Caroline K – Don’t Belive It’s Over [MNQ130]

July 23, 2019June 28, 2021 hipodromealessandro adriani, beverley ireland, caroline k, caroline kaye walters, mannequin records, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Mannequin Records presents a rare lost demo tape recording of Caroline K – real name Caroline Kaye Walters – founder member of Nocturnal Emissions, one of the best UK experimental/industrial music groups in the 1980s. With the help of Beverley Ireland – a mysterious friend of Caroline, who nobody seems to know anything nowdays – on the vocals, Caroline used a full weapon gear made of Sequential Circuit Six Tracks and Drumtracks, Roland SH-101, Roland Tr-808, Powertran Vocoder, EMS Synthi, some Casio, all recorded on a Fostex 8 tracks reel-to-reel. Presented in 4 different versions – Original, Dub, Instrumental and Alessandro Adriani Edit – ‘Dont Believe It’s Over’ was recorded in 1983 at Caroline’s home studio in Brixton.

Linea Aspera – Preservation Bias [DE253]

July 2, 2019December 9, 2019 hipodromealbum, alison lewis, dark entries records, electro, industrial, linea aspera, minimal synth, re-release, reissue, ryan ambridge, synth popLeave a comment

Dark Entries continues celebrating our 10 year anniversary with ‘Preservation Bias’, a compilation of lost songs and rarities from Linea Aspera out June 28th. The group formed in London in November 2011 by Ryan Ambridge (Synths/Programming) and Alison Lewis (Vocals/Synths). Within the duo, Alison writes and performs all vocal elements, while Ryan is responsible for producing, recording and mixing the electronics. We released their debut self titled album in June 2012 that was followed by a posthumous vinyl reissue of their tour cassette “II” on Weyrd Son Records in 2013. For all recordings Ryan utilizes an analog synthesizer set up: Roland SH-09, Roland Juno 6, Vermona DRM MKiii, Korg Poly 800 and Analogue Solutions Semblance. Linea Aspera’s sound includes clear influences from 1980s electronic body music, synth-pop, industrial and noise. Lyrically the band incorporates the sciences of osteology, neuroscience, and anthropology weaving a new medical language around themes of desire, despair and renewal. Linea Aspera is the muscle attachment on the back of the femur and translates to ‘rough line’ in Latin. ‘Preservation Bias’ features all three songs from the limited ‘II’ tour cassette EP, four songs from the 2012 self-titled limited cassette EP and one song from the Desire Records 2013 compilation ‘And You Will Find Them In The Basement’. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each LP is housed in jacket designed by Niall Greaves and includes a double-sided insert with lyrics.

Coldreams – Eyes / Morning Rain [CAM014]

June 6, 2019June 5, 2019 hipodromecamisole records, cold wave, coldreams, re-release, reissue, rock hardi, synth popLeave a comment

This long time sought after french post-punk/coldwave/melancholic pop 7″ finally gets an official reissue, by Camisole Records. Coldreams was a french female fronted post-punk band hailing from Clermont-Ferrand.

Cosmo Vitelli – Holiday in Panikstrasse Part 1 [MALKATUTILP005A]

June 3, 2019February 3, 2020 hipodromecosmo vitelli, disco, fantastic twins, malka tuti, sebastian lee philipp, synth popLeave a comment

With his upcoming two-part LP on Malka Tuti, Cosmo Vitelli brings forward his more diverse and somehow mature musical side, combining elements of post-punk, krautrock, electronica and pop on this first of 2 four-track records. The songs on the LP transcend style and genre. They manage to hold and playfully sustain an idea that echoes throughout them all – a musical “saying” as well as a personal life experience, and they reflect Cosmo’s prolific studio work of the past 2 years since he moved to Berlin.

TodoTodo – Digital Dancer / Autogas [FRV030]

May 29, 2019May 29, 2019 hipodromedisco, domestica records, edits, electro, frigio records, juanpablo, luis costa, synth pop, todotodoLeave a comment

Almost forty years later, Frigio is bringing some of their music to a fresh audience, the pioneer proto-techno Spanish band TodoTodo and featuring original music plus killer edits by Juanpablo & Luis Costa. Juanpablo with his extended edit of “Digital Dancer.” A steady kick tethers a tripping mechanical melody, a melody that bubbles and simmers as toms, horns and daring funk collide for this seven minute odyssey into the world of Iberian underground synth. The original version from 81 closes the A, a brief and brilliant piece of proto-techno. The flip is introduced by Catalan Dj, journalist and author of ‘Bacalao’ Historia Oral de la Musica de Baile en Valencia, Luis Costa. Costa re-imagines “Autogas” with his Tool Edit, reshaping the off-kilter keys and future highways and byways of the original. The finale is a true treasure from the annals of time. A live version of “Autogas” from the legendary Rock’Ola club in Madrid, an unreleased work that is as audacious and bold as it was when it was first performed in 1981.

