Archive for the compilations Category

« Older Entries

Various Artists- Unexpected Silenzio 12”

Posted in 12'', 1980s, 1986, ambient, canadian, compilations, dark ambient, moonlight society, odds, post-punk, silent sound on August 8, 2016 by Frankie Teardrop

I picked up this particular 12” on a more recent carpet bombing of a NYC shop, and I’ve been meaning to share it for some time. Released in Canada on Bad Zoo Records in 1986, this collection features three vastly different bands and two styles that don’t seem to go together on paper, but make for a very enjoyable compilation EP.

I’m particularly wild about the first track, “People Walk on By” from Moonlight Society, a band who dominates the a-side with their Chameleons-inspired post-punk. Lots of guitar interplay with some chirpy synths for good measure across both tracks. I really wish they had more songs out there, because I’m a sucker for this kind of sound, through and through. Meanwhile, the flip features two dark ambient tracks by two separate bands, both of which are sprawling in comparison to the a-side’s immediacy. Both are excellent, however, and like the flip, neither band was heard from again, though Silent Sound features a synth credit from David Kristian, who joined Psyche a few years later…

All in all, an excellent, if unknown little compilation that’s still rather cheap to pick up (for the time being, ha ha!). Hope you enjoy!

Various Artists- Unexpected Silenzio 12”
1. Moonlight Society- People Walk On By
2. Moonlight Society- I’ll Live
3. Silent Sound- Skin of Sorrow, Soul Without End
4. Odds- Hyaloide Hypercycle

*download it here*

3 Comments »

Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 7 & 8

Posted in 1980s, coldwave, compilations, Intro, mélopée, New deutsche welle, new wave, post-punk, synth, synthpop, systems of romance, uk, various artists, Vibø, wave on September 1, 2015 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve been talking a big game about this Various Artists compilation series for a long time. So many allusions to the next installment of loose tracks have been made over the past few years, always saying the same thing. Stay tuned, etc. Well, it just occurred to me that it’s been THREE (3) years since the last installment, which is just pathetic on my part. That said, in order to atone for these missed opportunities and empty promises, I’ve assembled not ONE, but TWO compilations, just like the old days. Some of these tracks were passed on by friends and allies of the blog, others by band members themselves, and as always, quite a few come from the record shelves. Little writeups to follow below, but for now, let’s get to the tracklisting, shall we?

sor7

Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 7
1. Blood Brothers- Beyond The Nightmare
2. Unfamiliar Skies- Loveland
3. I Wish- The Name
4. 4711- New Holland
5. Glass Lady- Glass Lady
6. Lovers- Siam
7. Forever Till Never- When Kids Are Alone
8. Dancing On Your Own- Martin & Martin
9. Loss- Camouflage
10. Saison Fleurie- Cello
11. The Haunting Moon- Lyon in Winter
12. ふり返った男- Imitation Brain
13. Epics- Moravagine
14. Deutschland Brennt- D.U.R.
15. GG Man- Underjordiska Lyxorkestern
16. Pathetical Twat- Weaveworld
17. Ansassa- Tiistai
18. Symétrie (Live)- Pro Memoria
19. Zondagsplicht- Vibø
20. Pour Everyone- Irrelevant

sor8

Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 8
1. The Tribute- Christophe Grelier
2. Sisters- Carter Burwell
3. Dancing to Kill- Almost Alone
4. Curtain of Love- Ce Soir
5. Ultraviolet- Fade to Black
6. L’Arbre- Mélopée
7. Frozen (Demo)- Yvonne
8. Uomini di Vetro- Sirtaki
9. Darkness- A Distant Echo
10. Clever Dancers- Paul Piacentini
11. Grey Day- Nick Haward
12. Nuclear Car- Chapter 13
13. Tornado- The Blue Law
14. In Your Window- Indians Fall In Love
15. Korea- European Toys
16. Grind- October Game
17. Stormy Weather- Systems of Romance
18. Apynee- Laughing Out Loud
19. Disunion- Baby Hotel Hunger
20. Is This the End?- Avo-8

*download both compilations here*

Vol. 7 credits:
1. French band, released in the mid 90s, early 2000s. Also known as Beyond the Nightmare About Claudia.
2. Rare compilation appearance from these US-based synthpop greats, responsible for this trashy 12”. This track was released in 1993 on the American Independence- The New York Underground compilation. They were never heard from again.
3. Another track with virtually no information to be found out in the ether. Welcoming any tips on this one!
4. Incredible post-punk with cold synths from the Netherlands. They have a wealth of unreleased material, all available on Youtube.
5. Sleazy italo disco vibes from the UK, This is their lone single, the flip being an instrumental dub version.
6. Not related to the Israeli band of the same name, but instead the second project from Jacqui Brookes, aka Shox and Intro, respectively. This is the b-side of their Catrix 7”, a much better song than the intended single.
7. The a-side from a killer post-punk/wave 7” from the US, released in 1985.
8. An old Wierd party favorite, donated by a friend some time ago. Has seen many a play on the NYC dancefloors, but I’ll be damned if I can tell you anything about this otherwise italo/synthpop smash.
9. Not related to the German synthpop titans, but instead the centerpiece of this Swedish wave band’s second record, released in 1986.
10. Neoclassical darkwave vibes from Portugal, released the mid-90s. This track hails from their third record.
11. Gloomy new wave track from a lone US 12”, released in 1986.
12. Japanese a-side, also from 1986.
13. Early Martial Canterel demo, recorded under the Moravagine alias and released on a 6 track cd-r of similarly early demos.
14. The A-side from a 1982 NDW single, released on Zenzor.
15. The standout track from this Swedish band’s lone LP from 1982. The rest of the album is a mixed bag of new wave/prog tracks, but this one is a cold gem.
16. Four piece UK band featuring frequent members and collaborators of The Chameleons, The Sun & The Moon, Black Swan Lane, etc. Features the same trademark sound as all three of these bands. Also appears in demo form under the name Music For Aborigines.
17. Standout track from this Finnish band’s debut LP, released in 1987.
18. Unreleased live track from this otherwise amazing French coldwave project, with heavy similarities to Cocteau Twins. Get their first demo tape here.
19. Unreleased demo track from these Belgian darkwave greats, whose 12” appears on these back pages as well.
20. Unreleased demo from Philippe Planchon’s post-Asylum Party project.

Vol. 8 credits:
1. Neoclassical track from the mid-90s, released on the Cantara I compilation. Christophe was mostly active in No Words.
2. Plucked from the Psycho 3 soundtrack and featuring Stanton Miranda, yet another killer collaboration between the pair that brought you Thick Pigeon and the killer Wheels Over Indian Trails 12” on Factory Benelux. This is Carter’s first soundtrack work, a world where he is still active today.
3. Unreleased demo from this UK synthpop duo.
4. Flip side from a Scandanavian synthpop single from 1983. This is the first of three singles by Ce Soir. The A-side is nice, but this is the real standout of the two.
5. Lone compilation appearance from these US goth greats. It’s by far my favorite track of theirs, with a menacing edge and a slightly questionable organ line. Released on an otherwise mixed bag compilation. Miller High Life wave?
6. Centerpiece of this French coldwave band’s CD release from 1995. Get their earlier material here.
7. Demo track from mid-90s Sweden.
8. I couldn’t tell you a thing about this one!
9. The only released track from this Belgian synth band, released on the Blitz Pop 2 compilation in 1983.
10. Standout from the 1985 Out of the Box LP, recorded in one continuous take. Another Wierd party favorite.
11. The a-side from an extremely rare UK minimal synth single, released in 1983.
12. The b-side from a US-based 7” from 1982.
13. Gloomy, standout new wave track from a lone US 12”, released in 1988. If I recall, this is the only track that sounds anything like this.
14. Unreleased track from this UK-based post-punk/goth band, originally featured on the band’s Myspace page. This one goes out to Michael B. Wood from Return of the East, who passed away recently, but not before sharing this obscure band with the world.
15. Title track from this rickety UK post-punk band’s second release from 1984.
16. Probably the most well-known band on here, if only because it features a young, pre-Nettwerk Sarah McLachlan on vocals. Originally released in 1986 on the Out of the Fog (The Halifax Underground 1986) compilation.
17. US-based 12”, named after this blog just kidding, but still a nice slice of excellent new wave from 1983.
18. Another one I know virtually nothing about, and welcome any further information!
19. AKA Hotel Hunger, a Danish post-punk band. This track hails from their first 12”, released in 1986.
20. UK-based indie-rock/pop in the style of Shop Assistants, Flying Nun records, etc. This is the title track from their 1987 12” of the same name. Thanks to Goutroy for passing on an extra copy!

