Boy Harsher – Country Girl Uncut LP [NUDE012LP]

November 1, 2019December 20, 2019 hipodromealbum, boy harsher, electro, minimal synth, nude club records, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Self-styled “minimal synth duo” Boy Harsher has released some fine music over the last few years, though little quite as on-point and majestic as 2018’s “Country Girl” EP. Here they offer up a new-look “uncut” edition of the stylish set, which expands the original four-track set via a quartet of previously unreleased recordings from the same period. You’ll find the original EP – complete with the throbbing but picturesque “Motion” and dreamy “Country Girl” – on side A, with the bonus material on the flip. Of these, we’re particularly enjoying the gentle pulse of “Underwater”, and the “Please” era Pet Shop Boys flex of “Send Me A Vision” and “Westerners”.

GOTT – EP [UV051]

November 1, 2019November 3, 2019 hipodromeelectro, gott, minimal synth, scannoir, sneaker, synth wave, uncanny valleyLeave a comment

After 1/2 GOTT comes GOTT. Once again, Sneaker from Dresden/Berlin and Scannoir from Zurich have locked themselves up in the studio to translate their love for EBM and dark synth pop into striking dance floor material. The successor to their debut EP on Uncanny Valley, which introduced open-minded dancers to the self-proclaimed New Swiss Wave last year opens up with TOTAL KOMMANDER, a hard rocking drum workout that makes you want to march ahead of a demonstration after you’ll leave the club. EN BLICK UFS MATTERHORN is a tribute to playful Minimal Synth and a declaration of love to the fun that two like-minded people have when producing music. And then we have PASSION, a 15-minute monster of a track, that carries all the qualities of GOTT to the extreme: unique arrangements with a surprising build-up, whipping drum work and an atmosphere that can be both intimidating and soothing.

Ruins – Marea / Tide: Sound & Image Research Volume One [MFM043]

October 27, 2019October 22, 2020 hipodromealbum, alessandro pizzin, ambient, exerimental, music from memory, piergiuseppe ciranna, re-release, reissue, ruins, synth waveLeave a comment

Music From Memory’s latest release is a reissue of the lost Art record ‘Marea / Tide’ from Italian Wave duo Alessandro Pizzin and Piergiuseppe Ciranna also know as ‘Ruins’. Made to accompany and as a response to the works of painter ‘Luigi Viola’ the record was released limited to a run of 600 with original artworks by the painter included in the first 200 copies. A number of special showcases were performed at various galleries by the duo alongside Viola’s work, with records being available solely at those events. Due to poor management and disagreements with the label who produced the record, 300 copies were held for many years in storage and then in fact later even destroyed, the record disappearing almost without a trace. Finally now available again and with a bonus 7” including four beautiful unreleased tracks, the release is printed in colors true to the original work of Luigi Viola with insert.

Patrick Cowley – Mechanical Fantasy Box [DE269LP]

October 18, 2019October 18, 2019 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, disco, experimental, patrick cowley, synth waveLeave a comment

Patrick Cowley was one of the most revolutionary and influential figures in the canon of electronic dance music. Born in Buffalo, NY on October 19, 1950, Patrick moved to San Francisco in 1971 to study electronic music at the City College of San Francisco. By the late ’70s, Patrick’s synthesizer techniques landed him a job composing and producing songs for disco diva Sylvester, including #1 hit “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”. Cowley created his own brand of peak-time party music known as Hi-NRG, also dubbed “The San Francisco Sound.” By 1981 Patrick had released a string of his own dance 12″ singles, such as “Menergy” and “Megatron Man”. That year, he co-founded Megatone Records to release his debut album Megatron Man. Meanwhile, Patrick was hospitalized and diagnosed with an unknown illness, which would later be named AIDS. Recovering for a spell, in 1982 he composed two more #1 hits, “Do You Wanna Funk” for Sylvester, and “Right On Target” for Paul Parker, as well as a second solo album Mind Warp. His life was cut short on November 12, 1982, when he passed away two weeks after his 32nd birthday from AIDS-related illness.
Mechanical Fantasy Box is a new collection of 13 unreleased songs recorded between 1973-80 released in tandem with Cowley’s homoerotic journal of the same title. What you hold in your hand is a collection of Cowley’s work from the years preceding his meteoric rise as a pioneer of Hi-NRG dance music. This was before drum machines. Before programmable, polyphonic digital synthesis, this is experimental music in every sense. Sounds flows from funk to kraut to psychedelic ambient electronics inspired by Tomita and Kraftwerk. As David Diebold stated in Tribal Rites, “Patrick Cowley parted the veil and entered a dark world of forbidden forces, wondrous musical panoramas and bold, strident, hopeful possibilities. Patrick brought the future to us and laid it at our feet.”
Proceeds from Mechanical Fantasy Box will be donated to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, who have been committed to ending the pandemic and human suffering caused by HIV since 1982.

