Archive for the 1984 Category

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Bangah- Bangah 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, baltimore, indie, new wave, US on June 4, 2015 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s an excellent four song 12” from US band Bangah, released in 1984. The band, like most US bands featured here, were from Baltimore, which was apparently THE town for underground wave music in the States, so it seems… As for sound, Bangah employ a great mix of new wave and indie/jangle pop, with a slight Factory Records influence thrown in for good measure. My favorite here is “It Means Very Little” which reminds me of a mid-period Wake song with a more vibrant singer (think Ultravox) and excellent, icy synths. In general, the band remind me quite a bit of underrated UK bands The Icicle Works and Wild Swans.

Vocalist Eric Snyder was also active in the Ultra Violets, whose record I’ve seen in a few bins over the years but haven’t checked out yet…

Bangah- Bangah 12”
1. Every Wave
2. Trapped/Hide & Seek
3. It Means Very Little
4. Pale Fire

*download it here*

The band also appeared on Baltimore dance program Shakedown, performing an unreleased song. The audio isn’t great here, but definitely a decent look at the band in their prime:

2 Comments »

Shark Vegas- You Hurt Me 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 1986, die ubekannten, factory, new order, shark vegas on June 16, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s one on the synthpop side of things, a mild obscurity on the otherwise popular Factory imprint.  Some may be familiar with this tune via the club circuit, where it enjoyed massive success in The States and Berlin, despite a relatively cool reception in the UK.

Shark Vegas was a German supergroup of sorts, featuring ex-Die Unbekannten members Mark Reeder on synths/tapes/guitar and Alistair Gray on vocals with two other members of pop band Soif de la Vie.  The original version of this 12” was recorded in 1984 and released on Totenkopf Records (Abwärts, Die Toten Hosen).  After a tour with New Order in 1984, the band decided to rerecord and remix the single with Bernard Summer in to assist on the decks (a very common practice at the time, if you consider New Order’s involvement with Section 25, Thick Pigeon/Stanton Miranda, etc.).  Sumner would also play guitar at the end of the track, while co-producer Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio) sang backup.  A real family affair!  The Factory version of the 12” (complete with an iconic message on the cover) became a dance club hit overseas.

These two singles would make up the majority of Shark Vegas’ discography, though the band would contribute a handful of tracks to soundtracks and compilations, most notably the track “Pretenders of Love,” which appears on Young, Popular, and Sexy (1987) and was reissued on the FAC.DANCE compilation in 2011.  I just now discovered “Love Habit” on Youtube, and it continues to push the band’s slightly ironic sound to the extreme, with some rather of-the-time synth lines…  If anyone has an mp3 of that one that isn’t sourced from YouTube, feel free to send it my way.  I’m also interested in hearing “11th March”- which apparently hails from an independent film called The Party.  With that in mind, here’s both versions of this excellent 12” for your listening pleasure.

Shark Vegas- You Hurt Me 12” (1984)
1. You Hurt Me
2. You Hurt Me For the First Time
3. You Hurt Me For the Last Time

Shark Vegas- You Hurt Me 12” (1986)
1. You Hurt Me
2. You Hurt Me Version
3. But Now Your Flesh Lies Rotting In Hell

*download both here*

…and here’s some rare footage of the band performing the track in Berlin in the mid-1980s!  Enjoy!

7 Comments »

Hymn- Coming Home & Too Many Lies K7s

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1984, coldwave, hymn, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk on April 2, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a generous donation of two rare cassette releases from Hymn, a French coldwave band who released a more well known 12” on Nova Express in 1984.  These two cassettes were recorded shortly before that record, the first of which was self-released in 1983, while the other appeared on Autoproduit a few months before the 12”.  While the band’s trademark Joy Division influence can still be heard here, the instrumentation is more on the minimal synth side of the spectrum, with the classic TR606 providing the backbone to the gloomy, Ian Curtis-esque vocals.  I believe the band was originally a trio, and added a drummer just before recording the 12”.

