Archive for the synth Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

X-Offender- Dreaming 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1986, italian, post-punk, synth, x-offender on December 1, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

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

*download it here*

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:

VESSEL playlist
Zaptown playlist

2 Comments »

The Arms of Someone New- Every Seventh Wave 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1988, darkwave, ethereal, synth, synthpop, the arms of someone new, US on November 29, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

This one, while potentially well known inside this circle, is a recent favorite of mine, and while the majority of their work appears elsewhere in the blogosphere, I haven’t seen this 12” around.

The Arms of Someone New (primarily a collaborative project between Mel Eberle and Steve Jones, also involved with Area) formed in Champaign, Illinois in 1983, releasing their first 7” the following year. At first, their sound had a biting, synth-driven edge to it, which eventually gave way to the growing ethereal scene into the late 1980s. I happen to dig the majority of their recordings in both spectrums, but this one falls more on the biting, danceable side of the band’s catalog. We have two remixes of the single here (both drastically different from the version that appeared on their 1984 12”), with two slower, but no less stellar tracks taking up the b-side. Here’s the breakdown:

The Arms of Someone New- Every Seventh Wave 12”
1. Every Seventh Wave (Intermix)
2. Every Seventh Wave (Album Mix)
3. The Sense of an Ending
4. Everything at Once

*download it here*

For those interested in the rest of the band’s discography, get it here, here, here, and here. Pretty sure this is the last piece of the puzzle!

2 Comments »

Ex Post Facto- Oceanic Explorers 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, ex post facto, goth-rock, post-punk, synth on November 18, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

For those not entirely thrilled with the idea of a Depeche Mode clone, here’s a request that should suit you well. This particular 12” has been posted before over at music…isms, but the author admittedly wasn’t able to provide the b-side at good quality. A shame, as I find the second track on this 1982 single to be the best of the three!

You can read more about this UK synth/post-punk hybrid and nab the rest of their work over at music…isms, so let’s just dive right in!

Ex Post Facto- Oceanic Explorers 12”
1. Oceanic Explorers
2. Bast
3. Marilyn

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED at 320kbps on 7.31.18)

1 Comment »

Телевизор (Televizor)- Шествие Рыб LP

Posted in 1980s, 1990s, minimal synth, new wave, russian, synth, synthpop, televizor, ussr, Телевизор on November 5, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Just received a request on Facebook to cover some of the Russian synth greats, so what better place to start than the debut album from Телевизор (translation- Televizor). While the band was conceived in 1984 in Leningrad, it took four years for their debut to appear. The LP was released on Мелодия records, which formed in 1964 and folded briefly when the USSR collapsed.

Kind of hard to classify this one properly, as it jumps styles on every track. If anything, it reminds me a bit of Chrisma’s Chinese Restuarant– a true hybrid that’s tough to pin down, but I’ll let you all decide for yourselves! Here’s the info and download link:

Телевизор- Шествие Рыб LP
1. Люди В Ожидании
2. Муха На Стекле
3. Город
4. Я Не Виноват
5. Вчера
6. Цветные Сны
7. Человек Из Ваты
8. Дальний Восток
9. Шествие Рыб
10. Обо Мне
11. Мания Величия
12. Товарищ Сухов
13. С Вами Говорит Телевизор

*download it here*

10 Comments »

Schmaalhans Weltraum- Samovar 7” + Bonus Tracks

Posted in 1990s, 1991, minimal synth, Schmaalhans Weltraumm, synth, synthpop on October 31, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s something a little more club-oriented for you minimal synth fans out there. Included within is the complete discography of Swedish duo Schmaalhans Weltraum. Their entire discography consists of just four tracks- one 7”, one compilation appearance, and one loose track. Short blasts of synth perfection, IMO.

The 7” dates back to 1991, while the compilation (Faces and Images) also contains several EBM and synthpop gems in this vein. Soon after these releases, Schmaalhans Weltraumm became Blomma, who dropped two releases into the 1990s.

Here’s the info for these four killer tracks, which should feel right at home on any dancefloor:

Schmaalhans Weltraumm- Samovar 7”
1. Samovar
2. Dr. Läderbär

Bonus Tracks:
1. Montagne Du Boef (from Faces and Images Compilation, 1991)
2. Maschinenmann*

*download it here*

*Quick correction. This track is NOT Schmaalhans Weltraum, but by a Swiss synth band called simply Schmalhans. If you still want it- grab that here!

3 Comments »

Testcard F- Bandwagon Tango 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, british, minimal, synth, testcard f, wave on October 27, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

This one’s a little less pristine, but I’m still pleased to have a vastly improved rip of Testcard F’s first 7”, released in 1983. I originally uploaded an inferior (and potentially out of phase) version of the single back in 2008, with the remaining discography and several tidbits about the UK band. Unfortunately, it was the best copy of the tracks kicking around, and it’s taken me years to track down a better copy without paying a small fortune for it.

