Here’s a killer 7” from 1982 that I’ve been meaning to post for a while. Seems there isn’t a lot of information to be had regarding this understated minimal synth/post-punk hybrid single, a private release on T.B. records. The band hailed from the UK, and naturally, this is their only release.
If anyone can fill in the blanks on this one, feel free to chime in. Otherwise, please do enjoy!
Terminal Beach- Love on Auto 7”
1. Love on Auto
2. Dark Words
I was going to wait until early next week to post these, but I’m terrible with keeping secrets, so here’s an early holiday treat for you all. Linked below are TWO new Systems of Romance loose tracks compilations, lovingly assembled and pieced together from various sources, private collections, and generous donations!
Before we get to the tracklistings, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for a truly solid year here at Systems of Romance, probably the best we’ve had yet. I really appreciate all the support from artists, fellow bloggers, and readers alike. Here’s to many more years and many more posts to come!
Warm fuzzies aside, let’s get to the good stuff!
Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 3
1. Movements- Pascal Wathelet
2. The Aesthete- Biokonstruktor
3. Attack Decade- The Toy Shop
4. Erosion- Teepee
5. Demain Peut-Etre- Clair Instant
6. Man in the Railings- Plain Characters
7. Fate/Hate- Nyam Nyam
8. Mass Media- Monty Cantsin
9. Binary- Kazino
10. Ik En Mezelf- Fred A.
11. On- Zana
12. Fussball- Seltsame Zustände
13. Flickan I Mitt Badkar- Finish Him
14. Marche Nuptiale- Anches Doo Too Cool
15. New Harbours- Movement
16. Can’t Stop- Avantgarde De Luxe
17. Huge Box- The Bien
18. Paula- Nasa
19. Beautiful Lady- Hidden Pleasure
Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 4
1. The Invitation- Portrait Bizarre
2. Robot Dynastie- Terminus B
3. Let’s Call-Up- Forum
4. Marilyn En Jean- Tonic
5. Camera Room- Breathing Age
6. Sons of the Snake- Alan Shearer
7. Last Train- Goûts De Luxe
8. Let Me Out of Here- Fizik
9. Certain Words- Clair Instant
10. You Hurt Me (Original Version)- Shark Vegas
11. Changing- Siam
12. Never Seen- Second Thoughts
13. Soba 23- Denis & Denis
14. Chant D’Yxos- Pascal Wathelet
15. XYZ- Pat Sheedy
16. Some Other Day- Insanity
17. In Loving Memory- Steve Ainsworth
18. The Letter- D’Arc
In case you missed them, you can get vol. 1 here and vol. 2 here! Have a great holiday, everyone!
I have one more thing to post today, so might as well drop it now, while the iron is hot. Here’s a classic 12” by The Bridge, a DJ favorite of mine for some time now, recently acquired on vinyl. I believe this synthpop outfit acted as a three piece, releasing several singles in the mid 1980s. This particular record was produced by Paul Bell, who then went on to form Zerra One.
There’s a bit of discrepency between their first two singles, so let me try my best to explain. As listed online, there’s both a 12” for Love Dance (today’s post) as well as a single release entitled Industrial Love Dance, but both feature the same tracklisting, more or less, with slightly tweaked titles. Maybe the label (Second Vision) thought it was best to steer clear of the ‘industrial’ tag? If anyone can shed some light on this situation, I would be most appreciative!
The versions on this 12” also appear on the Industrial Love Dance single, alongside a shorter, more radio-friendly version of side A, which I’ve uploaded seperately for good measure. So with this post, you get all three versions of “Love Dance,” an edgy synthpop track with excellent hooks and solid vocals. What more can you ask for?
The Bridge- Love Dance 12”
1. Love Dance (Love Mix)
2. Love Dance (Industrial Mix)
*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 2.6.17)
You can nab the 7” version of the track from the Industrial Love Dance single by clicking here. Enjoy!
Been meaning to post this one for a while, but finally got around to ripping it. Random purchase, made a few months ago for a few dollars, based on the year (1988) and the cover artwork (Francis Bacon!), and found it to be pleasant enough to rip and share with you all. Here we have the lone LP by a band called Minutes After…, a melodic darkwave/post-punk band from Philadelphia.
The closest touchstone I have for the band is a sadly defunct NYC band called Bell Hollow, who were in turn influenced by the likes of For Against, The Chameleons, and Sad Lovers and Giants. A few piano chords thrown in for good measure, as well as soaring vocals on every track. It’s a solid record for fans of the more dreamy/ethereal/wistful side of post-punk, especially the first (and best) Tears for Fears record, Sad Lovers and Gaints, and the second Fra Lippo Lippi record (a must listen).
