Martin Dupont – Kintsugi LP [SEA013LP]

February 15, 2023February 14, 2023 hipodromealbum, infrastition, martin dupont, meidosem, minimal synth, minimal wave records, new wave, synth popLeave a comment

In collaboration with Meidosem and Infrastition, Minimal Wave presents Kintsugi, a new album by the highly lauded French group Martin Dupont. The album features lush re-works of their old songs, originally released on their highly sought-after 1980s albums. The French band is known for making beautiful, heady electronic, with striking, poetic vocals. A hard-to-classify group from Marseille with a cult following and some mainstream success, Martin Dupont has inspired some of the luminaries of the contemporary music scene crossing many genres from trip-hop to electro to techno. Kintsugi reassembles their old spirit that is colorful, enthusiastic, and delicate, yet also melancholy and mysterious. A mixture of hot and cold, light and dark. Martin Dupont’s music is considered electronic though they also incorporate guitars and clarinets. They are described by many as New Wave, though their music truly transcends genres.

Deux – Let’s Go ! [MW080]

February 15, 2023February 15, 2023 hipodromedeux, minimal synth, minimal wave records, new beat, synth popLeave a comment

Minimal Wave presents a 4-song EP by the iconic French synth duo, Deux, entitled Let’s Go !. Gérard Pelletier and Cati Tête formed Deux shortly after meeting in Lyon in 1981. They became known for their stripped-down synth pop compositions and suitably cold duets, through their archival Minimal Wave releases Decadence (2010) and Golden Dreams EP (2012). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, they began to branch out and make more dancefloor-oriented music. The Let’s Go ! EP features three remastered mixes of their underground classic Let’s Go ! and an unreleased version of Everybody’s Night (Dirty Mix).

Vicious Pink – West View 2LP [MW078PINK]

February 16, 2022February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, brian moss, josephine warden, minimal synth, minimal wave records, synth pop, vicious pinkLeave a comment

VICIOUS PINK - West View

Minimal Wave presents West View, a double LP of rare demos and newly remastered classics by UK duo Vicious Pink. Vicious Pink was an electrifying synth-pop duo formed by Josephine Warden and Brian Moss, who met in a smokey Leeds nightclub in 1981. The pair formed their band Vicious Pink Phenomena and soon after went on to provide gloriously off-kilter backing vocals for their friends, Soft Cell, completely unrehearsed. Later, they dropped Phenomena to simplify their name. Between 1982 and 1986, they released seven singles that all reached the UK dance charts, despite the fact that their ambitions never lay in commercial success. To this day, their music remains artful, catchy, and provocative. West View compiles material from their early days together, featuring previously unreleased demos as well as newly remastered classics like Cccan’t You See and My Private Tokyo. The double LP is housed in a glossy heavyweight sleeve, accompanied by a 12-page LP-sized booklet featuring the duo’s entire ‘how it happened’ story, unpublished lyrics, and unpublished photos from those early years.

Futurisk – Recordings 1980-1982 [MW077]

April 30, 2021April 30, 2021 hipodromealbum, futurisk, jeremy kolosine, minimal wave records, new waveLeave a comment

Minimal Wave presents ‘Recordings 1980-1982’ (MW077), a triple 7” box set by pioneering south Florida synth-punk band Futurisk, in honor of their 40th anniversary. Founded by Jeremy Kolosine in 1978, Futurisk recorded many songs and performed live throughout the early 1980s. Though they had released two 7”s that sold out, had a legendary live show, and even some videos, by 1984 Futurisk was history. Eventually, the main core of Futurisk would be the Jeremy Kolosine, Richard Hess, and Jack Howard line-up though much happened leading up to this point.

Plugpoint Music – Last Chance [MW076]

March 4, 2021March 3, 2021 hipodromealbum, minimal synth, minimal wave records, new wave, plugpoint music, post punk, re-release, reiner ossmann, reissue, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Minimal Wave present the reissue of a rare self-released record by Plugpoint Music called ‘Last Chance’. Plugpoint Music was the minimal synth project of Reiner Ossmann, who recorded the 12 songs on this album in his home studio in Germany in 1987 and released them as an edition of 200 copies. This gem of a record was never properly distributed and so essentially disappeared until it began circulating amongst various collectors during the last 15 years. It’s a true minimal synth classic in all of its eccentricity and lack of self-consciousness.