12 Comments »

Various Artists- 13 CD & L’Appel de la Muse LP

Posted in asylum party, coldwave, compilations, ellysgarden, france, french, goth, goth-rock, little nemo, lively art, post-punk on May 13, 2015 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a two for Tuesday post- two indispensable French compilations that you may have seen around before over the years, but both of these may serve as upgraded versions of what’s available in the ether.

Let’s start with 13, a near-perfect sampler of the Lively Art roster released in 1990, just as the label was hitting its peak. Just one glance at the artists gives the impression that Lively Art was truly on par with Factory Records, if nowhere near as well known outside of France and Belgium. It’s easy to forget that And Also the Trees had several releases on Lively Art, since they stick out like a sore thumb amidst a slew of French coldwave bands. That said, they certainly share the label’s aesthetic, in many ways a touchstone for La Vague Froide. Otherwise, you have classic tracks by Asylum Party, Museum of Devotion, and arguably Little Nemo’s best song… Not too shabby! The CD version provided here features three additional bonus tracks, to boot- bringing the total number of tracks to…well…….

While 13 is incredibly strong, L’Appel de la Muse is an all-time favorite. Track after track of dark French perfection. This is the first of five comps bearing this title, this series was perfect for showcasing new, underground French post-punk acts, oftentimes broadening their geographical horizons over the years. This first installment was the only release on vinyl, and kicked things off for the Alea Jacta Est in 1989. Alea Jacta Est would go on to release most of Lucie Cries’ discography, as well as Ellysgarden‘s debut release. Meanwhile, there are several repeat offenders across both of these compilations. Little Nemo’s “Alan’s Waiting” appears in re-recorded form here, and this version has never been compiled elsewhere. You also have killer exclusives from Excès Nocturne, Message, and a delightfully bizarre, yet satisfying track from Medikao, just to name a few. All in all, a flawless compilation, and part of a perfect pair. Enjoy!

Various Artists- 13
1. Tribes Are Meeting- Teepee
2. Love or Madness- Asylum Party
3. This Place- Data-Bank-A
4. Lover Pot Pie- Sky Cries Mary
5. Stiff- Numb
6. City Lights- Little Nemo
7. The Party- Mary Goes Round
8. Quimbi Come Home- Museum of Devotion
9, Istante (Live)- Club De Rome
10. Anton’s Mind’s Getting Blind- Collection d’Arnell~Andréa
11. The Subject Animal- Anechoic Chamber
12. (In the) Name of Surival- Circle Confusion
13. Wallpaper Dying- And Also the Trees

Various Artists- L’Appel de la Muse
1. The Muse’s Calling- Lucie Cries
2. Froh- Clair Obscur
3. Les Enfants- L’An III
4. Sex Gore- Medikao
5. Alan’s Waiting (2nd Version)- Little Nemo
6. Dahlia Noir- Excès Nocturne
7. Anastoria- Tuatha De Danann
8. The Nightmare (1st Version)- Mary Goes Round
9. The Grave- Message
10. Dreaming- Asylum Party

*download both here*

13 Comments »

Various Artists- Dreams and Desires K7

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 4ad, coldwave, compilations, goth, goth-rock, minimal synth, pleasantly surprised, post-punk on June 12, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Have a few tapes here to share over the next few weeks… Some more rare Italian demos, a 2xK7 French compilation, and much more, but here’s an old classic as donated by Jeffo and re-ripped at VBR for maximum enjoyment.  You may have heard this over at Return of the East back in the day, an old favorite blog of all things dark that’s since purged from Blogger.  PS- You should all take a listen to The Anxiety of Love if you want to hear more from the excellent chap who ran that blog, here’s to more great sounds from them to come.

This tape, released in 1984, essentially reads like a who’s who of the classic 4AD roster, with some other amazing contributions from favorites such as Pink Industry (and a track by Ambrose working on her own), Vazz, Clair Obscur, In the Nursery, Band of Holy Joy, etc.    Many of the tracks that appear here are in demo form, some of which (like the sketch of Cocteau Twins’ sublime “Pearly Dewdrops Drops” and Dead Can Dance’s excellent demo of “The Arcane”) haven’t been compiled in even the most thorough retrospectives.

Pleasantly Surprised, the Scottish label run by Robert H. King, eventually became Cathexis Recordings (Vazz and Clair Obscur vinyl releases), which then turned into Total, a music magazine, by the 1990s.  Pleasantly Surprised were notorious for these compilations, as well as for releasing a rare Dif Juz tape and providing reissues/alternate distribution methods for an early Clair Obscur release, just to name a few standout credits.  I haven’t heard many of the other VA compilations so I can’t be sure if the versions on those cassettes are demos as they are here, or if they’re studio versions compiled for cassette.  If anyone can confirm or deny, please feel free to leave a comment.

Various Artists- Dreams and Desires K7
1. Side A Intro
2. Richard Killing- Nervous Choir
3. Tag Fur Tag (Demo)- Xmal Deutschland
4. Diamonds In the Mine (Live)- Artery
5. Silver- Vazz
6. Sex Gun (Demo)- Colourbox
7. Ecstasy (Instrumental*)- The Wolfgang Press
8. Pain of Pride- Pink Industry
9. A Glorious Morning In Orton Street- The Band of Holy Joy
10. Side A Outro
11. Side B Intro
12. The Pilgrim’s Progress (Instrumental)- Clair Obscur
13. The Arcane (Demo)- Dead Can Dance
14. Can’t Get Used to Losing You- David J
15. In One Move- Illegitimate Sons of Christ
16. Pearly Dewdrop’s Drops (Demo)- Cocteau Twins
17. Iskra- In the Nursery
18. Free At Last- Ambrose
19. Illustrated- Andrew Grey
20. Tree Top Club (Demo)- Virginia Astley
21. Smile- Patrik Fitzgerald
22. Side B Outro

*download it here*

 

*not really an instrumental at all.  But we all know the Rema-Rema gag, right?

7 Comments »

Various Artists- Unreleased Vol. 1 K7

Posted in 1987, asylum party, cassette, clair obscur, coldwave, compilations, darkwave, little nemo, mary goes round, norma loy, Orchestre Rouge, post-punk, unreleased, various artists on February 23, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Since it seems like all links for the original Unreleased cassette are dead in the water or at a very low bit rate, here’s a fresh 320 kbps, fresh from the cassette! This one is arguably the most orthodox of the series, featuring several “household names” from the French coldwave/touching pop scene, many making their first or second recorded appearance here. Every band here hails from France, with the exception of The Cultural Decay (Belgium), and a rare track from Factory darlings Section 25.

Interesting how each of these compilations appear on a different medium, huh? I wonder if a fourth compilation will ever surface on 8 track…

Various Artists- Unreleased Volume 1 K7
1. Section 25– Human Puppets
2. Asylum Party– Where Have You Gone My Friend?
3. Brigade Internationale– Memories And Break
4. Clair Obscur– Wreck
5. Mary Goes Round– The Shelter
6. Odessa– Trouble
7. Brigade Internationale– Silence Of My Brain
8. Orchestre Rouge– 1980
9. Art Remains Tangible– Numéro 32
10 Little Nemo– Future Is Now
11. Norma Loy– Ghost Parasites
12. Brigade Internationale– Eyes On The Volcano
13. Complot Bronswick– Panem And Circences
14. The Cultural Decay– I Never Loved You

*download it here*

9 Comments »

Various Artists- Unreleased III CD

Posted in 1990, ambient, asylum party, classical, coldwave, compilations, darkwave, little nemo, unreleased, various artists on February 15, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s one for the romantics. Contained within we have the final installment of the Unreleased series, a strictly coldwave compilation from Présage records with many repeat offenders providing exclusive tracks. You can get volume I here and my own rip of volume II here. The only release outside of these compilations is the first Little Nemo 12”. Strange that the label didn’t do much else outside of these four releases, but hey.

