In Trance 95 – Shapes In A New Geometry [MW043]

April 5, 2013May 27, 2025 hipodromealbum, alex machairas, cold wave, dark wave, electro, in trance 95, minimal wave records, nik veliotis, synth waveLeave a comment

Minimal Wave announce the release of a cassette of new music by Greek legends In Trance 95. After last year’s successful Cities Of Steel And Neon album release, In Trance 95 came together once again and have been working diligently in the studio on all kinds of new material. Aside from their recent raved about shows in Europe, this cassette is a taste of what they have been up to at Airdawn Studio in Athens, Greece. Quite dark, industrial and sometimes experimental (with glimpses of smokey dance floor atmosphere), these tracks are stark, heavy and cold.

Sandra Plays Electronics – Her Needs [MW042]

April 5, 2013July 19, 2023 hipodromecold wave, electro, karl o’connor, minimal wave records, regis, sandra plays electronics, synth waveLeave a comment

Minimal Wave label presents a 7” release of primitive D.I.Y. electronics by Sandra Plays Electronics, a project founded by Karl O’Connor (Regis) whilst he was a teenager living in Birmingham, England in the 1980s. O’Connor, mostly known for his pioneering work in the techno field (as Regis, Sandwell District, British Murder Boys, Ugandan Methods and various other entities) as well as his Downwards label, began playing and recording his own music when he was 16 years old. He collaborated with friends performing in short-lived bands such as Family Sex and also recorded on his own as Sandra Plays Electronics. He was heavily influenced by D.A.F., Liaisons Dangereuses, Cabaret Voltaire and Soft Cell, to name a few and would eventually collaborate with Robert Görl and also Chrislo Haas in the late 90s. The tracks we are presenting here are two versions of the same song, Her Needs, both recorded in Birmingham, England. The first was recorded in 1988 during soundcheck at the College of Food And Domestic Arts and the second was recorded in 1999 (from the Man Has Responsibilities session) at the Ice House. Pressed on heavy weight 70 gram ultra clear vinyl, the 7” is housed in a matte double sided printed foldover sleeve. Limited to 999 hand-numbered copies.

Belaboris ‎– Once Upon A Time LP [DE041]

March 19, 2013April 20, 2021 hipodromealbum, belaboris, dark entries records, electro, fresh good minimal, kimmo miettinen, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Belaboris was born in 1982 as the brainchild of Finnish producer Kimmo Miettinen. He would put together an all-girl band that looked great in photographs but were backed by professional musicians. The first line-up was Vilma Vainikainen on main vocals, Sisko Vainikainen and Rita on back-up plus Jake and Mari who did not sing at all. The backing band behind Belaboris was a local New Wave group called Tyhjät Patterit ( which translates to Empty Batteries). The main songwriter was Esa Ijäs (guitar, synthesizer) along with his bandmates Ari Ijäs (bass) and Martti Jalonen (drums). Belaboris’ debut 12″ single “Kuolleet Peilit” was released in November 1982. “Once Upon A Time” collects songs from all three EP releases and the “Olipa Kerran” mini-LP as well as two unreleased demos never before on vinyl. In Finland the synthetic Futurist/New Romantic pop was simply called “Futu”. Belaboris were in their own peculiar, undefinable no-woman’s-land, in between the Finnish Futu and Gothic scenes. Between 1982 and 1984 Belaboris crafted catchy, melodic synthpop with the occasional guitar. Their lyrics were stylistically “kitchen sink melodramas” with occasional Gothic elements inspired by movies. The name Belaboris, is a combination of the horror actors Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.

listen1 / listen2

Medio Mutante – Eadem Mutata Resurgo [MR019]

March 19, 2013October 19, 2015 hipodromealbum, electro, medical records llc, medio mutante, minimal synth, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Medical Records present it’s first “modern” release showcasing a full LP compilation of material by American minimal synth band Medio Mutante. The band’s sound is also a mutation of their 1980’s influences, using vintage analog synthesizers and drum machines in creative and unexpected ways. Drawing influence from such acts as El Aviador Dro, Absolute Body Control, Front 242, Duotronic Synterror, Oviformia SCI, Yukihiro Takahashi, Medio Mutante integrated it’s childhood love of late 80s/early 90s Hip Hop, Latin Freestyle, and New Wave into a hybrid concoction that is truly unique. This full LP is composed of the band’s long out of print 6 song limited EP from 2007, their limited 7″ from 2009, and 4 previously unreleased tracks.

Streetwalker – Future Fusion [CITI007]

March 19, 2013July 19, 2023 hipodromealbum, beau wanzer, cititrax, cold wave, elon katz, minimal wave records, streetwalker, synth waveLeave a comment

Chicago duo Streetwalker, comprised of molecular biologist Beau Wanzer and electronic music aesthete Elon Katz, wrote their debut album ‘Future Fusion’ over the course of two years. Through endless experimentation and analog improvisation, they have constructed an entirely new sound showcasing vibrant hand-played synthesizer, vulnerable vocals, and serpentine drum lines. Streetwalker’s distinct song structures are characterized as much by restraint, timing, and subtle shift as by the cyclic abandon of the loop.

NCW & Piss – Golden Lands EP [VIVOD002]

March 19, 2013November 16, 2017 hipodromecold wave, ncw, piss, synth wave, vivodLeave a comment

Second 12″ from Ali Renault’s limited boutique imprint, Vivod. Featuring the talents of NCW, this is moody, downbeat synth music.

Umberto – Confrontations [NNF270LP]

February 25, 2013September 5, 2019 hipodromealbum, cold wave, disco, italo-disco, matt hill, not not fun records, synth wave, umbertoLeave a comment

Halloween is early this year……fantasy soundtracking returns with his third official full-length, two years after the badass psychodrama of Prophecy of the Black Widow. What instantly distinguishes this new album from the previous two is its ominous, slow-burn compositional model, building its evil temple brick by brick, basking in the tension of each new chiming, Carpenteresque synth line or monkish doom Om for multiple measures before stirring the next substance into the cauldron. This elegant sense of patience gives the tracks a more oozing, operatic aura; these confrontations aren’t hostile showdowns in the woods but the creeping dread of alien-nation body snatchers infiltrating the populace. Death comes slipping.

Fall Of Saigon – Untitled EP [DE038]

February 18, 2013June 29, 2019 hipodromedark entries records, fall of saigon, florence berthon, minimal synth, pascal comelade, post punk, re-release, reissue, synth wave, thierry denLeave a comment

Dark Entires Records is honored to re-issue the debut EP by Fall Of Saigon. The band was born in 1981 when Florence Berthon (Vocals), Pascal Comelade (Organ, Synthesizer) and Thierry Den (Guitar, Vocals) met at a concert in Montpellier, France. They chose to the name the project Fall Of Saigon after a song by UK post-punk act This Heat. They self-released their debut EP in 1983 citing Nico & The Velvet Underground, Suicide and James Joyce as influences. The 6 songs on the EP were recorded in two stages. “She Leaves Me All Alone” and “On The Beach At Fontana” were sung by Thierry and recorded at Pascal’s home on a Revox 2-track in one shot. The four songs sung by Florence – “Visions”, “Blue Eyes”, “So Long” and “The Swimmer” – were recorded and mixed at the Montpellier Languedoc Video Animation Center by Jean Alain Sidi on two ReVox A77 reel to reels and a small mixer. On “Visions,” “Blue Eyes” and “So Long,” the group employed a drum machine that could only play four or five rhythms with a single slider to increase or decrease the tempo. The songs were minimal: verse, chorus, no bridge, no intro. Built on a simple spine, they create a feeling of space with just a voice and an organ or synthesizer melody. Full of class and inventiveness, Fall Of Saigon are often compared to Young Marble Giants due to the fragile, ephemeral quality of the songs.

Informatics – Dance To A Dangerous Beat [DE037]

February 18, 2013July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, informatics, michael trudgeon, post punk, ramesh ayyar, steve adam, synth pop, synth wave, valek sadovchikoffLeave a comment

Informatics were a post-punk electronic band from Melbourne, Australia formed in 1981. Michael Trudgeon, Valek Sadovchikoff, Steve Adam and Ramesh Ayyar met in the experimental sound studio while attending the same art school. Philip McKellar later joined the band in 1983. They came to work together through a shared fascination in electronic music and the capabilities of analogue synthesizers. In early performances, long before the advent of samplers, the Informatics used a collection of synthesizers and other analogue and hand built equipment. These were patched together to create a unique battery of sounds. Informatics early songs have a brittle, cold, disconnected feel made by a Roland SH-101, Korg MS-20 and a lot of processed guitar. The later songs utilize newer technology and ambient, synthesized melodies closer to their country mates Severed Heads.

VA – Exploitation [ENFANTET017]

February 18, 2013October 18, 2022 hipodromecompilation, dark wave, edwin brienen, enfant terrible, industrial, soundtrack, synth waveLeave a comment

‘Exploitation’ is the new film by Dutch independent filmmaker Edwin Brienen. Enfant Terrible produced the soundtrack for this gothic-noir satiric fresco. 90 minutes of music to be enjoyed both as true soundtrack as well as a sequel to previous Enfant Terrible compilations… but more dramatic and ritualistic in the way the record is building up. It will please fans of minimal electronics and (post) industrial music but also moves into different styles such as idm, tekno, angst pop and chanson, while always keeping a dark and cold mood and/or dream state feeling throughout.

Fah – Fahzers Set To Earth [CPU00000001D]

February 7, 2013February 16, 2023 hipodromeacid, album, central processing unit, detroit, electro, fah, robin de bekker, synth wave, technoLeave a comment

Holland’s FAH (aka Robin de Bekker) presents his album of braindance influenced electro Fahzers Set To Earth. Tight, punchy electrobass riddims, operating on the cusp of Rephlexian electro a la DMX Krew and Drexciyan aqua-funk, Fah cycles from the skating 808 patterns of ‘Not Enough Fahzers’ to the whirring syncopations and jazz chords of ‘Casting The Rod’ on the front, while paying tribute to James Stinson on the flipside’s woozy ‘Glowism’ and the skewed, angular hyperfunk programming of ‘Magnetic Freedom’.

Factory Floor – Fall Back [DFA2369]

January 1, 2013September 16, 2024 hipodromedfa records, dominic butler, electro, factory floor, gabe gurnsey, industrial, nikki colk, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

“Fall Back” is the first single from the forthcoming debut LP on DFA Records. The track is 8 minutes 30 seconds long. The B-sides are exclusive to vinyl and feature 3 separate loops taken from the single, created each by Dom, Gabe & Nik.

Nao Katafuchi – Yumegoto [WT012]

January 1, 2013October 19, 2015 hipodromenao karafuchi, synth pop, synth wave, wt recordsLeave a comment

Cover art - Nao Katafuchi: Yumegoto

New wave, cyber-pop mini album from New-York based Japanese artist Nao Karafuchi, lost somewhere between the future and the past.

Smersh – Cassette Pets [DE035]

December 13, 2012July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, chris shepard, dark entries records, dark wave, industrial, mike mangino, post punk, smersh, synth waveLeave a comment

Dark Entries has dug deep in the New Jersey basement of Smersh to release the double LP compilation “Cassette Pets”. Smersh was the duo of Mike Mangino and Chris Shepard, who started writing music together in the late 1970s. They were uninterested in traditional notions of songwriting or live performance. Everything they needed was in Piscataway NJ: a basement full of musical toys and instruments, novelty space microphones, a TR-606 (the same “Roland” who was listed as a member of Big Black), a SH-09 (Cabaret Voltaire’s favorite synth), and — perhaps most importantly — a couple of tape recorders. By 1981, this dedication to spontaneous creativity had already produced countless recordings, and the duo began releasing cassettes as Smersh via their own Atlas King label. On “Cassette Pets” are 17 songs, featuring some of the many highlights from Smersh’s vast discography, spanning 1981-1994. Smersh’s sound is a lush hybrid of techno, industrial, dance, and experimental. Sometimes easy, sometime not. Most songs revolve around driving EBM style beats, intricate industrial noise manipulation and synth melodies. The Smersh sound has so many faces it doesn’t fall into any one category.

