one side of the record. It offers a wealth of ultra-rare and previously unreleased material sourced from cassettes, deeply rooted in the electronic scene of the 80s and 90s.
Evelyne/Masao bring ‘Testpattern’ to Dark Entries for the label’s first foray into vintage Japanese electronics. Masao Hiruma and Fumio Ichimura’s project Testpattern is known for their release Apres-Midi, a cult slab of synthpop perfection released by Yukihiro Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono’s legendary Yen Records in 1982. While Hiruma and Ichimura parted ways following Apres-Midi, Hiruma’s musical endeavors would continue after recruiting French/American model and vocalist Evelyne Bennu. The duo spent time performing in Tokyo clubs while recording at Hiruma’s home studio throughout 1984 and 1985. The album Testpattern comprises seventeen of these songs, which have never been released previously. The Evelyne/Masao duo continues building on the soundworld of Apres-Midi: lush, sophisticated electronics with intricate yet minimalist production. Tracks like “Sakuramochi” and “Bird Island” bear influence from Hosono most clearly, their soaring melodies revealing a subtly ironic redeployment of East Asian musical tropes. But Testpattern is more than homage to Yellow Magic Orchestra. “Tabac” and “Le Soleil Se Leve” display oddball sensibilities closer to Sky Records icons Asmus Tietchens or Cluster. Elsewhere, the project shows affinity for the punkier ethos of continental DIY electronics, like on the quirky “Alien Go Home” and a positively skewed cover of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Bennu’s vocals provide a common thread through these explorations, as she alternates deftly between New Wave deadpan and unhinged chanson singer—check her waxing maximally Francophone on “Au Clair de Lune,” based on an 18th century French song. Testpattern will be available on both double LP as well as CD, and includes a fold-out poster with liner notes with lyrics. This album is dedicated to Masao Hiruma, who passed away in 2011.
Japan’s electronic music scene has always stood out as uniquely distinctive. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a wave of underground projects, bands, and independent labels – primarily based in Tokyo and Osaka – began crafting their own sound. Inspired by the post-punk, new wave, and experimental movements emerging from Europe and North America, these artists embraced a DIY ethic, using whatever technology they had access to in order to forge something entirely their own. This movement, often referred to as the “Nippon-wave” scene, remained largely hidden from the outside world. Many of its releases – on cassette tapes, flexi-discs, and privately pressed vinyl – never distributed beyond Japan’s borders, making them rare treasures for the few who managed to discover them. “Nihon No Wave” presents a selection of these long-overlooked recordings, making them accessible to listeners beyond Japan for the first time. This is Nihon No Wave part 2.
Japan’s electronic music scene has always stood out as uniquely distinctive. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a wave of underground projects, bands, and independent labels – primarily based in Tokyo and Osaka – began crafting their own sound. Inspired by the post-punk, new wave, and experimental movements emerging from Europe and North America, these artists embraced a DIY ethic, using whatever technology they had access to in order to forge something entirely their own. This movement, often referred to as the “Nippon-wave” scene, remained largely hidden from the outside world. Many of its releases – on cassette tapes, flexi-discs, and privately pressed vinyl – never distributed beyond Japan’s borders, making them rare treasures for the few who managed to discover them. “Nihon No Wave” presents a selection of these long-overlooked recordings, making them accessible to listeners beyond Japan for the first time. This is Nihon No Wave part 1.
Walhalla Records pesetns a limited reprint of the sold-out Volume 3 from the Underground Wave series, featuring Belgian and Dutch wave, synth, and minimal artists. Underground Wave vol. 3 is a minimal synth, EBM and cold wave compilation with hard to find tracks for the first time available on vinyl. It’s a tribute to the underground cassette scene of the eighties, Spleen, RadioNome, Vinyl Magazine and the Dutch ultra movement.
Minimal Wave announces the forthcoming release from legendary Greek electronic pioneers In Trance 95. This special EP features six vintage tracks recorded between the late 80s and early 90s at Airdawn Studio in Athens. A vital piece of the Greek electronic music story, these songs showcase In Trance 95’s visionary approach to analog synth and early EBM sounds. Formed in Athens in 1988 by Alex Machairas and Nik Veliotis, In Trance 95 quickly became known for their stark, minimal synth sound, distinguished by hypnotic melodies, analog textures, and a futuristic edge. At a time when electronic music was still emerging in Greece, they were true innovators, blending the raw spirit of early EBM with a distinctly Mediterranean sense of space and atmosphere. Over the decades, their work has earned cult status among fans of underground electronic music worldwide.
Cititrax presents ‘Scooterboys From The Pool’, the debut LP from Another Body Found, the latest project from A//, best known for his pioneering work as Le Syndicat Électronique. Emerging from the depths of the French underground, ABF fuses dark electro, industrial, minimal synth, and wave into a sound that is both stark and visceral. With a focus on raw energy and haunting atmospheres, the project strips electronic music down to its essence – mechanical, hypnotic, and unrelentingly evocative. Blending commanding rhythms with melancholic undertones, ‘Scooterboys From The Pool’ is a descent into shadowy textures and dystopian landscapes, where driving basslines meet icy, mechanical beats in a pulsing haze of underground spirit.
Swiss coldwave DIY collective Plague Pits deliver their third full-length ‘Escalator to the Abattoir’ on Young & Cold Records. “One skill that you master while working at an abattoir is disassociation. You learn to become numb to death and to suffering. Instead of thinking about cows as entire beings, you separate them into their saleable, edible body parts. It doesn’t just make the job easier – it’s necessary for survival.”
“Guanto nero” is the long-awaited new album by Ascending, including six great new Synthpop songs.
The official reissue of Grauzone’s essential 1981 maxi single with timeless classic ”Eisbär”, proto-techno beast ”FILM 2”, and romantic synth ballad ”Ich Lieb Sie”, just in time for the 40th anniversary of the Swiss band’s formation. The three-track vinyl is sourced from the original reels, cut at 45rpm, and comes with its iconic artwork on a 350gsm sleeve.
Clear Memory welcomes back En Direct. After their appearance on CLEAR001 and the two EP’s on the sister label Lunatic. With ‘The Illusion Of Control’, En Direct release their first Album. A long player diving deep into the realms of the human mind and its abyss. Exploring insecurities, uproar and mania with Industrial studies and EBM, rounding it off with bittersweet Minimal Wave and Electro for the sleepless.
Belgian label Stroom presents a 7″ release featuring Luc Van Acker’s ‘The Fear In My Heart’ on the A-Side and Pas De Deux’s ‘Cardiocleptomanie’ on the B-side.
Yvgoslavia is undoubtedly one of the best post-punk and minimal wave acts from Spain, and they’re returning to Oráculo with their second mini-album, following the highly sought-after “Vertebra”. Their frozen atmospheres and relentless, punishing beats immediately captivate any advanced darkwave enthusiast.
The Hipodrome Of Music 