Portray Heads – Portray Heads [MW074/BL-015]

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020 hipodromealbum, bitter lake recordings, minimal synth, minimal wave records, portray headsLeave a comment

PORTRAY HEADS - Portray Heads

Minimal Wave Records and Bitter Lake Recordings are happy to present their first collaborative release, a double LP by mythical Japanese underground electronic trio Portray Heads. Their self-titled double LP spans all their recordings to date including the songs from their rare “Elaborate Dummy” flexi (1985) and follow-up “Oratorio” (1986) Influenced by early 1980s European New Wave and Japanese synth-pop, their songs range from circular poppy synth gems to moody dark new wave anthems – all led by strong female vocals.

Jyl – Jyl [MW075]

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020 hipodromealbum, ingo werner, inteam, jyl, jyl porch, minimal wave records, re-release, reissue, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Minimal Wave presents a reissue of Jyl‘s self-titled full-length album from 1984, originally released on Klaus Schulze’s Inteam label. Born and raised in California, Jyl travelled to Europe in her twenties to dance and met several talented and like-minded collaborators along the way. She ended up in Germany, and worked with Ingo Werner, Angela Werner, and Klaus Schulze, on what would become one of the most important and forward thinking electronic albums of the time. Shortly after its release, the song “Computer Love” became a mini-hit along with the album’s opening track “Mechanic Ballerina”. The lyrics of “Silicon Valley” and “Computer Generation” are reflective of the times and have become even more relevant now, 36 years later. The production and song arrangement on the album is immaculate. The synthesizers, drum programming and vocal contributions complement Jyl’s voice perfectly. The album contains an incredible depth beyond a regular dance album likely due to the spirit of the people behind it – the list of contributors add to its significance and near-mythological mystery.

Aural Indifference – The Sound of Indifference [MW071]

March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 hipodromealbum, aural indifference, brian spencer, cassette, funk, indie rock, kevin purdy, minimal wave records, post punk, reissueLeave a comment

Minimal Wave presents The Sound of Indifference, a rare cassette released in 1981 by Aural Indifference. Aural Indifference was a post-punk studio collective from Sydney, Australia. The two principal members were Brian Spencer Hall (the M Squared in house producer) and Kevin Purdy. The cassette album, The Sound of Indifference, was released in 1981, featuring tracks such as “Theme”, “Park, and “Man Am I Progressive”. Their sound ranges from minimal synth, to post-punk to quirky guitar-driven electronic folk music, some of it resembling John Maus. “Theme” appeared as the closing track on The Minimal Wave Tapes: Volume Two compilation and “The Park” appeared on The Bedroom Tapes compilation.

Tornische – Interiorismo [CITI028]

November 14, 2019February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, cititrax, hanna chamiarytskaya, julio tornero, minimal wave records, synth pop, tornischeLeave a comment

Cititrax presents a full length LP by a new duo called Tornische. Julio Tornero and Hanna Chamiarytskaya (aka Anneq) got together in Madrid after having met through mutual friends. Immediately, they bonded and found a musical chemistry between them. They went into the studio and began revisiting Julio’s unreleased archives, incorporating what he had already recorded years ago with fresh sounds and Neu Deutsche Welle style duets. The result is a modern, chaotic, take on 80s European new wave, 90s detroit electro, and contemporary indie pop. The energy level is always high, the melodies are catchy and the vocal delivery and lyrics futuristic, subversive, italo-disco / punk, and surreal.

Turquoise Days – Further Strategies [MW072]

November 1, 2019February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, david le breton, luciano brambilla, minimal wave records, synth pop, synth wave, turquoise daysLeave a comment

Minimal Wave presents a full length double album entitled “Further Strategies” by synthpop band Turquoise Days. Hailing from Jersey, Channel Islands, Turquoise Days was formed in 1981 by Luciano Brambilla and David Le Breton shortly after meeting at a nightclub in St Ouens called Waves. They used Roland synthesizers and drum machines, as well Yamaha synthesizers and Fender guitars along with tape effects and vocals. Throughout the 1980s, they self-released many cassettes, as well as the renowned masterpiece Grey Skies / Blurred 7” single. They were selected for the Radio Luxembourg song contest in 1985 and received press for their releases and appearance there. Their music can be described as melodic, emotive new wave. The music featured here includes the songs from the long sold out Alternative Strategies release from 2009, remastered, along with a a collection of previously unreleased material.

