synth wave
Pye Corner Audio / Not Waving – Intercepts [ELP006LP]
Intercepts is a split album between Pye Corner Audio and Not Waving. Drawing inspiration from the shadowy world of espionage both producers embark on a voyage of forward thinking yet backwards compatible, cosmic tinged, techno excursions. Pye Corner Audio leads off with ‘Perfect Secrecy Forever’, centering on a progressive, doddering synth pattern paired against muted thuds whereas Not Waving opts for something a little more direct with ‘Protecting The Revolution’ oozing with dark, italo disco vibes owing to it’s dominating, feral arpeggio. The clandestine spirits permeate these eight tracks of dreamlike industrial techno, impressionist synth burbles, fragmented post-modern ambient and cosmic sci-fi adventure.
Popsimonova & Zarkoff – Die Brucke [JAMTRAXXSP003]
Ideally in transit between yesterday and today, between adolescence and maturity, between an arcadian dimension and a more actual reality made of mirrors and metal, here it is the sonic trip for these two singular characters, Zarkoff and Popsimonova, a taste of sci-fi retro comics, as the bridge of hyena plisskinn in Carpenter ‘1997 escape from ny’ or the characters of the bridge of William Gibson, the master of cyberpunk american literature. The minimal futurstic attitude is deformed, exagerated, distorted, in some case it becomes just a cold expressionism, violent sintetic colors as the sky of Munch, but the scream this time is purely electronic… The bridge, this eternal symbol of passage, the union of opposite realities, in this case reflected itself in the music, with deep roots that lie in the past (for the analog instrumentation) and then leap into the future, materialized from essential and modernist musical structures. Each human being builds its own bridge, a piece at a time, and so it happens the magic of communication, it takes place. In Die Brucke it happens in the ideal musical dialog between this two singular characters, with their composite way to write songs. Including two L.A.S.’s Crime Remixes.
Kline Coma Xero – Kline Coma Xero [MR036]
Medical Records presents the debut full length release of Kline Coma Xero. Formed in 2012, Kline Coma Xero is a group whose work embraces elements of early minimal synth wave with distinctively thoughtful lyrics and evocative melodies. Kline Coma Xero’s Tony Williams has had his roots planted in various projects in the past, spanning a realm of styles from experimental noise, tape loops and early industrial. Using a writing style that employs the use of hardware sequencers driving analog instruments rather than computers, Kline Coma Xero produces a uniquely oblique interpretation of past-meets-present in modern electronic music.
Nine Circles – Number Not Available [EV009]
EE Tapes are more than honoured to welcome Nine Circles aboard of their 7″ vinyl series. A new line-up with new challenges, starring Lidia “The Rose” Fiala and keyboard wizz Per-Anders Kurenbach.
V2 Schneider – Tape Works 1981-85 [VOD126]
The finest German Minimal / Synth from early 80’s NDW Underground by V2 Schneider. For this release Jurgen Schweighart, alias V2 Schneider, sat down, saved and listened to approximately 50 original master tapes, reels and cassettes from 1980 to 1985 including his official tape releases ”Vol. 1” (1981), ”Blues” (1982), ”Abgrund der Gefuhle” (1984), ”Nr.1 in Hong Kong” (1985), ”After A.I.D.S. Symphony” (1985) and many so far unreleased hidden treasures, demos and out-takes. At the request of VOD-Records, none of the tracks were remixed or edited and therefore kept in their authentic original and charming form.
LeLu/Lu’s – Operating On Specific Cues: Early Works 1982-86 [VOD125]
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]
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.
Design A Wave – EP 2 [RHD015WAVEII]
Pt.2 of Design A Wave’s continued experiments in sound, sci fi and alien counter balance… Limited Edition EP with sideways thinking Cosmo Knex artwork
Phobian – Phobian [HAR002]
William Thomas Burnett aka Willie Burns / DJ Speculator / Black Deer is one of the creative minds of the underground music scene in NYC. After releases for L.I.E.S., The Trilogy Tapes, Crme and Rush Hour, The WT Records boss unveils his new monicker Phobian, presenting 4 TR-808/SH-101/Pro One driven electro jams for the mysterious Haunted Air Records.
Sumerian Fleet – Just Pressure [DE068]
Sumerian Fleet aka Alden Tyrell and Mr Pauli with vocalist Zarkoff. Their debut eponymous EP was released on Clones West Coast series in 2010 and the Sturm Bricht Los EP came out in 2012 on the Creme Eclipse branch of Creme Organization. Sumerian Fleet is ready to release their first full length album Just Pressure all new material recorded between 2013 and 2014 as well as a remixed version of the title track from the Sturm Bricht Los EP. Just Pressure contains 80s Dark Wave/EBM inspired tracks with an industrial tinge. Citing inspiration from Fad Gadget, Front 242, Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy, Sumerian Fleet deliver 9 songs of vintage dark electro. Their sound brings to mind rough 80s/90s Industrial dance with a Gothic tinge and a touch of bass guitar as the lead instrument. The band utilizes vintage analog gear like the Linn Drum, Roland TR-808, MiniMoog, Korg MS-20, and Roland Jupiter 8 . All songs were recorded at Mr Paulis studio in Den Haag and Alden Tyrells studio in Rotterdam. The album has been mastered for vinyl at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley by George Horn. Each LP is packaged in a custom-made jacket by our in-house designer Eloise Leigh, incorporating Mesopotamian pyramids and occult symbols, offset printed with gold ink at Stumptown Printers in Portland.
