Archive for the minimal synth Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

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 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 »

Incandescent Luminaire- Famous Names 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, minimal, minimal synth, synth, uk with tags , , , on April 21, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Quick request this weekend for Incandescent Luminaire’s lone 7” from 1982. Excellent minimal synth from the UK, featuring Mark White (formerly of ABC and Vice Versa). Nice duality on both sides- the a-side is a nice slice of minimal electronic pop, while the second is a more experimental affair, complete with rickety synth lines aggressive guitar textures. Perfect for fans of Testcard F, The Actor, and bands of that ilk.

Incandescent Luminaire- Famous Names 7”
1. Famous Names
2. The Warning

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Mecanica Popular- ¿Que Sucede Con El Tiempo? LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 1990, experimental, industrial, kosmiche, mecanica popular, minimal, minimal synth, spain, spanish on April 4, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Still continuing to drop the posts I had lined up while figuring out what, if anything, to do about the past. Looks like Rapidshare is the way to go for now, but who knows how long they’ll be off-the-radar, as they’ve apparently slowed DL rates to discourage illegal content. Too much in flux to really pin down a proper solution.

That said, here’s a gift from Bx-59cppw that I’ve been meaning to post for some time. Here we have the debut album from Mecanica Popular, a Spanish industrial/experimental duo. Originally released in 1994, this LP also saw a repressing in 1990, while their second LP was originally released in 1987 and appeared again in 2010.

A must hear for fans of Factrix, Dome, Throbbing Gristle, The Elephant Table LP, and other things that go bump and scrape in the night. There’s some nice grooves here and there that should also be right at home for fans of minimal synth and kosmiche music.

Mecanica Popular- ¿Que Sucede Con El Tiempo? LP
1. Impresionistas I
2. La Edad del Bronce
3. Impresionistas II
4. Quiero Irme
5. Siempre Tu
6. Impresionistas III
7. Estado Sólido
8. Galilea: Centro de Datos
9. Daguerrotipo
10. Ambrotipo
11. Plenilunio
12. Máquinas y Procedimientos
13. Impresionistas IV

*download it here*

For those fluent in Spanish, you can read more about the band here.

6 Comments »

Ice The Falling Rain– Lifes Illusion 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, future records, ice the falling rain, minimal synth, new wave, synthpop on March 7, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

By request, here’s a clean, fresh, and high quality rip of an old classic 7” that many of you may have heard before. If you haven’t, skip this text and download straight away. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

This 1983 single is one of the most joyous, catchy, and danceable tracks in the entire new wave spectrum. It almost makes my teeth hurt, it’s so damn infectious. It was released on Future Records, who boast pretty impressive resume, including New OrderBlitz, Rhythm and Faith, Christian Death, Two, and The Wild Flowers 7” posted just recently. No info whatsoever about the band though, aside from four first names listed on the back sleeve, though likely it’s an offshoot from members of Violators. Otherwise, just another mysterious 7” floating around in the ether…

Ice The Falling Rain– Lifes Illusion 7”
1. Lifes Illusion
2. Illusions

*download it here*

I have a few rarities kicking around here that I’m working my way through, as well as more updated rips of bona-fide classics. Expect a few never-before-blogged releases next!

8 Comments »

Thirteen At Midnight- Other Passengers 7”

Posted in 1980s, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk, survival records, thirteen at midnight, uk on February 6, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

A donation from Jason, much appreciated!

Here we have a highly coveted single from Thirteen At Midnight, known for their work on Survival Records. Many readers should already be familiar with the disco rave up recording of this track (originally released as the b-side to Climb Down), with female vocals and pounding electronic percussion, but few know of this version, which has a more post-punk style to it. Reminds me a lot of early, minimal synth tinged Simple Minds, if you’re one for touchstones. Almost unrecognizable outside of the sweeping synths, but equally awesome. Check out the locked groove on side B!

No year listed on this one, but it likely predates the b-side recording from 1982, released on the same Pure label. If I had to guess, I’d say 1981, but almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades…

Thirteen At Midnight- Other Passengers 7”
1. Other Passengers
2. Other Passengers (2)

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED/uploaded on 3.8.12)

2 Comments »

The Alphabet- This Strange Love 7”

Posted in minimal synth, new wave, the alphabet, uk on January 30, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s an extremely rare and rather unknown 7” from the UK. Judging from the cover, you’d expect some dark post-punk, aggro hardcore sort of thing, but instead we’re treated to two emotive minimal synth gems. I had to triple check the record to make sure it wasn’t some mixup!

I know very little about this one. The band hails from the UK and this is their only release, despite some misinformation over at their discogs page (the split listed with Invisible Hands is a newer release from the US, band with the same name, apparently). As for this release, it’s private press and doesn’t have a year listed on it anywhere, though I did come across 2 reduced price coupons for a hometown gig the band played back in the day, included in my copy. No year listed on those either. Perhaps someone out there knows the real story about this one- don’t be shy.