Here’s the information:
Minutes After…- Minutes After… LP
1. Cracks Of Dawn
2. White Ceiling
3. Raining On Earth
4. Cradle To Crypt
5. Her ~ A Dream Without Sleep
6. The View From The Park
*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 3.16.17)
Here’s a classic disco cut for fans of the genre. Belgian disco with italo leanings, released in 1985. Naturally, several versions of the a-side track exist. The 7” edit is present here, alongside an exclusive b-side not on any of the other singles. For those who can’t get enough of this jam, you can get the 12” extended mix (special club version) by clicking here. Beware the downtuned synth lines! Definitely a killer track in any incarnation.
Mad Matrix- Men Alone 7”
1. Men Alone
2. We Are Mad Matrix
and again, nab the Special Club Version of the track here!
Here’s a killer German synthpop single, shameless and high energy as anything from the era. This 7” dates back to 1984, and features an infectious instrumental on side A. For those looking for vocals, there are plenty to be had on the darker and moodier flip-side. A pretty well balanced single, if you ask me.
The back of the sleeve claims that the band was primarily a two piece, but also features a handful of thank you credits for bass and programming work. Not much else to be found about these boys, so here’s the information:
Ultimatum- Countdown 7”
1. Countdown
2. Vorbei
Last, but not least, here’s a higher bitrate copy of the Unreleased Vol. II compilation, featuring a slew of classic coldwave cuts, at the time very scarce. You have some excellent work by many of the bands featured here in the past, including Mary Goes Round, Neutral Project, Little Nemo, and Asylum Party. The Wallenberg track is also a favorite.
This Unreleased series contained three volumes, the first of which I haven’t heard, and the third which took a more classical/instrumental approach.
Various Artists- Unreleased Volume II
1. Little Nemo- My Eternal Friend (1st Way)
2. Mary Goes Round – The Nightmare
3. Via Valvag – Au Rythme Des Jours
4. The Wait – Moving In
5. Kindergarten – Machines’Co
6. Asylum Party – The Desert
7. Wallenberg – Someone’s Changing (Helen Part 1)
8. Neutral Project – Enigmatic Dream
9. Close Cover – The Bomb
10. Les Tétines Noires – Marônium
*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 5.17.12 by sorrowvomit of Kentucky Fried Wave!)
Been meaning to post this one for some time- a recent purchase that’s lived in my DJ bag for some time now. Two track 12” from 1984, featuring members of Play Dead and Look Back in Anger. Also produced by John Fryer, notorious for his pioneering work with 4AD and various other post-punk bands. This is their only release, though more tracks were meant to be recorded.
The sound here sounds like a mixture of soulful vocals (a la Colourbox), post-punk bass grooves, all under the guise of a primitive EBM track. Lots to love here. Here’s the breakdown:
Mankinds Audio Development- Sunfeast 12”
1. Sunfeast
2. Craving
Just found this killer big-beat synthpop single – a playful two track 12” from Trash X, released in 1988. It’s the band’s only release, and was engineered by Ronny Schreinzer of The Twins.
It seems as if this particular release was a collaboration between several esteemed writers and producers, including David Heilmann (Wire, Depeche Mode) and H+N (Holger Flesch & Norbert Endlich). While it sounds of Russian origin, the single was actually recorded and released in Germany.
Not much more to be said about this one, so here’s the information:
Trash X- Perestroika 12”
1. Perestroika
2. Rigormortis Everywhere
*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 1.4.19)
Another excellent Italian release from 1986 up on the slab today, a true gem and rarity. Absolutely no info to be found about these four mysterious fellows, but their label, Urgent Records, also issued early singles by Litfiba and Neon. The band only issued one futher track, called “Wehrmacht,” which appears on the 391 Umbria K7 with Aidons La Norvege, another Italian band.
You can expect some gloomy synth here, with excellent bass grooves and melodic vocals. Definitely essential, especially for fans of bands like Storung and Into a Circle. Two different sounds, I know, but let’s see what you all make of it… Here’s the details:
X-Offender- Dreaming 12”
1. Dreaming
2. What Is Smile?
3. Help To Helpless
4. The Stone Wood
As a brief aside, I’ve recently constructed two DJ mixes for various publications. The first, for VESSEL, features a more synth-driven sound while the second, for Zaptown mag, is of the coldwave/post-punk variety. Here they are, for your listening pleasure: