Here’s a quirky little minimal synth/new wave gem from the UK, released in 1984. Reminiscent of Home Service/Tone Set. Virtually no information available, as even the label seems off the radar. So, with that in mind we’ll keep this one short and sweet! Here’s the details:
Classified Info- Drug Called Love 7”
1. Drug Called Love
2. Drug Called Love Dub
Sorry for the delay, folks. Expecting a few goodies that haven’t arrived in the mail yet. Will get to ripping those and posting them ASAP. In the interim, I’ve been digging back through the vinyl collection and making improved rips of some of the albums I’ve posted in the past, and figured I’d share the improved fidelity with all of you.
What better band to start with, then End of Data. I’ve had mixed results with every copy I’ve come across. Quality issues, a few glaring skips, etc. However, I’ve come across great sounding copies of both LPs, so with better source material come greater results. Of course, there’s still minor crackle and a pop or two that just wouldn’t scrub out, but that’s what we love about vinyl, isn’t it?
These are two bona-fide classics, two all time favorites from France and beyond. I listen to these albums just about every week, no small feat for me! In case you missed these the first time around, you can read all about them here and here. Hope you all enjoy the improvements!
End of Data- Sahrah LP (1984)
1. End Of Data I & II
2. If I’m Not A Killer
3. Follow Me And So
4. Like A Succession I & II
5. Trottodaf
6. Sahrah / Symphonie Inachevée
End of Data- Dans Votre Monde LP (1985)
1. Dans Votre Monde
2. Movie Drama
3. Quetzalcoatl
4. Symphonie
5. La Rive Asiatique
6. Atttrra (Vers Le Miroir)
7. Venice
8. D.M.C.
EDIT: to the 21 people who downloaded Dans Votre Monde when this post first appeared, please download the LP again— track 3 had an error in bouncing that has been rectified. Sorry for the trouble!
So, it’s been just under a year since the last two installments of the Sequins and Spandex series, and since summer is just around the corner, I figure it’s due time to unveil the next two. Italo is very much summer music for me (and curiously, new beat gets the job done in wintertime, as far as the big beats are concerned), and though it’s raining here in New York, I figure everyone could use a little summer cheer. As always, I’ve had a hard time whittling down my choices, so you get two mixes for the price of one!
Before unveiling the tracklisting, I’d like to thank Shawn of Led Er Est/Further Reductions for the continuous crash course in italo, as well as Nick of Crispy Nuggets for lending me a handful of jams from his back pages. I’ve also re-included the 12” mix of Mad Matrix’s “Men Alone,” a Belgian track in the same vein, since it just works so well here. There’s also a UK artist in the mix, but the track was too good to pass on. Anyway, here’s the tracklisting, and I do hope you enjoy!
Sequins and Spandex Part VI
1. Fires In the Night- K-A-T-A
2. Dancing In the Dark- Mike Mareen
3. Queen of Discoteque- Sissy
4. Blue Room (Extended)- Kirlian Camera
5. Witch- Helen
6. I’d Like To Know- Randy Wiper
7. Girl of the 80s- Go To
8. Sing With Me Tonight- Fresh Color
9. You See- Helicon
10. Follow Me- Karl Olivas
11. Over and Over- Fantasy Life
12. Men Alone (Special 12” Club Mix)- Mad Matrix
13. Darkness- Aquarius
Sequins and Spandex Part VII
1. Don’t Be Cold (In the Summer of Love)- The Stupid Set
2. Black and White (Extended)- Bandeaux
3. Hesitation- Mya & The Mirror
4. Just a Story- Mike Rodgers
5. Hookey- Sylvi Foster
6. A Raving Night- Neurox
7. Right- Fake
8. You’ve Got the Night- Lame’
9. Boogie Tonight- M & G
10. Lucifer’s Friend- Vision
11. Waiting For Heaven- Diviacchi
12. Shoot Me (Extended)- Malcolm & the Bad Girls
13. Happy World (Extended)- Ranko
*download it here* (updated 6.12.18)
PS- I have a good chunk of leftovers for this one. However, in fear of it being overkill, I’ll wait for you kids to digest these one for a bit. Keep your eyes peeled for the next one!
Here’s a minimal synth/NDW hybrid 7” from 1982. Nothing out of the ordinary for the genre, but two very good tracks indeed. The guitar driven a-side is the clear winner for me, while the b-side has a bit of a reggae feel to it.
This particular 7” was released on CBS Records (a surprising choice for a major label), and is the product of two Austrian musicians. Drummer Gerhart Walenta was also involved in an Austrian psych/prog band called Paternoster, who released one record in 1972.
Here’s the info:
Neuer Frühling- Abendlos 7”
1. Abendlos
2. Liebesversuch
For those who prefer to own an original copy of this record, you can easily score one on the web for a reasonable price, if you know where to look. Get it while the getting is good!
Here’s an extra special rarity in demo form. Here we have a series of cassette demos recorded by Absolute, known for their handful of tracks on Vince Clarke and Eric Radcliffe. You can hear their officially released tracks over yonder, as part of the Reset Records collection that has been unofficially compiled. A handful of those Reset Records tracks appear here in demo form, so it’s interesting to see how they differ from their studio counterparts. I’m also quite fond of the exclusive tracks here, especially “Take Her Away,” a killer synthpop gem that should feel right at home for fans of mid-period Depeche Mode.
That said, I still can’t seem to find much in the way of information about Absolute (aside from a little connection to the great John Fryer, who produced their second 7”), but someone uploaded what seems to be a promotional photo of the band on discogs. If the above image is correct, that might shed a skint of light on the subject. If there’s anyone out there that can chime in with more, please don’t hesitate! Otherwise, here’s the info:
Absolute- Demo K7
1. Take Her Away
2. Can’t You See
3. Does Anybody Want Me
4. T.V. Glare
5. Love In My Heart
6. Friend or Enemy
7. Club Boys
8. Only Time Can Tell
9. Doofa on 45
10. Merry Go Doofa
Stick with me on this one folks. Any fan of new wave should already be familiar with Berlin, the Los Angeles based band led by Terri Nun and John Crawford. If you are unfamiliar with the band, please direct your attention here. While it’s their later ballads and more commercial wave tracks that seem to be remembered, it’s prudent to note that the band’s first few releases were fantastic and rare entries to the US minimal synth scene. Information, the band’s first LP, was the closest thing to Ultravox in the west coast scene, while songs like “The Metro” and “Sex (I’m A)” from 1982’s Pleasure Victim were fast paced, sexually driven synth tracks that still remain classics to date. It’s the kind of sound also explored on the SSQ LP, another personal favorite female-led new wave smash. Fun fact: Both Berlin and Q/SSQ shared labels throughout their tenure, and Jon St. James of the latter outfit is credited as an engineer for Berlin’s Pleasure Victim LP. Incestuous!
I had originally purchased this 1981 issue of The Metro to DJ, not just for the foxy picture of Terri Nun on the back, but also figuring it’s far easier to pack a 7” than a 12”. When it comes to wax, real estate is key, so it just made sense to purchase, spatially. Just yesterday, I needed a fix for “Tell Me Why” and went for Youtube, only to be presented with a much more raw and driving mix than I remembered. Lo and behold, it’s the same version on this 7”, released a year before the EP cut! A little bit of research quickly told me that this Berlin single I purchased ages ago was actually quite the rarity in their catalog, as both tracks appear in an earlier form. The differences are most notable in “Tell Me Why,” though “The Metro” also features a different intro and what seems to be a different drum track. Either way, I’m happy to include this single here, and hope you kids enjoy it!
Berlin- The Metro 7”
1. The Metro
2. Tell Me Why
*download it here* (re-ripped 5.30.13)
Also, for those who want to try to own this obscurity, there are currently a few copies for sale via discogs. Buyer beware, wink wink!
Here’s a driving minimal synth single from 1980. A little bit of Buzzcocks/Undertones sound underneath all the electronics, kind of representative of the shift from punk to new wave, so fans of early 1980s synth should find this one to be a real treat.
You may have heard the b-side track on the New Wave Complex series, but the a-side is the standout, at least to my ears. This is the band’s lone release, though another version of the single exists under the name Viva. Likely that there was another band with the same name, so they added the U.K. bit in to differentiate (also see bands like The Chameleons and Charlatans for this sort of treatment). The original Viva 7” was released on Square records, home to an early Aerial FX release, another thematic touchstone for this track. The U.K. Viva edition appeared on Line records, known for pressings of Iggy Pop, Nico, and Smiths singles.
U.K. Viva- Mr. Mystery 7”
1. Mr. Mystery
2. Radio Saviour
