LeLu/Lu’s – Operating On Specific Cues: Early Works 1982-86 [VOD125]

June 7, 2014August 3, 2021 hipodromecold wave, compilation, electro, lelu/lu's, minimal synth, synth pop, synth wave, vinyl on demand recordsLeave a comment

LELU/LU'S - Operating On Specific Cues: Early Works 1982-86

LeLu/Lu’s were an early to late 80’s electronic/synth-based project based around Deni (in the early 80’s known as Yo-Yo and nowadays known as Timekode). In 1985 they released a fantastic 12 song tape on Unlikely Records (URT91) called ”Operating on Specific Cues” which forms the basis of this 25 track 2 LP-release While the tape is still rather unknown to fans of synth music, the three 7”s released from 1985-87 (on Alain Neffe’s Insane Music as well as Possum and R&D Records), with the outstanding tracks ”Spaceman Bassman”, ”Africa” and ”Fragile Thing”, are better known to the minimal synth/wave community and collectors of 80’s wave and minimal synth vinyl.

Rational Youth – Cold War Night Life Recordings 1981-84 [VOD124]

June 7, 2014January 23, 2024 hipodromebill vorn, cold wave, compilation, electro, minimal synth, paul northfield, rams horn, rational youth, synth pop, synth wave, tracy howe, vinyl on demand recordsLeave a comment

One of Canadas first synth-pop groups, Rational Youth was formed in the summer of 1981 by Tracy Howe (The Normals, Men Without Hats, Heaven Seventeen) and Bill Vorn (U, Sacred Noise). Within the 10+ years that Howe put Rational Youth on indefinite hiatus, their early vinyl recordings (1981-1982) became much sought after collector items, and had been re-branded as minimal-synth. This 5LP set with booklet provides an almost complete overview of their works from 1981-1984.

Neud – Play [BAP024]

May 21, 2014November 7, 2017 hipodromebordello a parigi, italo-disco, iva viskovic, neud, nico nightingale, pierre klein, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Neud is a trio from NYC and Zagreb consisting of Nico Nightingale (Neud Photo), Iva Viskovic (Croatian chanteuse), and Pierre Klein (MOX). They’ve been producing their own brand of Italo/Space Disco the ‘old skool’ way since last summer. Ranging from sexy, groovin dizko to deep, dark and dancey trax.

Traxx / NPNK – Revenge Of The Poulet Cat [MME909]

April 4, 2014June 25, 2025 hipodrome#npnk, edits, electro, macadam mambo, macadam mambo edits, nappunk, nation records, post punk, synth pop, timo winkmann, traxxLeave a comment

For those who have been following Macadam Mambo from the beginning, you must have noticed that eclecticism and craziness are definitively the main lines of the label. Well, this new release by Nation’s Traxx and Npnk will prove it once again. They have prepared 4 stunning edits, exploring Industrial, Minimal Synth Pop, EBM, Post Punk.

Seacrypt – Seekers [FIR007]

March 27, 2014March 26, 2014 hipodromefalco invernale records, minimal synth, seacrypt, synth popLeave a comment

Lovely 80’s rooted electro pop tunes by Seacrypt on Falco Invernale Records.

Psyche – Re-Membering Dwayne LP [DE061LP]

March 14, 2014September 17, 2019 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, darrin huss, dwayne goettel, industrial, post punk, psyche, stephen huss, synth popLeave a comment

At the end of 1981, brothers Darrin and Stephen Huss and schoolmate Dwayne Goettel performed for the first time as Psyche in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Their live show was a combination of horror and electronics that was completely unprecedented in Western Canada. Although Goettel and the Huss brothers parted ways before Psyche was to release any material, the masters containing Dwayne Goettel’s performances were preserved in the band’s vaults. Now, 19 years after Goettel’s untimely passing in 1995, Dark Entries records presents ”Re-Membering Dwayne”, the original Psyche-Dwayne Goettel sessions. All tracks were recorded and mixed on 4-track during a single day in March of 1983. Psyche’s early material is visceral and abrasive, a far cry from the sleek, dark synthpop they’d later become known for. Psyche disquietingly conflate the organic and the mechanical, calling into question the limits of the human form. Each LP includes a 12-page booklet with excerpts from Darrin Huss’ diary, unpublished photos of Psyche with Dwayne, and an essay by Darrin reflecting on Psyche’s past and the Goettel legacy as well as lyrics. This collection is a glimpse at the early Canadian industrial scene and the roots of Skinny Puppy. Go take a walk in the past with an ear for the future; you just might learn something.