Zed – Plastic Love [ERZ-004]

May 18, 2019May 16, 2019 hipodromeerezioni, fuzz dance, italo-disco, re-release, reissue, strictly groove, synth pop, zedLeave a comment

The Italian Fuzz Dance! Just said almost everything about the global dance music scene. One of the most prominent labels to connect the old Continent to the new Continent. For many top players it is considered the blueprint of Italo-disco, for many others the beginning of the House sound. Some of the records on its catalogue are merely timeless and in the history forever. And ”Plastic Love” is definitely one of those.

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.

Kyoto / Zoe Sinatra – Venetian Blinds / Mais Qu’Est-Ce Que Tu Fumes [STR012-026]

April 15, 2019August 9, 2019 hipodromedisco, kyoto, stroom, synth pop, zoe sinatraLeave a comment

”Venetian Blinds, bound to be partly closed for eternity, Offer a glimpse into a miniature of trompe-l’oeil and deceitful appearances. Time sometimes lets truth leak. Due to some obscure little schemes your name was never mentioned: Belinda de Bruyn, you sung with a glacial voice, shaping fantasies with surgical mastery.You were young, inexperienced, and very angry and deceived – and Kyoto’s song became a lone pop hit that never reached the charts. In the paranoid era that bred it, it should have. It has to. Give this ode to consenting voyeurism a second chance. Get the one you love a bouquet of black painted roses, this record and a venomous kiss.”

Artrax – Intersections #73

April 10, 2019April 9, 2019 hipodromeartrax, disco, electro, intersections, noods radio, synth popLeave a comment

Continue reading “Artrax – Intersections #73” →

Lhasa – Acetabularia [DE247]

April 10, 2019May 12, 2019 hipodromealain raes, dark entries records, lhasa, new beat, re-release, reissue, synth popLeave a comment

Lhasa is the brainchild of Alain Raes from Siegen, Germany. As a teenager he was inspired by Tubeway Army’s ‘Are Friends Electric’ and Art Of Noise’s ‘Beatbox’. In 1985 he began collecting analog equipment (Prophet-5; Oberheim OB-X; Linn LM-1) as digital synthesizers had started to become more popular. In 1986, New Beat was born in Belgium. Dancers tapped into the darker side of synth pop, and DJs would play 45 rpm records at 33 with the pitch control set to +8. Alain was playing in New Wave bands and had started production work and synth programming for other acts. In 1988 he self-released the debut Lhasa single ‘Acetabularia’ / ‘Acetatechno’, with help from Kris Tremmery on vocals and concept. The record combined the icy melodies of Gary Numan and John Foxx with with the mechanical rhythms of Detroit techno and EBM. Thematically, both tracks revolve around the end of life on Earth, and include samples from ‘Dr. Strangelove’. For this first time reissue, we’ve added 4 bonus tracks rescued from a 1990 recording session DAT tape. These demos show further development of the Lhasa sound with updated instruments (Roland D-20, Yamaha TX16W, Korg 707), faster tempos, and menacing proto-rave energy.

Gladkazuka – The Drop [COMEME049]

April 10, 2019April 9, 2019 hipodromecomeme records, electro, gladkazuka, gregorio gomez, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Gregorio Gomez aka Gladkazuka is a mythical figure from Medellin’s underground nightlife, contributing since pre-smartphone ages with energetic live sets to the celebration of life in the convulsive surrounding of the Colombian city. He is back on Cómeme with a full EP in which highly emotive and sensual electro dance fantasies culminate to ‘The Drop’. Gomez’ creations are nocturnal and lush, utopian and melancholic – underground dance pop that would be mainstream in a better world.

Thomas Leer – Saving Drum / Tight As A Drum [ERC075]

April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 hipodromebullion, cherry red, disco, electro, emotional rescue, emotional response recordings, synth pop, thomas leerLeave a comment

Emotional Rescue announces an EP with two (un)classic songs from Thomas Leer, remastered, reappraised and reinterpreted with new versions by Bullion. The release starts with ‘Saving Grace’, a long famous cosmic classic, it’s mid-tempo, spacey, lifting repetition is the perfect soundtrack for trips straight to the stars. This is backed with ‘Tight As A Drum’, a quintessential Leer production, where Teutonic drums is overlaid with sequencers and synth tones to elevate the song to some kind of disorientating outer-dimensional dub, while his lucid, spoken word vocals instill degradation and reinvention. Bullion is offering his own take on these two songs. A revered artist in his own time, the warmth and depth of his versions takes the originals to his own inner world.

Vermelho Wonder – Night Crawlers EP [MMR033]

March 23, 2019March 25, 2019 hipodromedisco, electro, house, ivana wonder, massimiliano pagliara, mister mistery, rotciv, synth pop, vermelho, vermelho wonderLeave a comment

Sao Paulo’s “Vermelho Wonder” (AKA DJ Vermelho and vocalist Ivana Wonder) debut on Mister Mistery, loaded with Italo-disco, New-wave, Synth-pop and House influences, the duo already made a name for themselves locally with a huge and very present fanbase. The EP comes with two dance-floor remixes by Italian Massimiliano Pagliara and Mister Mistery’s ROTCIV.

Daniele Cosmo @ Lux Institut (Zürich) 22.02.2019

March 8, 2019March 7, 2019 hipodromeaperitif de la mort, daniele cosmo, industrial, lux institut, lux rec, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Ruins – Occasional Visits [STREP-023]

February 13, 2019October 24, 2019 hipodromealbum, alessandro pizzin, electro, minimal synth, piergiuseppe ciranna, ruins, stroom, synth popLeave a comment

Stroom’s valentine special for 2019. ”Lovely” Electro / Wave from Venice, Italy (1981-1984).

Decadance – On and On (Fears Keep On) [MNQ055]

February 12, 2019April 4, 2019 hipodromedecadance, franco rago, gigi farina, mannequin records, proto records, re-release, reissue, synth popLeave a comment

Mannequin Records presents a new press of Decadance “On And On (Fears Keep On)”, one of the most iconic underground Italo-wave track ever. Produced by Franco Rago & Gigi Farina, the masterminds behind cult italo disco projects ‘Lectric Workers, Wanexa, Expansives, Atelier Folie, Peter Richard and many more, the single was originally released in 1983 by Proto Records.

Curses – So Strange EP [WE008]

February 5, 2019December 16, 2021 hipodromecurses, disco, electro, horror disco, luca venezia, slow motion records, synth pop, synth wave, wrong eraLeave a comment

CURSES - So Strange

A new addition to our ever-growing discoid dance club is Curses. The Italo American brings something a little darker to the party – four cuts of EBM influenced madness. Bone crunching snares and B-Movie samples sit atop shimmering synth licks that will be right at home on a wide variety of modern and retro dance-floors.

La Batterie – Let There Be Drums [OYSTERTRIBE1]

January 24, 2019February 23, 2022 hipodromebenedikt frey, disco, kalahari oyster cult, la batterie, max abysmal, richard podolor, sandy nelson, synth popLeave a comment

LA BATTERIE - Let There Be Drums

First opus of the new series is La Batterie, by the UK’s Richard Podolor and Sandy Nelson in 1983 in the hypnotic shimmering disco of ‘Let There Be Drums.’ The music of Polodor and Nelson is being given new life by Kalahari Oyster Cult. Alongside the entrancing original are two remixes. First up is Australia via Amsterdam’s very own Max Abysmal with his ‘Spooky Remix.’ Adopting and adapting the raw energy of the ’83 version, Abysmal layers ghostly notes and spectral snares into his mechanical remake. The flip takes on a different slant with ‘Shotgun’ taken from the EP of twenty fives years ago. A super slick work of understated funk shot through with bold keys and powerful chants to show another side of the UK pair. The fiercely talented Benedikt Frey closes, turning his daringly able hand to ‘Let There Be Drums.’ He keeps the vocal line, the rest of his rework is dipped in a thick heart of darkness threat. Pulsing thumps, menacing notes and danger lurk in this jungle of Frey’s own making.

Niv Ast – Disco Monroe [SC&P006]

January 24, 2019October 4, 2023 hipodromecrackle & pop, disco, electro, experimental, khidja, mr tc, niv ast, snap, synth popLeave a comment

For their sixth release London based record label and clubnight Snap, Crackle & Pop return with another slice of the post punk and kraut influenced electro/techno sounds that are coming to define the label. The latest release comes from Niv Ast and it serves as a follow up to his appearance on this summers Relish compilation. The EP leads with an ice cold slab of post punk swagger in the form of Quebec / Makolet which gets the remix treatment from previous collaborators Khidja, the Romanian duo strip the percussion back for the dancefloor and tease out the track’s darker side with more than a hint of acidic malevolence. For the B-Side Disco Monroe offers a nostalgic slice of pitched down French Electro undoubtedly influence by the Djs recent residencies in Paris. Optimo Music’s Mr TC rounds off the EP with his unmistakably left field vision to give the track a dark tropical re-imagining.