There’s a few cracks and pops on this copy (the a-side seems fairly well loved) but I hope you’ll all agree that it still makes for a cleaner, clearer, and more solid listen. Here’s the rundown:

Testcard F- Bandwagon Tango 7”
1. Bandwagon Tango
2. Unfamiliar Room

*download it here*

1 Comment »

Intro- 12” discography

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 4ad, fingerprintz, Intro, jackie brookes, jimmie o'neill, minimal synth, new wave, shox, synth, synthpop on October 18, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Up next we have two donated singles by UK-based synthpop project Intro, both released in 1983. While these two rips were donated by bx59cppw, I just recently found the first 12” kicking around for a mere $5, so this one should be easy enough to track down for those who would like to own it for themselves. Definitely an affordable piece of synthpop heaven!

Some of you may recognize the track “Haunted Cocktails” from the Return of Flexi-Pop series, so you can expect more of the same female fronted dance grooves on the rest of these tracks. Great production, catchy hooks, and all the works are on display here. As for the parties responsible, Jimmie O’Neill was involved as a producer with several projects, including Fingerprintz and The Silencers, while Jackie Brookes was part of the original 4AD lineup, providing vocals for the Shox 7” (one of my first uploads). She was also a member of Siam (a synthpop outfit reminiscent of Berlin) and released a solo LP in 1984, which features a few alternate mixes of these tracks.

This should definitely hit the spot for fans of U-BahnX, Kim Wilde, Moev, November Group, etc. Here’s the info:

Intro- Haunted Cocktails 12”
1. Haunted Cocktails
2. Haunted Cocktails (Haunted Mix)
3. Departures

Intro- Lost Without Your Love 12”
1. Lost Without Your Love
2. Lost Mix (Muzak Superior)
3. Epic

*download both here*

2 Comments »

Quadrascope- Baby Won’t Phone 7”

Posted in 1980s, 7'', france, minimal synth, new wave, Quadrascope, synth, synthpop on October 12, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Last but not least, thanks to a generous donation, we have a killer synthpop/minimal 7” from Quadrascope, an obscure French band. Not much to be said about this 1983 release, as there’s not a lot of information available, so the music will have to speak for itself. While the a-side is a catchy wave number in its own right, the b-side is truly the gem here. Those handclaps slay me every time! I’ll let you decide for yourselves:

Quadrascope- Baby Won’t Phone 7”
1. Baby Won’t Phone
2. Love Times Love

*download it here*

3 Comments »

Steven Grandell- Animal Angst LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, experimental, minimal, minimal synth, synth, US on October 12, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

You may have seen this one over at Mutant Sounds in the past, but here’s a rather clean and fresh rip of this classic minimal synth LP by Steven Grandell, self-releaed in 1984. A little more experimental than most minimal synth recordings, complete with jerky rhythms, strange instrumentation (violins, xylophones, etc.), and detached vocals, but still quite catchy in the end.

A few copies of the LP were once sale via Venus DeMars, but I do believe they’ve since sold out. Currently, the artist is releasing music as Venus DeMars and All the Pretty Horses, which you can check out here. Here’s the info for this LP:

Steven Grandell- Animal Angst LP
1. Burn My Eyes
2. There’s Got To Be Something
3. Confession Of An Innocent
4. Lead
5. Fear
6. Isn’t It Time
7. Flight At The End
8. Great Big Earth
9. I Am Human
10. Radio Sleep

*download it here*

5 Comments »

Krisma- Cathode Mamma/Nothing to Do With the Dog LPs

Posted in 1970s, 1980s, Chrisma, italian, Krisma, minimal synth, synth, synthpop, synthpunk on October 12, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

I have a pretty huge backlog of things I’ve been meaning to post, so I’m going to chip away at them over the next few days, so bear with me, folks! To kick things off, I’ve had several requests to post some more tracks by Chrisma/Krisma, so here’s my two favorite LPs from this Italian synthpop outfit. Contained within this zip file are 1980’s Cathode Mamma (the band’s debut after switching from a ‘Ch’ to a ‘K’) and 1983’s Nothing to Do With the Dog (aka Fido on some releases), their third LP. There are still three more out there, but these two should keep you satiated for now! Here’s the info:

Krisma- Cathode Mamma LP (1980)
1. Cathode Mamma (Neue Version)
2. Many Kisses
3. Peggy Guggenheim
4. Rrock
5. Rien Ne Va Plus
6. Cathode Mamma
7. Telegram
8. White Knife
9. Last Chance to See Man

Krisma- Nothing To Do With the Dog LP (1983)
1. Nothing To Do With the Dog
2. I’m Not In Love (10cc cover)
3. I Must Know Your Name
4. Girls Drumming
5. Eye to Eye
6. Boys Drumming
7. Carefully
8. Find a Friend
9. Heroes of the Sea
10. Everybody Drumming

*download both LPs here*

For your viewing pleasure, here’s the official video for “Nothing To Do With the Dog,” one of the band’s biggest singles and an international breakthrough at the time.

7 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »