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).
Glasgow’s Seated Records return with more archival Scottish New Wave material; this time, in the form of Pop Wallpaper’s disco-not-disco interpretation of the Shuggie Otis classic, ”Strawberry Letter 23”. The Edinburgh band first released ”Strawberry Letter 23” in 1986 as a double A side 12” alongside original song, ”Nothing Can Call Me Back”.
20 years after production Operating System presents some 80s touched electro-pop and synth-disco action by the real Robotron himself. WINDOWS XP regards itself as the re:construction of a 2002 produced and so far unreleased 6 track album by Adalbert Kupietz, created just with the power of Roland Juno-60 and TR-808.
The 1980s saw Spain become a new country. The former stranglehold on the arts loosened and experimentation flourished. This was plain to hear in the music of the time but history can be cruel and many of the artists and groups that were catalysts of change have faded with time. “Technoacrazia” rights this wrong with 16 unreleased tracks and 4 bonus tracks by Muzak, TodoTodo, Megadeath Extreme and V Generación as a compilation that brings the sounds of a pioneering outfit back to vinyl. Raw and young musical machinations, elegant and refined electronics, new and exciting sounds that cross the lines of electro, house, synth and wave to create something truly unique.
Platform 23 again explores to the dense voids, this time with a touch of the funk, with a reissue of Dutch experimentalists De Fabriek and two tracks from their “Music For” cassette series, this time calling all Hippies. Featuring both original and reinterpretations from modern-day heads, Dunkeltier and Khidja, this double-pack is something of an oddity, showcasing the bands’ expansive range, moving away from the noise, drone and industrial soundscape releases they had become known for and crafting here, free flowing, groovy longform jams.
Bordello A Parigi’s latest release brings together two heavyweights for something particularly special. Aroy Dee, founder of M>O>S Recordings, has been at the coalface of machine music for more than twenty years; Marco Antonio Spaventi, an exceptional composer with over a decade’s experience. The pair offered the tear-stained vocoder ballad of “Desire” two years back, now they return for “Sorrow.” Crisp rhythms and considered synth scales form the bedrock from which J.C.’s emotion wrung lyrics ensnare. A tale of lovelorn pain, a psychological journey of lamentations and mistakes, the track adopts the heartache of wave romance and contrasts it with clean musical lines. The “Space Dub” of the flip transforms those powerful lyrics to give space for brightness to enter. Cascading chords and sunlight break through as arpeggio quivers introduce vocoder vocals in this superb re-interpretation that balances warmth with frigid shades.
Through Twelve is an electronic-dyed combo powered by 80’s synthpop and shiny post-production by Italoconnection. Their Mini LP “Inner bridges” is full of layered basslines, pulsating rhythms, catchy vocals and retro synth warmth. Tracks such as the richly melodic “Silent Radio’ and the New Order-ish sweeps of “New Town” are irresistible invitations to stand-up and move your hips. T12 have a tendency for emotive analogue leads, expressive pads and inimitable synth sequences, in duet with electric bass phrases. T12 signature sound becomes immediately recognizable in the dancefloor-ready song “This Love”, starring Italo disco icon Fred Ventura. “Silent Radio” receives an exuberant electro-remix treatment from Italoconnection and “This Love” goes hand-in-hand with Mono Han version.
De Ambassade have dropped the ‘De’ and are now known as Ambassade. Optimo Music will be releasing their second album in 2023. Ahead of that is this glorious 2 track 12” featuring music that took our breath away when we first heard it. Both tracks are exclusive to this release.
Selected from Alexander Robotnick’s hits catalogue and released in this form for the first time, this is a unique compilation featuring all Robotnick’s electro anthems originally released on Fuzz Dance label. A must have for all the italo-disco and synth-pop freaks out there.
