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Gulf Klub- What’s Cooking 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, australia, australian, gulf klub, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk on April 19, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Just realised it’s been a while since my last post. Sorry, guys! I have quite a few things on the plate, including a rare French coldwave 7” and a few more Italian goodies that I’ve been meaning to get to, but here’s something I’ve had uploaded for a while to whet your appetite until I can get that stuff all organized properly for you.

This is a one-off 7” from Australia, released in 1984 via Vi-Nil Records. Despite being distributed by EMI, this one didn’t get a lot of attention when it came out. Not much about them on the net, but Geoffrey Stapleton was also involved with The Aliens, GANGgajang, and more.

Personally I don’t care much for the a-side (but of course, that’s just my own taste), but the flip is a great piece of Middle Eastern inspired minimal synth. While the geography is all wrong here, the sound still feels right at home for fans of Minimal Compact, Beograd, Max & Intro, etc. A short little piece of synth perfection that I hope you all enjoy!

Gulf Klub- What’s Cooking 7”
1. What’s Cooking
2. India

*download it here*

More soon, stay tuned!

3 Comments »

Harumi Shimada- Yakō Shōnen 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, after the sludge, harumi shimada, japan, japanese, masahiro sugawara, minimal, minimal synth, new wave on March 27, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Another quick and dirty post here, an excellent 7” from Japan, released in 1984 via Forecast Records. According to the discogs entry, this 7” was written by Masahiro Sugawara, who was also involved in After the Sludge. Harumi was just one of six people who performed on this 7”, which features an excellent mid-tempo minimal synth track. The B-side appears to be a bizarre dub version of the track which weaves in and out of coherence and descends into chaos over the course of 5 minutes. Safe to assume that the B-side is the English translation of Yakō Shōnen.

I have plenty of excellent coldwave on the back burner, but it’s been a long time since we’ve had a bona fide minimal synth rarity, so have at it!

Harumi Shimada- Yakō Shōnen 7”
1. Yakō Shōnen
2. Midnight Boy

*download it here*

4 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 »

A Love Sound- I Need 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, a love sound, Contempo Records, italian, minimal, minimal synth, synth on February 12, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Incredible Italian minimal synth from 1984, released on the always excellent Contempo Records (Death In Venice, Venus In Furs, Diaframma, Voices, as well as various 4AD distro in Italy).

Tracks 1 and 3 are the standouts for me here, the first being a club friendly slice of synth perfection, and “The Kind” being the epic masterpiece on this 12”, complete with an arpeggiated 808 solo, the first I’ve heard in this style for sure. The other two tracks toss in some acoustic guitar with the electronics, and while they’re not as strong overall, they do a fine job of rounding out this excellent 12”. While it’s not a musical touchstone, the singer reminds me a bit of Peter Murphy at times- less so the deep croon and more snide and biting. Seems like the band was very into the synth scene at the time, and listed all the gear used to make the record on the back sleeve. Some very iconic gear there!

A Love Sound- I Need 12”
1. I Need
2. Sickness
3. The Kind
4. Pale Jade Eyes

*download it here*

If you dug this one, stay tuned for a few Italian donations over the next few weeks!

5 Comments »

Fauli- Jugend Unsinn K7

Posted in 1980s, 1982, Daily Fauli, denmark, experimental, minimal, minimal synth, Søren Fauli on February 5, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Good news for fans of Daily Fauli’s scarce Fauli Til Dauli LP, previously posted in 2009. Word on the street is that the long sought after LP will receive the reissue treatment via Minimal Wave, due out later this year. Even better news, today’s post is related, and features Søren Fauli’s first cassette release, a generous donation from a reader that left me stunned, as I had no idea there was another release, let alone one that predates the LP by a year!

11 tracks of unabashed minimal synth with a slightly punk edge- a tape that should please fans of the rare, DIY aesthetic. The cassette sleeve doesn’t come with a tracklisting, though I’m told the first track goes by the name “Slow.” If anyone knows the proper names for these tracks, feel free to chime in here. Otherwise, enjoy this immensely rare piece of Danish minimal synth, and stay tuned for that reissue!

Fauli- Jugend Unsinn K7
A1-6
B1-5

*download it here*

5 Comments »

Denial- California Dreaming 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, australia, australian, denial, m squared, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, synth on January 23, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Ever since I picked up an instrument, I have wanted to record a cover of infamous 60s pop hit “California Dreaming” and expose it for the haunting dirge it really is… While I’m sure it’s not a stretch to envision a darker world painted in the Mamas and Papas hit from 1965, the idea always appealed to me. However, looks like the job was done already, thanks to Australian synth band Denial, who issued a stark, brutal cover of the tune in 1982, backed with an excellent original rickety post-punk track…

This lone 7” was released on the infamous M Squared label, who were responsible for Xero and Scattered Order as well… This is the only release under the name Denial, but they were previously known as Aural Indifference, who appear most prominently on The Minimal Wave Tapes vol. 2 compilation from 2012 as well as a compilation on M Squared.

Denial- California Dreaming 7”
1. California Dreaming
2. The Weathermen

*download link removed*

This 7” has been reissued as of May 2016 on A Colorful Sound. Copies can be purchased on their official site, or through Juno‘s mailorder!

8 Comments »

L.A.S.’s Crime- Five Lies & Electa K7s

Posted in 1980s, 1986, 1988, darkwave, electronic, italian, l.a.s.'s crime, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk on January 15, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Two excellent tapes here from Italian project L.A.S.’s Crime, short for Lord Arthur Seville’s Crime, named after a classic Oscar Wilde novel. L.A.S.’s. Crime consisted of the duo of Sandro Marchetti and Maria Elena Brogi, who were very diverse and prolific over the course of five years. The great Bx59cppw has shared several of their cassettes in the past, and Italian label Mannequin has reissued a compilation of material in 2012, featuring thirteen tracks from the band’s tenure, including a handful from these two tapes. More people seem to know this band than ever before, so why not share a few more pieces of the band’s discography!

L.A.S.’s Crime- Five Lies K7(1986)
1. Five Lies
2. Taedium Vitae
3. And Now
4. Statuary Emotion
5. Last Metro
6. Arabian Silence
7. Macabra Danza
8. The Lost Men
9. Devil In The Mirror
10. The Garden
11. Without Nothing
12. Inner World
13. The Important Day
14. My People Gone Away
15. Mary’s Room
16. The Snake
17. Small Man
18. The Final Scream

L.A.S.’s Crime- Electa K7 (1988)
1. Atmosphere n.1
2. Animals Die
3. Atmosphere n.2
4. Party’s Over
5. Atmosphere n.3
6. Morpheus
7. Atmosphere n.4
8. Matrix
9. Atmosphere n.5
10. Dark Xmas
11. Atmosphere n.6
12. The Ultimate Sacrifice

*download both here*

The band recently joined Facebook as well and have uploaded a bunch of pictures, interviews, and miscellaneous images. Feel free to drop them a line!

4 Comments »

Ania- Ma’king Love 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, ania, minimal, minimal synth, swedish, synthpop on November 26, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Been a long time since we’ve had something on the minimal synth side of the spectrum, so after another excellent Thanksgiving break I offer up this little Swedish nugget from 1984. A simple two track 7” of very murky origin, on a label with no other releases credited via discogs, a slice of synth perfection with female vocals that is guaranteed to get your goose, or rather, turkey leftovers cooking… The A-side is best enjoyed by those who like sleazy, funky disco in the vein of Nancy Nova. The B-side is the real treat here, a must for minimal die-hards and worth the price of admission alone, if you’ve got the chowder to purchase your own copy. After downloading, mister Vanilla Face of Crispy Nuggets drew accurate comparisons to Rive Gauche & Carol releases. A perfect comparison, if I do say so myself!

Ania- Ma’king Love 7”
1. Ma’king Love
2. …On the Telephone

*download it here*

Taking a quick glance at the queue, we’ll be getting back to rare tapes over the next few weeks, with an exception here or there. A few hints about some upcoming posts: LC, PM, OD, SI, & LD. Stay tuned for more over the next few weeks!

1 Comment »

East Wall- Demo K7

Posted in 1980s, 1984, darkwave, demo, East Wall, italian, italo, italo disco, Kirlian Camera, minimal, minimal synth on October 22, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve had this demo kicking around on my hard drive for a long time, but have yet to see it shared. For those unfamilair, East Wall were an offshoot project of Kirlian Camera’s original keyboard player Fabrizio Chiari, who recorded the band’s debut 12” (for my money, “News” is still the band’s best track followed closely by the soaring “Blue Room”). Teaming up with vocalist Wilma Notari, East Wall produced one LP and the excellent Eyes of Glass 12” (produced and aided by KC mainstay Angelo Bergamini), both which can be found here. There’s also a CD from 1993 out there, but I have no idea how that stacks up against their previous material.

I know very little about this demo tape, except that it was released in 1984, a year before their debut 12”. Most of the track titles are unknown, but the first track is clearly an early version of “Blue,” which was re-recorded for their 1991 LP Silence. The rest of the tracks sound hauntingly familiar (perhaps they were reworked entirely for Silence), but outside of some vague similarity, they seem to be exclusive to this tape. There’s some obvious cassette murkiness here, but it’s to be expected and the tape is still worth hearing for die hard fans of this excellent Italian duo as well as the primitive minimal synth of Tranquil Eyes & A Blaze Colour.

No artwork for the tape, sorry!

East Wall- Demo K7
1. Track 01 (Blue)
2. Track 02
3. Track 03
4. Track 04
5. Track 05

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Nuvo West- Scary LP

Posted in 1980s, 1983, arizona, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, US with tags Nuvo West on June 26, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a rare and obscure minimal synth LP from Phoenix, Arizona, perfect for fans of Bugger West, Tone Set, Combined Minds, etc (the latter two who also hailed from Arizona). Varying degrees of DIY desert-synth magic here, my favorite track being the closing instrumental “Shades of Yesterday,” which almost feels like a synth version of Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks score… I do believe there’s a tape out there somewhere that precedes this LP, but no info about that one, sorry!

Thanks to Bx-59cppw for the donation!

Nuvo West- Scary LP
1. Theme For Alienation
2. Accidents Don’t Happen In My World
3. Dogs Have Their Days
4. Little Yellow Pills
5. Androids Love
6. Shades Of Yesterday

*download it here*

8 Comments »

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