minimal synth

Eleven Pond – Just Be Happy [PREGO003]

hipodrome, , , , , , Leave a comment

Eleven Pond formed in 1986, released one epic postpunk/synth pop/darkwave LP titled ‘Bas Relief’ then records songs for a second LP titled ‘Assemblage’ and the experimental noise project ‘Space Trio’. The band breaks up shortly after due to differences in taste, all the 16 track master tapes are shelved. 22 years later the song Watching Trees is rediscovered in Brooklyn NY and club DJ’s in the minimal synth scene play Watching Trees. Dark Entries Records reissues ‘Bas Relief’, the original hand silkscreened vinyl LP becomes a $900 collectors item, invitations for the band to play shows appear on Facebook … in 2010 Jeff Gallea reforms Eleven Pond and starts recording and performing. They release a cover of the “Seasons Are Sitting on Chairs” from Arvid Tuba and a few great songs like “Just Be Happy”. As we love the insane modernity of these two songs we decided to release them on Prego and asked Dmitry Distant to remix this happiness anthem. All songs are remastered for vinyl by Isolator, housed in a jacket designed by Anda Masq & Rodeo Basilic.

listen

Eleven Pond – Just Be Happy [PREGO003]

Dollkraut – Holy Ghost People [DA001LP]

hipodrome, , , , , Leave a comment

DOLLKRAUT - Holy Ghost People

Amsterdam based artist Dollkraut (Pascal Pinkert) is back with his sophomore LP on Dischi Autunno – new label founded by Jennifer Cardini and Noura Labbani. “Holy Ghost People” sees Dollkraut delve deeper into his recognizable lo-fi and organic sound, inspired by old movie soundtracks, creating gritty atmospheres mixed with the purest of melodies. Album opens with instant hit “Bonnie Said”, where Pascal’s vocals magically merge with the darkest of bass lines. “Valium” continues the journey, increasing the tempo but confirming the feeling of being in a lost sci-fi movie soundtrack. On “Oblivian”, the rhythm slows down again, allowing us to dive even more in this twisted yet candid universe.

vinyl / CD

Dollkraut – Holy Ghost People [DA001LP]

Silvia – Silvia LP [DE152]

hipodrome, , , , , , , , , Leave 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.

listen

Silvia – Silvia LP [DE152]

Das Ding – Industrial Universal [PNKMN18]

hipodrome, , , , Leave a comment

Das Ding, the dutch wave savant, arrives on Pinkman with four works of full bodied synth sorrow. Freezing rain pelts rusting machinery, a barren land of decay stretches out onto dancefloors. Rasping rhythms and lumbering bass buttress bitter chords and grinding notes that compel bodies to move. And within the dereliction, behind the dilapidation and rot, burns a purity of expression that is emblematic of Danny Bosten’s consistent quality.

listen

Das Ding – Industrial Universal [PNKMN18]

S.M. Nurse – That’s The Body [DOM29-L]

hipodrome, , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The musical output by Amsterdam trio S.M. Nurse — generated in just three years of activity, 1980 to 1983 — is truly amazing by its volume and quality. The “That’s the Body” EP is their third release on Domestica; a selection of previously unknown tracks and unreleased versions on 12” format. “That’s the Body” (1983) and “On And Off” (1983) are first-ever releases. On side B, there’s new versions of “Mort Automatique” (1981) and “Frutta”(1982), previously found on the now expensive “30th Anniversary: 1980-1983” album, released by Domestica in 2013.

listen

S.M. Nurse – That’s The Body [DOM29-L]

Beranek – Sound Of Danger [DE147]

hipodrome, , , , , Leave 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.

listen

Beranek – Sound Of Danger [DE147]