The Anti Group ‎- 4 X 12 [PM27]

July 31, 2019August 9, 2019 hipodromeadi newton, album, experimental, jacques beloeil, minimal wave records, peripheral minimal, reissue, the anti groupLeave a comment

Following the original dissolution of legendary Sheffield industrial funk outfit Clock DVA in 1984, founder member Adi Newton struck out on his own with The Anti-Group: an experimental project in which he could explore a variety of sonic worlds with the aid of a revolving cast of likeminded Steel City stalwarts (Richard H Kirk, Stephen Mallinder, Martyn Ware and Warp co-founder Robert Gordon included). “4×12″ is a retrospective of sorts, gathering together tracks from three 12” singles (“Ha-Zulu”, “Big Sex”, “Broadcast Test”) and one mini-album (“ShT”). Musically, it veers from collage style sample patchworks and dark ambient soundscapes to rubbery industrial funk, twisted post synth-pop, EBM-influenced workouts and madcap experimental escapades.

Scenes de la Bohème – Standing In the Rain [MW070Y]

May 7, 2019February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, anthony waites, minimal wave records, scene de la boheme, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Minimal Wave is releasing a newly mastered compilation of 6 tracks made by Scene de la Bohème (aka Anthony Waites), entitled ‘Standing in the Rain’. Scenes de la Bohème was formed by Anthony Waites in London, in 1981 with an innate desire to create poetic, subversive pop music. Without any intention of ever signing to a record label, he self-released one untitled 7” single in 1982, an edition of 150 copies, with money funded to him by his parents for his 21st birthday. He often used borrowed synthesizers to record his music in various bedroom studios and friends’ houses supplemented by his beloved cherry red Hagstrom guitar. This release includes 2 tracks that come off his sought-after untitled 7″ from 1982 and 4 are previously unreleased.

The Misz – The Lonely Crowd [MW069]

May 7, 2019February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, dries dekocker, jan van den broeke, minimal synth, minimal wave records, synth pop, synth wave, the miszLeave a comment

The Misz formed in Gent in 1983 by Jan Van den Broeke and Dries Dekocker at a time when they had both just relocated from the country. They lived on the same street and collaborated freely with the limited equipment they had, which always centered around the Fostex 250 4-track tape recorder. They used an unknown monophonic synthesizer, casio synths, roland drum machines, hand drums and guitars through effects pedals, improvising with their voices and often and included friends for additional voices and sounds. They captured these sonic experiments and sometimes released them on cassette in editions of 100-200. They described themselves as young, immature and bit strange yet totally bold and fearless. They sang about what surrounded them from world politics and environmental catastrophes to love and lust.

L/F/D/M – Dream Bleeds [CITI026]

May 4, 2019February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, cititrax, electro, industrial, l/f/d/m, minimal wave records, richard smith, technoLeave a comment

Cititrax presents ‘Dream Bleeds’, a new vinyl release by Brighton, UK based producer L/F/D/M aka Richard Smith. ‘Dream Bleeds’ overflows with body jerking industrial, raw acid/techno, and hints of the warehouse sound of the late ‘90s and the caustic spirit of EBM. Richard Smith says about ‘Dream Bleeds’, “attaching meaning to songs is often arbitrary but when the visceral feeling of music, particularly instrumental body music, is laid bare, the interaction is immediate and physical. These tracks thread together; each starting point completely open, each new step informed by the last. I find it interesting that the process is the same but the outcome somewhat unexpected; shaped by emotion, inspiration or even constraints of time, they evolve as they do in that time. They reach a different end point due to that evolution of circumstance.”

RA.663 Veronica Vasicka

February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 hipodromeinterview, minimal synth, minimal wave records, podcast, resident advisor, techno, veronica vasickaLeave a comment

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Sympathy Nervous – Sympathy Nervous [MW067]

November 10, 2018February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, experimental, minimal synth, minimal wave records, re-release, reissue, sympathy nervous, vanity records, yosihumi niinumaLeave a comment

SYMPATHY NERVOUS - Sympathy Nervous (reissue)

Minimal Wave presents a reissue of Sympathy Nervous’ pioneering debut album originally released in 1980 on Vanity Records out of Japan. Sympathy Nervous was Yosihumi Niinuma’s lifelong project which he started in his Tokyo living room in 1979. Through Sympathy Nervous, Niinuma was able to channel his energy into what he loved – building his own synthesizers and speakers from scratch. Niinuma was inspired by German Krautrock and through his music created intense proto-techno soundscapes. Now finally available for the first time ever, remastered from the original tapes used for the 1980 release, is the timeless masterpiece in its entirety.

