Fulfulling a quick request to kick off this week, here are the remaining two Parade Ground 12” releases, both of which have not been shared to my knowledge. You can get the rest of their material here, here, and here respectively, where you can also read more about these Belgian EBM pioneers.
Parade Ground- Man In a Trance 12” (1984)
1. Retired
2. This Luxury
3. The Net
Parade Ground- Hollywood 12” (1988)
1. Hollywood
2. Hollywood (The Sexiest Fish)
Here’s the full 12” discography of DADA, another new wave band from New York City. Contained within are both of their releases, both which walk a fine line between catchy minimal synth and bouncy synthpop.
The first 12” was discovered whilst record shopping with Goutroy, who recently relocated to NYC via San Francisco. I randomly ran into him at a lesser record store, after a rather unceremonious trip home. A little solo shopping therapy turned into an afternoon of bin-hopping around the village. Sometimes I shop with the intention of looking for things I know, love, and plan to DJ. Other times, an interesting cover or title catches my attention, which is how I find most of the records posted here. However, this record was plucked out by Goutroy at one of my favorite shops in the East Village, a place that keeps odd hours and specializes in new wave. After one brief listen (he had placed this record in the “maybe” pile), I quickly became obsessed (perhaps annoyingly so) with his purchase, and quickly hunted down a copy of my own, and we’ve both been spinning it regularly at the Wierd party since. Camaraderie at its finest! That’s not to say there wasn’t a bit of competitive edge between us that day, as there tends to be when two underground music collectors hunt in the same shop at the same time. I feel like I paid more attention to what he had in his stack as opposed to the bins in front of me. He found R.E.K.’s excellent 12” (found here at Crispy Nuggets) and I seethed with jealousy. That said, we both found each other some excellent gems, and both walked away with some hefty purchases that day. The rest, you can say, was nerd history.
I was able to snag the second 12” online for a relatively cheap price, and while I prefer the first release overall (especially the amazing a-side), the two sound very similar. Not surprising, given that they were released only one year apart. The band seemed to have a sense of humor, from their vocal delivery, lyrical content, and even the record label (presumably self-released under “A Major Recording Label,” whose only releases are these two records). The band members even all shared the same last name, though they may very well be brothers. Slight tongue-in-cheek humor aside, these tracks are perfectly suited for a dancefloor, and are some of my favorite obscure gems.
Speaking of that sense of collector camaraderie, you can also find this same post over at Goutroy’s awesome Viable Commercial blog, back up and running after a brief hiatus! Same rips, two blogs, at the SAME TIME for maximum listening pleasure! Here’s the info:
DADA- Age of Confusion 12” (1987)
1. Age of Confusion
2. Pursuits of Happiness
DADA- Right Men Tell Lies 12” (1988)
1. Discussing Missile Size
2. As the Sun Races By
3. Separate Ways****
4. The World They Left Behind
*download both here* (RE-RIPPED 2.7.17)
****NOT a Journey cover, I promise!
You can also peep the video for “Pursuits of Happiness” here:
Here’s another oddball minimal synth gem I’ve had sitting in the upload queue for some time now. A rare entry from the United States, Ohio to be exact, dating back to 1985. You have two mixes of the catchy and quirky single here, backed with a more atmospheric track on the flip. I personally prefer the b-side, but especially enjoy the duality of this release.
You can hear more from the band on a 2007 CD reissue, which features some unreleased gems and “The Fall.” This release was prompted by several inquiries from fans and collectors over the years. Read more about the band’s history (complete with a comprensive bio and gear-list) here, and be sure to pick up a copy of Time Capsule by clicking here!
Perfect Jewish Couple- Ménage À Trois 7”
1. Step Back (Extended Version)
2. Step Back
3. The Fall
Here’s a scarce minimal synth single from Austria. The a-side is an infectious little new wave gem, while the b-side is a manic piece of oddball synth- something for both sides of the minimal synth spectrum!
This is Zerbrechlich’s only release, but the story doesn’t end there. Zerbrechlich was the electronic side project of Dämmerattacke, who appear on the very first Systems of Romance compilation. The Zip Guns, who issued one LP in 1994, also consist of several Dämmerattacke members.
Here’s the info:
Zerbrechlich- Am Strand Von Italien 7”
1. Am Strand Von Italien
2. Bei Den Beduinen
Picked this 7” from 1985 up at one of my favorite NYC record shops, the newly unveiled Heaven Street Records in Greenpoint. Bears no relation to either the Dorian Gray posted here, or the Dorian Grey posted here, though both are worth checking out as well. Seems to be a popular name for those in the pre-Google age!
What we have here are two tracks from the UK wave scene that strike a balance between Into a Circle and Crocodiles-era Echo and the Bunnymen. Not shocking to hear the band once supported Gene Loves Jezebel, as there’s a melodic post-punk vibe running through this single. The b-side is a more percussive and groove-oriented remix of the title track, for those who appreciate that sort of thing. Dig it:
Dorian Gray- Promise of Love 7”
1. Promise Of Love
2. Miles Away
There’s another 12” from 1986 out there, priced a little higher than this 7”. Hope to snag and share that one sometime soon, so stay tuned. There’s also a video for ‘Promise of Love’ kicking around on YouTube, linked for your viewing pleasure:
Thanks to the Museum of Canadian Music (www.mocm.ca) for the information and rip on this one, here’s the incredibly scarce 12” from Glamatron, released in 1981. Some excellent minimal synth tracks combined with organic touches, sometimes reminiscent of John Foxx-era Ultravox. Either way, a true gem. Kurt Laporte, credited as a songwriter on this release, went on to join Vis-A-Vis, who released THIS great record. Here’s the info for this killer 12”. Enjoy!
Glamatron!- Only The Heart Beats…….Inside The Silence
1. Passport
2. Facial Saviour
3. Factor 2-2-2
4. The Word (Death In September)
5. Continentals
6. Porcelain Doll
*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* — a reissue of this LP is now available, with extra tracks! Pick it up!
Rolling right along, here’s a recent dollar bin snag that’s every bit as good as I was hoping. Pulled this out of a bin based on the date (1983) and cover art alone, threw it on to preview, and was pleasantly surprised. It’s nice to know there are still plenty of undiscovered (and affordable) gems out there!
Not much I can tell you about this one, though. I’ve been told that the label, Phonogram Ltd., was not a true label, but instead, a company responsible for licensing tracks to smaller labels. I have to take another glance at the sleeve to confirm, but a few listings claim that this record was released on Mercury in the UK. Either way, Swiss Navy had a mind to create a dancefloor smash all over the world, and they damn well succeeded with this one, in my book. I don’t care much for the third track, a quirky earworm that while charming, can’t hold a candle to the title track. However, the two mixes of “Back to the Wall” more than make up for it. Here’s the details:
Swiss Navy- Back to the Wall 12”
1. Back to the Wall (Marine Mix)
2. Back to the Wall
3. Cool-De-Jack
Apologies in advance for flooding your hard drives with music, folks. Two posts in store for today- mostly because I promised some Wierd party attendees I’d drop these records immediately for download!
First, we have some killer French synth pop, highly reminiscent of Depeche Mode with some slight italo leanings. This single was released on CBS Records in 1987 and was a minor hit in the European club scene. This track also features the legendary Desireless (aka Claudie Fritsch-Mentrop) on backing vocals, hot off the heels of her own club hit. You have four mixes to choose from here, two extended 12” mixes, the lean single mix (my preferred version), and a spaced out instrumental version, which despite the title, has masked/processed vocals throughout. Think of it more like a dub mix than an instrumental…
Entre2mers released a follow up single, “Marine” in 1989 with bigger, almost Belgian-style grooves and orchestra hits. I’ve included the extended 12” mix here (sorry, don’t own this single or have the single mix digitally) as a bonus. Enjoy!
Philippe Entre2mers- Quai D’Orient 12”
1. Quai D’Orient (Version Club)
2. Quai D’Orient (Version Remixee)
Philippe Entre2mers- Quai D’Orient 7”
1. Quai D’Orient
2. Quai D’Orient (Version Instrumentale)
Philippe Entre2mers- Marine 12”
1. Marine
Check out the video here:
Stay tuned for another post in just a few minutes!
Sorry for the onslaught of posts, folks! Got ants in the pants, I guess- lots of cool things I’m excited about posting in the new year. This one was just sent to me this morning by Mr. BX, and since I’ve been dying to hear it for some time, I figured some of you might be anxious to hear it as well.
Contained within we have the first LP from French musician Alan Shearer, released in 1985. I included the final track on this LP in the recent Systems of Romance compilation post, so some of you may already be familiar with this album’s general vibe. You can expect more of the same instrumental synth grooves here, some more melodic and ambient than others. Reminds me of a cross between Tangerine Dream and some of John Carpenter’s more dancefloor electronic tracks. Definitely an interesting listen!
Alan Shearer- Dark Is the Color LP
1. The Heart Patrol
2. Dark Is The Color
3. Generation V
4. Chronomaster
5. Nocturnal March
6. The Flea Age
7. Tropical Terminal
8. Only For One Girl
9. Blackstone
10. Down Town
11. Sons Of The Snake
Hot on the heels of this morning’s post, here’s a very nearly complete discography of French synthpop band Goûts De Luxe. Some of you may already be familiar with the band, as a few of their a-sides were prominent, though now obscure, new wave hits- some of the best of the era. I also included one of the band’s finest moments (the killer minimal synth-esque b-side “Last Train”) on the most recent installments of the Systems of Romance loose tracks compilations. Since I haven’t seen their work shared out there, I figured it was due time to organize it and sort it all out for everyone’s enjoyment.
The band’s origins date back to the mid 1980s in Brest, a city in northwestern France. The band’s lineup changed a handful of times throughout their short time together. After recording (or, in actuality, NOT recording) on the first single, original guitarist Jean-Éric Montfort left the band and was replaced by Marianna Kliska, wife of vocalist Jacques le Honsec. They released two more singles before calling it a day.
With the exception of the instrumental version of “Les Yeux de Laura,” and the promo mixes of the track, this zip file ocntains all the tracks recorded by Goûts De Luxe during their time together, including all three singles and respective b-sides. I hope you all don’t mind missing out on the instrumental mix, as I’ve never found them to be very necessary, but I should be able to track it down (in time) if needed. However, as a consolation, I have included a different extended mix of “Omaha Beach” that I can’t quite place on either single, with a different running time and everything! If anyone knows where it belongs, do chime in! Otherwise, let’s get to the details:
Goûts De Luxe- Les Yeux de Laura 7” (1986)
1. Les Yeux de Laura
Goûts De Luxe- Les Yeux de Laura 12” (1986)
1. Les Yeux de Laura (Extended Mix)
Goûts De Luxe- Omaha Beach 7” (1987)
1. Omaha Beach
2. Ubik (Mission Secréte)
Goûts De Luxe- Omaha Beach 12” (1987)
1. Omaha Beach (Remix)
3. Fade to Grey (Visage cover)
Goûts De Luxe- Dans Un Autre Pays 7” (1989)
1. Dans Un Autre Pays
2. Last Train
Goûts De Luxe- Dans Un Autre Pays 12” (1989)
1. Dans Un Autre Pays (Maxi Version)
BONUS- Omaha Beach (Extended Mix)
Since the band enjoyed some relative success throughout Europe, there are a few promo videos floating around. Here’s a clip for “Omaha Beach.”
Also, if your French is fluent, you can read more about the band (including lyrics, I believe) on their official website. There are also a slew of photos, and a demo recording hidden in the site, so be sure to explore:
Coming soon: Glamatron, DADA, and more French synthpop. Stay tuned, and happy 2011!