Archive for the systems of romance Category

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!

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Various Artists- Systems of Romance vol. 666

Posted in systems of romance, various artists on May 26, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

This was originally slated to be the final post for Systems of Romance after all the drama and fallout of Mediafire, but I put this comp. on hold once the new regime kicked into action. Figured now’s as good a time as any to let this new comp hit your drives as a thanks for all the support over the past few months of change and growth.

Given this comp’s original intention of closing the doors on this blog, there’s a lot of emotional connection and homage to many of Systems of Romance’s past posts, including demos and rarities by some of my favorite artists to be featured here, including Weimar Gesang, John Costello, Ultime Possibilité, Opéra De Nuit, etc. There’s also a few exclusive goodies and standout tracks in the mix. A lot of guitars this time around, with a few minimal synth and wave goodies thrown in for good measure. Definitely a treasure trove of sounds that should feel right at home for fans of the blog.

Various Artists- Systems of Romance vol. 666
1. Victory- Vietnam
2. Silent Way- Dark Mine Fields
3. Love Lasts Forever- Babel 17
4. Ball Into Three Particles- Ashrae Fax
5. In the Fiction Press (7” Version)- The Trial
6. Your Return- Royal Depeche
7. No More Lies (Alt. Version)- Ultime Possibilité
8. Lumiére Rouge- Opéra De Nuit
9. Blanket Expression- John Costello
10. World Without Pity- Nova
11. Sista Vilan- Blipblop
12. Moroccan Nights- Acute Logic
13. Easter- Little Nemo
14. The Cold- Eskimos & Egypt
15. Light-Tight Place (Hammer Version)- Weimar Gesang
16. When We Were Young- Atmosphere Personnel
17. 7/4- Shiny Two Shiny
18. Ghost Child- Veldt

*download it here*

As with the last installment, here’s a track by track analysis:

1. The title track from this band’s eponymous 12”. Very difficult to obtain post-punk from New Zealand, donated by a friend.
2. Soaring Japanese darkwave in the vein of Excentrique Noiz and Diastereomer. I’d love to hear the rest of this if anyone owns it!
3. A demo recording, as well as a cover of a classic Virgin Prunes song. This particular version is different than the one that appears on the Infrastition reissue of Celeano Fragments.
4. One of my favorite “modern” shoegaze/dreampop artists. The band is now defunct, but their 2003 record Static Crash! is an all time favorite, recently pressed to vinyl.  This track was released a year earlier on the Botox Boon cd-r.
5. An alternate 7” version of this classic track from these Czechoslovakian favorites! This one precedes the LP version originally posted here.  The b-side to this killer single can be found on a previous Crispy Nuggets compilation as well!
6. The b-side from a privately released German 7” from 1987.
7. An alternate version of the b-side originally posted here.  This version is a bit more atmospheric, with vocals seated deeply into the mix.
8. A demo passed on to me by a fan, likely from the band’s formative years.  Another piece to the puzzle.  Get the rest of their amazing discography here– I’ve also since acquired and re-ripped the Sourire de L’Ombre 12” at pristine quality so be sure to revisit these great records!
9. A brand new contribution from John Costello, a great friend and frequent guest on Systems of Romance.  This is a cover of the classic Testcard F track, which originally was recorded on a peel session.  Get the original here and get to know John on his facebook page!
10. Phil/Goutroy from A Viable Commercial turned me on to these guys, who released one 12” in 1985 (though the track was recorded in 1983).  I like the a-side ok, but feel the b-side is the stronger track, very reminiscent of Inxs and Flock of Seagulls.  Don’t resist it.
11. An amazing minimal synth from Sweden, donated by a member of the band. They recorded several tracks and a 7”, but changed their name to Pal & Roger before issuing.  Feel those grooves!
12. Incredibly rare track from the UK, 1981 also featured on the excellent Fade2Grey site.  Shows some definite Cure/Three Imaginary Boys worship.  I just picked up a copy of this 7”, making the inclusion of this track a little redundant (stay tuned for a full rip once the postman delivers), but keeping in the spirit of things, you guys get to enjoy it a bit early.
13. Early demo from this coldwave staple, previously unreleased.
14. Originally posted by the great Return to the East blog, ripped from a fresh copy of the 7”.  I like the other tracks, but this is one of my all-time favorite cold offerings, complete contrast from the indie pop band they would become and more in line with the Lively Art greats.
15. An alternate version of this classic Italian track, released on the F/Ear This compilation.  Get the rest of their discograhy here.
16. Awesome minimal synth from 1983.  Don’t know much more about this one.
17. My favorite track from this elusive cult band from the UK.  This track was originally released on the Trance Compilation K7.  You can read more about the band and Gayna Perry here.  Grab their full lengths here and here.
18. Incredible cold track from the UK, plucked from a split 7” on Newton Products (the a-side by Beat Necessity is also essential).  This one comes from my own personal copy, though you may have seen this one on Return to the East as well.  A staple in my Wierd DJ sets, and a great way to end things on a high note.  Hello today, gone tomorrow.

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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!

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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 »

Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 1

Posted in 1980s, coldwave, compilations, minimal, minimal synth, NDW, post-punk, systems of romance on September 21, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve just finished whipping up few discs of obscure rarities for my DJ books, and partially inspired by Crispy Nuggets and his unstoppable series of loose tracks, I’ve decided to share these two with you. I’ll post one of these now and follow with the second sometime next week.

Here’s the tracklisting for this particular batch:

VA- Systems of Romance Vol. 1
1. Dream (For My Sake)- Bino
2. You’re Always Guilty- Vellum Stairs
3. Ein Traum- Dammerattacke
4. Seg Og Hor/Jenten Fra- Knut Skodvin
5. Paradoxe- Thierry Meyer
6. First Impressions- VHF
7. Tanz Ins Gluck- Die Neue Weltmacht
8. Bronson- Eirin Peryglus
9. All That Place- Excentrique Noiz
10. Secret Affair- Industrie
11. The Cops Are Coming- Karnage
12. Interferon- Phillipe Laurent
13. Mole At The Circus- Slim Bridges & the Wildfowlers
14. The Time of Your Life- This Perfect Day
15. Trading in Guilt- Vital Signs
16. Ond Mae’r Dawns Yn Mynd Ymlaen- Y Gwasgwyr
17. Tell Me When Your Heart Beats- New Scientists

*download it here!*

Quick disclaimer: These are all exclusive/donated rips in piecemeal form, though on second glance, there’s a little touch of overlap here. The entire Vital Signs and New Scientists records have been uploaded by none other than Crispy himself (different rips), while you can find out more about Eirin Peryglus by clicking here, and here respectively. Otherwise, hope there’s enough new faces to keep you kids occupied. Stay tuned for Vol. 2 to follow next week!

 

EDIT 4.2.13:  This Perfect Day has just released a CD containing “The Time of Your Life” and “The Garden” as well as 11 other exclusive tracks.  The CD, titled No Frills, Just Noise! is available via the band’s facebook page!

29 Comments »