Archive for January, 2009

Sequins and Spandex (parts 1 & 2)

Posted in 1980s, 2000s, disco, italo disco, mixes, new wave, sequins and spandex, synth on January 30, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a slight deviation from the standard Systems of Romance fare to end the weekend. Though it’s a mere stone’s throw away from minimal wave as it is, my interest in Italo and Space Disco has been on the rise over the past six or seven months, and has culminated in two mixes of classic tracks both old and new. I created the first Sequins and Spandex collection in November of ’08 (and forgot to post it here during the blog’s forced downtime). Otherwise, I just finished the second mix last night, and am pleased to offer them both for your listening pleasure. The first is a little more glitzy, polished, and modern, while the second is a little more gritty and of-the-era. Here’s all the info:

Sequins and Spandex: An Introductory Disco Compilation
1. Friday Nights- Diamond Vampires
2. Hands in the Dark- Chromatics
3. Destiny- Vivien Vee
4. Veronica’s Veil- Fan Death
5. Digitally- Plastic Mode
6. Esc Hatch- Mount Sims
7. Pillow Talk- Lustt
8. Lady Operator- Mirage
9. 1991- Crystal Castles
10. Beatific- Glass Candy
11. No Regrets- Black Devil
12. Automatic Amore- Patriza Pellegrino
13. I’m an Indian Too- Don Armando’s 2nd ave. Rhumba Band
14. How Do You Dance?- Telex
15. Speakerphone- Kylie Minogue
16. Movie Star- Roisin Murphy
17. The Night (Original Mix)- Valerie Dore
18. Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (Mirage Mix)- Indeep

*download it here*

Sequins and Spandex 2: Electric Boogaloo
1. Spacer Woman- Charlie
2. Chase (Dub Version)- Sun La Shan
3. What Did He Say- Nite Jewel
4. Hide It- The Golden Filter
5. Somewhere in the Night (Extended)- Stereo
6. Main Theme From ‘Christine’- John Carpenter
7. Moscow Discow (Single Version)- Telex
8. Ikeya Seki- Kano
9. Magic Fly- Ecama
10. You- Boytronic
11. Into the Night- Tobias Bernstrup
12. Pulstar- Hipnosis
13. Baseball Furies Chase- Barry de Vorzon
14. Polaris- Cyber People
15. La Nuite Blanche- Munich Machine
16. Don’t Lose Control- Material
17. Flashing- Goblin

*download it here*

I hope to make a habit of these, so if you dig ’em, please speak up! Happy Friday, ladies and gents!

27 Comments »

East Wall- Eyes of Glass 12” & Silence LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, 1990s, 1991, darkwave, italian, italo disco, minimal, synthpop on January 28, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s post contains the entire discography for Italian minimal/electro/disco act East Wall, featuring the efforts of Fabrizio Chiari (previously involved with Kirlian Camera) on synthesizers and electronics and Wilma Notari on synths and vocals. Their initial 12”, 1985’s Eyes of Glass is a perfect slice of jagged minimal synth with a slight italo lean, while their 1991 lp Silence is a bit darker in spots, but equally catchy- possibly the closest thing to darkwave freestyle that exists!  Either way, both releases are club ready staples just itching to pack the dancefloor.

Without any further ado, here’s the download information for both releases. Enjoy!

East Wall- Eyes of Glass 12”
1. Eyes of Glass (vocal)
2. Eyes of Glass (instrumental)

East Wall- Silence
1. Silence
2. Ice Of Fire
3. Twenty Five Sunsets Before Dawn
4. Angelo
5. Blue
6. Privacy
7. Twenty Seven

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – both of these essentials have been reissued by Dark Entries Records.

17 Comments »

Vox Dei- De Profundis LP

Posted in 1980s, 1982, coldwave, france, vox dei on January 26, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

A request post for the day, ladies and gentlemen. This one’s for Curious Guy over at Phoenix Hairpins, a fantastic post-punk blog that many readers should already be familiar with, but should scour if not.

Anyway, I’ve stumbled upon Vox Dei’s De Profundis LP, the band’s lone LP, released in 1982. A fantastic slab of gritty, French coldwave, a little more experimental than some of their counterparts. There’s also an Argentinian band that shares the same name, mostly active in the 1970s, but this band is vastly different, though little information is available about this particular one. Given those circumstances, let’s get down to the nitty gritty:

Vox Dei- De Profundis LP
1. Escadrille 43
2. Connu De Personne
3. Le Démon
4. Lord’s Mélancolie
5. Vortex Androgyne
6. Requiem
7. Q.H.S.
8. Terroriste
9. Tokyo Boy

*download it here*

Fun Fact: “Terroriste” also appears on the fantastic BIPP: French Synth-Wave 1979/85 collection, which is worth finding for any fan of the genre.

12 Comments »

The Burning Skies of Elysium- The Last Revolving Door CD

Posted in 1980s, 1987, burning skies of elysium, elysium, post-punk, uk on January 15, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Can’t seem to find a slew of info about today’s band, The Burning Skies of Elysium (simply Elysium for short), who released a handful of singles and one lone LP in 1987. I have only deduced that the band hails from the UK and is primarily a three-piece, for though little information exists, several photos of the band can be found.

As far as releases go, The Last Revolving Door is pretty difficult to find, and was proceeded by one 12” and one 7” single under the Elysium moniker. The album itself was repressed on CD in 1993 via Spectre Records, with three bonus tracks attached. They are included in the link below, for your listening pleasure. Without any further ado:

The Burning Skies of Elysium- The Last Revolving Door CD
1. Alone
2. For My Eyes
3. Carousel
4. Death Of The Clowns
5. Far From The Crowd
6. Beggarman Thief
7. Domino
8. Out On The Paperchase
9. Too Late For Tears
10. Fragments
11. One Afternoon
12. It’s All Over
13. Dutch Villa

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED at 320 kbps by Collin, a DJ from Buffalo, NY!)

37 Comments »

I’m So Hollow- Peel Session 8.13.80

Posted in 1980, 1980s, post-punk, sheffield scene, uk on January 14, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Thanks to a generous donation from Kevin Crow, I am pleased to offer the long lost I’m So Hollow peel session, recorded on the 13th of August, 1980. Two of the tracks are exclusive to this release, not recorded or released in any other form. The first two, however, appear on their debut 7”, 1980’s Dreams to Fill the Vacuum and their 1981 full length, Emotion/Sound/Motion, respectively. You can download their entire discography here!

Here’s the Peel Session info:

I’m So Hollow- Peel Session 8.13.80
1. Dreams to Fill the Vacuum
2. Which Way?
3. Monotony
4. Fashion

*download it here*

2 Comments »

The Snake Corps- Smother Earth LP

Posted in 1980s, 1990, british, coldwave, dreampop, post-punk, sad lovers and giants, shoegaze, snake corps on January 9, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Tossing another quick request out there for your weekend enjoyment. I covered UK post-punk act the Snake Corps back in August of 2007, so take a peek at this post for all proper information on the band and their biography. Otherwise, enjoy this record, the band’s second, released in 1990.

The Snake Corps- Smother Earth LP
1. Seagull’s Eye
2. Calling You
3. Careful…
4. Everything Turns Blue
5. I’m Not Afraid
6. Colder Than The Kiss
7. Testament
8. More Than The Ocean
9. Come The Glorious Day
10. The Sky In Your Eyes
11. Possession
12. “This Is Seagull…”
13. Seagull’s Eye (Ext.)

*download link removed* – Now available on iTunes!

8 Comments »

Units- Digital Stimulation LP

Posted in 1980, 1980s, minimal, synth, synthpunk, Units, wave on January 5, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

I originally touched on San Francisco synthpunk legends Units back in July 2006, so let’s flesh that post out a little bit with their lone full length release, 1980’s Digital Stimulation, which features a rerecorded version of ‘Warm Moving Bodies.’ The original version can be nabbed from the 2006 overview post, alongside a more detailed profile of the band. Otherwise, here’s the info proper:

1. High Pressure Days
2. Digital Stimulation
3. Warm Moving Bodies
4. Go
5. Mission
6. Cannibals
7. Bugboy
8. Tight Fit
9. Passion Or Patterns
10. Town By The River
11. Cowboy

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – reissued via Furturismo!

14 Comments »

Play- Red Movies LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, new wave, play, survival records, synthpop, uk on January 2, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

I was just turned on to this record on New Year’s eve, and it’s an underrated synth-pop gem, through and through. Well, it’s more of an EP than a record proper, as it collects all three of UK synthpop act Play’s 12” and 7” singles on one vinyl.

Little is known about this one man act, though Wayne Kennedy was assisted by a few Survival Records pals, including David Rome of Drinking Electricty for the recording and release of this 1985 record. Otherwise, it’s simply another fantastic anomaly from the glory days of synthpop. Without more info to contribute, let’s get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?

Play- Red Movies LP
1. Red Movies
2. Erase the Memory
3. Deeper Than Blue
4. This Little Girl
5. Chasing the Sun
6. You Don’t Look the Same
7. In My Mind

DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED- at long last, Medical Records has reissued the entire Play discography (Red Movies LP + the extra remixes here) on LP.  Order HERE on Bandcamp!

7 Comments »