Soma Holiday – Shake Your Molecules EP [MW052]

March 14, 2014June 29, 2019 hipodromejane honicker, jean-marc vallod, minimal synth, minimal wave records, re-release, reissue, soma holiday, synth popLeave a comment

Minimal Wave presents a remastered reissue of Soma Holiday‘s cult classic, Shake Your Molecules. Soma Holiday was a Franco-American duo consisting of Jean-Marc Vallod (FR) and Jane Honicker (US), based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn back in the early 1980s. They recorded “Shake Your Molecules” along with “Too Many People” and “Art Dimension” in 1984. With the help of Eric Dufaure, they had their 12” released on Cachalot Records in the US, and later a further pressing was made by Les Disques Du Soleil Et De L’Acier in France. That quintessential NYC electro / hop hop sound infused with the French New Wave sensibility is what ended up making “Shake Your Molecules” such a unique dance floor hit. This release includes the original “Shake Your Molecules” mix, the unreleased dub version and two other unreleased outtakes of “Too Many People” and “Art Dimension”, all from their 1984 studio recordings at Unique Recording Studios.

The Games – Circus Minimus [ANNA050]

February 15, 2014August 17, 2023 hipodromealbum, anna logue, synth pop, synth wave, the gamesLeave a comment

The Games truly were visionaries and pioneers. They never got the credit they deserved because they were not in the right place at the right time and lacked the contacts good management could have provided. This album is a must for all synth-pop enthusiasts and lovers of quality pop anthems. It earns its place as an historical masterpiece when you consider the dates when these songs were released and the timeless relevance of the songs to the world today.

Os Ovni – Let’s Leave Reality [SC002]

February 15, 2014February 13, 2014 hipodromealbum, minimal synth, os ovni, something cold, synth popLeave a comment

“‘Let’s Leave Reality,” the debut LP from Florida’s intergalactic synth duo, Os Ovni. Let’s Leave Reality features eight tracks of experimental electronic pop lost in time and space. The psychedelic harmonies and colliding layers of synths paint a vision of a future that isn’t so much bleak as it is paranoid. Hyper-paced drum machines buzz under the shimmering structure of the synths. Logan and Omebi’s vocals stir in perfect harmony glazed with lost celluloid inspired visions.

Roladex – Anthems For The Micro-Age [MR031]

February 2, 2014February 18, 2019 hipodromealbum, electro, medical records llc, roladex, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Medical Records presents it’s second contemporary artist release with Roladex. Using an arsenal of analog instruments, Roladex nostalgically borrows ideas from music of the past to carefully craft a unique brand of futuristic-mechanized pop, with an emphasis on songwriting and layered production. Weaving sparse, sequenced arpeggios into fuzzy bass and bubbly melodies to create a bed of sound where they layout a somehow bright melancholia. Part minimal synth-wave, part dream pop. The opening track “Anthem For The Micro-Age” sets the tone with dreamy atmospheric synth textures and interwoven male and female vocals. “Love Surgery” is chock full of pop hooks and synth leads interspersed with angular guitar accents. “Empty Streets” has an almost minimal John Bender bedroom aesthetic. Fans of early Wire (esp 154), Drinking Electricity, Fad Gadget and even noisy 90s shoegaze are sure to enjoy. Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight electric blue transparent vinyl and features a bonus LP insert with lyrics.

Silent Servant – Holiday Mix December 2013

January 20, 2014 hipodromedark wave, juan mendez, minimal synth, post punk, silent servant, synth popLeave a comment

Lè Travo – Erring And Errant [DE056]

January 13, 2014July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, cold wave, dark entries records, dark wave, lè travo, patrick bollen, post punk, synth popLeave a comment

Lè Travo is the brainchild of Patrick Bollen from Tienen, Belgium. As a teenager in the early 1980s, Patrick would visit ”DeAtelier”, the infamous coldwave/gothic club in Leuven. He would be inspired by Joy Division and other Factory releases, The Danse Society and Cocteau Twins. He gathered a some session musicians and a female backup vocalist. Eventually Patrick bought a Greengate DE-3 sampler, using the brains of an Apple 2E with a keyboard bolted onto it. He crafted loops made from a deconstructed upright piano, hitting the strings directly with a drum stick. Lè Travo made their first appearance on a split LP with Fred A in 1984. ”Erring and Errant” is their debut 7 song LP originally released in 1985. For the reissue 3 bonus songs from the split LP have been added. The songs are coldwave in the vein of Weimar Gesang, Opera Multi Steel, and Clan of Xymox. Guitar, bass and sample interplay with piano and synthesizers with dark and forbidding crescendos in the fast numbers, and elegaic melancholy in the slow tracks. The vocals are delivered with a sense of urgency, while the lyrics are inspired by avant-garde movements such as futurism and constructivism, as well as science fiction and existentialism.

Victrola – Maritime Tatami [DE055]

January 13, 2014March 4, 2025 hipodromeantonio cuscin, carlo smeriglio, dark entries records, electro, synth pop, victrolaLeave a comment

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A special series called Dark Entries Editions, dedicated to 12” singles made for the dance floor. The first release in this series is Victrola, the duo of Antonio ”Eze” Cuscin and Carlo Smeriglio from Italy. The band formed in Messina, but later relocated to Florence to join the rich musical scene there with Neon, Pankow, Alexander Robotnick and Diaframma. Beginning as a 4-piece combo (two guitarists, bassist, drummer) in 1979, they slimmed down to a synthesizer and guitar-based duo a few years later.

VA – I Am Enfant Terrible [ETX]

January 12, 2014October 18, 2022 hipodromecompilation, electro, enfant terrible, family jewels, minimal synth, new wave, solitude fx, sololust, synth pop, the new ageLeave a comment

This new compilation is created to celebrate the 10 years of activity of Enfant Terrible. ”I Am Enfant Terrible” makes clear the traditions ET has been working in but at the same time is an album with the broad spectrum of sounds they are interested in. From indie pop to new wave to minimal synth and from noise to elektro and IDM and ambient, from poppy to experimental to dance music. This is what Enfant Terrible is…

Mick Wills @ Batofar (Paris) 16.11.2013

January 8, 2014October 19, 2015 hipodromebatofar, chicago house, mick wills, minimal synth, synth popLeave a comment

Continue reading “Mick Wills @ Batofar (Paris) 16.11.2013” →

L.A.S.’s Crime – Mutatio (Modified) [JAMTRAXSPECIAL002]

December 27, 2013June 26, 2019 hipodromealbum, dkmd, ferdj, j.a.m. traxx, l.a.s.’s crime, maria elena brogi, minimal synth, sandro marchetti, synth popLeave a comment

This is not your ‘usual’ L.A.S.’s Crime album, as if something had gone wrong in cloning, and what came out is magically different and at the same time deeply consistent with the productions of the 80s … with the participation of bands, artists and DJs from all over the world, the result is a beautiful mutant vinyl…7 songs remade as extended versions, a ‘size’ of song so diffused in ’80s, half way pop and dance.

VA – Light Sounds Dark [LSD012]

December 27, 2013March 29, 2022 hipodromecompilation, light sounds dark, minimal synth, new wave, synth popLeave a comment

Light Sounds Dark continue their impeccably curated endeavours this year, with a self titled compilation put together by their ‘International Communication Network’ adding a sense of accomplishment to previous 2013 transmissions such as that collection of archival Mutant Beat Dance material and the superb Dark Matters Too compilation. Those whose pants were charmed off by that latter release will find much to enjoy and investigate on this double vinyl selection. An undisclosed international cast of record diggers from San Francisco, Chicago, London and Manerbio (that’s in Italian province Brescia in case you were wondering) have selected 16 tracks that feature Dutch tape experiments in sound, murky industrial punk, proto techno, abstract synth pop and more. Not quite sure about the fluorescent pink cover art though…..

Tommy De Chirico – Close Your Eyes [MNQ041]

November 5, 2013July 17, 2019 hipodromemannequin records, minimal synth, synth pop, tommy de chiricoLeave a comment

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]

November 5, 2013June 29, 2019 hipodromealbum, hard corps, minimal synth, minimal wave records, regine fetet, synth popLeave a comment

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.

Featureless Ghost – Sugarcoated [CGI000]

November 5, 2013April 26, 2023 hipodromebeau wanzer, cgi records, claire elise tippins, featureless ghost, matt weiner, scott fraser, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

The newly forged CGI label debuts with a 12″ release from Featureless Ghost, a Atlanta-via- Brooklyn duo hotly tipped with the online content farm after releases on the Crash Symbols and Night People labels. Describing themselves simply as ‘synths/rhythms/voices/moods’ the Featureless Ghost pairing of Matt Weiner and Elise Tippins occupy the crawl space between synth pop, wave, industrial and nascent forms of techno, which manifests itself in two intriguing original tracks in “Sugar coated” and “Cybersapien”. Kudos to CGI for the remix commissions too, with both Scott Fraser and Beau Wanzer excelling – the latter’s take on previous FG single “Flash” is a particular highlight here.