Schadstoff- Fly K7

Posted in 1990s, 1992, coldwave, german, post-punk, schadstoff on November 7, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Sorry for the delay here, folks. Still working on finishing up our new apartment, and haven’t been able to set up the ol’ turntable yet. However, I have a few tapes I’ve ripped recently so I’ll try to keep things going as I can. Here we have some excellent German guitar sounds here, from 1992. Very rough around the edges (the tape is actually a demo from the band, and seems to be the only thing they ever released), but there’s quite a bit of promise to be heard here, if only they had stuck around a bit longer and made some official recordings.

Don’t let the date fool you. Schadstoff very much falls into the vein of the mid-80s post-punk greats such as The Chameleons, Lowlife, Snake Corps, The Names, etc. It’s certainly raw and noticiably underdeveloped given the circumstances, but I have a feeling you guys are going to dig it, regardless. Here’s the info:

Schadstoff- Fly K7
1. Picture
2. Homeland
3. Walk Away
4. Fly
5. Butterfly
6. Happyness

*download it here*

Twenty Four Hour World- Twenty Four Hour World K7

Posted in 1980s, 1986, coldwave, deathrock, goth, goth-rock, post-punk, US on October 19, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a rare US cassette for all you goth and post-punk lovers out there. Released in 1986, this is the only known offering from Twenty Four Hour World. Great gloomy sounds perfect for a rainy day, and very reminiscent of Joy Division and early Modern English with a little bit of nasty deathrock mixed in for good measure. Really chaotic, visceral stuff here, not for the faint of heart!

Twenty Four Hour World- Twenty Four Hour World K7
1. Love Comes Down
2. Talk To Me
3. Miracle
4. Hot
5. Sound Of Impact
6. Ball & Chain
7. Drink
8. Trinity
9. Wonderful Life
10. The Big Boys

*download it here*

The Pollen- Contrasts Mini-LP

Posted in 1980s, 1989, adrian borland, coldwave, dreampop, french, indie, post-punk, the pollen, the sound on October 14, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

A recent, but welcome discovery, I’ve had this record in my possession for a few weeks now, and I’m just now finally able to offer it up here for you all to enjoy. Here we have a mini-LP from French band The Pollen, produced by The Sound’s Adrian Borland. Naturally, you can expect some great post-punk sounds here, more of the dreamy variety. The album strikes me as a cross between Lush & Lively Art acts, with a little bit of that Borland magic thrown in for good measure.

Released in 1988, this record is more my cup of tea than their second LP Colours and Make Believe, which was released a year later. The follow up seems a little more indie-flavored, as opposed to the cold sounds on this release, but perhaps I’ll reassess it down the line. I also have a 12” from the same era that fits more with this album, and will post that as soon as I have the chance!

The Pollen- Contrasts Mini-LP
1. Killer
2. Military Tactics
3. Faraway
4. Like The Wind
5. Peel The Skin
6. Breaking Out
7. Hard Times

Check here for the CD rip for this & a bonus 12”.

 

Vono- It’s Time LP

Posted in 1980s, 1986, ebm, german, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, vono on September 28, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve had this on deck to post for a bit, but what better time to post it than now? Mr. Goutroy of A Viable Commercial has dusted off and uploaded Vono’s quirky and charmingly amateur first LP over at his space, so in true blogger camaraderie fashion, here’s their final LP. Bookends for your listening pleasure, if you will.

Whereas Dinner Für 2 is a simple, yet detached record, this 1986 entry is anything but. Four years later, the duo grew as musicians and fleshed out their sound from their humble beginnings. It seems that one day, someone must have pissed in their Cheerios, as the band developed a more aggressive EBM-esque sound in the vein of Body 11, Bigod 20, Front 242, and other such bands with numbers. However, this is not a play-it-by-numbers EBM record as you might expect from that description. The vocals are a little more palatable than most EBM bands of the time, organic tones in lieu of the overdriven vocals that would become a genre staple into the 1990s. If anything, the LP is harder to pin down, stylistically. Other touchstones I’m hearing here include mid-period Wire (The Ideal Copy is my favorite, in case you were wondering) and the atmosphere of Peter Gabriel’s third and fourth records (cool!). Also hard to deny the Public Image crib on track six. No samples, but well, let’s just say it sounds like a response track.

There’s no real standout hit a la “Headhunter” or “Sensoria” here, but this album functions well as a whole. Besides, there are plenty of deep, funky synth grooves packed that make this LP worth a peek for any fan of the wave spectrum.

Vono- It’s Time LP
1. It’s Time
2. This Door
3. Geh Deinen Weg
4. Zerstoert
5. Here Comes
6. Love Song
7. Lebe Heute
8. Das Wars

*download it here*

I’ll be on hiatus for a little bit here, as we’re gearing up for a big move, and it’s likely we won’t be setting up the turntables for a few weeks. I may have a few things loaded in the queue to bring out here and there, but I’ll be loaded for bear when I get back to full functionality!