Daniel Kyo – Evanescence [BAP089]

hipodrome, , , , Leave a comment

Valencia’s Daniel Kyo arrives at the Bordello with a 12″ brimming with his hometown’s synthesizer traditions. Evanescence spills brooding bars across clean percussion. Stripped down rhythms buttress shimmering synthwork, cold bars coarsened by acidic undercurrents. And within this pared back style there lies a groove, a subtle development that grow into full bodied floor jams. An EP of electronic elegance and robust proportions.

listen

Daniel Kyo – Evanescence [BAP089]

Private Eyes – Mirror Image / Anasazi [ST002]

hipodrome, , , , , , Leave a comment

Private Eyes, a duo made up of Interstellar Funk and Jeroen, two storied members of Amsterdam’s underground electronic music community. Two analogue-heavy electronic workouts that tend towards the atmospheric. A-side “Mirror Image” is spacey and melodious, with an Italo-disco inspired arpeggio bassline underpinning galactic chords and memorable piano lines. It’s a collection of complimentary analogue elements tweaked for maximum late night enjoyment. On the flip you’ll find Interstellar Funk going solo with “Anasazi”, an altogether deeper, more hypnotic affair. Its’ distinctive rhythm comes not from bold drum machine beats, but rather the rising and falling of intricate, micro-house style melodies and looped electronics. It feels like it was influenced by the aural textures of dub techno, the phase-based minimalism of Steve Reich, and the deep space ethos of early ’90s European ambient music.

listen

Private Eyes – Mirror Image / Anasazi [ST002]

The Neon Judgement – Cockerill-Sombre EP [DE148]

hipodrome, , , , , , Leave 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.

listen

The Neon Judgement – Cockerill-Sombre EP [DE148]

East Wall – Silence [DE145]

hipodrome, , , , , , , , , Leave 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.

listen

East Wall – Silence [DE145]

East Wall – Eyes Of Glas [DE144]

hipodrome, , , , , , , Leave 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.

listen

East Wall – Eyes Of Glas [DE144]

Le Cliché – Consumer Manoeuvres LP [CBR011]

hipodrome, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

“Consumer Manoeuvres” by Le Cliché is the latest release on Cold Beats Records. Le Cliché is the electronic music project of Gerard Ryan, professor of marketing at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili. The music takes a critical view of the malaise of marketing and its effect on our postmodern consumer society. It deals with serious issues as diverse as consumer privacy, identity, fad diets, fast fashion and the hyper-reality of contemporary advertising. Yet it does so always with an optimistic sarcasm and playfulness. This new collection of songs on Cold Beats Records, entitled Consumer Manoeuvres, started out as a remix project but very quickly turned into an all-together different record, a series of collaboration, covers and reimagining’s of the original music. Cold Beats Records presents some of the most influential electronic artists from the underground, minimal synth and coldwave scene from the last 35 years in an all-together darker record Le Cliché’s other records. Collaborators include Mark Lane, Mick Milk, Kline Coma Xero and Spatial Relation (USA), ADN’ Ckrystall (France), Red Fetish, John Costello, This is the Bridge and Jonteknik (UK), KuBO (Ireland) Moss Garten (Sweden) JJ Ibañex of Kremlyn, and Wladyslaw Triejo (Spain) Delayscape (Denmark), Gay Cat Park and Effetto Joule (Italy).These artists have appeared on many of the most influential darkwave, coldwave, italo and minimal synth music on a host of leading labels including Minimal Wave, Mannequin, Medical Records, Peripheral Minimal, Anna Logue, Domestica, Obscure Identities 1980, Vinyl on Demand, La Forme Lente and Kernkrach.

listen

Le Cliché – Consumer Manoeuvres LP [CBR011]

Collector – Life After Olympic Gold [CDRTP047]

hipodrome, , , , , , Leave a comment

Newcastle, Australia’s Collector brings us a varied album for his Clan Destine debut. After a rad LP for Melbourne’s Drawing Heat and a tape for Night People. Icy synth lines and noisy textures, pounding beats and lots ov bass. Industrial techno at its finest.

listen

Collector – Life After Olympic Gold [CDRTP047]