Le Cliché – Consumer Manoeuvres LP [CBR011]

“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.

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Le Cliché – Consumer Manoeuvres LP [CBR011]

Red Ferish – A Derangement Of Synapses [MR054]

Medical Records presents a hand-picked selection of home recorded demos from Stoke, UK’s Red Fetish. Armed with a Korg 770, Yamaha CS10, Korg Rhythm 55, a guitar here and there and a Teac 244 four track recorder, the band consisted of Neale James Potts and Mike Richardson. These tracks were recorded in 1982-83 and all culled from various cassettes that the band recorded. The songs are built from very minimal and sparse synth lines yet the overall feel is interestingly dense and warm. Standout tracks include the playful and futuristic “Modern Age” and “The Last Man”. A few of these tracks were previously released (different version) on a 7″ on Anna Logue (Germany) but most have been largely unheard until now. Sprinkled in amongst the catchy vocal pop songs are quite a few very warm and synth heavy instrumentals as well such as “The Immortals” and “Blaze”. This collection will absolutely be another piece of the highly intriguing and ever-deep well of minimal synth acts such as other contemporaries Oppenheimer Analysis, Twilight Ritual, Iron Curtain, and the like. Certainly fans of early Human League (especially The Future), early cassette culture wave and similar will enjoy this collection immensely.

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Red Ferish – A Derangement Of Synapses [MR054]