This installment of the unreleased series from 1990 is the most curious of the lot, as the tracks are (mostly) instrumental. In fact, the entire disc is very classical and baroque influenced, with myriads of piano and strings making up the majority of the instrumentation. Some modern sounding synths and the occasional drum machine & bass romp kick in, but for the most part, it’s a relaxing and atmospheric affair.

A few of the artists that appear here aren’t much of a surprise, especially In the Nursery, who have always flirted with a more modern darkwave take on classical music in their later incarnations. Curiously absent is Collection D’Arnell~Andrea, but this is definitely a must for fans of that sort of sound. There’s a short piano contribution from Little Nemo founder Vincent Legallo and an exclusive Asylum Party track as well as several cuts from No Words and Rise And Fall Of A Decade, who comprise the majority of this collection. This one may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely one I enjoy very much.

Various Artists- Unreleased III CD
1. No Words- Futile Research
2. Vincent Legallo- Helioneiros N° 1
3. No Words- Silent Call
4. Asylum Party- Wet Button
5. Rise and Fall of a Decade- Unity Mitford
6. Trees Dance- Fracture
7. Rise and Fall of a Decade- Theme Kurland
8. No Words- Classical Side
9. In The Nursery- Seraphic
10. Trees Dance- Lust In Holy Dust
11. Rise and Fall of a Decade- Galdhöppigen Glittertind
12. Trees Dance- No Access
13. Vincent Legallo- Orgues Allemands
14. No Words- Prémonition
15. No Words- Hommage A Gaétan Blondeau

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 8.29.17)

8 Comments »

Various Artists- I’d Rather Be In Philadelphia LP

Posted in 1980s, 1983, bunnydrums, compilations, new wave, philadelphia, post-punk, pretty poison, synth on January 23, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Well, with megaupload’s recent demise, it’s no shock that the blog world is currently reeling. My condolences to those whose hard work was flushed down the drain in one fell swoop. Not sure if mediafire, my preferred hosting of choice, will be targeted in the near future, but with this in mind, I’d say now’s a good time to catch up on the archives of this blog and others, while the getting’s good! Also, lemme know if any of the zshare archives are outdated, and I’ll reupload as I can. I’d like to keep a tight ship here for as long as possible.

That said, I’m sure you’ve all noticed that there’s been some overlap posts here as of late. While I’m still dead set on unearthing long lost gems, the wantlist dwindles by the day. With that in mind, I’ve been acquiring copies of some all time favorites for the DJ bag and re-ripping them at solid bitrates and de-popping them as best as I can before playing them out. I’ve also passed a few clean rips over to A Viable Commercial (1, 2, and 3) and more shall be appearing throughout the blogosphere. I’ve also been revisiting some of my own posts from the past, the most recent being the first Sanity Plexus 12”, which I’ve cleaned up to the best of my ability (it’s still a rather poor pressing, so there’s only so much one can do). I’ll update at the end of new posts with any archival developments in lieu of making a new post. Don’t get me wrong, new and unheard material will still appear here as I get my hands on it, but I hope you guys enjoy the higher fidelity posts as well.

