Cloud Nine – Waterland Mini-LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, cloud nine, netherlands, two supply on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Last but not least, we have this excellent LP from 1985, which should be right at home for fans of Invisible Limits, Soma Holiday, Berlin, Industrie, Hard Corps, Primary Colours, and other similarly melancholy, female-fronted new wave/minimal synth projects from this era. I sought this one out and picked up a copy in Amsterdam many years ago and have adored it ever since. I especially love the juxtaposition of several dreamier tracks alongside two absolute synth bangers, making for a really complete and balanced listen, imo.

Cloud Nine were a six-piece project that stemmed from similarly-minded project Two Supply. The band would release a few singles leading up to the release of this mini-LP. The band’s tenure was cut short when songwriter and keyboardist Richard van Buuren passed away after a tragic fall. The band would regroup with two new members to contribute material to a local scene compilation before officially calling it a day.

Cloud Nine – Waterland LP (1985)
1. Blue Gardens
2. Fraction Of A Second
3. Poison
4. It Started When The Rain Came
5. Waterland
6. Wordporridge

*download it here*

Happy listening, everyone!

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Blue Mathue – Perfect Pictures 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, blue mathue, clockwork orange, minimal, minimal synth, norsk, norweigan, synthpop on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Jumping across the ocean for the next two posts. This one was also a HUGE DJ staple for me over a decade ago that also lived in my record bag most weeks… This 12” is three tracks of dance-driven minimal synth perfection from Norway’s first synth pop band. Most folks will be familiar with the killer “Perfect Pictures” via the absolutely essential Maskindans CD compilation that collected dozens of equally amazing tracks from the Norsk scene. The second track on this 12” also appeared on the similarly excellent Burning the Midnight Sun compilation in 1984, which also featured tracks by Svart Klovn, Popul Vuh, De Press, and the underrated Fra Lippo Lippi. The third track here is exclusive (for now), and deserves an updated rip along with the rest of them.

While this was the only release by this duo, Jan Berg would quickly form Clockwork Orange, whose track “Sensation Boys” is another stellar gem from the era, Our good friend Nick from Crispy Nuggets was kind enough to share their lone 7” many years back, so be sure to check it out if you missed it.

Moving right along, hope you enjoy!

Blue Mathue – Perfect Pictures 12” (1983)
1. Perfect Pictures
2. In Our Dream
3. The Vision

*download it here*

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Factual – Full Discography

Posted in 1980s, 1982, 1983, 1984, actuel, minimal, minimal synth, nashville, post-punk, US, warm dark pocket on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Moving south-east here for the second of four posts today, this one collecting the full vinyl discography by Nashville, Tennessee band Factual, whose track “Psychotic Romance” is an underrated minimal synth gem from this rare neck of the woods. That track must have appeared in the majority of my DJ sets back in NYC’s Wierd party where its driving post-punk rhythms and buzzing synths made for a regular foggy dance floor killer. I haven’t heard the track in some time, and fell in love with it (as well as the similarly excellent tracks “Your Way” and “Wire and Chrome”) all over again when re-ripping these for y’all.

This band was otherwise a four piece, and vocalist/synth player Robb Earls also played in similarly like-minded bands Actuel (whose lone album Monuments is a sublime slice of moody Factory-inspired post-punk, maybe I’ll re-post that one soon as well) as well as Warm Dark Pocket, who released one killer 12” that I also should get around to re-ripping soon… Guitarist Skot Nelson would also join caustic industrial/post-punk project Dessau after Factual’s demise.

Here are all three Factual releases, all well worth your time. Enjoy!

Factual – Your Way 7” (1982)
1. Your Way
2. Think to the Beat

Factual – Psychotic Romance 12” (1983)
1. Psychotic Romance
2. Institutions
3. Wire and Chrome
4. Standing Alone

Factual – For the Song 12” (1984)
1. For the Song
2. Psychotic Romance (Remix)

*download all three here*

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Kindergarten – Interference 12” / No. 3 EP

Posted in 12'', 1980s, 1982, 1987, minimal, minimal synth, minneapolis, new wave, post-punk, US on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Today, I intend to post at LEAST three times, perhaps even four if time allows. Hope your ears can take it!

In short, I’ve been going through my collection and re-ripping/de-clicking records that others have shared in the past in an effort to preserve the best quality and sound for these records. Back in the day, 192 was standard, and it was about hearing the music. Now that hard drive and SD card space is much less of an issue for most, it’s time to do the work to preserve these records as best as we possibly can. It’s an ongoing project that will probably take me the rest of my life to complete, but hopefully it’s helpful for folks out there.

With that in mind, let’s get things started with two records from Minnesota-based new wave/minimal synth project Kindergarten. I believe the band were a four (sometimes five) piece centering around vocalist Robert Engberg, drummer Bob Joslyn, and guitarists Chris Beaty and David Foley. Foley and Joslyn also played together in Things That Fall Down, a more experimental post-punk project. There are still some experimental synth sounds on thee band’s first release, 1982’s Interference 12”. By the time of their second release in 1987, the band evolved into a more post-punk/new wave hybrid, with a little more of a darker college radio kind of sound. They would release one more LP in 1988, which I have heard, but do not own and cannot share in a high enough bitrate. Maybe someday!

Anyway, with that in mind, I really enjoy both records here and I hope you do as well. Here’s the good stuff:

Kindergarten – Interference 12” (1982)
1. Interference
2. Auschwitz
3. God Only Knows

Kindergarten – No. 3 EP (1987)
1. Transportation
2. 10 Little Indians
3. Terri Goes Walking
4. Disco-X
5. Aquamarine

*download both here*

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Mumbles – Two Clouds

Posted in 1990, 1990s, drowning pool, ethereal, mumbles, post-punk on July 1, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

I think I’ve been meaning to post this album for… I dunno, five years now? How time flies…

Here we have the lone album from US-based band Mumbles, released in 1990. While Mumbles may not be a name that comes to mind immediately, the band is essentially a continuation of experimental/ethereal post-punk band Drowning Pool, whose esoteric, yet driving sound spanned four LPs and several cassette releases. Three of the four Drowning Pool members are present on this album, including members Adam Elesh and Brett Smith, who were also in Landscape of Sound, a previous project we’ve featured here before as well. New to the fold is vocalist Kelly Ray.

Either way, this is an excellent album, perfect for these hazy summer nights. It should feel right at home if you like Drowning Pool’s excellent, deeply engaging and emotive discography. It was originally released on Italian label Viva Records, who not only released several Drowning Pool releases, but who were also responsible for the excellent Viva Los Angeles compilations, which featured many like-minded “desert goth” (as I like to call it), bands. Despite being released exclusively on CD, some copies of Two Clouds, like the one I picked up, are housed in a oversized, 10”-inspired sleeve, perhaps as a nod to like-minded label Independent Project Records. Pretty cool!

Mumbles – Two Clouds
1. Blue Vishnu
2. Pipe & Dream
3. Johnny Go
4. Hearthmaker
5. Mother Harvest
6. Diamond
7. Utah Smith
8. Star Crossed
9. Lullaby Blue
10. White Out
11. Nuit Blanche
12. Two Clouds
13. American Gothic

*download it here*

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The New Day – Voices LP

Posted in 1980s, 1986, post-punk, US on June 18, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Something I often admit in conversation is that many of the obscure bands I champion as a DJ/blogger/overall nerd often sound remarkably similar to the bigger, more commercially successful ones. For every true original (whatever that means) there are arguably twenty other bands who tap into the same set of influences and wind up in the same ballpark. Then, of course there are bands where the influences are so strong, it’s uncanny.While my tolerance for new bands doing this is extremely low in 2025, I still have a big soft spot for bands from the 80s and 90s who wore their influences on their sleeves, especially if they’re evoking a particular band whose vocalist sports big floppy hair and copious amounts of lipstick.

With that in mind, here’s the best Cure album you may not have heard from a band from Houston, Texas. Similar to bands like The Essence, Crimson Ivy, and Silent Creatures, The New Day simply adore The Cure from top to bottom, so much so that their name even references one of the best Cure b-sides from The Head on the Door era. Not only that, but this album plays like a series of tracks from that era (as well as Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds, and Faith), full of jangly guitar, big hooks, cold synths, similar lyrical themes, and of course, that voice, complete with some yelps here and there.

This is the band’s only album, released on Morning Glory Records in 1986. Of course, you could argue that this album hits too close for comfort, but the truth of is that, for me, the songs are great and there’s some true DIY magic at play here that makes this an instant favorite. I love this album, through and through. Maybe you will as well?

The New Day – Voices LP
1. Sharp Object
2. Flames of Colours
3. The Words
4. Breathing Walls
5. That Noise
6. Scratch
7. Alone
8. Change
9. Pictures R Vague
10. The Voices

*download it here*

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Airstrip 1 – Complete Discography Redux

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1982, Airstrip 1, Airstrip One, uk on May 21, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Back in the old days, I posted a compilation of UK post-punk/new wave band Airstrip 1’s discography, which was collected on a rare cassette donated by a generous reader. I was never sure if this was an official cassette or a dubbed collection of the band’s tracks, but either way I’ve noticed that the cassette played at at the wrong speed over the years, which hurt the nuance and mystery of some of these tracks. I noticed primarily because I’ve played the excellent politically charged, Clash-meets-Certain Ratio jam “Longer to Live” often at NYC’s Wierd Party, and it’s one of those early-in-the-night slow burn tracks that I still play in DJ sets even to date.

Instead of attempting to fix the speed of the cassette digitally (easier said than done with drift), I’ve decided that perhaps it’s worth re-ripping whatever I have in my collection at the moment for posterity’s sake. With that in mind, here are three releases by this underrated guitar-driven band, including their debut cassette, the excellent Longer to Live EP, and the Social Fools and Satellite 7”s. While these are the only Airstrip 1 releases I own and ripped myself, I’m also including the 12” mixes of “Satellite” and “Social Fools,” which I’ve found out there in the ether and should otherwise complete the discography.

Fans of bands such as Ultravox, The Clash, The Associates, and maybe even a little early Duran Duran should dig these guys quite a bit. Definitely a little bit of that UK swagger here on display. The band started off with a rather edgy post-punk sound, quickly employing more synthesizers and horns, as was the style at the time. After their final singles, the band changed their name to Escape From New York and released two more singles, both of which can be found on Bandcamp.

With all of this in mind…

Airstrip 1 – Nothing Is Forever K7 (1981)
1. Nothing Is Forever
2. Fiction
3. Vodka Cola
4. New Messiah
5. Nothing Is Forever (Remix)*

*not listed on the cassette sleeve, included at the end but cuts out, unfortunately.

Airstrip 1 – Longer to Live 12” (1981)
1. Longer to Live
2. English Guns
3. Crime

Airstrip 1 – Satellite 7” (1982)
1. Satellite
2. All Fall Down

Airstrip 1 – Satellite 12” (1982)
1. Satellite (Slow Motion Mix)
2. All Fall Down*

*not included as this is track also on the 7”*

Airstrip 1 – Social Fools 7” (1982)
1. Social Fools
2. Social Fools (Part IV)

Airstrip 1 – Social Fools 12” (1982)
1. Social Fools (Extended Mix)
2. Social Fools (Part IV)
3. Social Fools (Poly Mix)

*download everything here*

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A Special Night – The Big Noise and the Lone Silence 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1986, A Special Night, italian, post-punk on April 29, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s…for lack of a better word…a special one. The Big Noise and the Lone Silence is the first and only release by Italian post-punk quartet A Special Night. This four-track single was released in 1986 via Cave Canem, who also released the excellent Still Life EP, the previous incarnation of Selena Moor, as well as releases by The Gift. You can expect similar sounds here – delightfully dreamy, femme-fronted post-punk in the vein of Repetition, Asmodi Bizarr, etc.

This is such a sweet spot for me, I can never get enough of this sound, personally…

A Special Night – The Big Noise and the Lone Silence 12”
1. Winter Song
2. To Find and Find
3. Kill My Love
4. The Dark

*download it here*

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Réseau d’Ombres – Abracax K7

Posted in 1980s, 1984, coldwave, france, french, post-punk, Réseau d’Ombres, synthpunk on April 24, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

As promised, here’s Abracax, the über-rare  debut 1984 studio cassette release from French coldwave/synth-punk band Réseau d’Ombres.

This is one of three cassettes the band released in 1984 to kick off their explosive career. Live cassette Ireos has been reissued by ειρκτή in 2013, while the other live cassette Eliotropium (sung primarily in English) remains to be heard, minus a track or two on Youtube. This, however, is their debut through and through – the seeds of what the band would become are already flowering into something dark and caustic. All seven tracks on this cassette were part of the band’s repertoire and appear in live form on Ireos, but it’s nice to have these studio recordings to add to the mix.

This cassette taps into early 80s cassette culture in every way – the design of the cover and additional artwork is exquisite. The tape comes housed in a plastic sleeve and comes with seven hand-printed tarot card slivers and a 7”-sized stamped orange insert. You can see additional photos of this one on Discogs.

That all said, hope y’all enjoy the music!

Réseau d’Ombres – Abracax K7
1. Mercenary
2. Passé
3. Natural Gesture
4. The Meal
5. Happy Song
6. External Life
7. Just For Fun

*download it here*

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Réseau d’Ombres – Vinyl Discography

Posted in 1980s, 1985, 1987, coldwave, french, post-punk, punk, Réseau d’Ombres, synth, synthpunk on March 25, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Ahhh, this band. This band, this band, this band. No single French coldwave band gets my blood boiling more than Réseau d’Ombres. While not romantic and wistful like many of their contemporaries (and like much of the music I tend to prefer), this French trio is downright relentless and extremely caustic, while also remaining completely and utterly danceable. If you haven’t heard them yet, stop what you’re doing right now, download this link, and get listening. You can expect some of the most hard-hitting, synth-driven, coldwave you’ve ever heard – in the vein of bands like Ausweis, Killing Joke, Suicide, Guerre Froide, early Charles De Goal, Les Provisoires, early Xmal, and of course, Bérurier Noir.

The Laval-based band was rather prolific, releasing five cassettes (one which is a live show from 1984), one 7”, one 12”, and two full-length LPs between 1983 and 1987. The live cassette Ireos has been lovingly reissued by Greek label ειρκτή back in 2014, while the other cassettes are a bit more elusive. Except one that is coming in the mail shortly, so more on that later, wink-wink.

When I get in the mood for this band, nothing else will suffice, and with things as they are these last few weeks – let’s just say they’re really hitting the spot today. With that in mind, I wanted to post freshly updated rips of the band’s vinyl-only catalogue, and by “freshly,” I mean, I digitized the two LPs and 12” single for my own personal listening over ten years ago, and just haven’t gotten around to sharing them yet. Much love to Nick from Crispy Nuggets for handling the band’s exceptional debut 7” as well, which I’ve included with his blessing. Also, check out his video restoration work on “Mirrors” as well:

As always, enjoy!

Réseau d’Ombres – Instant 7” (1985)
1. Instant
2. Mirrors

Réseau d’Ombres – Sotcha LP (1985)
1 New York
2 On The Floor
3 D’Estonnie
4 Bigger
5. Return Ticket
6. Blue Horsemen
7. Square
8. Whoska Sound
9. The Gold Of Netsa

Réseau d’Ombres – Axe 12” (1987)
1. Hanky Panky
2. Perska
3. The Gash
4. Holy Scab

Réseau d’Ombres – Faction LP (1987)
1. Soldier
2. Control
3. Howtch
4. Fire Away!
5. 7.00
6. Mockers
7. Today 5
8. Burnt-Offering
9. The Hanged

*download everything here*

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