The Product – Alive Again LP [DE034]

December 13, 2012July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dan stielow mortazavi, dark entries records, dark wave, electro, kenneth neuhaus, post punk, synth pop, synth wave, the productLeave a comment

The Product were a duo from the small villages Kvistgaard and Espergaerde, in the north of Denmark. Dan Stielow Mortazavi wrote the lyrics and sang while Kenneth Neuhaus composed the music and played the instruments. They met in the Autumn of 1982 and recorded their sole album “Alive Again” over a weekend. The LP features 11 songs recorded in two short live takes directly onto one cassette. The Product employed a basic set up of Micromoog, Roland JX-3P and TR-606 Drumatix. Nine of the songs employ only these two synthesizers and drum machine while two songs feature a guest bassist. With these three instruments they crafted melodic, icy electronic rhythms with detached vocals. Lyrics revolve around growing up in broken homes, alienation and romance.

Profligate – Videotape [NNF265LP]

December 13, 2012October 19, 2015 hipodromeelectro, industrial, noah anthony, not not fun records, post punk, profligate, synth waveLeave a comment

The retirement of Noah Anthony’s Night Burger alias dovetails fluidly into his latest / greatest burned-mind industrial vehicle, Profligate. Anthonys new musical operational model retains the eerie bleakness and concrete atmospheres of his previous project but sculpts them into more maximal, dynamic constructions. Videotape is his vinyl debut, and lays out the agenda with stark, menacing clarity. The title track is a pummeling ascent of chugging drum machines, flatliner synth electricities and strobe light sequencer detailsa digital bloodrush to the head one can (almost) dance to. “Conditioning Trench” rides a buzzing, dystopian bass-pulse strafed with vintage Roland claps, while a paranoid synth melody runs through a dubbed-out void into an exquisite vanishing point. Shadows of Sandwell District-ish negative techno flash forth here and there, but it’s refracted through a rawer, more physical post-noise basement worldview.

Mushy – Breathless [MNQ030LP]

December 12, 2012July 17, 2019 hipodromealbum, dark wave, electro, mannequin records, mushy, shoegaze, synth waveLeave a comment

Italian ice-wave princess, Mushy gives up the delectable synth romance, ‘Breathless’, her second album on the Rome label Mannequin. Dark, post minimal wave electronix.

Ceramic Hello – The Absence Of A Canary [SUCTION024]

December 12, 2012June 28, 2022 hipodromealbum, ceramic hello, minimal synth, reissue, suction records, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Reissue of Ceramic Hello’s seminal 1981 LP, ”The Absence of a Canary.” A long-time cult favourite among fans of obscure ’80s synthpop, this LP remains highly sought-after by ”minimal synth” vinyl collectors.

Nancy Fortune – Remain Human [NAT012]

December 12, 2012August 1, 2019 hipodromealbum, electro, nancy fortune, nation records, new wave, post punk, synth waveLeave a comment

Cover art - Nancy Fortune: Remain Human

Minimal wave album by Nancy Fortune on Chicago label Nation. Its about times of change and transformation, where we feel odd, lost or alienated. Life comes and goes, people in our life come and go, emotions come and go. we have a limited time on this planet and nothing stays the same and everything is in constant change.

Altres – Archives LP [DE033]

December 12, 2012July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, altres, brian hutton, dark entries records, electro, jeremy bryning, joseph donnelly, kevin l. guthrie, maurice richardson, mike nelson, minimal synth, synth waveLeave a comment

Altres are a band from Dundee, Scotland who originally formed in 1983. They were playing mostly instrumental, improvised electronic music at a time when very few bands, if any, were making this type of music in the UK. The Altres’ initial line-up was Jeremy Bryning (synths), Joseph Donnelly (synths), Kevin L. Guthrie (synths, sequencer, drum machine), Brian Hutton (synths, sequencer, vocoder), Mike Nelson (guitar) and Maurice Richardson (synths, sequencer, polysynth, drum machine). Most Altres compositions begin with a sequence and a drum pattern. These wrap around arpeggiated synth pulses, and are accompanied by shrill feedback. Instruments used on the recordings include Casio MT40 Moog Prodigy, EDP Wasp, Roland SH-101, Casio VL-Tone, Korg MS20, MS50, SQ10 Poly-61, Ibanez guitar and vocoder. All of the instruments are fed through various effects and echo units. Everything is played and recorded live – there are no overdubs.