Ok, kids. The Plague LP link has been restored. Click here for the amended post. As promised, the track order has been fixed, and the skip on “Empress” has been rectified with a fresh rip of that particular track (downloadable as a separate mp3 for extra convenience. Download with confidence!
Archive for June, 2010
Housekeeping
Posted in Uncategorized on June 29, 2010 by Frankie TeardropTaking down the link for The Plague LP for now- was informed of a rather nasty skip on one of the tracks, and the mismatched tracklisting bugs me to no end. I’ll have a fresh link ready in a day or so, and I’ll upload the fixed tracks separately as well. Sorry for the trouble, folks.
Modern Dance- …It’s Just All To Dance To 12”
Posted in 1985, coldwave, german, modern dance, post-punk, rough trade on June 28, 2010 by Frankie TeardropHere’s one of my favorite guitar-based 12 inches. You may have seen this one posted over at the always amazing bx59cppw blog, but here’s a clearer rip for any interested parties.
I believe these folks were German, and released their lone 12” on a local subsidary of Rough Trade, which should certainly be testament to its quality. Some great angsty guitar/post-punk tracks here, catchy as well. The record dropped in 1985. Here’s the details:
Modern Dance- …It’s Just All To Dance To 12”
1. A Day’s Wait
2. For U.
3. Between The Moments
4. Near To You
5. This Is Me
6. The Victim
The Plague- Naraka LP
Posted in 1980s, 1987, deathrock, goth-rock, New York, post-punk on June 25, 2010 by Frankie TeardropNow here’s something for all you deathrock/post-punk kids. Up on the slab is the lone LP from NY’s very own The Plague, self-released in 1987. With tracks titles such as “Vampyre” and “Suicide Queen,” you can expect some witchy female vocals, thrashy guitar riffs, and other such gothic sounds, which should be right at home for fans of the genre.
The Plague- Naraka LP
1. Naraka
2. Vampyre
3. Murder
4. Suicide Queen
5. Empress
6. Never Die
7. Paradise of Pain
Johnny Analog- Agent Provocateur LP
Posted in 1980s, 1988, Johnny Analog, minimal, minimal synth, new wave on June 25, 2010 by Frankie TeardropHere’s a cracking 6 song EP from Toronto-based musician Johnny Analog, released in 1988. The band, conceived by a former member of Digital Nation, consisted of Mr. Analog (clearly a pseudonym), Nathan Berman and Cathy Septembre. This was their only release, and strikes a middle ground between the dark synthpop of Fad Gadget and the shrill guitar freakouts of mid-period Chrome. Definitely a must for all minimal synth heads!
Johnny Analog- Agent Provocateur LP
1. Press!
2. Rhythmn Ruled
3. Agent Provocateur
4. Wet Electric
5. Uncut Video
6. Shaddup That Noise
Sequins and Spandex Parts IV and V
Posted in 1980s, disco, hi nrg, italo disco, mixes, new wave, sequins and spandex, space disco, synth, wave on June 16, 2010 by Frankie TeardropStruck with the disco bug again, ladies and gentlemen, and what better way to celebrate the onslaught of summer than with a handful of killer jams. I know a lot of you enjoy this series of mixes, so to make up for its absence, I’ve constructed TWO full discs worth of classic space disco/italo/hi nrg etc. cuts for your listening pleasure. These are some of my all time favorite tracks these days, so I do hope you enjoy! Here’s the breakdown:
Sequins and Spandex: Part IV
1. Fog- Riccardo Cioni
2. Dark Silence- Art Fine
3. Domination- Flexi Cowboys
4. Spanish Run- Jaco
5. Valerie- Modem
6. My Love Won’t Let You Down- Nathalie
7. A Flash in the Night- Secret Service
8. N. 1,4/Magnetic Dance- Smiles
9. Driving- Sensitive
10. New Dream- Clay Pedrini
11. Eagles In the Night- Dario Dell’Aere
12. Heroes- Big Ben Tribe
13. Some Other Place, Some Other Time- Rockets
Sequins and Spandex: Part V
1. Let’s Dance Tonight- David Gray
2. I’m Looking For You- Ghibli
3. Escape From New York- John Carpenter
4. An English ’93- International Music System
5. Breakdown- Ray Cooper
6. Love’s Harmony- Paciscopi
7. Love & Magic (Dub Version)- Kristal
8. Secret Life- Clock On 5
9. Silent Smiles- Anthony’s Game
10. Future State- Future State
11. Main Theme (Remix)- Fabio Frizzi
12. Burn On the Flames- Paul Paul
13. Avventurieri- Jo Squillo Eletrix
Hope you kids enjoy! To download the previous installments, click here.
Belaboris- …Olipa Kerran 12”
Posted in 1980s, 1984, belaboris, compilations, finland, finnish, minimal, minimal synth on June 11, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop
I’ve had this one kicking around for a while, but never paid too much attention to it aside from “Monsterbaari.” Total oversight on my part here, for this entire 12” is solid. What we have here is eight tracks of ALL-female minimal synth, hailing from Finland. This mini-LP, released in 1984, collects the band’s singles to date, including the Kuolleet Peilit 12” (1982) and the Odotus 7” (1983).
Astute readers might notice that the band’s name derives from two of horror’s biggest names, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Vocalist Minna Soisalo was also well known for her roll in Klaani, a large film in the band’s homeland. Belaboris would release one final 7” before splitting, a cover of 60’s Scandinavian hit ‘Rakkauden Jälkeen,’ which can you nab from the excellent bx-59cppw blog. This should complete their discography!
Belaboris- …Olipa Kerran 12”
1. Kuolleet Peilit
2. Yö Vanhassa Talossa
3. Odotus
4. Kolme Askelta
5. Monsteribaari
6. Mitä Lapsille Tapahtui
7. Babypop*
8. Venus
*Serge Gainsbourg/France Gall cover!
DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED— The always excellent Dark Entries label has just reissued the majority of Belaboris’ material on LP, while there’s a CD available of the complete sessions via Poko Records. Please support the bands and labels as you can!
Q4U- Q2 1980-1983 CD
Posted in 1980s, 1982, 1996, icelandic, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk, punk, q4u, reunited on June 8, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop
Here’s a long since out of print CD, containing dozens of tracks from Icelandic post-punk band Q4U. I wish I could say it’s the band’s entire discography, but there are so many tracks issued on their original 12” and K7 releases that it’s hard to include them all on one disc. In fact, the few copies I’ve seen of their original material fetch some of the highest prices on Discogs that I’ve ever seen!
This CD, released in 1996 via Icelandic label Norður & Niður, collects many of the band’s best tracks. You can expect, like many of the punk bands of the era, short blasts of female fronted energy, akin to the likes of X-Ray Spex and early Banshees. That said, the band’s use of drum machines and synths calls the early minimal synth movement to mind. An excellent hybrid, if you will. The catalyst for this disc included the resurgence of punk and interest in the Sex Pistols reunion, as the band reunited for a few local shows upon its release, playing exclusively older materal.
The band was rather famous in their native land, thanks to an appearance in the documentary Rokk i Reykjavic. Growing popularity and involvement with other bands led to the band’s first lineup shift in 1982, but not before recording dozens of leftover tracks for the Skaf I Dag K7, the band’s first release. The band would reunite some months later, employing a TR-808 drum machine dubbed Elizabeth II, though no tracks were released then (several demo recordings from this era are included here). Adding a few more additional members, the band would record their debut 12”, 1982’s Q1. Success from this release caused the band to drop the drum machine and focus on a more live sound, which led to opening slots for Classix Nouveaux in 1983. The band would split soon after, but not before recording a handful of tracks that would remain unreleased until this disc.
Phew, quite a mouthful there. Again, this disc does not contain the entire Q4U discography, but presents many of the band’s finest moments alongside some killer unreleased material. Curiously enough, only ONE track from the Q1 12” is missing here, not sure why it wasn’t included, but definitely gives extra incentive to track down the original 12”. Anyway, here’s the information:
Q4U- Q2 1980-1983 CD
1. Sigurinn
2. Draugasaga
3. Barbie
4. Miracle Man
5. Böring
6. PLO
7. Breiðabόlsstaður
8. AMDP
9. Tiskufrik
10. Why
11. Skemmtistaður
12. Plastic Vision
13. Family
14. Turninn
15. Þjόðlagið
16. Ekkert
17. Don’t
18. Creeps
19. Onward
20. Zoo
21. Walker
22. Pelagus-FFH
23. Romance La Paranoia
24. Þeir (Hverjir?)
25. Hoppland
26. Calígúla
27. Get You
28. Toys
29. Nacht Und Nebel
30. I Hate You
31. Má Ég Hjá Þér Borða
32. Judith The Savage Amazon
33. Jack The Skipper
34. Snjόhvit
DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED: Most of Q4U’s discography can now be purchased on both CD and LP, via Wave Records and Dark Entries records, respectively! Please support the band!
Profil- Profil LP + Bonus
Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1982, 1983, german, NDW, post-punk on June 8, 2010 by Frankie TeardropHere’s a handful of posts to get you through the week. First up, we have the lone LP (complete with bonus cuts) from German NDW band Profil. NDW isn’t usually my standard fare, but some of these tracks are certainly winners, including the first two tracks, and the majority of the bonus material. Expect some jerky,synth-driven rhythms, some perfect for the dancefloor while others a little more spastic, but entertaining all the same.
Not much else I can tell you about the band. According to discogs, they were a five piece outfit, and released a handful of singles on Welt-Rekord (owned by Peter Hein of Fehlfarben and also responsible for some key Grauzone releases).
Essentially, the LP alone consisted of 10 tracks, many of which were scattered across their earlier singles. Included in this upload, however, is the remaining b-sides from the debut Beruhren 12” (1981) and the band’s final release, the Leb Wohl Mein Schatz 12” (1983). Looks to be a complete discography, minus the shorter edit of “Leb Wohl Mein Schatz,” but including the Dub Mix not found on the previous Mutant Sounds post. Enjoy!
Profil- Profil LP + Bonus
1. Berühren
2. 1964
3. Schwimmen Im Geld
4. Regennacht
5. So Kühl
6. Ich Liebe Dich
7. In Form
8. C’Est La Vie
9. Lieber Gott
10. Toscana
11. Berühren (Long Version)
12. Immer Mehr
13. Leb Wohl Mein Schatz (Long Version)
14. Leb Wohl Mein Schatz (Dub Version)
15. Du Lügst
Tracks 1-10 from Profil LP (1982)
Tracks 11 and 12 from Berühren 12” (1981)
Tracks 13 and 14 from Leb Wohl Mein Schatz 12” (1983)
Track 15 from Leb Wohl Mein Schatz 7” (1983)
*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – this has been reissued by Genetic Music in 2016!
Sanity Plexus- Devil’s Deception 12”
Posted in 1980s, 1989, manchester, post-punk, Sanity Plexus, Sexus, uk on June 3, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop
Almost had a heart attack when my freshly mailed copy of this had sibilance issues. Fortunately, it was just a brief turntable malfunction, and I’m able to bring you this stellar debut from England’s Sanity Plexus.
The two-piece band hailed from Manchester, home of some of the best post-punk bands in the world, so you can expect some fruitful gems here. Aggressive drum machines (most running a similar, but effective program), incisive guitar work, yet solid, danceable rhythms. A real treat!
It seems the band earned quite the following during their tenure, which lasted for three LPs. The band grew poppier and less aggressive with each release, which culminated in a name change. Sexus, as the band would then be known, grew in popularity into the early 1990s with a more acid house sound, typical of England at the time. Sexus released two LPs before disbanding.
You can fill in a few more details by visiting the band’s site, which appears to be run by a member. You can also download the title track from the band’s second release, the Tough Guy Shell 12”. Without any further ado, here’s the info for this killer release.
Sanity Plexus- Devil’s Deception 12”
1. Top
2. Masculine Mask
3. Squalor
4. A Boy Can Get Scared
5. Stains
6. Service With a Smile
*download it here* (reuploaded @320kbps)