VA – Cititrax: Tracks Volume Three [CITI024]

May 10, 2018March 2, 2021 hipodromeamato, cititrax, electro, further reductions, his dirty secrets, industrial, mariana saldana, minimal wave records, synth wave, techno, the sixteen stepsLeave a comment

Cititrax presents the third in a series of four song samplers showcasing the talents of some of the most innovative producers of the moment. Cititrax: Tracks Volume Three features the a powerful new collaboration between Amato (aka The Hacker) and Mariana Saldana (Medio Mutante, Boan), the brutal industrial techno of Barcelona based British producer The Sixteen Steps, a Polish mastermind based in Miami known as His Dirty Secrets, and the NYC underground duo Further Reductions (Shawn O’Sullivan and Katie Rose). The overall sound can be described as modern, uncompromising and guttural. Each artist reinvents dance music by bringing their own unique vision to the floor.

VA – The Bedroom Tapes: A Compilation of Minimal Wave From Around The World 1980-1991 [MW066]

March 7, 2018February 16, 2022 hipodromearvid tuba, aural indifference, autumn, compilation, denial, disque omo, experimental, karen marks, minimal synth, minimal wave records, pink elln, subject, unovidual, vorgruppeLeave a comment

A Compilation of Minimal Wave From Around The World (1980-1991), The Bedroom Tapes features rare, unreleased, and licensed tracks all the way from Belgium to Australia to Japan. The Bedroom Tapes excitedly marks Minimal Wave’s 66th release and is a follow up in the series to The Lost Tapes, The Found Tapes, The Hidden Tapes and of course The Minimal Wave Tapes. The twelve artists on this compilation mostly recorded their music onto 4-track tape in their bedroom studios. The sounds on this record range from German new wave to experimental electronic, to early industrial body music from the Swedish countryside, to dreary melodic minimal synth. The theme is music recorded in the bedroom for listening in the bedroom. The Bedroom Tapes presents songs from Pink Elln, Karen Marks, Disque Omo, Vorgruppe, Iham/Echo, Perfect Mother, Arvid Tuba, Subject, Denial, Unovidual, Aural indifference, and Autumn all lovingly remastered.

Regis – Live In NYC [CITI023]

October 26, 2017February 16, 2022 hipodromecititrax, karl o’connor, minimal wave records, regis, technoLeave a comment

The don of Birmingham techno Karl O’Connor serves up some live rarities courtesy of retroverts Cititrax. Features recently uncovered recordings of a Regis performance in NYC on January 4th, 1997 at the famed Film Academy. His unmistakeable sound and influence is integral to the DNA of the techno sound, blatantly copied but never matched. Some classics from the Downwards catalogue are contained on this EP in all their austere fashion. “We Said No” “Translation” and “Careless Pedestrian” from his seminal 1996 LP Gymnastics being highlights.

Borusiade / The Sixteen Steps – Promises & Infatuation [CITI022]

June 14, 2017February 16, 2022 hipodromeborusiade, cititrax, electro, george lanham, industrial, minimal wave records, romanian, techno, the sixteen stepsLeave a comment

BORUSIADE/THE SIXTEEN STEPS - Promises & Infatuation

Cititrax present a split EP by two massive talents, Borusiade and The Sixteen Steps. Borusiade, originally from Bucharest, Romania began as a DJ in the early 2000s and then started producing music in 2005. With a background in classical music, she combined her love of raw electronics, obscure themes and melodic lines to create her own signature sound. She has released on the Cómeme label as well as Corresepondent. Infatuation and Confutation are dark, moody and intense tracks that catch you upon first listen. The flip side of the Promises and Infatuation EP features The Sixteen Steps, the brainchild of George Lanham who cut his musical teeth DJing and running events in the south of England. We have been listening to many of his tracks endlessly for a while now. Signals From The South and Promises On The Run are both immaculately produced, hypnotic, dance floor killers. They are sparse ebm meets smoky warehouse techno, and offer a wonderful contrast to Borusiade’s layered emotive tracks that reminisce of an East Village club in the 1980s. Themes of infatuation, appearances, and anonymity appear throughout this EP from the music itself right through to the cover art.

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