Juan Mendez goes solo for the third release on the Jealous God label. Classy Techno trip w/ dubbed out vintage synth feel.
minimal synth
Mick Wills @ Bohemian Flow Art&Pub (Sibiu) 07.09.2013
Traxx @ Honey Soundsystem, The Holy Cow (San Francisco) 04.08.2013
The KVB live @ Boiler Room 19.09.2013
Musumeci – Schwarze Morgen / Zusammen [MNQ042]
Mannequin Records presents one of the most rare and unknown Italian Minimal Synth bands from the 80’s. Musumeci were formed in Turin at the beginning of 1985, from an idea of Mauro M. (synthesizers – ex guitar player of Rude Pravo) and Franco G. (programming – ex noise maker of Errata-S-Corrige). The group was founded as a link and expression of various experiences, aimed, at least initially, to highlight the individual personalities of the members. The formation settles after six months of testing with the final entry of Laura G. (ex-keyboardist of Rude Pravo) and Paul C. (voice of K Position). Musumeci were playing several shows, preceded by long monologues in which find space rumorism, electrical scans, voices, screams, etc. Presented here are the two super rare demo tapes that Musumeci recorded in 1985 (“Schwarz Morgen”) and in 1986 (“Zusammen”), on their own label Zeltweg.
Tommy De Chirico – Close Your Eyes [MNQ041]
Mannequin Records is proud to present a true pearl of the Italian Minimal Synth from the 80’s. Tommy De Chirico founded the post-punk band Politburo in Turin during 1981 togheter with Maurizio Rubinetti (Sick Rose) and Massimo Aluffi (Ivan Siberia). On his own, he released the 7″ “Close Your Eyes / Flower Into The Factory”, produced and recorded at TKS Studio by the Monuments’ Mauro Tavella between 1982 and 1983 and subsequently released by Turin’s Shirak Records in 1984. Presented here are also 3 bonus demo tracks: a rare version of “Close Your Eyes”, and 2 out-takes from 1983, “Vuh-Ya” and “Tuxedo Dance”.
Hard Corps – Rarities [MW051LP]
We are pleased to announce a strictly limited edition release of rare tracks by UK legends Hard Corps. Hard Corps were true innovators of the 1980s UK synthpop scene. Hard Corps gained some notoriety for their unique and uncompromising live shows throughout the 1980s. It was the juxtaposition between their hard edged industrial sound and the fragile and enigmatic vocals of French front woman Regine Fetet that created an unusual dichotomy, lending to their strength of character as a band and thus allowing them to stand out from the rest. By 1985 Hard Corps had signed with major label giants Polydor. This enabled the band to work with a couple of their favoured and respected producers, Martin Rushent (known mostly for his exceptional work with the Human League) and Depeche Mode producer and Mute Records supremo, Daniel Miller. These sessions provided the public with just one single due to the labels non-promotion, Je Suis Passée, a sweeping arrangement of breathtaking beauty, combining pumping sequences and sheer power of emotion of Regine’s voice. The band went on a major tour with The Cure in 1985 and Depeche Mode in 1988, before finally disintegrating. As a follow up to Clean Tables Have To Be Burnt (2012), Rarities compiles the outtakes and demos that were left behind. Tracks that truly never saw the light of day.
Blancmange – Irene & Mavis [MW050]
A 10” reissue of Blancmange’s seminal debut EP Irene & Mavis. Formed in the UK by Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe, Blancmange recorded the six songs on Irene & Mavis in 1979 and released it as a 7” EP in 1980. Irene & Mavis, though not exactly representative of what Blancmange later went on to become, is a fascinating relic that captures the gestation period of the duo, fresh out of art school and keen to experiment. The D.I.Y. sound of the EP fits right in there with the early output of Soft Cell, the Human League, and Cabaret Voltaire; but what separates it from those like-minded releases of the time is that its even more distinctly English. The Irene & Mavis EP is simultaneously pioneering, provincial, and surreal in its down-to- earth playfulness and lack of artifice. It stands out as an important record, capturing the mundane with modern electronics and remains as an artifact representative of the band before they went on to reach pop chart success.
Charles Cohen – Music For Dance And Theater [DOSER021LP]
Final part in the Charles Cohen trilogy on Morphine Records. Featuring various works made for Dance & Theatre productions between 1976 & 1988. Eleven tracks in total – lovingly spread over double LP and featuring some of the most beautiful material of the series. Another essential purchase.
In Aeternam Vale – Machine à Laver [MW049]
Minimal Wave is proud to present a third 12” single from our French favorites, In Aeternam Vale. The single features two more epic, pioneering masterpieces. Machine à Laver (Washing Machine) sounding much like its title, is 12 minutes of pure electronic hypnotica. And the flip side is a more straightforward 127 bpm 11 minute number entitled Ultrabase – which is an unashamed slab of innovative dub techno from 1990, existing completely outside of its genre. Neither of these tracks have ever been released before.
Charles Cohen – The Middle Distance [DOSER019LP]
Morphosis’ Morphine records boldly step into the archives of one of Philadelphia’s best kept underground secrets: synth composer, Charles Cohen. This excellent release beholds seven key tracks (recorded between 1979 & 1988) that go into uncharted polyrhythmic / ambient / cosmic territory. The label say ” First chapter in the trilogy of Charles Cohen retrospective works, featuring some of his early works from the Philadelphia’s “No Man’s Land” Art Installment, the “University Of Texas in El Paso” and “The Painted Bride” Art Center performances. This release also features the track, Dance Of The Spiritcatchers, which previously appeared on the Music From No Man’s Land EP by Ghostwriters, a split record with Jeff Cain, originally issued in 1980 on Zero Records.”
Inhalt – Occupations EP [DE051]
Dark Entries is proud to release the sophomore EP “Occupations” from San Francisco based synth trio INHALT. Consisting of European and East Coast natives– Matia Simovich, Bryan Gibbs, and Philip Winiger– INHALT’s core operative strategy is of sonic fidelity and integrity rather than nostalgia. The record was produced over a year and a half, and mixed in both Austria and California, employing the best of modern and vintage techniques and technology. The sound is INHALT’s interpretation of the border between the voice driven song form and the expansive, extended 12″ arrangement. It is informed equally by the soundtracks of John Carpenter, as much as the vastness and sheen of Trevor Horn.
Figure Study – Lesson One [DE049]
Dark Entries is proud to present the debut 7″ of Figure Study, a contemporary band from New York. Figure Study is the Manhattan duo of Nathan Antolik and April Chalpara, who share writing and production duties, while April handles the vocals. For their debut single “Lesson One” they utilized small, simple analog synthesizer set up of all vintage Roland analog synths and drum machine. Figure Study’s sound includes influences from early minimal synth music such as Kirlian Camera, Nine Circles, and The Actor.
Veronica Vasicka – LN-CC Store Mix 033
Monuments – Age [MNQ040]
Mannequin are pleased to present a crown jewel from the early 80s Italian Minimal Synth scene. The Monuments came into being in January 1981 in Turin when Mauro Tavella (keyboards, programming) and Andrea Costa (keyboards, voice) pooled their artistic experiences. From the outset they produced exclusively synthesised music, following the natural evolution in electronic music from the early days with monophonic synthesisers to the latest virtual sounds generated with the aid of computers.
VA – Trevor Jackson presents Metal Dance 2 [STRUT107LP]
Strut present ‘Metal Dance’, a new compilation from one of the UK’s most respected DJ / producers, the man behind Playgroup and original founder of the legendary label Output Recordings, Trevor Jackson. Echoing elements of his renowned DJ Kicks mix from 2003, Jackson draws here on specials that have peppered his DJ sets for almost two decades. ‘Metal Dance’ mines deep and hones in on the more underground and danceable side of industrial, post-punk and EBM (Electronic Body Music), a phrase coined by Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk but honed by later bands like DAF and Front 242 as socialist realist aesthetics were dragged onto the dancefloor during the mid-’80s. Jackson cherry-picks classics and rarities from this era, including a new edit of Nitzer Ebb favourite ‘Control I’m Here’ (sampled on Quartz’ rave classic ‘Meltdown’), the cold dance of Analysis’ ‘Surface Tension’, Neon’s dark ‘Voices’, re-interpreting a Master C&J riff from the early days of Chicago house, and hard-hitting dubs from Pete Shelley, Alien Sex Fiend and more. Herein lie sounds that have heavily influenced today’s crop of artists – from LCD Soundsystem and The Knife to Factory Floor and Hot Chip. Elsewhere on the album, Jackson brings in unexpected gems – a track from cult John Carpenter film ‘Escape From New York’ re-edited by Klein & MBO’s Mario Boncaldo, a lost album track by avant garde Spanish artist Diseno Corbusier and a UK promo-only mix of Yello’s ‘You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess’.
Traxx – Slowboat To Corellia – PHNCST122
Traxx @ Plastic People (London) 19.09.2013
Intergalactic Gary – Nicotine Mix
Bézier – Ensconced [DE048]
Dark Entries release the debut vinyl EP from Bézier entitled “Ensconced.” Bézier is the moniker of all-live-analog electronic wizard Robert Yang from San Francisco. Enchanted by the Cybernetic Broadcasting System (CBS), Robert started DJing as Robot Hustle, joining the Honey Soundsystem collective in 2007. Robert writes hooks, patterns and melodies in an automatic, stream of consciousness fashion. Memory and nostalgia play a big part in constructing his music. “Ensconced” is the follow up to Bezier’s debut cassette, released in 2012 on Break-Up records. The tile relates to themes of comfort and safety as well as complacency and entrapment. Influences range from the futuristic landscape of Syd Mead to the melodic energy of Patrick Cowley and the subdued, hidden motifs of My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless.” Bézier blends elements of Hi-NRG and dark dance to drive the mysterious underwater instrumentals of “Ensconced.” Bezier’s studio set up includes a variety of vintage Roland and Korg synthesizers as well as the Italo Disco favorite LinnDrum. These six tracks were written, produced and mixed by Bézier at his home studio in San Francisco between 2009 and 2013.
The Hipodrome Of Music 