I was just reminded about this killer album through a video posting on ye ol’ Facebook, perpetual time waster and otherwise social networking site. With that in mind, I’ve uploaded a killer full length by French coldwave band Orchestre Rouge. Attached is their debut record, 1982’s Yellow Laughter, a particularly driving guitar record released on RCA. The record was lovingly produced by Martin Hannett, famed producer for Joy Divison, Blue In Heaven, and a slew of other Factory Records bands.
As for membership, the band was a five piece, featuring Pascal Normal, who worked with both Tanit and End of Data after Orchestre Rouge’s disbandment. Théo Hakola and Denis Goulag went on to form Passion Fodder, taking their name from Orchestre Rouge’s second LP. As a quick aside, Passion Fodder also featured bassist Pascal Humbert, formerly of Tanit, now known for his work in both 16 Horsepower and Wovenhand. Pretty small world!
Anyway, I’ve also included the the 7” of “Soon Come Violence,” the band’s first single, featuring an exclusive b-side. Without any further ado, here’s the information:
Orchestre Rouge- Yellow Laughter LP
1. Soon Come Violence
2. Je Cherche Une Drogue (Qui Ne Fait Pas Mal)
3. Soft Kiss
4. Red Orange Blue
5. Hole In His Thigh
6. The Consul
7. Speakerine
8. Slugs
9. Crows
Orchestre Rouge- Soon Come Violence 7”
1. Soon Come Violence
2. Kazettlers Zeks
Not much is known about Calculated X, aside from their American (Tennessee) origins, and contributions by the late Bobby Bowie (no relation to David, I’m afraid). That said, this particular 12”, released in 1982, is one of the very best dark synth records of all time. All three tracks are pure class, especially the driving “Dream Affair,” one of my favorite tracks to spin here in New York.
It seems as if the band has also released a full length record, but I can’t seem to find much information on it. That all said, if anyone’s able to fill in the gaps and tell more of the Calculated X story, feel free. Otherwise, here’s the info for this killer 12”.
Calculated X- Four Windows 12”
1. Four Windows
2. Girl Like You
3. Dream Affair
Here’s a German minimal synth pleasure for you, dear readers. This upload contains 9 succinct tracks by Silvia, an otherwise unknown German singer. Released in 1982, this is the only record out under her name, but she does also lend her vocals to the Silvi Und Die Awac’s LP, entitled Ich Bin Wie Du.
Astute readers may also be familiar with Tommi Stumpff, underrated German electronics wizard, who performs all of the music on this LP. Perhaps I’ll upload some of his classic material, but in the interim, let’s get to this particular record.
Silvia- Silvia LP
1. Zuerst Ich
2. Ich Bin Nicht Die
3. Mata Hari
4. Mörderinnen Küsst Man Nicht
5. Das Ende Vom Traum
6. Sauf Und Stirb
7. Stammtisch
8. Wintergarten
9. Sex Im Aquarium
*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED*—-> Visit Genetic to purchase a CD reissue!
I just had the pleasure of being turned on to this record at this week’s local Wierd Records party, and I’ve already spun it twice this morning. Why not upload it, n’est-ce pas?
The band in question is The Passage, a UK-based experimental synthpop band that formed in 1978. The band’s first two records are truly dark, minimal records, but for their third, 1982’s Degenerates, the band added a more polished synth shine to their shuffling experimental backdrop, a perfect marriage of both the catchy and the challenging. Some tracks remind me of Public Image Limited or latter-day Scott Walker (which makes sense, given that Tony Friel, founding member of The Fall, was a member), while other tracks are true synthpop masterpieces.
Though Degenerates was originally released by Cherry Red, this particular upload features several 7” bonus tracks added to the limited CD re-release, which dropped via LTM Publishing in 2003. I believe the CD version is also out of print.
There’s more to the Passage story kicking around online, so click here to check out an extensive tribute page to the band, complete with a full discography, lush bio, and a slew of goodies. Otherwise without any further ado, let’s get to the details.
The Passage- Degenerates CD
1. XOYO
2. Fleck
3. Revelation
4. Love Is As
5. Born Every Minute
6. (Ourselves)
7. Go To Seed
8. Armour
9. Time Will Tell
10. Empty Words
11. XOYO (7″)
12. Animal In Me
13. Born Every Minute (Flexi)
14. Taboos
15. Taboodub
Otherwise, I still have a few requests and donations to tackle, sorry for the delay! Otherwise, in case I don’t check back in beforehand, happy Halloween to those who celebrate!
After the latest Sequins and Spandex debacle, and failing to track down a skipless version of “My Frames” on my own (many thanks to Veronica once more for fixing up a proper version), I’ve decided to compile each of the Amin-Peck singles together for any interested parties.
Like most ’80s electronic bands, Amin-Peck walked a fine line between italo disco and minimal wave throughout the course of the early 1980s, oftentimes incorporating shameless pop melodies and avant-garde leanings. The band was primarily a three piece (gaining vocalist Giorgio Fiorini to contribute vocals on their final 1984 12”).
As there’s no official bio kicking around the net, let’s allow the music to speak for itself, shall we? Here’s all the proper info:
Amin-Peck- Girls On Me 12” (1982)
1. Girls On Me
2. Anxiety
3. Coda
Amin-Peck- Love Disgrace 7” (1982)
1. Love Disgrace
2. Singing In The Wind
According to a few record collector sites, there are various dub and instrumental remixes of a few of these tracks kicking around, but I am unable to track anything concrete down. Should any of you out there have these rare and elusive remixes, feel free to send them my way and I’ll happily post a follow-up. Otherwise, enjoy!
Pardon the delay, but here is the requested Outer Circle LP, released in 1982. An abrasive mix of both guitars and synths, but neither minimal wave or synthpunk, this particular record is definitely a curious oddity in the post-punk spectrum.
Not a lot of information available about this band aside from their US origins, so let’s cut to the chase. Take a listen below!
Outer Circle- Outer Circle LP
1. Blind Venetians
2. The Home Fires
3. Another Moon
4. Inside
5. Broken Children
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!
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)
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!
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.
*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.
I’ve been enamored with UK synthpop/new wave band Fiat Lux’s killer track “Secrets,” which was lovingly deposited into my collection a few weeks back. Since then, I’ve been trying to track down the band’s complete discography, piecing together extended mixes, 7” recordings, and as many unreleased tracks as I could muster, and I’m finally able to offer what I believe to be the complete discography of Fiat Lux. Though no track is as gloomy and delicious as “Secrets,” there are still quite a few obscure new wave cuts ripe for the discovery.
Fiat Lux, firstly, translates from Latin as “Let There Be Light,” originally a Biblical quotation. The three piece band formed in 1982, releasing a handful of Polydor singles along a three year period before disbanding in 1985. Though a few of these singles were collected as a mini-LP, Fiat Lux never issued a full-length album proper. Upon disbanding, vocalist Steve Wright joined Camera Obscura and formed Hoi Poloi. Meanwhile, multi-instrumentalist Dave Crickmore is currently a member of Durbervilles. Unfortunately however, saxophonist/keyboardist Ian Nelson (member of Tattoo Hosts Vision On! and brother of the infamous Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe), died in his sleep in 2006.
Anyway, according to HiredHistory, a comprehensive fan made page, the following is Fiat Lux’s entire discography collected. There’s a few tracks that overlap, so please forgive the occasional dose of redundancy. Otherwise, I’ve also tracked down a handful of unreleased tracks, demoed over the years but never officially released. I’m on the hunt for more and will keep everyone posted if they turn up. Otherwise, without any further ado, here’s the rundown:
Feels Like Winter Again 7” (1982)
1. Feels Like Winter Again
2. This Illness
Photography 7” (1983)
1. Photography
2. Aqua Vitae
Photography 12” (1983)
1. Photography (Extended)
2. Aqua Vitae (Extended)
Secrets 12”* (1983)
1. Secrets
2. Comfortable Life
3. Aqua Vitae (Extended)
*there exists a 7” of “Secrets,” but the A and B side are the same as the 12”.
Blue Emotion 7” (1984)
1. Blue Emotion
2. Sleepless Nightmare
Blue Emotion 12” (1984)
1. Blue Emotion (Extended)
2. Sleepless Nightmare (Extended)
Hired History Mini-LP (1984)
1. Secrets
2. Photography (Extended)
3. Blue Emotion (Extended)
4. Comfortable Life
5. Sleepless Nightmare (Extended)
6. Aqua Vitae
House of Thorns 7” (1984)
1. House of Thorns
2. Three’s Company
House of Thorns 12” (1984)
1. House of Thorns (Extended)
2. Three’s Company (Extended)
3. Sally Free and Easy
Solitary Lovers 7” (1984)
1. Solitary Lovers
2. No More Proud
Solitary Lovers 12” (1984)
1. Solitary Lovers (Extended)
2. No More Proud (Proud Mix)
3. No More Proud (Dub Mix)
Unreleased Traxx:
1. Breaking the Boundary
2. The Moment
3. Solitary Lovers (Alt.)
4. Splurge
All of these tracks are sorely out of print, but perhaps the remaining members of the band can clean ’em up for a proper reissue. Otherwise, if you catch wind of any of these releases, snap them up! Otherwise, thanks again to HiredHistory for all their dedicated efforts in cataloging this band’s brief stint. Visit for more on the band, including press photos, gigography, and more information than you can shake a stick at! Otherwise, I’ll leave you with one final treat, the video for “Secrets,” my favorite track from the lot!
Systems of Romance was created in mid-2007 to serve as a dumping grounds for all great things coldwave, minimal synth, post-punk, synthpunk, industrial, synthpop, and various other combinations of these styles. Feel free to make requests, noodle around, and discuss all you like...
Otherwise, this blog is dedicated to showcasing material that has long since been out of print. If you are aware of any of these items being readily available from the artist or label, or take issue with these tracks being uploaded, please let me know so I can amend the post or remove the links.