Otherwise, as I mentioned, there are two great minimal synth/new wave tracks here, the standout being the B-side, at least to my ears. A little acoustic guitar tossed in there, with some comparisons to Psychedelic Furs at times but with a ton of catchy electronics. Check it out:

The Alphabet- This Strange Love 7”
1. This Strange Love
2. The Handsome Beast

*download it here*

EDIT: I have some reason to believe that these guys are connected to the second lineup of Zero Le Creche, judging from their discogs entry. Seems like both Richard Thorne and vocalist Jamie Lord were involved with both projects, which sounds likely given the vocal similarities between the two. With that in mind, that probably puts this around 1983-4, from my humble guessing.

11 Comments »

Plann- Elektra Elektra LP

Posted in 1980s, 1982, de press, holy toy, minimal synth, norweigan, plann, post-punk, synthpop on January 3, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Let’s kick off this year right, with a generous donation of a rare Norweigan synth pop record from 1982 from the duo of Kikkan Fossum and Lillie-Ane. The former’s credentials include The Cut, who appear on the excellent Maskindans compilation as well as on A Viable Commercial.

While these two are credited as the brainchildren of the band (errr, though I’m not sure who the third guy on the album cover is), there were quite a few notable (and also several unknown) contributors credited on the LP. Arne Lund of The Cut was one of three drummers who contributed to the LP, while Andrej Dziubek Nebb (De Press, Holy Toy) provides backing vocals on a few of the tracks. There were also three bassists and several other backing vocalists on the LP. In short, it seems like this two piece had a lot of help from their friends, and almost feels like a Norweigan supergroup of sorts.

The plethora of contributors on this LP leads to a diverse collection of songs, held together by the duo’s musical vision. This is one of the more interesting (and therefore, more satisfying) synth-based LPs I’ve heard in some time, where every track sounds different, yet all are enjoyable. Try it on for size and see for yourself:

Plann- Elektra Elektra LP
1. Cherokee
2. Lillie
3. Cabriolet
4. Er Virkelighet Drøm
5. Cûda Barracûda
6. Liv Liv
7. Sûg
8. Ato Signal
9. Hvit Løgn
10. Til Evig Tid

*download it here*

6 Comments »

Diastereomer- Mothersun 7”

Posted in 1989, darkwave, diastereomer, japan, japanese, minimal synth, new wave, puppets records, sect commune, synth, synthpop on December 19, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

This will likely be my last post until after the holidays, so why not end this year (my fifth) with an extremely rare and extremely top shelf 7” from Japan!

I first discovered this Japanese duo through a Youtube clip, and have been playing their tracks almost nonstop at the weekly Wierd records party ever since. This particular 7” dates back to 1989 and was released on Puppets records, a private press label that was also home to Sect Commune, co-producer of this gem. High school friends Yoshio Fukumitsu and Katsuya Shoman took turns singing on these tracks (Fukumitsu sang and contributed lyrics to the A-side, while Shoman wrote the music to both tracks and is responsible for the vocals and lyrics of the flip). Both played synths, with Fukumitsu also contributing bass and Shoman on piano.

Fans of Xymox, Depeche Mode, OMD, and various darkwave legends both big and small will find lots to love on this record. Many thanks to Katsuya Shoman for the extra info and generous permission to upload these for you all to enjoy!

Diastereomer- Mothersun 7”
1. Mothersun
2. Place

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – check out the new Ignition Advancer LP, which collects these tracks as well as a few unreleased gems from the band, via Bitter Lake Recordings.

While I’m here, I just wanted to thank everyone for the wave of support over the years. This blog wouldn’t exist without the camaraderie and interaction of friends, fans, and the musicians who have chimed in with their support and kindness. See you all in 2012!

8 Comments »

UA- Cantante De Ópera 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, spain, ua on November 11, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Feeling fiesty this Friday, so here’s a SECOND post for your weekend pleasure. It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything minimal synth related, and I’ve had this single kicking around for years, so it’s about damn time I posted it. So, synth fans, this one is for you!

Here we have a often-coveted 7” from Spain, released in 1982 on Hispavox, who had tie-ins with EMI and are still around to date. This is the band’s only release, pure minimal bliss. The A-side is all over the map, shifting in and out of tempos and featuring some rather impressive operatic female vocals, as the title might suggest. The B-side is the standout for me, a really pretty pseudo-instrumental (minimal vox) with washes of synth (and what sounds like, but likely is not a theremin). Both tracks are worth your attention, but don’t let me tell you twice.

UA- Cantante De Ópera 7”
1. Cantante De Ópera
2. Maldoror

*download it here*

Leave A Comment »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »