Archive for the uk Category

Nightmoves- Transdance 12” & Remixes

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1984, dance, darkwave, minimal synth, Night Moves, Nightmoves, remixes, synthpop, uk on May 21, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Going to be stepping away from the blog for a week, so I plan to leave you all with not one, but TWO stellar releases of the dancier, club-oriented variety. First on the slab, I’ve uploaded several different issues of Nightmoves’ (a.k.a. Night Moves) classic “Transdance”- a killer darkwave dance track that many should recognize. Unfortunately, this song never received the credit it was due, but is easily one of the best tracks of the ’80s. I’ve attached several different versions of the track, one under the guise of the reissued 1984 12” Robot Rock release (including a handful of alternate tracks) and a remixes 12”, which might just be a fan-made collection of mixes. If you’re not completely sick of the song by the time you’re through listening, I’ve also included the significantly shorter edit of the song, plucked from the 7” and included on the None Night of Flexipop Vol. 4 comp.

The UK-based project formed in the wake of Gary Numan’s chart breakthrough in 1979, when vocalist Michael Guihen placed an ad in NME looking for synth players. The original three piece lineup (known then as Oblong Mauve) folded after a few practice sessions, leaving Michael to form a new band. He struck an interesting partnership in 1980, meeting and developing tracks with Denis Haines, Gary Numan’s keyboard player. In exchange for providing the backing track for Numan’ “Love Needs No Disguise,” Michael received help in developing “Transdance,” the standout track from the original lineup’s demos. It was recorded in 1981, and since then, has seen several different versions as lineups changed and technology improved. The infamous UK mix even featured backing vocals from Eve Goddard, Adam Ant’s wife. The band eventually called it a day in 1984, as public tastes shifted dramatically.

Of course, this is only part of the Nightmoves story. The rest is viewable (along with some amazing photos) on the band’s official Myspace page, so click for the full story and some additional visuals. Without any further ado, here’s the info for this zip.

Nightmoves- Transdance 12” (1984)
1. Transdance (UK Club Mix)
2. Transdance (New York Disco Mix)*
3. You Can Take My Love
4. Beat This
5. Nightdrive

Nightmoves- Transdance Mixes 12”
1. Transdance (Edit)
2. Transdance (NYC Mix)
3. Transdance (UK Mix) –> same as UK Club Mix
4. Transdance
5. Transdance
6. Transdance (Remix)

bonus track- Transdance (7” Version)
*not on original 12”.

*download the lot here*

Dave Ball- Rare Tempo 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, Dave Ball, Genesis P-Orridge, new wave, soft cell, synth, synthpop, uk on May 17, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

This one comes as a generous donation, and supplements Dave Ball’s full length LP, which you can nab over at Mutant Sounds.

For those unfamiliar, Dave Ball was most famous as the second half of Soft Cell, but also was a member of The Grid as well as an esteemed producer. Though Soft Cell didn’t split until 1984, Ball released a solo record and a string of 12” singles in 1983, collaborating with the likes of Gavin Friday (Virgin Prunes) and Genesis P-Orridge (Psychic TV, Throbbing Gristle, etc.). In fact, this particular 12” features each of the three collaborative tracks, with Friday on the first and P-Orridge on the remaining two. The version of “Man In the Man” on this 12” is slightly different from the LP version (mostly clipping ten seconds of strange sounds at the beginning), but it looks like the other two songs are identical to their album counterparts, but might be a bit cleaner and crisper than the album provided above. Either way, it’s a nice additional nugget to any self-respecting synth collection! Here’s the information:

Dave Ball- Rare Tempo 12”
1. Strict Tempo
2. Man in the Man
3. Sincerity

*download it here*

Various Artists- Synthetic Romance LP

Posted in 1982, compilations, Dark Entries Records, minimal synth, uk on March 9, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

I have a new post waiting in the wings, but before I unveil it, allow me to draw attention to this great donation from Josh of Dark Entries Records. Astute synth fans should already be familiar with the efforts of Dark Entries, who not only has reissued the killer Eleven Pond and Second Decay LPs, but is also focusing on several new minimal synth artists, including the likes of Death Domain and an upcoming release from NY’s own Further Reductions.

As if this wasn’t enough, Dark Entries is one of the few US distributors of the Anna Logue Records catalog, and carries several of their more prestigious releases. So what are you waiting for? Click on over to their site, place some orders, and embrace both the new and old.

Speaking of upcoming Dark Entries releases, Josh has been kind enough to rip upload the 1982 Synthetic Romance compilation, which among others, contains a rare Those Attractive Magnets track. You can snag the band’s lone release here on Crispy Nuggets for now, and whet your appetite for Dark Entries’ upcoming Those Attractive Magnets release, which collects these tracks and more. As for the rest of the tracks, there should be a few familiar faces and quite a few new treats in store, so be sure to check this one out.

The LP comes complete with this message on the back:

Synthetic Romance- for people wanting a collection of modern and futuristic music. The groups are varied, from all parts of the country and all walks of life, with one thing in common – the synthesizer – perhaps the most sophisticated instrument of our century. This album is intended to promote the best new groups performing their own material. It also demonstrates the imagination and foresight of these little known musicians.

All tracks were produced by Darryl Johnston for Ebony Records, which required each band to re-record their tracks using state of the art gear and arrangements. This, as Josh points out, resulted in several forced arrangements and curious alternate versions. A blessing and a curse, perhaps. Anyway, without any further ado, the info:

Various Artists- Synthetic Romance LP
1. Johnny Dee- Stargazer
2. The Truth- System Thinking
3. Those Attractive Magnets- Fade Into Silence
4. Stranger Station- Welcome to the Night
5. Roman Holiday- Waste of Time
6. Liar- Oriental Lady
7. Low Profile- On the Run
8. Factor 10- Ever Since You Went Away
9. Biofeedback- As Pure as the Cloth
10. Motifs- Camera
11. D.H.S.S.- Together

*download it here*

Play- You Don’t Look The Same/In My Mind 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1984, new wave, play, survival records, synthpop, uk on February 7, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Sorry for the barrage, but here’s a second post for this weekend. Before I begin, might I draw your attention to the original Der Deutsche Adel post, which has been updated with a 320kpbs, clean-as-a-whistle rip, for any fans of that fantastic record.

With that in mind, here’s a pair of singles by Play. In a previous post, I had uploaded their Red Movies LP, which was donated with a few bonus tracks tacked on to the end. These extra remixes were ripped at low quality, so I’ve rectified that not once, but twice with these following two releases! Even the band’s initial 12” is represented here, so that should bring us up to speed with a complete discography!

Play- You Don’t Look the Same MLP
1. This Little Girl
2. Deeper Than Blue
3. You Don’t Look the Same (Remix)
4. Erase the Memory
5. Chasing the Sun
6. In My Mind (Remix)
7. Red Movies

Play- In My Mind 12”
1. In My Mind
2. Red Movies
3. In My Mind (Remix)

DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED- at long last, Medical Records has reissued the entire Play discography (Red Movies LP + the extra remixes here) on LP.  Order HERE on Bandcamp!

Nagamatzu- 1986-1988 CD-R

Posted in 1980s, 1986, coldwave, minimal, minimal synth, Nagamatzu, uk on January 15, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s post contains a handful of selected tracks by British darkwave act Nagamatzu, essentially a two piece featuring Andrew Lagowski (Legion, Terror Against Terror) on synths, guitar, and drum machines and Stephen Jarvis (aka Terraform) on bass, synth, and projections. Andrew Fleck also contributed keyboards from 1982-1983.

A good portion of these tracks appear on the band’s debut cassette release, 1986’s Sacred Islands of the Mad, a true minimal synth classic. In fact, all of the tracks are represented here, except “Lift Off,” the first track on the cassette. To make up for it, this collection contains three other tracks, including “Crackle Black,” “Op-Dead Post A,” and “Shroud,” only one whose origin is known. All tracks sound nice and crisp, as loud and clear as can be.

Without any further ado, here’s the info:

Nagamatzu- 1986-1998 CD-R
1. 150 Murderous Passions
2. Carmine
3. Crackle Black
4. Der Gute Kamerad
5. Ioneso
6. Magic
7. Op-Dead Post A
8. Roma Distruta
9. Schlaggefahr
10. Shakedown
11. Shroud
12. Taraiky
13. Watch + Waste

Tracks 1, 2, 4-6, 8-10, 12, and 13 from Sacred Islands of the Mad K7
Track 7 from Total Recess 3 comp.

*download removed by request*

You can also nab the killer Space Shuttle Shuffle 12” (which also features the missing K7 tape) as high quality AIFF files via The Nagmatazu Archive, a collection of free tracks Lagowski made available online. Here’s direct links to the tracks (which are about 70-80mb each), for your downloading pleasure! Just right click and “save as.”

1. The Sunlight Home
2. Lift Off
3. Schlaggefahr

————-

ATTENTION, dear readers- you can now get a remastered copy Sacred Islands of the Mad via the always excellent DARK ENTRIES label, an awesome reissue label based out of the west coast. Click here for more info!

The Passage- Degenerates LP (Reissue)

Posted in 1982, experimental, minimal synth, post-punk, synthpop, the Fall, The Passage, uk on October 29, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

I just had the pleasure of being turned on to this record at this week’s local Wierd Records party, and I’ve already spun it twice this morning. Why not upload it, n’est-ce pas?

The band in question is The Passage, a UK-based experimental synthpop band that formed in 1978. The band’s first two records are truly dark, minimal records, but for their third, 1982’s Degenerates, the band added a more polished synth shine to their shuffling experimental backdrop, a perfect marriage of both the catchy and the challenging. Some tracks remind me of Public Image Limited or latter-day Scott Walker (which makes sense, given that Tony Friel, founding member of The Fall, was a member), while other tracks are true synthpop masterpieces.

Though Degenerates was originally released by Cherry Red, this particular upload features several 7” bonus tracks added to the limited CD re-release, which dropped via LTM Publishing in 2003. I believe the CD version is also out of print.

There’s more to the Passage story kicking around online, so click here to check out an extensive tribute page to the band, complete with a full discography, lush bio, and a slew of goodies. Otherwise without any further ado, let’s get to the details.

The Passage- Degenerates CD
1. XOYO
2. Fleck
3. Revelation
4. Love Is As
5. Born Every Minute
6. (Ourselves)
7. Go To Seed
8. Armour
9. Time Will Tell
10. Empty Words
11. XOYO (7″)
12. Animal In Me
13. Born Every Minute (Flexi)
14. Taboos
15. Taboodub

*download it here*

Otherwise, I still have a few requests and donations to tackle, sorry for the delay! Otherwise, in case I don’t check back in beforehand, happy Halloween to those who celebrate!

Beautiful Pea Green Boat- Still Life CD

Posted in 1980s, 1989, 1990s, beautiful pea green boat, darkwave, ethereal, heather wright, ian williams, post-punk, uk on October 5, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s post features a collection by UK ethereal/post-punk band Beautiful Pea Green Boat, released on CD in 1989. Taking their name from The Owl and the Pussycat, a classic children’s poem written by Edward Lear, the outfit were primarily a two piece, consisting of Ian Williams and Heather Wright. The band released a handful of 12” and two full length recordings in the mid-1980s, splitting at the turn of the decade. Their material is often downtempo, melodic, and moody, with several repetitive synths grounding the material with an electronic/darkwave edge.

This collection is comprised of the band’s best moments from their two prior LPs (1987’s Obsessions and 1988’s Get Religion). Perhaps I’ll upload them too, should anyone be interested. Otherwise, here’s the info for the compilation:

Beautiful Pea Green Boat- Still Life CD
1. The Powerhouse
2. Hammers Of Islam
3. Too Much
4. When Dreams Moved In
5. The Vase
6. Among The Ruins
7. Paper House
8. Danielle
9. Mirror Of Souls
10. The Screw
11. Nostalgia
12. And She Laughed Too

*download it here*

Circuit 7- Discography

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 1985, minimal, minimal synth, uk on July 22, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

UK’s Circuit 7 is a 2-piece minimal synth collective who recorded only six tracks throughout their short tenure. Can’t seem to find a slew of other information about the band, but the two members were Martyn Good and Andy Partington, and this seems to be their only musical venture. Sleeve scans show additional organic contributions from various folks, but no songwriting or official member status credits.

The zip below contains all six of Circuit 7’s tracks, including two 7” records (one on blue and one on red vinyl!) and two tracks from the Offering of Isca compilation, produced by Martyn Good and released on Micro Records in 1985. Without any further delay, here’s the information.

Circuit 7- Modern Story 7” (1984)
1. Modern Story
2. Eastern Dream

Circuit 7- Video Boys 7” (1984)
1. Video Boys
2. The Force

Offering Of Isca compilation (1985)
1. India
8. Beat Tonight

*download link removed*

EDIT: Good news for fans of the Circuit 7 material, as Minimal Wave is planning a CD/LP release of all of these tracks (and more) in the near future! So for those who wish to support both a fantastic label and the original artist, stay tuned to this space, as I’ll replace the download link with a purchase link when the LP goes live!

PURCHASE THE CIRCUIT 7 REISSUE LP HERE!!!

On a related note, I’ve included “Video Boys” within my latest mix-making venture. Due to the nudging of a few readers, I’ve created an 8tracks account to upload songs and mixes for friends and readers. I’ve made a twenty-one track long minimal wave mix with a dash of italo and coldwave for good measure. A few of these tracks should be familiar to Systems of Romance regulars, some are favorites, and some may appear here in the future, if demand is high and there isn’t any overlap. Anyway, click HERE to give the mix a spin, and enjoy! I’ll be making more of these as time progresses, and will be sure to update when the next one is live.

B-Movie- Nowhere Girl 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, b-movie, paul statham, post-punk, some bizzare, uk on May 13, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Just ripped this one up this morning for a chum and figured I’d post it here for you folks to enjoy as well. I’ve already covered B-Movie in the past, but that particular record doesn’t hold much of a candle to most of their earlier single work, even though both tracks on this particular 12” appear in re-recorded form on Forever Running. In fact, the two featured tracks have been re-recorded countless times, and I’ve lost track of just how many versions of these two songs exist. Fortunately, they’re both fantastic slices of synth-based post-punk.

This particular single has also been re-released several times over, via original label Some Bizzare and various other labels since its original appearance in 1980. This particular one was issued on Sire in 1982, but my copy still boasts the Some Bizzare logo. Curious. Anyway, without any further ado, here’s the information.

B-Movie- Nowhere Girl 12” (1982, Sire/Some Bizzare)
1. Nowhere Girl (Version)
2. Remembrance Day
3. Nowhere Girl (Short Version)

*Download link removed* – digital reissues coming soon!

I may have the previous versions of the single (most with exclusive b-sides and alternate versions) kicking around in digital form, for any interested parties.

Fiat Lux- Commercial Breakdown VHS

Posted in 1980s, 1985, fiat lux, new wave, synthpop, uk on May 13, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

I’m pleased to offer this generous donation, a complete (audio only) Fiat Lux concert stripped lovingly from a VHS cassette and passed my way just a few days back. Entitled Commercial Breakdown, the show dates back to 1985, featuring a nine song set, with the studio version of “Secrets” being played both before and after, in video form.

The entire show is viewable in three parts on youtube, by searching for “Fiat Lux- Commercial Breakdown,” but for those interested in the audio, here’s the breakdown:

Fiat Lux- Commercial Breakdown VHS
1. Intro
2. Secrets (Video)
3. Blue Emotion
4. Photography
5. No More Proud
6. Sleepless Nightmare
7. The Moment
8. Comfortable Life
9. Embers
10. Splurge
11. House of Thorns
12. Secrets (Reprise)

*download it here*

Thanks to Craig for the donation! Otherwise, stay tuned today for another post to follow.