The Lucy Show- Electric Dreams 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, canadian, post-punk, the lucy show, uk on September 22, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

The Lucy Show are one of my all-time favorite bands of the 80s. Hands down amazing melodies, great vocals, production, the whole package. It comes as some surprise that this particular 7” (their second, released in 1984) hasn’t been posted to my knowledge. Crazy!

For those unfamiliar, The Lucy Show was formed by two Canadian-turned London musicians, who earned a bit of buzz for their first single, Leonardo Da Vinci (perfectly summed up and shared here). Peel picked up on the band, this 7” followed, and the rest, as you could say, was History. A tour with R.E.M. brought the band to prominence, and their debut LP Undone dropped in 1985 and shot straight to the top of the college charts. Mania followed in 1986, and the band soon called it quits.

Really perfect pop, here. The A-side recalls early Cure and INXS to mind, while the B-side is a dark and gloomy affair, reminiscent of 4AD’s earliest releases. Don’t miss it!

The Lucy Show- Electric Dreams 7”
1. Electric Dreams
2. History Part 1

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 6.16.12)

Sensation- Trafic 7”

Posted in 1980s, coldwave, french, new wave, sensation on September 16, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Fantastic French coldwave with a slightly poppy edge here, released on Slim Productions, who boast a rather impressive roster of French obscurities and hits alike. Especially recommended for fans of Taxi Girl, with a little more bite. Release date unknown, not even listed on the record itself. A true mystery, for those who like that sort of thing. Educated guesses via catalog number place this as a 1985 release, but who can be sure of these things. Sounds like 1981 to me, but what do I know? Take a listen, take a guess!

Sensation- Trafic 7”
1. Trafic
2. Destruction

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 6.4.13)

Glenn Winter- Bruna Hundars Död K7

Posted in 1986, Glenn Winter, minimal synth, swedish, synth, synthpop on September 13, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a very rare cassette from Glenn Winter, courtesy of the ever-stellar Sean McBride. I was only familiar with this fantastic Swedish minimal synth artist via “Herrens Svar,” which appears on the near flawless Orgelvärk compilation, an absolute must-hear for any self-respecting minimal synth fan. This particular tape hails from 1986 and features several tracks in the same vein. Tor Sigvardson of 18:e Oktober (a similarly amazing project) plays bass on track 6. Definitely don’t pass on this one, folks!

Glenn Winter- Bruna Hundars Död K7
1. Prins Reimon
2. Vägg
3. 23:49
4. Beat
5. Slow-Sleep
6. En Diskussion
7. Bruna Hundars Död
8. Around And Around
9. Born To Loose
10. Fields

*download it here*

Ultime Possibilité- Errance 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1988, coldwave, french, post-punk, ultime possibilité on September 9, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Up next we have an uber cult French coldwave single from 1988, especially choice for fans of the (better) Nova Express tracks posted here and here, as well as the Panoramas single posted ages ago.

Nothing much I can tell you about these guys, aside from shedding a little light on M.S.R., the label which issued this 7”. Several other classics appeared on M.S.R., including Corps Diplomatique and Amour Puzzle, also nice touchstones for this single. Really cool stuff here in the always excellent French tradition, so hope you enjoy it!

Ultime Possibilité- Errance 7”
1. Errance
2. No More Lies

*download it here*

Alan Shearer- Mines De Son LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, alan shearer, french, instrumental, synthpop on September 6, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here we have the second LP from Alan Shearer, released in 1984. Generally, it follows the same vibe as his excellent debut release (uploaded here in case you missed it). All instrumental once again, with some surprisingly poppy moments mixed in as well. Definitely some stunners in the mix here. I can’t seem to get enough of “Snapshot” or “Internal Clock.” The final track even reminds me a bit of some earlier Depeche Mode moments.

Funnily enough, I agree with comments made in the last post regarding video game music, as quite a few of these tracks call the classic NES soundtracks to mind. As someone who used to hold primitive boomboxes up to the tv screen to tape various soundtracks, I mean that as a compliment!

Anyway, without any further ado, here’s the info for this LP:

Alan Shearer- Mines De Son LP
1. Siouxie Likes Me
2. Mines De Son
3. Air Transe Aller
4. Pace-Maker
5. Snapshot
6. Brasilian Music Box
7. Internal Clock
8. Touche Pas A Mon Joël
9. Air Transe Retour
10. Very Christmas
11. Andes 90
12. Week-End At Sea

*download it here*

——

Also, while I’ve got your attention, might I direct you here? New album coming on September 27th, preorders available now. Just CD and digital for now, perhaps vinyl if enough demand calls for it!

You can catch a video for the first single here.

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!