Archive for the 1980s Category

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Fallout Club- Wonderlust 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1981, Fallout Club, Glenn Matlock, minimal synth, new wave, synthpop, Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins on May 8, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

This particular minimal synth/new wave 12”, released in 1981, is a DJ staple of mine. Fallout Club were a short lived British band, who released just three 12” singles before splitting up.

After parting ways, most of the band went on to achieve success with other projects. Bassist Matthew Seligman joined the Thompson Twins, drummer Paul Simon paired up with former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, while keyboardist Thomas Dolby, who I presume needs no introduction, went on to have a commercially successful solo career. Unfortunately, vocalist Trevor Helion passed away in 1988, five years after the release of his solo record. However, the legacy of this 12” lives on. Aside from serving as a springboard for future pop acts, the a-side was featured on both the New Wave Complex and Tribute to Some Bizzare series, which collect dozens of obscure singles.

Fallout Club- Wonderlust 12”
1. Wonderlust
2. Desert Song

*download it here*

I haven’t heard the remaining Fallout Club releases, but I hope to track them down soon. If anyone has them kicking around, feel free to chime in!

8 Comments »

Heavenly Bodies- Rains On Me 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1988, coldwave, Dead Can Dance, ethereal, heavenly bodies, Robin Guthrie, spk, synth, synthpop on May 8, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Just picked up a couple of copies of this killer dance/synth classic. Big beats, ethereal vocals, and a swirling chorus comprise this track, which appears in both remixed and edited form alongside an exclusive instrumental b-side.

Members of Heavenly Bodies were involved in several more established acts throughout the 1980s, including Dead Can Dance, Jesus and Mary Chain, and SPK. Cocteau Twins comparisons are also valid, considering Robin Guthrie recorded both versions of the title track. This 12” appeared on C’Est La Mort in 1988, just after the band issued a full length debut. You can nab the full length record here at Totally Wired. Otherwise, here’s the info for this 12”.

Heavenly Bodies- Rains On Me 12”
1. Rains On Me (Extended Mix)
2. Rains On Me (Short Mix)
3. Pure & Simple

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 10.9.17)

3 Comments »

Voices- Memories’ Floor 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, coldwave, Contempo Records, italian, post-punk, Voices on May 8, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a 4 track EP from Italian post-punk band Voices, released in 1985. As far as I can tell, this is their only release, but bands such as Neon, Pankow, and DIaframma also appeared on Contempo Records. Contempo also served as distribution for 4AD bands such as Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance.

As for this EP, the first track is as dark as they come, while the others range from driving post-punk to sombre piano dirges. Definitely for fans of the dark Italian sound. Here’s the information:

Voices- Memories’ Floor 12”
1. Marble
2. Eucharistic Death
3. L’Idee Du Bien
4. Hands On My Soul

*download it here* *updated 6.5.12- new rip by bx59cppw!*

6 Comments »

Flue- Some-times in Arabia 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1987, Dutch, Flue, Mecano, netherlands, new wave, post-punk, synth on May 5, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s the final 12” from Dutch synth band Flue, released in 1987. The fantastic Phoenix Hairpins blog features the band’s two full-length LPs, so with the exception of any bonus tracks issued on the One and a Half CD reissue, this should complete their discography. You can get their debut LP here, and their second LP here.

For those unfamiliar with the Flue story, the band was one of the flagship artists on the Torso label, who issued several key LPs from The Cult, Sonic Youth, and The Residents. Several more obscure synth/wave acts such as Mekanik Kommando and Mecano also found their way on to the label. In fact, Flue guitarist Cor Bolten was active in Mecano before joining the band after the release of their 1981 debut. The band’s second LP, Vista was recorded with an entirely new lineup.

It would be another four years before the band released their final single, 1987’s Some-Times in Arabia, which featured two versions of the title track and one exclusive b-side. Here’s the information for the single:

Flue- Some-Times In Arabia 12”
1. Some-Times (In Arabia) (New Version)
2. Some-Times (In Arabia) (Single Version)
3. Legacy

*download it here*

8 Comments »

Second Decay- Killing Desire 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1989, 1990s, 2000s, Dark Entries Records, german, minimal, minimal synth, Second Decay on April 30, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

After all these years, this band should be a household name for synth afficianados. Dark Entries has been gracious enough to re-release the band’s debut record, La Décadence Électronique, but the Second Decay story began in 1989 with the Killing Desire 12”, which set the tone for their detached, yet incredibly catchy sound.

For those unfamiliar, Second Decay were a German duo, consisting of Andreas Michael Sippel and Christian Stephan Purwien. This 12” was, according to Discogs, the first and only 12” on Hit Wave Records, and the first of several killer releases by the band, whose last record appeared in 2001. Without any further delay, here’s the info:

Second Decay- Killing Desire 12”
1. Killing Desire
2. My Thoughts
3. No Time To Wait

*download it here*

Click here to purchase a copy of the band’s debut LP, released for the first time on vinyl!

1 Comment »

Mary Goes Round- Sunset LP/CD

Posted in 1980s, 1989, 1990s, coldwave, france, french, lively art, mary goes round on April 29, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

A few years ago, I featured French psychedelic-tinged coldwave band Mary Goes Round’s second LP, the killer 70 Suns In the Sky. A few folks asked for their debut LP, but it must have slipped my mind for all these years, so this post will hopefully rectify this obvious oversight. As an added bonus, I’ve included the CD issue of Sunset, complete with five bonus tracks that follow the original 12” LP.

Interested parties can read up a bit more about the band here, if you missed the original post. Otherwise, here’s the info for this otherwise essential debut from one of the coldwave movement’s best bands:

Mary Goes Round- Sunset LP/CD
1. Mary Sleeps Alone
2. Dark Times
3. The Night
4. The Promised Land
5. The Great Desire
6. Sunset
7. Teardrops Again
8. The Nightmare
9. Mary In The Sky
10. On The Sea
11. The Shelter
12. Another Sunset

*download it here*

8 Comments »

Trans-X- Living on Video CD

Posted in 1980s, 1983, canadian, disco, reformed, space disco, synthpop, Trans-X on April 28, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Trans-X were a two piece disco/synth outfit from Canada, who made quite the name for themselves in their home country with a handful of catchy electro-pop singles. Laurie Ann Gill (formerly a backup vocalist for Nudimension) and ambient musician Pascal Languirand comprised the duo for their first (and most prolific) run, which concluded in 1986 due to frustrations and lack of success outside of Canada.

Languirand returned in 1994 with a revamped version of the band, reissuing and re-recording several key singles with new vocalist Nadia Sohaei. As of 2010, Languirand has been living in Mexico, hard at work on the next Trans-X release.

Without any further ado, here’s the information for the band’s Living on Video LP, released in 1983. A compilation of sorts, the LP collected many of the band’s earliest singles and b-sides. This particular rip hails from the CD issue, which dropped ten years later and featured a handful of appropriate bonus tracks. Here’s the details:

Trans-X- Living on Video CD
1. Living On Video
2. Message On The Radio
3. Nitelife
4. 21st Century
5. Josee
6. Digital World
7. Eyes Of Desire
8. 3D-Dance
9. Monkey Dance
10. Through The Eyes Of The 90’s
11. Ich Liebe Dich (I Love You)
12. Living On Video (Re-Recorded)
13. Message On The Radio (Remix)
14. Vivre Sur Video

*download it here*

For your viewing pleasure, here’s the video for the title track, released in 1981:

6 Comments »

Few Boys- Secret Times 7 & 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, few boys, synthpop, westside music on April 22, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Been meaning to upload this one for ages. Classic synth pop single from Few Boys, a band on the infamous Westside Music label, best known as the home of Moskwa TV. This 1985 single is the band’s only release. The 12” version of the track is a DJ staple of mine, and has made its way into the majority of my playlists over the years.

Expect giant beats, shameless hooks, and an infectious chorus that’s impossible to resist. You can probably put this one in a league with Depeche Mode, Anything Box, Red Flag, Camouflage, etc. The 12” version of “Secret Times” is a bit longer (and a bit better quality, sourced from my own collection), but the 7” features an exclusive b-side, so I’ve uploaded both. Here’s the info:

Few Boys- Secret Times 7”
1. Secret Times
2. Flash & Pain

Few Boys- Secret Times 12′
1. Secret Times (12” Version)
2. Secret Times (Secret Dub)

*download both here*

2 Comments »

Buzz- Kennedy / Marinetti / Sexe 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1986, 1987, 1988, Buzz, coldwave, france, minimal synth, synthpop on April 19, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a triple threat of 12” recordings by Buzz, an underrated, synth driven act from the heart of France. The band released their first cassette in 1985, soon signing with Danceteria records (A Wedding Anniversary/In the Nursery, etc.) The band released four 12” records over the course of the 1980s, splitting soon after. However, the band has since reactivated, re-releasing several older cuts and issuing new material during the latter half of this past decade.

I’ve included three of the band’s 12” records on Danceteria, leaving behind the 25th anniversary edition of “Kennedy,” the band’s best known track. For those who want a more complete snapshot of Buzz’s ’80s material, be sure to pick up their extremely limited CD compilation, entitled Buzz 1984 – 89. Not only does the compilation include superior quality versions of these recordings, it also tacks a few killer live tracks at the end. You can nab a copy here and listen the band’s new sounds via their myspace page. Without any further ado, here’s the details for these releases:

Buzz- Kennedy 12” (1986)
1. Kennedy
2. Picaso

Buzz- Marinetti 12” (1987)
1. Marinetti
2. Lo Sai
3. Marinetti (Extended Mix)

*My rip of this 12” has the more sparse intro to “Lo Sai” separated from the main track, most likely done for DJ purposes.

Buzz- Sexe 12”
1. Sexe
2. Berlin
3. 12 Inch Allah
4. Sexe (Fire Mix)

*download all three releases here* (RE-RIPPED 12/1/24)

3 Comments »

Echo Prism- Jade Flower 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, coldwave, echo prism, french, post-punk on April 16, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a one off coldwave single dating back to 1985. Little is known about Echo Prism, but judging from the artwork, it’s safe to assume the band was a three piece, and self-released this without help from a label. You can expect some child-like synths, minimal drum machines, and some driving post-punk guitars from both sides of this 7”. Simple and primitive, but always effective. Enjoy!

Echo Prism- Jade Flower 7”
1. Jade Flower
2. Mere Albion

*download it here*

3 Comments »

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