Ok, so all that aside, here’s another record that’s been shared before, though it appears to be offline at the moment. Here we have an elusive comp from 1983, featuring artists the Philadelphia area. Fantod’s original post hints at a poor quality pressing of this record, and while I had in my hands what appeared to be a near-mint copy, the same flaws existed. There’s a long-standing crackle throughout the entire record, very difficult to remove through standard means. I tried noise removal as per usual, but I was left with little audio to work with on the second track, even at lower settings, so I kept an even hand and did my best. I did go through and attempt a click-by-click removal, but I was only able to remove the major and isolated offenses before losing my mind completely. Also, it seems like some of the tracks were poorly recorded to begin with, most noticeable on the Sensory Fix track, which sounds foggy right off the needle.

Despite these flaws, this record is still surprisingly rare and worth checking out, as it features early and exclusive contributions from some of Philly’s finest. Pretty Poison appears here, in their earlier and more abrasive incarnation, and offer one of the best tracks on the comp. There’s also a transitional Book of Love track about dye, recorded soon after their stint as Head Cheese. It’s a curious track, nowhere near the synthpop smash of their debut LP, but more in line with the no wave-influenced Jungle Jam tracks. Another standout is Bunnydrums, the psychedelic post-punk band that’s been covered many times in the past, and who I believe are still active to date. While “Sleeping” also appeared on the PKD LP (same version for both releases), it’s one of their finest tracks. We also have a cut from Executive Slacks, who I presume need no introduction.

As with any compilation, there are a few tracks that aren’t too interesting to me, but your mileage may vary. For me, the real diamond on this comp. is the smoldering Girls Downstairs cut, an unsuspectingly nightmarish track with female vocals and steady percussion. Sadly, it appears to be the only thing they ever recorded. Story of my life.

I feel like I had more to say about this one, but since this is likely my longest post to date (tl;dr), I’ll end it here and offer up the tunes for anyone still with me. Here’s the info for this comp:

Various Artists- I’d Rather Be In Philadelphia LP
1. Bunnydrums- Sleeping
2. Pretty Poison- Secrets
3. Sensory Fix- Last Match
4. Impossible Years- Flower Girl
5. Mother May I- When Children Play
6. Book of Love- Henna
7. Red Buckets- Something Else Again
8. Stickmen- Duraflame Dog
9. Girls Downstairs- Steam Rises Off the Jungle Floor
10. Executive Slacks- Sexual Witchcraft

*download it here* (re-ripped 3.17.17)

5 Comments »

Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 5

Posted in 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, coldwave, compilations, minimal, minimal synth, NDW, post-punk, systems of romance on August 31, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

I was going to hold off on posting this for a few more weeks, but after completing it in the late hours last night, I can’t help but share it immediately. Here we have the fifth installment of the Systems of Romance series, volume FIVE to be exact, and debatably my favorite of the bunch. You can expect a nice mix of guitar and synth tracks here. The only difference is this mix features 4-5 new artists that are all worth checking out, alongside several rare and unreleased tracks. Running time is a minute or so over a full length cd-r, so feel free to trim one of these for your own personal burnnn. Here’s the tracklisting:

Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 5
1. After the Snow Melts- Clever Lines
2. Genetics- Final Sound
3. Epitaph- A Haunted Sawmill
4. New Year- Days Are Nights
5. Chanson D’Amour- WCH
6. In The Future- Split Level
7. Strange Days- Immunity
8. A Color- Tropic of Cancer
9. Run Run- Avantgarde De Luxe
10. Shadow Walk- Negatives in Colour
11. When Thunder Comes- Mission
12. What Goes On?- The Radiance
13. Desperate Rhymes- Piece De Resistance
14. Cover Girl- Dengon
15. Silly Earth- Scatterbrains
16. Eden- Sofia Run
17. On the Moon- Beyond Words
18. Shoot Me Down- P.S. Personal
19. Geraldine- Cha Boom Cha
20. Blind Me- Winter Severity Index
21. Sweet Cliché- The First Loves

