Author Archive

Iko- ’83 LP/CD-R Bootleg

Posted in 1980s, 1982, canadian, iko, minimal, minimal synth on June 22, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

I see this one was one hosted on 7” From the Underground but has since expired. Otherwise, here’s the entire discography of Canadian minimal synth outfit Iko. The band released one LP and one 12” record, both in 1982, before disbanding.

This particular CD-R bootleg features two extra tracks not originally pressed on the LP, though one of the tracks made its way onto the Tribute to Some Bizzare series. Otherwise, there’s little info available outside of what Alessandro has dug up, so click there to read the proper credits, and otherwise, here’s the tracklisting and artwork:

Iko- ’83 LP/CD-R
1. Elevator
2. Gonadotropic Synthesis
3. Subway 49
4. Communication Off
5. Approach On Tokyo
6. Digital Delight
7. Model Type A
8. Radio Active Mist
9. Military Service
10. Surrender To The Dream

*****DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED*****- check out this excellent and legit reissue of the IKO material on Medical Records!

League of Nations- Discography

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1984, california, league of nations, minimal synth on June 9, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

For the second post for today, I’m pleased to offer the full discography of California based minimal synth band League Of Nations, who released just one LP and 12” on Glaze Records.

League of Nations were a two piece consisting of Laurie Jean on drums and programming and David Sinfield on piano, synth, and voice. The pair had also released one 7” in 1981 under David Sinfield’s full name. Otherwise, here’s the information for their discography.

League of Nations- Music For the New Depression LP (1984)
1. Illuminous
2. Overlord
3. Index Of Motion
4. Fade
5. Systematic Eyes
6. For A Moment


League of Nations- Fade 12” (1983)
1. Fade (12” version)
2. Thin Ice Wall

DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED- purchase the League of Nations/David Sinfield reissue here on Anna Logue!

I’ve caught wind of a few various, but unofficial reissues of the full length record. There also seems to be a myspace page, linked here.

Voice- Anno Di Voce 12” (+Bonus Tracks)

Posted in 1983, 1985, canadian, Dwayne Goettel, synthpop, voice on June 9, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Apologies for the disappearance, ladies and gents, been off the radar for most of last week. To make up for it, here’s a generous donation from a contributing member, which collects rare tracks and one 12” by Canadian synthpop act Voice. There’s little information to be found about the band (as it tends to be in matters like this), but otherwise, Voice featured contributions from Dwayne Goettel, who would join Skinny Puppy soon after their demise in 1986. Goettel also played keyboards in likeminded act Psyche, who would open for Skinny Puppy’s earlier incarnations.

Otherwise, seven tracks can be found in the file below. Four hail from the band’s 1985 Anno Di Voce 12”, released on Switch Records. The other three hail from an 1983 cassette release. An alternate version of “Lime” exists on this release, but the other two tracks are exclusive. The lineup on the cassette release was Malcolm Swann, Dwayne Goettel, Sherri Iwaschuk, and Jeff Sawatzky. Jeff would depart before the recording of the 12” single.

Without any further ado, here’s the info!

Voice- Anno Di Voce 12”
1. Lime
2. Business As Usual In Beirut
3. Wake Up Dreaming
4. I Am the Walrus [Beatles cover]

Bonus Tracks:
1. Holiday
2. Lime [Alt.]
3. Smile

*download both here*

Jeff has also been kind enough to include two bootlegs recorded in 1983 with the original lineup. The info:

Voice- Live @ Primetime
1. Awake
2. Birthright
3. Smiling
4. Broken Chains
5. Lime
6. Mellow Yellow
7. Holiday
8. Dangerous

Voice- Primetime Again
1. Awake
2. Birthright
3. Dangerous
4. Holiday 1
5. Holiday 2
6. Kaleidoscope

Thanks again to Jeff for all the information and donations!

Das Ding- Highly Sophisticated Technological Achievement Cassette

Posted in 1980s, das ding, minimal synth, netherlands on May 29, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a rare cassette release by a band from the Netherlands called Das Ding, one of many in a line of fantastic European minimal synth bands. Not a ton of information to be gathered about these guys, but the cassette is one of three releases, their first appearing in 1982 and the final in 1985. Not sure when this one hails from, but if anyone in the peanut gallery knows, feel free to chime in. Otherwise, here’s the information proper:

Das Ding- Highly Sophisticated Technological Achievement Cassette
1. Oradour Sur Glane
2. Sad But True
3. Parental Malpractice
4. H.S.T.A.
5. Jazz
6. Reassurance Ritual

DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED: Click HERE to purchase the reissue LP from Minimal Wave!

Stay tuned next week for a slew of donated materials!

November Group- NG89 Cassette

Posted in 1980s, 1989, boston, cassette, coldwave, k7, november group, synthpop, US on May 26, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Meanwhile, thanks to a generous donation and a quick home conversion this morning, I am pleased to offer the final piece in November Group’s discography, the oft-coveted NG89 Cassette, released only in this format in 1989, shortly before the group disbanded.

I was only able to take a photo of the tape’s cover before leaving this morning, but I will add further images over the next day or so. In the interim, here’s the information for this last piece of the November Group puzzle!

November Group- NG89 Cassette
1. Ahoy Ivan
2. Hardtimes
3. This is Not Heaven

*download it here* (reuploaded @320kpbs on 8.30.2016)

Otherwise, for the remainder of this fantastic band’s discography, click here!

Doppler Effect- Hard At Work 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1988, american, doppler effect, minimal synth on May 26, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s the first of two short posts for the day. Uploaded below, we have the lone 12” by minimal wave/synthpop band Doppler Effect. As there were two bands who went by this name as early as the 1980s, there’s little information to be found on this particular act, but I do believe they’re a four/five piece American band, at the very least. Otherwise, this particular 12” features three hi-energy wave tracks, essential for any aspiring DJ. The final track on the 12”, “Four Day Romance” has been compiled and included among several classic minimal wave gems. Meanwhile, the band seems to have contributed two stand-alone tracks on the 1984 compilation Hit the Floor but the jury’s still out about the origin of these tracks.

If anyone has any further information about this band or the above noted release, feel free to drop a note. Otherwise, here’s the information for this particular 12”, released in 1988.

Doppler Effect- Hard At Work 12”
1. Hard At Work
2. I Don’t Wanna Be Your Man
3. Four Day Romance

*download link removed*

I received an email from Michael James Straight of Doppler Effect, who not only told me about the newly uploaded Doppler Effect collection on iTunes, but also filled in some of the blank spaces about the band. Here’s what he had to say:

A little backstory, We ended up having issues with another band called The Doppler Effect which were a garage rock band, they stole our artwork and a few other things to confuse the market so we decided to change our name to Workforce. The line-up of the band changed over the years as well. Workforce is in the process of working on Soundtrack music but have been back in the studio to work up an new electro project that we hope to release in the fall

The iTunes collection also features a handful of bonus tracks- including demos, remixes, and a bonus track from the above mentioned Hit the Floor compilation. Not to be missed! CLICK here to purchase Doppler Effect via iTunes!

Airstrip 1- Full Discography

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1982, Airstrip 1, Airstrip One, post-punk on May 22, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Thanks to all the great donations as of late! There’s some good stuff kicking around in comments lately, some of which I’ll be re-zipping up over the next week or so, but in the meanwhile, here’s a generous email donation from Craig, containing a vast majority of UK post-punk band Airstrip 1’s material. Taking their name from Orwell’s 1984, little concrete info is available on these guys, though they did change their name from Airstrip 1 to Airstrip One (I know, not much difference) over the course of their short existence on Polydor Records. According to discogs, the uploaded collection contains a majority of their 12” vinyl releases, but is missing a few rare promo-only remixes. Here’s what’s contained below:



(cassette images by Craig)

Airstrip 1- Collection
1. Nothing is Forever
2. Fiction
3. Vodka Cola
4. New Messiah
5. Nothing is Forever (Remix)
6. Longer to Live
7. English Guns
8. Crime
9. Social Fools (Extended Version)
10. All Fall Down
11. Satellite (12” Remix)

*download it here*

The first four tracks hail from a very rare cassette, released, to my understanding, with a xerox sleeve and DIY hand-written label. Meanwhile, the rest of the tracks hail from 12” releases. Tracks 6-8 hail from the Longer to Live 12”, released in 1981, while tracks 10 and 11 hail from the Satellite 12”. Track 9 is plucked from the respective 12”. Aside from the Longer to Live 12”, the other 12” tracks hail from 1982.

What’s missing: “Satellite” (7”, if there is a difference between the two) and various promo-only remixes of “Social Fools,” but this looks to be the lot. If anyone has these remixes, feel free to drop a note below!

Craig has been kind enough to upload the two missing Airstrip 1 promo remixes of Social Fools, so check above for a new zip including those remixes. Thanks again to Craig for the donations!

Housekeeping

Posted in Uncategorized on May 20, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Just a brief bit here to address something. I have removed my email address from the side bars and profiles due to an overwhelming amount of inappropriate emails from band managers and promoters. In short, I am all for discovering and promoting new music, but the amount of emails coming in promoting music that is in no way appropriate for this blog has been overwhelming and downright annoying.

I used to try giving each a whirl, and it’s not that the majority of them are bad (though some are), it’s just not what this blog is meant for. Any new artist I promote on these pages is at my own discretion and at my own discovery, and are truly new artists I believe in 100%. So if you see this, please think twice about sending an email with an EPK, myspace profile, links, or lengthy review poaching, because chances are, it will end up in the digital trash box.

To those eager to send a more appropriate email about bands in question, requests, and the sort, I apologise for cutting off the most direct form of communication, but should you need to be in touch, please leave comments in the blog and I will get back to you posthaste.

Kisses,
~FT

PS- Stay tuned over the next day or two for some rare Airstrip 1 material!

Turning Shrines- Cinnibar & Porcelain LP

Posted in 1980s, 1988, boston, ex1988, mental, psychic tv, turning shrines on May 19, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Sorry for the burp in the system. Not quite ready to close the doors here just yet, despite the one post takedown. I understand the reasons behind it, and many thanks to the bands who have been cordial and asked to have their links removed graciously. I’ve always been more than happy to comply, especially with reissues becoming more and more commonplace. The sad truth remains, there’s still a slew of out-of-print wave and post-punk music that’s sadly been forgotten, save the efforts of passionate fans, so let’s try to keep that focus running here for as long as possible.

That said, today’s post features a rather curious experimental gem. After hearing one tune by Turning Shrines, I found it difficult to track down any further material from the band. I was lucky enough to find the band’s one full length record, 1988’s Cinnabar & Porcelain, in a local record bin, so I snapped it up and ripped it. The band is essentially the brainchild of Boston musician Fred Giannelli, who was involved in various incarnations of Psychic TV, among several pioneering techno acts throughout the nineties. Turning Shrines lone 12” and album were released on Temple Records, the independent label run by Genesis P-Orridge as an outlet for a decade’s worth of PTV material.

Meanwhile, Cinnibar & Porcelain is a curious effort. The first side is made up of experimental song fragments, few of which run over 2 minutes long. The second side of the LP is a 23 minute long eponymous track, composed of several similar sound experiments held together by a thread. There’s a bit of confusion between both the record’s sleeve, the discogs listing (which my record completely contradicts), and the music itself, so I’ve done my best to stick to the sleeve’s tracklist, though there is still a few minutes worth of uncataloged music on the rip below. Every note is still in place, however, so if anyone has any proper information as to the names and identities of the handful of fragments, feel free to share. Otherwise, here’s the information for this fantastic experimental LP:

Turning Shrines- Cinnibar & Porcelain LP
1. Are You Experienced?
2. Wonderful Gift
3. Mystification
4. 23 Stillings St
5. Iron Nights
6. The Process
7. Cinnabar & Porcelain

*download link removed by request*

I’m not sure if the link is still good, but there’s a more informative post on Turning Shrines and Giannelli on Small Room Reverb blog. Also, take a peek at Gianelli’s wikipedia page for more information on his various other projects!

Stay tuned for more from Systems of Romance, including a few rare Airstrip 1 donations!

B-Movie- Nowhere Girl 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, b-movie, paul statham, post-punk, some bizzare, uk on May 13, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Just ripped this one up this morning for a chum and figured I’d post it here for you folks to enjoy as well. I’ve already covered B-Movie in the past, but that particular record doesn’t hold much of a candle to most of their earlier single work, even though both tracks on this particular 12” appear in re-recorded form on Forever Running. In fact, the two featured tracks have been re-recorded countless times, and I’ve lost track of just how many versions of these two songs exist. Fortunately, they’re both fantastic slices of synth-based post-punk.

This particular single has also been re-released several times over, via original label Some Bizzare and various other labels since its original appearance in 1980. This particular one was issued on Sire in 1982, but my copy still boasts the Some Bizzare logo. Curious. Anyway, without any further ado, here’s the information.

B-Movie- Nowhere Girl 12” (1982, Sire/Some Bizzare)
1. Nowhere Girl (Version)
2. Remembrance Day
3. Nowhere Girl (Short Version)

*Download link removed* – digital reissues coming soon!

I may have the previous versions of the single (most with exclusive b-sides and alternate versions) kicking around in digital form, for any interested parties.