Pioneers, that’s what we call them. Not properly a giant team, but a bunch of forward thinking producers. In the heyday of the italo disco there was some forward thinking, a new way to address the club scene. 1985 is the golden year and if you want to get to the core of the synth-pop experience look no further ! This previously unreleased compilation collects a series of unbelievable tracks. An outstanding vision featuring la crème de la crème of the early 80s scene. All the way from electro wizard Alexander Robotnick to the astonishing performance of vocalist Mya Fracassini, through the French connection of Bigazzi brothers of Mon Bijou.
Diseñar y destruir [Design and Destroy] is the second album by Varsovia, an electronic punk project created in Lima at the beginning of 2012 by Dante Gonzales (synthesizers), Fernando Pinzás (synthesizers) and Sheri Corleone (guitar, vocals). Unlike their celebrated debut album Recursos inhumanos [Inhuman Resources] (2014), this new production reflects a greater influence of styles such as industrial music and EBM, but maintaining the sound of analog synthesizers as a principle. The lyrics follow a concept based on the period of violence that Peru experienced in the 1980s, with samples of General Juan Velasco Alvarado and songs that refer to situations such as blackouts, bombings of terrorist groups, and the uncertainty of living in the midst of the armed conflict in a city lost in chaos.
Just in time for Hallween, ‘Night Of The Creeps’ is a fiery new disco single from Francisco and Malkuth that nods slyly to the 1986 cult comedy-horror movie of the same name, in which zombies, aliens and murderers all conspire to victimize their helpless captors. The track is a lo-fi electronic disco gut-puncher, replete with effortlessly processed vocals made to sound as demonic and low-pitched as LOTR’s Sauron. It speaks of nightmares, death, etc. On the B, Rodion serves up a nearly unclassifiable slice of horror acid, but to the trained ear it might be peggable somewhere between two interrelated styles, dungeon synth and EBM. Two absolute neck-biters from the Dutch camp, Bordello A Parigi.
Medical Records releases the first full LP by Dutch cosmic explorers Staatseinde. Formed in 2006, Staatseinde have released a multitude of cassettes, singles as well as a CDR album in 2012. ”Fehlerlinie” represents the culmination of a very productive couple of years including stellar performances at the streaming IFM Fest, the release of compelling collaboration tapes and other releases. Though impossible to confine to a single genre or style, their music can be described as a captivating fusion of electro-pop, electro-clash and robotic punk/wave. Each and every track carefully chosen for this LP is a dancefloor ripper.
Rubber welcomes Swedish artist Towa Isling (towLie) under her skitungen alias. While some of you might be familiar with distorted drums and seething synth lines from the kafTen records founder, her skitungen project emits a more brazen energy. “Längre än Långtån” embodies Towa’s raw and DIY approach, but takes an unexpected turn towards the odd and dreamy. This results in a beautiful assembly combining Towa’s ethereal voice with satisfying weirdo beat music.
Schneebezen was formed in 1986/87 by Bart Plaskoff (vocals, lyrics, backing keyboard) and Glen Moller (keyboards, programming, backing vocals). They managed to build a small recording studio in West Los Angeles and started to compose their first songs. In 1989, with the assistance of producer Bryan Carlstrom (Billy Idol, PIL), they recorded the EP “Take Those Shades Off”. This release included two top-ten hits. “Magical Meeting Of The Minds” and “Can’t Remain A Friend” were beating out bands like Depeche Mode and The Cure on various dance charts thanks to heavy rotation on KROQ, LIVE-105 and other radio stations around the USA and abroad. In light of this success an EMI executive approached the band. Bart and Glen began doing some demos in 1990 but it was during this time they realized that from their perspective synth music was dead so creative differences began to occur. They knew they would go the way of most bands on the edge of getting a record deal with a major label. Schneebezen split. “Amnesia Lane” is a compendium of the short but fruitful career of Schneebezen including the complete “Take Those Shades Off” EP and lot of unreleased stuff with studio recordings, live outtakes and demos recorded between 1989 and 1990. Everything has been carefully restored and remastered from the original DAT and cassette tapes.
The Hipodrome Of Music 