spAceLex @ The Hanging Garden (Dresden) 21.08.2016
post punk
VA – 3375.1969 [FLEXI019]
FlexiWave returns with the follow up to the acclaimed 2012 cassette 290.625”. This new 60C cassette boasts 14 freshly vetted tracks of finest obscure electronica. From the shimmering, pearlesque sounds of Lisa & Kroffes’ “Rönnbär” to the dark and pensive Colouroids banger “Shove” and a new moniker from Silent Em & Portable Morla, Alta Dosis, 3375.1969” gathers a new clutch of artists set to earn FlexiWave another round of praise for their stellar compilations. Also on offer are Scottish/Icelandic duo Revigorators’ Joy Division-inspired Post-Punk/New-Wave excursion “Black Out City”, Black People’s one-of-a-kind textures and caterwauling rhythms on “White Man Is The Devil”, and nine other handpicked, finely crafted sonic gems.
TWINS – Music From The Insider II [CDRTP039]
Atlanta’s That Which Is Not Said or TWINS returns for his fourth release on Clan Destine. Channeling the spirit of Joy Division, Bauhaus, A Certain Ratio and other post punk legends kicking and screaming with DJ Pierre and Phuture into the NOW.
Blind Delon – Edouard [OR172016]
The acclaimed debut of one of the most surprising new projects of the very active french scene. The one man project of Mathis Kolkoz from Toulouse will delight any modern era synth wave post-punk connoisseur with rude analog synths, simple drums and effected guitars over Mathis mesmerizing voice. Drvg Cvltvre joined the party with a crazy old school acid version of “Alcoolemie”.
Morah @ Phormix Aftermath, Astron Bar (Athens) 10.09.2016
Die Form – Zoo LP [DE136]
Die Form is a French post-industrial and electronic band formed in 1977-1978. The name ‘Die Form’ means ‘(the) form/shape’ in German and is a play on the English homonym ‘deformed’ and on the French homonym ‘difforme’ (deformed). Die Form is the primary project of electronic musician and multimedia artist Philippe Fichot. He began by recording a number of experimental cassette releases in the late 1970s and formed the Bain Total label to release these early cassettes, as well as various side projects such as Krylon Hertz, Camera Obscura, Eva-Johanna Reichstag, Hurt and Fine Automatic. In 1982 Die Form released their debut vinyl album, “Die Puppe” in a limited edition of 1,000 copies. “Zoo” is a compilation of 10 tracks recorded during the “Die Puppe” sessions from 1980-82. These were the first esoteric electronic experiments, often improvised. Underlying themes of eroticism, death, and other ‘taboo’ subjects become apparent in both the music and the album artwork, which Philippe also produced. The album was recorded with entirely analog equipment, including a Roland MC4 Micro-Composer, TR-808 Rhythm Composer, ARP 2600, and Kawai 60F recorded to a Revox B77 reel to reel tape machine. Songs range from hypnotic, minimalistic proto-IDM to daring experimental sound manipulation. 4 of these songs were featured as a bonus 7” to accompany the 1989 vinyl reissue of “Die Puppe” but remixed for the project. The remaining 6 songs were also remixed and released on CD in 2001.
Celldöd – KESS03 [KESS003]
Heavy EBM stompers by Celldöd, aka Anders Karlsson, has been releasing dirty electronic music since the late ’80s, both small-run cassette tapes inspired by the DIY ethos of his post-punk background, and pristine vinyl editions.
Not Wawing – Redacted [ELP023]
Forever a label willing to revisit previous tape-only wares if the demand is there, Sam Willis and Ale Natalizia’s Ecstatic turn their gaze to one of the latter’s earliest Not Waving documents. Originally issued on highly limited, gold cassette way back in 2012, Redacted was produced during Walls downtime by Natalizia and expanded on the “classified” themes of his Remote Viewing-inspired debut LP Umwelt. Fans of the most recent Diagonal-released Not Waving LP, Animals, should be thrilled to see how far Natalizia’s project has developed in just four years with the prevailing mood on Redacted a sort of murky and brutish EBM that is wholly satisfying.
VA – Wosto / Kilian Krings Edits [SBZ002]
Sign Bit Zero strides onwards with a set of punishing dancefloor interpretations of forgotten industrial gems handpicked by Hamburg’s Wosto and label head honcho, Kilian Krings. While Wosto’s previous output as half of Fallbeil is as much informed by Chicago house as EBM, his contributions to SBZ002 focus on the C90 experimentation which roughens the edges of the duo’s past efforts for Contort Yourself and New York Haunted. Kilian Krings explores his passion for Neue Deutsche Welle and its various offshoots in his edits here, setting a bold statement for the future of both his own and Sign Bit Zero’s no-compromise approach. SBZ002 sheds light on crucial yet often overlooked aspects of 1980s industrial experimentation. Wosto and Kilian Krings morph their discoveries into club-ready headspinners, assured to prove a highlight of any adventurous DJ set.
Executive Slacks – Seams Ruff LP [DE128]
Executive Slacks began in the hot, humid summer of 1980 Philadelphia by Matt Marello, John Young and Albert Ganss, three bored, broke, anxious art students. Starting out with performance art in subways, they soon took their angst-ridden act to galleries and night clubs. The band found their moniker in a run-down bookstore after seeing an ad for men’s polyester pants. They pieced together sounds that captured the growing paranoia of an age predicted by Orwell and the growing inequalities of the 1980s. They excavated two cassettes that contained their earliest recorded material from 1980 and 1981. “Seams Ruff” is a 13 song compilation from these cassette collections plus a bonus flexi disc featuring a live performance on WXPN from 1980. The tracks were created with the use of heavily modified synthesizers and noisemakers, the broken innards of a grand piano, metal oil drums and a spray painted Harmony Rocket guitar. The Slacks drew their influences from contemporaries like Cabaret Voltaire and Tuxedomoon, as well as Disco and Dadaism. Dripping in nihilism, the song’s lyrics tackle the existential dread of the late 20th century and three of the songs are taken from “Mann ist Mann” a 1926 play by the German modernist author Bertolt Brecht. Executive Slacks’ unique brew of primitive electronics, harsh guitars and aggressive vocals inspired many bands like Ministry, Front 242 and Skinny Puppy.
Folkvett – Tröskelvärk [PATER003]
Pater Noster introduce the debut LP from Swedish synth wizard Christian Åkerström. Produced under the alias Folkvett, ‘Tröskelvärk’ is a collection of ten infectious, hypnotic and cinematic frost-covered Nordic synth jams. Analogue and uncompromising melodic minimal synth, this is music for the ice-cold punks.
All the Madman – Tape Recordings 1980-1983 [VOD145B1ATM]
All the Madmen were Neale James Potts, Michael William Richardson, Christopher Paul Bailey and Richard Roger Weston-Smith from Stoke-on-Trent, UK. They called themselves minimal synthesizer-punks. ATM started in 1980 as an Anti Rock group, believing that the way that music was played and produced should change forever. One track called ”Superior Life” made it onto the LP ”Cry Havoc”.
Din A Testbild – Programm 1&2 [MNQ090/MNQ091]
Early pioneers of the German New Wave music scene, Din A Testbild were formed in 1978 by Mark Eins and Gudrun Gut (former member of Einstürzende Neubauten, Mania D. and Malaria!). Din A Testbild played a significant role in defining the avant-garde music of Berlin. Legendary is their partecipation at the “Festival Genialer Dilletanten” in 1981. “Programm 1” and ‘Programm 2’ were mixed and produced by Klaus Schulze on his own record label Innovative Communication in 1980. This first vinyl repress celebrates the 35th anniversary of this classic electronic album.
Xao Seffcheque – Kess 02 [KESS002]
“On KESS02 we go straight to the core of the Kess Kill sound and aesthetic with this contemporary of Liaisons Dangereuses and D.A.F. Xao produced some extremely singular music in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which makes for a very proud first reissue for Kess Kill. This is music so unparalleled that making comparisons is completely redundant. Think jacked up post-punk with manic rhythmic tendencies and you’re halfway there.”
Mick Wills – outline.27
Not Waving – Digital Tsunami 100
Metropolis – Angstpolitiek [PBD001]
Introducing Broken Dreams, a new series of white label releases on Rotterdam based Pinkman label. First up is Metropolis, who returns with four Wave, Electro and Body Music hybrids. A quartet of tracks that draw on Lapien’s diverse catalogue, this is undoubtedly some of his darkest music to date. Acid, New Beat and Post-Punk influences bubble and churn throughout. Crisp beats crash, strings lament, vocals sigh and synth stabs squirm for an EP that refuses to conform to norms. A hoarse and harsh cry to open a new Pinkman chapter.
VA – Household Shocks LP [DE114]
Dark Entries present “Household Shocks”, a 16-track compilation of UK DIY/Synth/New Wave/Post-Punk originally released in 1980. The album showcases 9 bands from the thriving post-punk scene in Scunthorpe and the North of England. Operating on a shoestring budget, co-producers Chris Leaning and Paul Singleton (both of One Gang Logic), released “Household Shocks” on Stark Products, a label they founded in 1979. At almost 50 minutes of music, the album took four weeks to produce at the Studio Playground in Lincoln. It was supported heavily by the late Radio 1 DJ John Peel.
Crystal Soda Cream – Work & Velocity [TWR028]
On their by now 4th release Crystal Soda Cream yet again prove to know how to pull out all the stops: shimmering cold & toxic, passionate & sharp tongued, claustrophobic & elegantly wasted with usual aplomb. By revealing “Work & Velocity” this Vienna threesome – Theresa Adamski (dr, keys, voc), Philipp Forthuber (voc, guit) and Sebastian Ploier (bass) – bears a distinct breed of post punk, that is not just a zealous reflection of the cold, old days in a cloudy mirror, much rather CSC manage to forge a bridge between a thoroughly thought through reminiscence of stylistic device and the framing of a paramountly contemporary statement.
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RR Hearse – Call of Oedipus [JUNE010]
June Records presents RR Hearse – Call of Oedipus. Completed between 1981 and 2013, Call of Oedipus is a collection of solo works and collaborations of RR Hearse with S/M, A.Rib and Mr. Cricket. The tracks were recorded live at concerts on Greek University campuses, squats, in studio as well as in RR Hearse’s bedroom. This mini LP is a never released before document of the Greek underground music scene, transferred from cassettes and reel-to-reels’s from RR Hearse’s personal archive.
The Hipodrome Of Music 