Templebeat – Interzone LP [AHLP001]

October 17, 2019July 16, 2020 hipodromealbum, aspecto humano, electro, energeia, industrial, re-release, reissue, synth wave, templebeatLeave a comment

Glad to rescue this authentic lost treasure from music genre. Templebeat, Italian group now extinct which moved between EBM and Industrial. The formation created in 1990, is part of the self-named second generation of EBM groups. Originally published on cassette in 1992 by label also Italian, Energeia.

VA – Schwarze Schweiz Pt. 1 [LXRC039]

October 17, 2019October 16, 2019 hipodrome808hz, am khamsaa, electro, eli line, experimental, industrial, krankenzimmer 204, lux rec, nicola kazimir, synth wave, trillion tapemanLeave a comment

Schwarze Schweiz is a compilation, split in two records, which gathers together Swiss active musicians working in those obscure territories that have been Lux Rec playground for so long. Trostlosigkeit, Elend und Isolation. Ärger, Schwermut und Dunkelheit. Their statement to this country.

Juanpablo – Video Club Podcast 043

October 16, 2019October 15, 2019 hipodromeacid, electro, frigio records, industrial, juanpablo, podcast, synth wave, video clubLeave a comment

VA – Previously Undisclosed Rituals III [VEYL011]

October 9, 2019November 9, 2020 hipodromealexey volkov, empire state, industrial, neud photo, synth wave, techno, terence fixmer, the sixteen steps, veyl, vtssLeave a comment

Alexey Volkov, Terence Fixmer (with an unreleased track from 2005), VTSS and label bannermen Empire State join Neud Photo (Return to Disorder) and The Sixteen Steps (Cititrax) on the third and final chapter of Veyl’s ‘Previously Undisclosed Rituals’ series.

VA – Ombra Festival Unusual Sounds Gathering Vol. 1 [OR64]

September 18, 2019September 18, 2019 hipodromecelldöd, industrial, new wave, ombra festival, oraculo records, post punk, psyche, rnxrx, synth wave, the present moment, we are not brothersLeave a comment

Oráculo Records presents “Ombra Festival Unusual Sounds Gathering Volume 1”, a vinyl compilation created to celebrate the very upcoming second edition of Ombra Festival, that will take place next November 29th and 30th in different spots of Barcelona. Released in a one-off limited edition of 300 copies it includes unreleased material by some of the artists that joined Ombra Festival project and that majorly will be part of the scheduled Ombra Festival live shows. Featuring new music by The Present Moment, Celldöd, Psyche, RNXRX and We Are Not Brothers, “Ombra Festival Unusual Sounds Gathering Volume 1 Limited Edition EP” will be fully unveiled and shipped out next september 27th, coinciding with the press presentation of Ombra Festival 2019.

Kris Baha – Palais [CDALP003]

September 17, 2019December 20, 2019 hipodromealbum, cocktail d'amore music, industrial, kris baha, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

‘Palais’ is a 12 track multi-faceted exploration of Kris Baha’s musical sensitivity. The one man band’s namesake LP title, ‘Palais’ is based around the concepts of alienation, detachment, melancholia and lust. All songs written, performed, recorded and mixed by Kris between 2015 – 2018 in Berlin, laced in his signature industrial sound. ‘Palais’ encompasses a range of shades from dance-floor works ‘ Living Nothingness’, ‘Brink Reality (Part 2)’ & ‘Non For The Sane’ to experimental cinematic undertones ‘You Told Yourself This Would Get Worse’. Also embodied are modern classics like the machine funk metallics of ‘Steel Sands’ and ‘Defied’, a year 2042 cyber punk hit. There’s even a dark room inspired theme for the black leather lovers. From his own batch of psychedelia to post-punk and electronic romanticism this album is full of surprises and we at Cocktail d’Amore Music are absolutely proud to present this outstanding work.

Cosmo Vitelli – Un Episode Psychotique EP [DLM024]

September 17, 2019September 17, 2019 hipodromecosmo vitelli, gott, les disques de la mort, scannoir, sneaker, synth pop, synth wave, tanja vezicLeave a comment

Les Disques De La Mort presents the meaner side of Cosmo Vitelli. The aptly titled “Un Episode Psychotique” is disco gone wrong, italo with neurosis, straying from polished clichés, musical yet strangely anxiogen. This is turned into an Eighties monster by GOTT aka Sneaker and Scannoir. Their Creatio Instrumentalis is a cold funk monster.

The Hacker – Nancy [EE027RTM]

September 16, 2019March 13, 2020 hipodromeelectro, electronic emergencies records, michael zodorozny, michel amato, synth wave, the hackerLeave a comment

The Hacker needs no introduction. The 4-track 12-inch ‘Nancy’ on Electronic Emergencies finds him at his best – oscillating wildly from electro to new wave, his true musical roots. For the title track, he collaborated once more with post-punk hero Michael Zodorozny, vocalist of Crash Course in Science, resulting in a slippery wet dance floor killer. The three instrumental tracks have a gritty feel, breathing over the cold wave atmosphere.

VA – Hooch! [SAMEHEADS002]

September 9, 2019April 30, 2020 hipodromealexander arpeggio, an-i, anklepants, compilation, electro, epsilove, franz scala, marlene stark, ohlandy, sameheads, synth pop, synth wave, umlaut!Leave a comment

Second Installment of the Sameheads’ bi-annual vinyl compilation highlighting the Berlin based bar / club / playground / space / collective / cult / whatever’s musical mavericks. An-i, Franz Scala, Alexander Arpeggio & Marlene Stark, Epsilove & Ohlandy, Anklepants and Umlaut are all featured at the top of their game. A unique-clutch of oddball bangers.

Velodrome – Au Velodrome 141 [DE256]

September 9, 2019September 6, 2019 hipodromedark entries records, electro, jordi guber, krishna goineau, post punk, synth wave, velodromeLeave a comment

Velodrome are the duo of Krishna Goineau (Electronics + Vocals) and Jordi Guber (Electronics + Programming). At age 15, Jordi played guitar in Barcelona punk band Ultimo Resorte, and formed Líneas Aereas with Frank Palomo after becoming interested in electronics. Krishna had been performing with Chrislo Haas and Beate Bartel in Liaisons Dangereuses. Krishna and Jordi met in 1979 through Jordi’s brother Raul, who was in the no wave group Xeerox. The idea of collaborating came when Krishna paid a visit to the rehearsal studio that Xeerox shared with Líneas Aereas. After dissolving Liaisons Dangereuses in 1983, Krishna, who was impressed by Jordi’s synthesizer skills, decided they should move to Brussels. There they formed the short lived Metropakt, releasing two songs on various compilations in 1985. Not long after, they re-named their project Velodrome and began to rehearse with greater discipline. Experimenting with the latest Roland machines, which were equipped with MIDI, was an exciting challenge for the duo. In November 1987 they recorded three songs, “Au Velodrome 141”, “Glassfabrik” and “Capataz” at ICP Studios in Brussels, with additional vocals from Annemie Gers. They found a home on German label Animalized, and the songs were released in 1988 as the ‘?? ????????? 141’ EP. The record is striking, dynamic, challenging yet accessible, with Krishna’s frenzied vocals sharply contrasting with the cool, angular production. In more recent years, the release has become much sought after by fans of techno, electro, minimal synth, and avant-garde music.

