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Pro Memoria- 1988 K7

Posted in 1980s, 1988, coldwave, ethereal, france, french, k7, lost desert, spleen ideal with tags lyon, pro memoria on March 29, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Apologies for flooding your hard drives yet again, but I’ve been meaning to post this tape for months now, and it’s due time for it to be heard. Here we have the debut demo cassette from Pro Memoria, a haunting and gloomy French Coldwave band from Lyon, one of the country’s hotspots for this sound. The cassette was self-released in 1988, and features three incredible studio tracks and one live number to top it off. Fans of Cocteau Twins, Lost Desert, Rosa Luxemburg, Baroque Bordello, Collection D’Arnell-Andrea, etc. will love this one.

There are a handful of scattered compilation appearances around the same era as this release, including two tracks on the often mentioned Nos Années Folles compilation (Lost Desert, Spleen Ideal, etc.) The band changed their sound a bit to incorporate some jazz influences, releasing Elegia in 1991. You can grab that one from 7” From the Underground. “Cinderella” from this cassette has been cleaned up and reissued on the excellent Transmissions Continued compilation on Infrastition.

Pro Memoria- 1988 K7
1. Cindirella
2. Le Cri
3. Secret Du Prisme
4. Pro Memoria (Live Lyon, Mars 88)

*download it here*

6 Comments »

Sombre Septembre- Une Lune Une Hiver 7”

Posted in 1980, 1990, 1990s, coldwave, france, french, sombre septembre on March 20, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another quick post for another French coldwave classic, re-ripped from the archives for those who have already heard this one. This post is a sister post of sorts to Sorrow Vomit’s latest offering. While that self-released CD-R contains most of the band’s discography, it curiously neglects the A-side to this 7” and includes a low quality rip of the b-side. Maybe the band were disappointed with this single or couldn’t locate the tapes. Just a theory. The songs are quite long for a 7”, which explains some of the murkiness that you may hear here occasionally.

Anyway, this 7” saw the band experimenting with heavier, synthpop inspired drums, though obviously the songs are still very synth/guitar/bass driven, melancholy tones, etc. If I recall correctly, these two tracks featured a different lineup than “Le Nez Rouge” so that may explain both the new sounds and the aforementioned omissions.

Sombre Septembre- Une Lune Une Hiver 7”
1. Une Lune Une Hiver
2. Passée La Nuit

*download it here*

Coming soon- more collaborations from an Italian collector as well as some never-before-heard rarities I’ve been meaning to post for a while now. Hang tight!

Pavillon 7B- Pavillon 7B LP

Posted in 1980s, 1987, coldwave, france, french, goth, pavillon 7b on March 19, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

A real quick and dirty post here for today- simply because I’ve had little time this week, have had this in the queue for many months, and almost forgot to post it… Here we have an updated copy of the s/t Pavillon 7B LP from 1987, lovingly re-ripped by the one and only BX. A true coldwave classic from Dijon, a small town in the east of France, featuring dark and passionate female vocals and thin, mad-carnival synth lines . One of my favorite LPs, by far- one that seems to get better with each listen. The band also released several cassettes, appeared on many compilations, and issued a collection on Minimal Wave in 2007 which collected many of the band’s earliest works. ‘Black Generation’ was also featured prominently on several compilations, including the excellent Transmission compilation from Infrastition, which I’m sure you’ve all heard by now…

Even if you’re already familiar with this one- you’re in for a treat!

Pavillon 7B- Pavillon 7B LP
1. Black Generation
2. Wish
3. Sensation
4. The Sailor
5. Les Nouveaux Abris
6. Sphere
7. +
8. Love Loser
9. Somebody

*download it here*

3 Comments »

Opera Multi Steel- Regret Qui S’Ecaille K7

Posted in 1980s, 1987, coldwave, french, minimal, minimal synth, opera multi steel on February 24, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

While Opera Multi Steel are one of my favorite bands, I’ve never had the chance to feature them here, as most of their material has been reissued or posted elsewhere. However, I realized this particular cassette in 1987 hasn’t been ripped in the past, and aside from two tracks, does not appear on the otherwise excellent K7 Archives collection issued by Vinyl on Demand in 2008.

For those unfamiliar with Opera Multi Steel, the band was founded in 1983 in Bourges, France. Brothers Franck and Patrick Lopez joined Catherine Marie for their first 12” and debut LP, both essentials in the French coldwave/minimal synth scene. They were one of the more prolific bands of the genre, and have released top shelf music constantly without splitting up or reuniting. Two further members would join the band in 1987 and 1988 respectively, just after this tape was released. You can read a more detailed biography here.