*download it here*

Here’s a few words on the tracks:
1. Plucked from the 8 Essential Attitudes compilation. Picked it up cheap and while there are some gems, it’s mostly a mixed bag.
2. From the No Surrender! compilation, an otherwise rough and tumble collection of skinhead/oi tracks from Rock-O-Rama records.
3. Very rare single release, one of this band’s only tracks. Saw a release on The Trance Compilation.
4. Brazilian darkwave band who released a killer album in 2010, where this track hails from.
5. French synth from 1984…Stay tuned for a full post on this 12”.
6. B-side of a 1984 minimal synth single from the UK. If you have the a-side, holler!
7. Plucked from a 1985 compilation entitled Sounds from the Southern Scene Vol. 1. This band appears twice on the comp as the bookends. Their other track isn’t nearly as good, but still worth hearing.
8. Brand new coldwave sounds from LA, can’t get enough of this track!
9. Denmark band, from their first LP, released in 1982. Another track appears on SOR vol. 3.
10. An unreleased track from the UK band featured here.
11. Also from the 8 Essential Attitudes comp. Guitar-driven smash, and not the same post-Sisters band!
12. 1990s darkwave, released on a compilation of excellent like minded souls (Derrière Le Miroir, Lucie Cries, Frozen Autumn, all great bands)
13. Grabbed this 1985 12” from the US in a dollar bin. Decent new wave throughout, but this track is a standout.
14. Another US band who issued two singles in 1985 on ESYNC records (Velvascurge!). Mostly power-pop sounds, but this track has a nice guitar-driven edge to it. If anyone insists, I have both singles uploaded for a future post, but this one is the real treat of the lot.
15. Scarce minimal synth from the Netherlands. Would love to hear this full LP!
16. 1990s darkwave band who issued two records before splitting up.
17. 8 Essential Attitudes.
18. 1983 synthpop single from the UK.
19. The standout track from this 1988 12”. Also from the UK.
20. Brand new (all female) post-punk/coldwave band from Italy. A new favorite, really tremendous stuff. Keyboardist also doubles as Mushy, who just issued a full length solo LP on Mannequin Records!
21. I belive this track is a demo from a new post-punk band from London. Certainly sounds timeless!

18 Comments »

Various Artists- Systems of Romance vol. 3 & 4

Posted in 1980s, coldwave, compilations, minimal, minimal synth, NDW, post-punk, systems of romance on December 16, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

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

*download it here*

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

*download it here*

In case you missed them, you can get vol. 1 here and vol. 2 here! Have a great holiday, everyone!

32 Comments »

Various Artists- Systems of Romance vol. 2

Posted in 1980s, coldwave, compilations, minimal, minimal synth, NDW, post-punk, systems of romance on October 5, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Ok, I lied- had a little extra time today to put the finishing touches on the second Systems of Romance compilation, so here it is as promised! Same as the first, this collection features several loose tracks I’ve had kicking around and have been enjoying for some time. These tracks generally comprise DJ sets of mine around here in NYC, but are also perfect for everyday enjoyment.

Since the first volume seems to be so popular (thanks for the kind words and comments, guys!), I may have enough tracks to make a third installment, so stay tuned for that in the near future. Without any further ado, here’s the breakdown for this compilation:

VA- Systems of Romance Vol. 2
1. At Night- Jus Dorange
2. We Make Love- Puppets of Mankind
3. Een Ding- Toni Valen
4. Man Must Klavier Spiele Konnen- Menrwert
5. Bozsky Klid- OK Band
6. Kianzu- Boda De Rubias
7. Exposure of My Senses- Gravity Pirates
8. No Surprise- VHF
9. Hold On You- Bert Barten
10. Heaven Is In You- Jamie Wild
11. Tree Soldiers- Twelfth Night
12. Hemispheres Divide- Tek Noir
13. Siguelo- Tiempo 555
14. Galaxy- Antimation
15. Ice- Seeing Red*
16. Harmony- Calvin Twilight
17. Teenage Iceage- Suzy Andrews**
18. Entrer Dans L’Amour- The Graphic
19. Do You Read Me- Alastair Riddell
20. Outcast- The Factory***

*download it here!*

*This track, and it’s moodier b-side, will soon appear on iTunes. Keep your eyes peeled for a proper digital file!
**The background melody should sound familiar.
***You can get this band’s 12” and 7” over at Pheonix Hairpins. Different rip here!

16 Comments »

« Older Entries