Archive for July, 2025

Cloud Nine – Waterland Mini-LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, cloud nine, netherlands, two supply on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Last but not least, we have this excellent LP from 1985, which should be right at home for fans of Invisible Limits, Soma Holiday, Berlin, Industrie, Hard Corps, Primary Colours, and other similarly melancholy, female-fronted new wave/minimal synth projects from this era. I sought this one out and picked up a copy in Amsterdam many years ago and have adored it ever since. I especially love the juxtaposition of several dreamier tracks alongside two absolute synth bangers, making for a really complete and balanced listen, imo.

Cloud Nine were a six-piece project that stemmed from similarly-minded project Two Supply. The band would release a few singles leading up to the release of this mini-LP. The band’s tenure was cut short when songwriter and keyboardist Richard van Buuren passed away after a tragic fall. The band would regroup with two new members to contribute material to a local scene compilation before officially calling it a day.

Cloud Nine – Waterland LP (1985)
1. Blue Gardens
2. Fraction Of A Second
3. Poison
4. It Started When The Rain Came
5. Waterland
6. Wordporridge

*download it here*

Happy listening, everyone!

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Blue Mathue – Perfect Pictures 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, blue mathue, clockwork orange, minimal, minimal synth, norsk, norweigan, synthpop on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Jumping across the ocean for the next two posts. This one was also a HUGE DJ staple for me over a decade ago that also lived in my record bag most weeks… This 12” is three tracks of dance-driven minimal synth perfection from Norway’s first synth pop band. Most folks will be familiar with the killer “Perfect Pictures” via the absolutely essential Maskindans CD compilation that collected dozens of equally amazing tracks from the Norsk scene. The second track on this 12” also appeared on the similarly excellent Burning the Midnight Sun compilation in 1984, which also featured tracks by Svart Klovn, Popul Vuh, De Press, and the underrated Fra Lippo Lippi. The third track here is exclusive (for now), and deserves an updated rip along with the rest of them.

While this was the only release by this duo, Jan Berg would quickly form Clockwork Orange, whose track “Sensation Boys” is another stellar gem from the era, Our good friend Nick from Crispy Nuggets was kind enough to share their lone 7” many years back, so be sure to check it out if you missed it.

Moving right along, hope you enjoy!

Blue Mathue – Perfect Pictures 12” (1983)
1. Perfect Pictures
2. In Our Dream
3. The Vision

*download it here*

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Factual – Full Discography

Posted in 1980s, 1982, 1983, 1984, actuel, minimal, minimal synth, nashville, post-punk, US, warm dark pocket on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Moving south-east here for the second of four posts today, this one collecting the full vinyl discography by Nashville, Tennessee band Factual, whose track “Psychotic Romance” is an underrated minimal synth gem from this rare neck of the woods. That track must have appeared in the majority of my DJ sets back in NYC’s Wierd party where its driving post-punk rhythms and buzzing synths made for a regular foggy dance floor killer. I haven’t heard the track in some time, and fell in love with it (as well as the similarly excellent tracks “Your Way” and “Wire and Chrome”) all over again when re-ripping these for y’all.

This band was otherwise a four piece, and vocalist/synth player Robb Earls also played in similarly like-minded bands Actuel (whose lone album Monuments is a sublime slice of moody Factory-inspired post-punk, maybe I’ll re-post that one soon as well) as well as Warm Dark Pocket, who released one killer 12” that I also should get around to re-ripping soon… Guitarist Skot Nelson would also join caustic industrial/post-punk project Dessau after Factual’s demise.

Here are all three Factual releases, all well worth your time. Enjoy!

Factual – Your Way 7” (1982)
1. Your Way
2. Think to the Beat

Factual – Psychotic Romance 12” (1983)
1. Psychotic Romance
2. Institutions
3. Wire and Chrome
4. Standing Alone

Factual – For the Song 12” (1984)
1. For the Song
2. Psychotic Romance (Remix)

*download all three here*

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Kindergarten – Interference 12” / No. 3 EP

Posted in 12'', 1980s, 1982, 1987, minimal, minimal synth, minneapolis, new wave, post-punk, US on July 22, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

Today, I intend to post at LEAST three times, perhaps even four if time allows. Hope your ears can take it!

In short, I’ve been going through my collection and re-ripping/de-clicking records that others have shared in the past in an effort to preserve the best quality and sound for these records. Back in the day, 192 was standard, and it was about hearing the music. Now that hard drive and SD card space is much less of an issue for most, it’s time to do the work to preserve these records as best as we possibly can. It’s an ongoing project that will probably take me the rest of my life to complete, but hopefully it’s helpful for folks out there.

With that in mind, let’s get things started with two records from Minnesota-based new wave/minimal synth project Kindergarten. I believe the band were a four (sometimes five) piece centering around vocalist Robert Engberg, drummer Bob Joslyn, and guitarists Chris Beaty and David Foley. Foley and Joslyn also played together in Things That Fall Down, a more experimental post-punk project. There are still some experimental synth sounds on thee band’s first release, 1982’s Interference 12”. By the time of their second release in 1987, the band evolved into a more post-punk/new wave hybrid, with a little more of a darker college radio kind of sound. They would release one more LP in 1988, which I have heard, but do not own and cannot share in a high enough bitrate. Maybe someday!

Anyway, with that in mind, I really enjoy both records here and I hope you do as well. Here’s the good stuff:

Kindergarten – Interference 12” (1982)
1. Interference
2. Auschwitz
3. God Only Knows

Kindergarten – No. 3 EP (1987)
1. Transportation
2. 10 Little Indians
3. Terri Goes Walking
4. Disco-X
5. Aquamarine

*download both here*

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Mumbles – Two Clouds

Posted in 1990, 1990s, drowning pool, ethereal, mumbles, post-punk on July 1, 2025 by Frankie Teardrop

I think I’ve been meaning to post this album for… I dunno, five years now? How time flies…

Here we have the lone album from US-based band Mumbles, released in 1990. While Mumbles may not be a name that comes to mind immediately, the band is essentially a continuation of experimental/ethereal post-punk band Drowning Pool, whose esoteric, yet driving sound spanned four LPs and several cassette releases. Three of the four Drowning Pool members are present on this album, including members Adam Elesh and Brett Smith, who were also in Landscape of Sound, a previous project we’ve featured here before as well. New to the fold is vocalist Kelly Ray.

Either way, this is an excellent album, perfect for these hazy summer nights. It should feel right at home if you like Drowning Pool’s excellent, deeply engaging and emotive discography. It was originally released on Italian label Viva Records, who not only released several Drowning Pool releases, but who were also responsible for the excellent Viva Los Angeles compilations, which featured many like-minded “desert goth” (as I like to call it), bands. Despite being released exclusively on CD, some copies of Two Clouds, like the one I picked up, are housed in a oversized, 10”-inspired sleeve, perhaps as a nod to like-minded label Independent Project Records. Pretty cool!

Mumbles – Two Clouds
1. Blue Vishnu
2. Pipe & Dream
3. Johnny Go
4. Hearthmaker
5. Mother Harvest
6. Diamond
7. Utah Smith
8. Star Crossed
9. Lullaby Blue
10. White Out
11. Nuit Blanche
12. Two Clouds
13. American Gothic

*download it here*

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