Bal Pare – Early Recordings [MR040]

Medical Records presents a hand-picked selection of the early recordings of Germany’s Bal Pare. Members were Kirsten Klemm (vocals), Jan T. Krahn (Synthesizer), Matthias Schuster (Synthesizer, Beatbox). and drummer Jurgen Weiss. The first Bal Pare LP “Hamburg-Paris-Catania” was released in 1982 on Konkurrenz Records. Since they had a large fanbase in Sweden, the second release (“Metamorphose”) came out in Stockholm on the Krautrock label. Around this time, a new member, Manfred Asmus , joined on keyboards and programming and Jan T. Krahn and Jergen Weiss had left the band. Much of the material from this selection of tracks were culled from unreleased sessions from the 80s with Manfred Asmus. The opening track “Rien” is a perfect display of what synth pop is modeled after. Rich lead synth textures, male/female interplayed vocals, and electronic percussion. Though the entire record flows with ease and captivates the listener from beginning to end, other standout tracks include “Palais d’Amour”, “Die Idioten”, and “Meilleur Du Monde”.

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Bal Pare – Early Recordings [MR040]

Black People – Isle Of The Dead [FLEXI012]

Black People is a moniker of Brigthon techno legend Tobias Schmidt (Disko B, Tresor, Scandinavia +++). He has previously appeared on FlexiWave by releasing 7 Brain Wash (Flexi003) and on the much acclaimed cassette 290.625 (Flexi005). Here he strikes again with a 6 tracker of dark melancholic synth/punk wave.

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Black People – Isle Of The Dead [FLEXI012]

The Rattler Proxy – Death Machine [LURID002]

The Rattler Proxy, a sonic duo from Athens, release their second single featuring two original songs – ”Company of Wolves” and ”Death Machine” – along with two remixes of the latter by Antoni Maiovvi and Jokers Of The Scene. The Rattler Proxy explore the realm of urban alienation through intense and claustrophobic soundscapes. Often swapping their pulsating electronic crawl, for digital rockabilly-esque freak-outs, theirs is a world of back alleys and gang laden imagery, a rhythmic decent into a hellish, concrete landscape.

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The Rattler Proxy – Death Machine [LURID002]

Prostitutes – Ecstasy, Crashing Beats and Fantasy [DIAG015]

There’s a tongue in cheek sensibility and an air of confrontation to much that James Donadio does as Prostitutes which made him more than suited to Diagonal label when the Cleveland artist debuted on the label last year. The curdling acid of “Dollars To DMs” and the faltering bleep electro of “Side Effects Of Living” are particularly potent Prostitutes productions.

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Prostitutes – Ecstasy, Crashing Beats and Fantasy [DIAG015]

Pye Corner Audio – The Black Mist EP [FANDF031]

Pye Corner Audio expands on ‘Black Mist’, taken from ‘The Outer Church’ compilation released by Front & Follow, now backed with new track and a blown-out Old Apparatus remix. The dramatic original is given time and space to let that Dr. Who-style bass riff and soaring synth to take flight across the A-side, whilst the flip brings the funereal slow techno processional, ‘Bulk Erase’, into play beside a roiling, radiant render from Old Apparatus, who also fold in oriental field recordings to abstract and exotic effect.

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Pye Corner Audio – The Black Mist EP [FANDF031]

Visonia – Impossible Romance [TRAJECTORYLP001]

Following the release of the Visonia collaboration with the mighty Dopplereffekt that delivered ‘Die Reisen’ earlier this year, Visonia returns with the anticipated debut album release entitled, ‘Impossible Romance’. Commencing with ‘Juana de Arco’, which edges finely the fragile border between expectant angst and hopeful optimism, this opening piece pretty much sets the tone for the album. Undulating between the highs and lows of human emotion which beautifully encompasses Visonia’s own conception of art to hold hands and contribute to humanity; to give beauty, wisdom, or to simply open the listener’s mind in order to reflect and ask questions of one’s own self, one’s own existence; what we have here is at times a poetic soundscape of emotions, feelings, fears and positive expression. The album, in its double vinyl format includes the previously available collaboration with Dopplereffekt, namely ‘Die Reisen’, alongside an equally striking collab with New Wave/Synth Pop artist, Mad Moizel in the form of ‘Beat Frequencies’ and late addition to the album – the sleek, driving vision of ‘Between Lies and Real Looks’.

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Visonia – Impossible Romance [TRAJECTORYLP001]

Skanfrom – Postcards [SUCTION028]

Skanfrom is Roger Semsroth, best known for his purist minimal techno project Sleeparchive. Skanfrom first appeared in the late-90s, releasing limited edition 7”s on his own A.D.S.R. label, part of a small movement of DIY labels influenced by the melodic, experimental electronica output of labels like Rephlex, Skam, and Warp. Skanfrom found a likeminded home in Suction Records, who were releasing records by Solvent and Lowfish with many of the same musical references. In 2002, Skanfrom released his debut album on Suction Records, ‘Hand Picked Fragments.’ A lot has changed since 2002, but in Skanfrom world, 2014 is very much the same. ‘Postcards’ is full of the same pure and melodic electro(pop) that made Skanfrom so special from the start.

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Skanfrom – Postcards [SUCTION028]

Richard H Kirk – Never Lose Your Shadow [MW055]

Cabaret Voltaire member Richard H. Kirk with an experimental electronic release including the great dancefloor track ”Never Lose Your Shadow.” On the EP, there’s tracks originally recorded between 1978 and 1987, which have never before been released on vinyl. The title track, Never Lose Your Shadow blurs the lines between harsh industrial, dance floor, and no wave. The other three tracks are more experimental and reference ideas Kirk was exploring in Cabaret Voltaire at the time.

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Richard H Kirk – Never Lose Your Shadow [MW055]

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.

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Pye Corner Audio / Not Waving – Intercepts [ELP006LP]

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.

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Popsimonova & Zarkoff – Die Brucke [JAMTRAXXSP003]

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.

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Kline Coma Xero – Kline Coma Xero [MR036]

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.

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Nine Circles – Number Not Available [EV009]

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.

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V2 Schneider – Tape Works 1981-85 [VOD126]

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

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.

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

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.

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