That said, don’t let the sparse instrumentation and the shorter track length fool you, these tracks are still as cold as ever, and there are just enough guitars in the mix to make things interesting.  Without any further adieu, here’s the info for these two gems:

hymn--coming-home

Hymn- Coming Home K7 (1983)
1. Danger
2. Die For You
3. I Guess
4. I Am The Absolute
5. Shock Of The Dates
6. Comin’ Home
7. Nos Pieds et Nos Têtes

hymn--too-many-lies

Hymn- Too Many Lies K7 (1984)
1. Never Show Me
2. Too Many Lies
3. I Can
4. Give Me
5. Like In My Dreams
6. Surch Me
7. Hymn
8. Hope I Dream
9. Lost World

*download both tapes here*

10 Comments »

Inbase- Christine 12”/7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, die toten hosen, german, inbase, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, synthpop on January 28, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another minimal synth classic that I believe has disappeared from the blogosphere, but also wasn’t ever shared in its complete form, as far as I can recall.  You can still hear this track at various clubs across the globe, and it was certainly in regular rotation in my own sets over the years. It also begs the question- who the hell is Christine and why does she have so many songs written about her?

Inbase was a studio project between three German musicians, Andreas Von Holst, Stefan Telegdy, and Herbert Böhme. They recorded this classic single in 1984, chock full of stabby guitar liness, driving electronic drums, and synth hooks at every turn (fans of Xoris Perideraio’s “48 Siopes” or Cinema 90’s “In Ultra Violet” should love this one, too). The single did fairly well at the time, garnering a pantomimed appearance on a German television show (linked below), but I don’t believe the trio ever performed live or recorded any further material together. Böhme would go on to record under several different monikers into the 90s, while I believe Von Holst is still active in Die Toten Hosen (under the name Kuddel), a punk band he joined in 1983.

There are three versions of “Christine” spread across various formats. I’ve included both 12” versions as well as the 7” single mix. I don’t happen to have the 7” instrumental edit, but if I come across it, I’ll be sure to include it in an update. That begs the question however- does anyone truly crave instrumental b-sides? It’s generally an italo phenomenon but I’ve seen it a few other times. I generally don’t listen to them myself, but I’ve always been tempted to make minimal synth/italo karaoke files with the handful of straightforward instrumental mixes I’ve acquired over the years… Any New Yorkers up for this? Anyway, I digress. Here come the downloads:

Inbase- Christine 12”
1. Christine
2. Christine (Instrumental)

bonus- Christine (7” Mix)

*download it here*

As promised, here’s an edited TV appearance of the track:

5 Comments »

Sally Patience- The Triangle Man 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, electro, electronic, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, sally patience, synth, synthpop, uk on January 15, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Before we get started on new posts for 2014, may I please direct your attention to the following re-rips and reuploads:

B-Movie- Singles (new rips of Nowhere Girl, Remembrance Day, Marilyn Dreams, & the addition of A Letter From Afar 12”)
Signal Aout 42- Pleasure and Crime (new rip)
U-Bahn X- Young Hearts of Europe (new rip, new 7”’ rip, + digitally inserting Jabba the Hutt on side B)

Otherwise, sorry for slacking!  I have a bunch of new, unheard posts in the works, a new various artists compilation, as well as a few re-rips of classics from my own personal collection to keep us busy for the first part of the year.  So with that in mind, let’s kick the year off with a minimal synth classic that I believe was posted before by the great BX, but has disappeared since.  I came across a cheap, sleeveless copy of this one in a dollar bin here in NYC, played it once or twice at WIERD, and promptly forgot that I had it until recently, when reorganizing and digitizing my 7”’ collection.  This one is a tried and true killer, a bizarre electronic romp from 1984 with thick synth bass, disco strings, and eerie female vocals.  The best analogy I can think of is dystopian disco- the kind of dance music that you’d dance to in Blade Runner or Logan’s Run, for example…  The chorus is especially killer, and pays off in spades (human is so humorless- love that line).  Fans of JYL/Angela Werner should also love this one.  The b-side is equally stunning, a more unsettling synth track with a flamenco flair and backwards masked vocal samples.

This is the only single Sally Patience released, and no one knows what happened to her afterwards…  Just a brief moment, as some of the best gems tend to be.

Sally Patience- The Triangle Man 7”
1. The Triangle Man
2. Buried In My Boots

*download it here*

7 Comments »

The Beloved- Demos & Peel Sessions 1983-85

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1984, 1985, post-punk, synth, the beloved on August 28, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

I’m pretty new to The Beloved, having been turned on to their early singles/Where It Is compilation LP late last year. I had originally heard their later material, generally more dance/club friendly affair in the vein of Cause & Effect, Anything Box, etc. While the UK band (now a duo) has enjoyed tons of success since embracing the electronic club scene, the Cure-loving post-punk kid in me was very surprised and excited to hear that the band’s earliest material had more in common with B-Movie, The Chameleons, Modern Eon, and other emotive post-punk bands from the turn of the decade. Sure, there were still synths around every corner, but the keyboards were more focused on mood and atmosphere, leaving the sparse hooks to the vocals, guitars, and bass. Songs like ‘Saints Become Us,’ ‘In Trouble and Shame,’ and ‘Slow Drowning’ (oh god, ESPECIALLY ‘Slow Drowning‘) quickly became all-time favorites, and moody Wierd barn-burners in the last few months of the party’s existence.

These tracks here predate even the earliest singles, and employ the same early post-punk vibes heard on the singles that followed two years later. The demos were recorded in 1983/1984, and the peel sessions were recorded in 1985, just before the release of their first singles.  Only two tracks from the Peel Sessions would appear on various singles, the aforementioned ‘Trouble and Shame’ and the excellent ‘A Hundred Words.’  ‘The Flame’ appears as both a Peel cut as well as a demo, while the rest of these tracks are new- two of which were recorded as The Journey Through, as the band was known until guitarist Guy Gausden joined.  My favorite of the entire lot is easily ‘Privacy (Sometimes),’ which features the same sort of arpeggiated gloom explored in ‘Slow Drowning’– perhaps the track evolved from this early demo, but either way, I love that song so much it’s great to hear something that lives in the same world… 

All of these tracks (and more spanning the band’s career) were originally made available on The Beloved’s website, where you can also hear newer material and read up on the band over the years. So with that in mind, please excuse the bitrate. I normally handle my own rips and give you guys the best quality possible these days, but in light of what’s available, I feel these tracks deserve to be heard regardless, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

the beloved

The Beloved- Demos 1983-1984
1. The Flame
2. A Search
3. The Last Detail
4. Privacy (Sometimes)

*tracks 1-2 recorded as The Journey Through (though I have them tagged here as The Beloved for easy organisation)

The Beloved- Peel Session Jan. 1985
1. The Flame
2. A Hundred Words
3. Idyll
4. A Beautiful Waste of Time

The Beloved- Peel Session Oct. 1985
1. So Seldom Solemn
2. In Trouble and Shame
3. Jospehine
4. Up A Tree

*download everything here*

6 Comments »

Psi Com- Worktape 1 and Demos

Posted in 1980s, 1984, alternative, deathrock, goth, goth-rock, jane's addiction, LA, los angeles, mazzy star, perry farrell, post-punk, psi com, red temple spirits, US on August 12, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

psi com group 2

Before there was Jane’s Addiction, there was Psi Com, a post-punk/deathrock band fronted by Perry Farrell.  The band released one demo tape and one 12” (re-released on CD and 10” in the mid-90s) in 1985.  The band began in 1983, when Perry answered an ad from guitarist Vince Duran looking for a drummer, as his fledgling band was primarily using a drum machine.  Instead, Farrell took over as vocalist, adding Rich Evac on bass, Aaron Sherer on drums, and Mariska Lassius on keyboards.  This was the lineup for their demo tape that was eventually sold at shows in 1984 with elaborate packaging reminiscent of Independent Project Records releases.  The photo above depics the lineup for these recordings.  Soon after the demo was released, Lassius and Evac left the band, replaced by bassist Kelly Wheeler for their 12” sessions.

Based heavily in the psychedelic roots of Pink Floyd as well as the UK post-punk movement, Psi Com’s sound was much more in line with Savage Republic, The Ex, and Bauhaus than the horror punk sound that was developing on the West Coast.   If anything, Psi Com was a vessel for the Red Temple Spirits sound moreso than the hedonistic excesses of Jane’s Addiction, though both bands continued exploring their psychedelic influences and alternative leanings.  Even Perry Farrell’s trademark wail is downplayed on these recordings, though there’s no mistaking it during certain key passages.

Psi Com broke up suddenly in 1985, after gaining a heavy local following.  Legend has it that Eric Avery, bassist for Jane’s Addiction, was drafted as a new bassist for Psi Com, changing direction as Stephen Perkins and Dave Navarro joined.  Bassist Kelly Wheeler played briefly with Dino Paredes of Red Temple Spirits, and Aaron Sherer eventually retired from music after playing drums on several tracks from Mazzy Star’s excellent Among My Swan LP.

Here we have a fan circulated collection of demos and additional tracks, including the debut Worktape cassette as well a series of studio recordings and instrumentals that originally appeared on a Jane’s Addiction bootleg CD from 1991.  While the 12” has received a fair amount of attention as Farrell’s pre-Jane’s vessel, these demos are still rather obscure, and definitely worth hearing even if you’re not a fan of what came next. 

psi com worktape art

Psi Com- Worktape 1 and Demos
1. Hopeful
2. Them
3. Psi Com Theme
4. 14th Floor
5. Cat
6. Karuna
7. 14th Floor (Instrumental)
8. Cat (Instrumental)
9. Karuna (Instrumental)

*download it here*

5 Comments »

Various Artists- Dreams and Desires K7

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 4ad, coldwave, compilations, goth, goth-rock, minimal synth, pleasantly surprised, post-punk on June 12, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Have a few tapes here to share over the next few weeks… Some more rare Italian demos, a 2xK7 French compilation, and much more, but here’s an old classic as donated by Jeffo and re-ripped at VBR for maximum enjoyment.  You may have heard this over at Return of the East back in the day, an old favorite blog of all things dark that’s since purged from Blogger.  PS- You should all take a listen to The Anxiety of Love if you want to hear more from the excellent chap who ran that blog, here’s to more great sounds from them to come.

This tape, released in 1984, essentially reads like a who’s who of the classic 4AD roster, with some other amazing contributions from favorites such as Pink Industry (and a track by Ambrose working on her own), Vazz, Clair Obscur, In the Nursery, Band of Holy Joy, etc.    Many of the tracks that appear here are in demo form, some of which (like the sketch of Cocteau Twins’ sublime “Pearly Dewdrops Drops” and Dead Can Dance’s excellent demo of “The Arcane”) haven’t been compiled in even the most thorough retrospectives.

Pleasantly Surprised, the Scottish label run by Robert H. King, eventually became Cathexis Recordings (Vazz and Clair Obscur vinyl releases), which then turned into Total, a music magazine, by the 1990s.  Pleasantly Surprised were notorious for these compilations, as well as for releasing a rare Dif Juz tape and providing reissues/alternate distribution methods for an early Clair Obscur release, just to name a few standout credits.  I haven’t heard many of the other VA compilations so I can’t be sure if the versions on those cassettes are demos as they are here, or if they’re studio versions compiled for cassette.  If anyone can confirm or deny, please feel free to leave a comment.

Various Artists- Dreams and Desires K7
1. Side A Intro
2. Richard Killing- Nervous Choir
3. Tag Fur Tag (Demo)- Xmal Deutschland
4. Diamonds In the Mine (Live)- Artery
5. Silver- Vazz
6. Sex Gun (Demo)- Colourbox
7. Ecstasy (Instrumental*)- The Wolfgang Press
8. Pain of Pride- Pink Industry
9. A Glorious Morning In Orton Street- The Band of Holy Joy
10. Side A Outro
11. Side B Intro
12. The Pilgrim’s Progress (Instrumental)- Clair Obscur
13. The Arcane (Demo)- Dead Can Dance
14. Can’t Get Used to Losing You- David J
15. In One Move- Illegitimate Sons of Christ
16. Pearly Dewdrop’s Drops (Demo)- Cocteau Twins
17. Iskra- In the Nursery
18. Free At Last- Ambrose
19. Illustrated- Andrew Grey
20. Tree Top Club (Demo)- Virginia Astley
21. Smile- Patrik Fitzgerald
22. Side B Outro

*download it here*

 

*not really an instrumental at all.  But we all know the Rema-Rema gag, right?

7 Comments »

Stranger To Stranger- Casting Shadows LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, goth-rock, post-punk, stranger to stranger on June 6, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Been a bit since my last post, at least by my standards.  I’ve spent the past few weeks revisiting a lot of my 7”s and making new rips of quite a few of them, as well as a few that haven’t been posted/have been posted elsewhere.  You’ll see some of those soon, but for now, you can check these posts for new rips:

Berlin- The Metro 7”
Jus D’orange/Red Rain Coat 7”s
Fatidic Seconde- Le Drakkar 7”
Message- Dernière Nuit 7”
Troops For Tomorrow- Songs of Joy & Faith 7”
I’m So Hollow- Emotion/Sound/Motion LP (LP only)
Minimal Synth mystery corner 7”
Excentrique Noiz- Dark Crystal Day 7”
Repetition- A Still Reflex 7”
Modern Eon- Fiction Tales Plus (VBR rip thanks to Jeff!)
Luxembourg- La Cible 7”
Sensation- Trafic 7”
Ahab- Party Girl 7”
Ultime Possibilité- Errance 7”

I’ve ripped a few new acquisitions too, so with that in mind, here’s an LP that’s appeared elsewhere on the net thanks to Fantod Under Glass, but I finally got my hands on a fresh copy for maximum listening pleasure.  Fantastic debut release from Stranger to Stranger, a Philadelphia, PA band from 1984.  As Fantod explains, there’s a heavy 4AD influence here, from the more esoteric post-punk era of the label (My Captains, Mass, etc.) as well as some similarities to Sad Lovers and Giants, European Toys, and the above mentioned I’m So Hollow.

Quite a UK-centric sound for this ambitious Philadelphia band, who have six more releases following this one.  I’ve only heard 1985’s The Child In Me 12” and the follow up LP, both of which move more towards an indie/jangle sound.  Great if you like that sort of thing as well (I certainly do), but this LP is the real deal, and both “Easter Night” and “Evening Opus” have quickly become favorites.   You can get the 12” on Vinyl Obscurity, and you can catch the Darkest Dreams LP on A Viable Commercial!

You can read a bit more about the band here.

Stranger to Stranger- Casting Shadows LP
1. Easter Night
2. Crowded Room
3. In Your Eyes
4. Voices Calling
5. Flux
6. Cry To Dream
7. Evening Opus (Pts. 1, 2 & 3)
8. Lonely Winter
9. Wind On Skin

*download it here*

13 Comments »

La Valse- Winter 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, coldwave, Dutch, la valse, netherlands on April 22, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Incredibly rare 7” from the Netherlands here that I’ve seen on several wantlists over the years.  Due time for this gem to be heard!  No year attached to this one, and despite the label (No Records), it may be a private pressing.  If I had to guess, it has an early 80s feel to it- perhaps 1981-4 due to the prominent use of the TR606 (EDIT: according to a magazine listing, this was released in 1984).  The band were from Breda and this is their only release, perfect for fans of that cold guitar sound with both male and female vocals on the a-side.  Minimal synth fans should also enjoy this one, as the flip features some trademark synth and drum machine work.  You can also find “Sorrow” on one of the None Night of Flexipop compilations…

Either way, both tracks here are great, gloomy affairs that should feel at home for fans of The Names/Factory Records.

Thanks to Stéphane for clueing me into and sending me the original rip of this lost classic!

La Valse- Winter 7”
1. Winter
2. Sorrow

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED at 320 kbps 5.5.13)

10 Comments »

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