Neud – Play [BAP024]
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.
Cold Colors – Dans Le Vide [LXRC018]
Lux Rec continue their endless research at the margins of music, what is underground, at every latitude, to find rough gems and bring them to light. After a series of releases which explore Techno in various ways, they turned their attention to another field. That of the Cold Electronics and New Wave movement, and French musical existentialism. Cold Colors comes from Bordeaux, France. To Lux Rec he is the best expression of and a new take on that type of music. A sense of solitude is the first reaction to his music. Melodic longings for something that is not there, unreachable. Four songs to depict a hopeless stare into emptiness. Shadows of a love long gone.
Cute Heels – Spiritual [DE062]
Cute Heels is the solo project of Victor Lenis, a contemporary artist living in Brussels, Belgium. He grew up in Bogot, Columbia during the 1990s, surrounded by the radial punk scene. He has been working with many electronic projects since 2003. He manages the label Black Leather Records, which is also a regular party with live acts and DJ sets. Over the years, Victor’s passion and fascination for synthesizers and drum machines to produce and compose resulted in various digital-only releases as well as his first vinyl release, an EP on Gooiland Elektro. Cute Heels is ready to release their debut album ”Spiritual” of all new material written throughout 2013. ”Spiritual”, rides the line between cold electro-techno and left field electronic body music. Inspired by equal parts Liaisons Dangereuses and Drexciya, ”Spiritual” takes the listener on a journey over 8 tracks and 40 minutes of music. Cute Heels has been called ”the new blood and spirit for the next step in techno music” by electro/techno pioneer Juan Atkins. Listening to ”Spiritual” you can see why. The songs on this full length reveal a sublime influence from Detroit techno, early Chicago house and new wave. Advanced electronics for the dance floor, pumping and sophisticated.
Peine Perdue – No Souvenir [CBR003]
Cold Beats is a record label from Barcelona created to give support to bands and artists in the wave/electronic scene. ‘No Souvenir’ is the third release on the label and comes from the French duo Coco Gallo & Stephane Argillet. The album include 14 tracks and it was recorded and mixed in Paris-Berlin between 2011 and 2013.
Red Light – Red Light [NAT014]
Nation starts off the year with brand new artists to the family from San Francisco from 2 ladies on a mission is to present the most emotional and artistic music that brings many moods and colors that equals timeless avant-garde paintings of sound. Abstract darkness from San Francisco. Red Light started as a pact between Kerri LeBon and Rachel Aiello in early 2013,though neither of them had any prior musical experience, they both were determined to dive head first into creating their first recordings…their music being generally angst and moody, the two girls sought to beautify their suffering through sound.
Video Look – Kall Lycka [FLEXI011]
Straight from the Gothenburg harbour comes Video Look. They were featured on flexi009 (Flexivåg), Fact mag 004 and has remixed Roladex, Love Surgery. 11 tracks of the finest working class synth-punk with harsh lyrics in Swedish.
Bruta Non Calculant – World In A Tear [CITI012]
Cititrax is honored to introduce Bruta Non Calculant, a new project by Alaxis Andreas G, the mastermind behind Le Syndicat Electronique and numerous other analog electronic, experimental and esoteric industrial folk projects of the past 20 years. Alaxis formed Bruta Non Calculant in 2006 along with his brother Victor-Yann (De Frontanel). Their debut album, World In A Tear, presents 10 tracks drenched in a dark european atmosphere complete with a sound fully formed and heroically executed. Themes of death, lust and unrequited love are all bound in this brown book-esque collection. The songs occupy their own space and communicate in their own language and as such almost seem to have the ability to alter time once the listener has succumbed to their discordant beauty. An unsurprisingly impressive comeback, Bruta Non Calculants debut album blends new wave elements with folkloric balladry impeccably, and approaches this with a modern sensibility. World In A Tear is an elegant collection of seductive songs. Vinyl pressed on white 160 gram housed in a matte full color printed sleeve.
Design A Wave – EP 1 [RHD014WAVEI]
What do an alien balancing on one of it’ s three legs, the RSA encryption algorithm, neuroscience and prehistoric musical instruments have in common? Design A Wave isn’t sure either but this is some music made while trying to find out.
The Games – Circus Minimus [ANNA050]
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.
The Hipodrome Of Music 