Konstruktivists – Glennascaul [DE258]

September 3, 2019February 17, 2022 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, electro, glenn michael wallis, konstruktivists, mark crumby, re-release, reissue, sterile records, synth waveLeave a comment

Konstruktivists is the Industrial project of Glenn Michael Wallis from Kent, England. In the late ’70s Wallis was a “control agent” for Throbbing Gristle and the Industrial Records crew. Glenn began to record his own material and after several cassette releases, Konstruktivists’ first LP ‘A Dissembly’ was released in 1982, followed by ‘Psykho Genetika’ in 1983 and ‘Black December’ in 1984. In 1985, Glenn spent a week at Chris and Cosey’s studio recording 11 tracks that would become the ’Glennascaul’ album originally released on Nigel Ayers’ Sterile Records. Produced and mixed by Chris Carter, it marked a complete change in style for the band towards a beat-orientated rhythmic sound. ‘Glennascaul’ is proto electro at its very best, with Glenn’s hallucinogenic vocals on top. A musical collage designed to invoke images in the mind. The back cover clearly states “No guitars. No Fairlights.” For this deluxe reissue we’ve added two bonus tracks recorded around the same time, now vinyl for the first time ever. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley.

Frust – Stone I EP [OR61SE]

September 3, 2019September 6, 2019 hipodromeantoni maiovvi, dark wave, electro, frust, mathis kolkoz, oraculo records, synth waveLeave a comment

Oraculo Records presents the new side project of Blind Delon featuring and a special remix of Antoni Maiovvi of Giallo Disco Records. Dark Italo or minimal synthpop could perfectly define what FRUST is; hypnotic glacial synths and mesmerizing cavernous sad voices for darkwave lovers.

Velvet May – Unknown Bodies EP [TWS002]

September 3, 2019September 2, 2019 hipodromeautumns, industrial, synth wave, tears on waves, techno, velvet may, years of denialLeave a comment

Velvet May returns on “ Tears On Waves” with the 4-tracker EP “Unknown Bodies”. This time he is joined by the live duo Years of Denial and the northern-irish artist Autumns who delivered their own interpretation and vision of the tracks in the B side.

Borusiade – Barking August 2019

August 21, 2019August 18, 2019 hipodromebarking music, borusiade, electro, noods radio, podcast, romanian, synth wave, technoLeave a comment

Le Chocolat Noir – Crna Ruža [SLK009]

August 19, 2019October 24, 2022 hipodromeelectro, industrial, jasmin mahmic, le chocolat noir, she lost kontrol records, synth wave, technoLeave a comment

Five cuts of obsessive electro/ebm from the cold heart of Croatia that will make you sweat. Unchaste vocals on brash basslines and slicing snares are melted with acid sounds and thumping beats. These tracks tie together a journey beginning in the 80s Yugoslavia, among rituals and lies, leading to the relation with sexuality and eroticism within the collective consciousness of mankind. How do you deal with your purely physical desires?

Mr TC & Lo Kindre – PHASE001 [PHASE01]

August 19, 2019August 17, 2019 hipodromeelectro, lo kindre, mr tc, phase group, synth wave, techno, thomas clarkeLeave a comment

“It’s not easy to transform a jam into a proper tune that haunts forever. The two Glaswegian friends MR TC and Lo Kindre are in possession of that special skill that can transform spontaneous tuned-in music into something significant without losing the gut feeling along the way. As solo artists they have released on labels like Optimo Music, 12th Isle and Against Fascism Trax, and together released ‘The Storm EP’ in late 2018 on Vienna’s Neubau. Now they continue their collaborative work on PHASE001 – an EP that also marks the launch of their own label that listens to the same name. The start-up brings four analogue tracks that courageously link cold waving synth-shocks, neon-light nonchalance and haunted spoken words; deep hypnotic musical witchcraft that peels itself out of the history of dark electronic music with a pulsating and haunting atmosphere.” Words by ML