Archive for February, 2023

Pitch Black – Suspiria/Renee 12”

Posted in 1990, Claude Raines, darkwave, ebm, New York, pitch black, synthpop, US on February 3, 2023 by Frankie Teardrop

Can’t stop/won’t stop!

Keeping with the theme of the last post, this single is a perfect compliment, featuring a series of dancefloor-friendly remixes of darkwave tracks, also released in 1990. Our friend Goutroy turned me on to this one some weeks ago, tipping me off that this NY-based trio consisted of three members of Red Violet Red, who, which you may recall, also shared a key member with Eleven Pond. The remaining members, bassist Jerry Dellapietra, guitarist Lyle Wells (RIP), and vocalist/synth player/programmer Cedric Herrera (who also formed this project after recording with Claude Raines) and recorded two killer darkwave songs that at their core, sound similar to their previous project, but run through a very dance culture filter. There’s quite a bit of acid/new beat influence, as well as nods to hip-hop, freestyle, and house music, but the vocals and songs themselves cut deep with dark energy that make this single a true hybrid success.

A quick note that there’s a hidden remix of “Suspiria” buried on the “Renee” side of the 12”, which is unlisted on the record itself. I’ve labeled it simply with the name of the track, but if anyone knows the title of this mix, feel free to leave a comment!

Otherwise, hope you enjoy!

Pitch Black – Suspiria/Renee 12”
1. Suspiria (College Radio Edit)
2. Suspiria (12″ Mix)
3. Suspiria (Hip Hop Remix)
4. Renee (College Radio Edit)
5. Renee (Acid Dance Remix)
6. Suspiria*
7. Renee (Stringapella)

*download it here*

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Tanz Waffen – Big Strong Man 12”

Posted in 1990, austin, darkwave, synth, synthpop, tanz waffen, US, zyx on February 3, 2023 by Frankie Teardrop

Happy belated new year, folks! I’ve been struggling to find time to keep this thing going, but I still have a huge backlog of things I’ve been digitizing in my spare time, so it’s time I kick back into gear here, I suppose. Let’s see if I can get two posts done today!

The first: a big big synth pop single from 1990 on ZYX Records. The project: Tanz Waffen, which translates to Dance Weapons. Despite their German name, the band hailed from Austin, Texas, and consisted of Jeff Campbell of The Secret Six and vocalist Nanz Campbell. After releasing this one single, the duo would join forces with like-minded Austin EBM project Mark of Kane to form Voodoo Dali, who released one cassette in 1991.

As for this single, the clear dance floor filler here is “Big Strong Man,” which appears in extended and 7” form. However, the third track, “Memories of Voices,” is a moodier, more esoteric track that showcases Nanz Campbell’s vocals and features some darkwave guitar throughout. The A-side certainly has Celebrate the Nun-esque vibes, while the flip reminds me a bit of Six Sed Red or Soma Holiday. Either way, the single is an absolute banger, and as with most of the ZYX catalog, is worth picking up!

Tanz Waffen – Big Strong Man 12”
1. Big Strong Man (Wild Boys Remix)
2. Big Strong Man (Wild Boys 7” Remix)
3. Memories of Voices

*download it here*

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