Opera Multi Steel ‎– Regret Qui S’Ecaille K7
1. Regret Qui S’Ecaille
2. General Hospital
3. Désir Plaisir Après Tristesse
4. Lady Du Sentier De Loosy
5. Messager Monotone
6. Poisson D’Argent
7. Mon Permis De Conduire
8. Mawata

*download it here*

2 Comments »

Spleen Ideal- Untitled K7

Posted in 1980s, 1989, cassette, coldwave, france, french, spleen ideal on January 7, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another generous donation from Marc Collin, formerly of Persona/New Horizon label and currently the brains behind Nouvelle Vague. This is his own project, formed by Collin and Xavier Jamaux, who is now actve in film scoring.

I can’t seem to get enough of this tape lately… Really great combination of organic instruments and electronics here (and even a sample from Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares); straight up perfect coldwaves from France. Fans of bands like Résistance, End of Data, etc. will find lots to love here. You can also find two more tracks by Spleen Ideal on the amazing Nos Années Folles comp from 1990. I believe this tape was released in 1989.

Spleen Ideal- Untitled K7
1. Vague a Lame De Fond
2. Try Another World
3. Reflet D’une Beauté Mortelle
4. Conte de la Folie Ordinaire
5. Desseins a Colonier
6. Kasrolnikov

*download it here*

3 Comments »

Lost Desert- Heterogen Infiltration K7

Posted in 1980s, 1989, coldwave, france, french, lost desert, marc collin, nouvelle vague on December 4, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

I owe a great deal of gratitude to Marc Collin of Nouvelle Vague for the next two posts. I had the pleasure of meeting Marc at the weekly Wierd party a few years back, and I soon found out that he was involved in a handful of great coldwave projects before growing to critical and popular acclaim. For those unfamiliar, Marc was involved in both Spleen Ideal and Persona, two cassette culture bands who released a handful of obscure releases. More on Spleen Ideal soon. Marc also ran the excellent New Horizon label, who issued an alternate version of this particular cassette.

As for Lost Desert, little is known about this French band, though the tracks scattered across various compilations are some of the strongest female fronted French coldwave tracks, mixing both organic instruments and New Order-esque electronics. In fact, one of their most discovered tracks is aptly named “Tribute to New Order,” which appears on the excellent Supercherie compilation. Other tracks appear on New Horizon’s Nos Années Folles and the excellent Mea Pulpa cassette, previously posted here.

This tape was originally released without a label in 1989. Most of these songs appear on the highly coveted A Travers Le Miroir cassette, which appeared on New Horizon in 1990. Considering the track list is near identical (and as this tape was distrbuted/licensed by New Horizon according to the insert), my guess is that these versions are the same across both tapes, with just two exclusive tracks per cassette, unless the titles were simply changed before the New Horizon edition. Anyway, this tape is certainly worth the hype, which features a highly melodic side A and a more electronic side B. A perfect release from France’s cassette culture.

Lost Desert- Heterogen Infiltration K7
1. Ouverture
2. Tu Avais Tort
3. Nouvelle
4. Sunrise
5. Vision Enflammée
6. Far Away
7. L’arme De Sang
8. Conversation
9. Etrange Satire
10. Eyes of Ice
11. Baby Watch TV! (Live)
12. Final

*download it here*

A million thanks again to Marc for ripping this gem!

13 Comments »

Message- Demo K7

Posted in 1980s, cassette, coldwave, france, french, message on November 3, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

I know it’s only been a few days since my last post, but Stéphane B. of Coldwave.fr just passed this over to me and I couldn’t wait to share. Keeping with recent themes, here’s an unknown and untitled demo tape from Message, previously covered here. I don’t have titles for any of the songs, though the fourth track is clearly “The Crazy Garden”- the b-side from the 7”. Can’t notice much of a difference between the two versions, tape murkiness aside. The other three (untitled) tracks seem to be exclusive to this release. Really wish they recorded more during their tenure…

No artwork for this one- sorry, kids!

Message- Demo K7
1. Track 01 (Instrumental)
2. Track 02
3. Strange Voice
4. The Crazy Garden

*download it here*

Speaking of coldwave demos, a lot of people have asked about the Coldreams demo tape, which can be found and enjoyed over at Kentucky Fried Wave.

5 Comments »

Ellysgarden- Demo K7

Posted in 1990s, 1995, coldwave, ellysgarden, france, french, post-punk on October 9, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another generous donation, this time from Jonathan. Here we have a demo tape from Ellysgarden, recorded in ~~1988~~1995*. If you haven’t heard their full length record, 1994’s Echoes, you can grab that here.

For those unfamiliar, the band shares members with Rosa Luxemburg, a band that appears on several classic French compilations. The band employs a more jangle/dreampop sound than most of their contemporaries, recalling bands like Kitchens of Distinction, House of Love, and Catherine Wheel. However, this tape leans more towards their post-punk roots and is an absolute must for fans of fans of Sad Lovers and Giants, Lowlife, and Comsat Angels circa My Mind’s Eye (an underrated latter-day classic).

The tape features eight unheard songs that were never recorded again. No artwork for this one! Including a promo photo instead.

*EDIT: Thanks to Philippe Faraut for filling in the missing gaps! I can now report that this cassette was meant to be Ellysgarden’s SECOND album, recorded in 1995 and not 1988 as originally posted. The original master tapes for the pressing were lost in the mail, so all that remains of the album is this demo tape…

Ellysgarden- Demo K7
1. Pretty Accidents
2. Twice
3. Bleed or Shine
4. Reach Out
5. Heroes/High
6. Wrecked Skies
7. Ghardaia
8. Your Shammed Tears

*download it here*

24 Comments »

Masoch- Demo K7

Posted in 1980s, coldwave, france, french, masoch on October 3, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

I promised more rare French coldwave demo cassettes, so here’s another fantastic donation from Stéphane B. of Coldwave.fr. If you haven’t visited his site before, be sure to check in for some rare tracks never before heard, as well as a country-by-country sampling of some of the world’s best obscure guitar tracks!

This cassette was released before their 1984 12”, which you can find over at the always excellent Phoenix Hairpins (check the comments section for more info about this mysterious band). There’s a bit of overlap between the 12” and this cassette, though the versions on the demo were eventually re-recorded, appearing here in primitive form.

Masoch- Demo K7
1. Petit Valet
2. Strip-Tease
3. Semaine
4. Quand Musclée
5. Des Poils Sur Moi
6. Your Way

*download it here*

2 Comments »

Mémoires d’Automne- Gloria Victis k7, s/t k7, compilation tracks

Posted in 1990s, 1993, 1995, coldwave, france, french, mémoires d'automne, post-punk on September 18, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

I normally prefer to spread things out more these days, but when it rains, it pours. Three great friends have just passed on some incredible coldwave tapes that I’m just itching to share, so the next three posts will feature their generous donations. First up, Stéphane has donated a rip of the two previously unshared Mémoires d’Automne tapes, 1993’s Gloria Victis and 1995’s self-titled cassette. I’ve also included a series of compilation-only tracks, including some alternate and live versions of the tracks that appear here. These tracks originally appeared across the Exterieur Nuit, L’Appel De La Muse (volume 5), and Looking For a Life to Lose compilations, and should complete the discography. 1996’s Cliché cassette will not be included here, partially because it has been uploaded elsewhere. More importantly, a vinyl reissue of this seminal tape will be released in just a few weeks on Meidosem Records. Click here for a preview and some pre-order details.

For those unfamiliar, Mémoires d’Automne were a three piece band from France, active in the 1990s and continuing the French/Belgian style of guitar-driven, melancholic post-punk. Of course, any regular here should be well versed in this sound by now, but for any newcomers, this is highly recommended for fans of Nuit D’Octobre, Sombre Septembre, Odessa, Asylum Party, Lucie Cries, Formes Nouvelles, and more well known bands like And Also the Trees & early Cure.

There’s a lot of excellent material here, so best to get to it:

Mémoires d’Automne- Gloria Victis K7 (1993)
1. Le Secret
2. A La Gloire Des Vaincus
3. Fatalité
4. Open Scars
5. L’Impossible Oubli
6. Finalité Absurde

Mémoires d’Automne- Mémoires d’Automne K7 (1995)
1. The Triumph of Time
2. Autumn Day

VA- L’Appel De La Muse, Vol. 5 (1995)
10. Fatalité

VA- Looking For a Life to Lose K7 (1995)
4. L’Impossible Oubli
17. Trauma

VA- Evanescente CD-R (1998)
10. Inmate Song (Early Reflexion – Mix)

VA- Exterieur Nuit (2000)
5. Dance of the Nothing
10. Blurred Pictures (Live Theatre De Roanne, April 1997)

*download it all here*

You can also find an alternate version of ‘Autumn Day’ (titled ‘Time of the End’) on 2007’s Ruines & Vanités compilation, which is still available to order online. Thanks to Sorrow Vomit from Kentucky Fried Wave for donating the v/a tracks and again to Stéphane for the cassette rips!

9 Comments »

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