Archive for the 1984 Category

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VHF- 1st Impressions LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, synthpop, VHF on November 12, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

I was going to wait until Monday came to post this one up, but news travels fast, and a few people are already asking for it. Up on the slab we have one of the rarest new wave records in existence, the elusive VHF LP. Not to be confused with the heavy metal band of the same name (though the logo looks conspicuously like Van Halen), this particular EP has more in common with Speak and Spell era Depeche Mode, Erasure, and soulful synthpop in that vein.

This LP was released in the UK in 1984 on Pennine Records. A power pop single by Any Trouble was the label’s only other release. Coincidentally, VHF has a bit of a power pop vibe going for it, instead employing a slew of synth leads and drum machines in that minimal style we all love to get the job done. A curious mix, which generally works.

This doesn’t complete the VHF saga though… There’s a 7” out there for the title track, which I believe features an exclusive b-side. Maybe we’ll hear that one some day, but in the interim, here’s the info for this ‘holy grail’ of rare wave records:

VHF- 1st Impressions LP
1. The Peril Of Passion
2. Let Me Fall
3. Smile On Demand
4. No Surprise
5. I Know You Wanna Say Goodbye
6. Don’t Call Me
7. First Impressions
8. Key To My Heart
9. Our Love Is Undecided
10. Mirage
11. Counting The Days
12. Replacement Heart

*download it here*

27 Comments »

Atelier Du Mal- Noblesse Oblige Demo K7

Posted in 1980s, 1984, atelier du mal, italian, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk on November 10, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Up next we have a killer demo tape from Italian minimal synth band Atelier Du Mal. I’m usually not too fond of cassettes, as I find the sound quality to be very sub-par on the whole, but this one is a real gem. Barely sounds like a cassette, let alone a demo, for that matter!

This is the band’s only official release, though track two, ‘Back to Taiwan,’ has been reissued as part of the Crollo Nervoso DVD set, essential listening/viewing for fans of obscure Italian wave.

Enough chatter, here’s the info:

Atelier Du Mal- Noblesse Oblige Demo K7
1. A Promise
2. Back to Taiwan
3. Another Kind of Madness
4. Waiting for Someone
5. Staticita
6. Palau
7. Marienbaad
8. Decadence (Underground Life)

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – this tape has been reissued by Mannequin! Pick it up here.

That’s all for today (major treat coming soon- stay tuned), but I’d like to draw your attention to the De Press LP post from years past. Freshly re-uploaded, for those who missed out the first time. Thanks to all for keeping me on my toes!

5 Comments »

Hohokam- King 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, Hohokam, Numa Records on October 29, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve been keen on this band for some time, but never acquired more than a handful of tracks until picking up their debut 12” the other day. However, unlike most bands here on this site, there’s more info around about this one than most.

Named after an ancient archeological culture, Hohokam was first brought to attention by Gary Numan’s Numa records, formed as his popularity began to dwindle. While some may debate that Numan’s own material at this time was stagnant, the artists he was cultivating under Numa offered some fresh synthpop/new wave talent, including these scamps, who released three singles on the label. Numan would generally preside over the recordings, acting as producer and occasional contributor.

Rumor has it that these four lads trespassed onto Numan’s property with a demo tape that inspired him to create the label, and subsequently became the third release on the label. Their most succesful single, however, was a track called “Harlequin Tears,” which appears in both 12” and razormaid form, both which you can still hear in some more well-informed clubs to date.

The band supposedly recorded a full length, but it has never seen the light of day. After splitting up, drummer/keyboardist Tony Alum formed Aquilia with DJ Steve Andrews and continued on in a synthpop/techno vein.

Here’s the details for this 12”:

Hohokam- King 12”
1. King (Extended Mix)
2. The American Way
3. King (Radio Edit)

*download it here*

Fun fact: The name Hohokam apparently translates as “the ones who vanished.” Rather fitting for the blog! Read more about the band and this single here and here. Lyrics included!

Also, as many of you may have noticed, I’ve added a little facebook tab on the right side of the page here. Feel free to get in touch there, I know Facebook is a little more interactive for some than the Blogspot comments system, so I’d love to hear from you kids over there. That’s all for this month- have a happy Halloween!

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Steven Grandell- Animal Angst LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, experimental, minimal, minimal synth, synth, US on October 12, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

You may have seen this one over at Mutant Sounds in the past, but here’s a rather clean and fresh rip of this classic minimal synth LP by Steven Grandell, self-releaed in 1984. A little more experimental than most minimal synth recordings, complete with jerky rhythms, strange instrumentation (violins, xylophones, etc.), and detached vocals, but still quite catchy in the end.

A few copies of the LP were once sale via Venus DeMars, but I do believe they’ve since sold out. Currently, the artist is releasing music as Venus DeMars and All the Pretty Horses, which you can check out here. Here’s the info for this LP:

Steven Grandell- Animal Angst LP
1. Burn My Eyes
2. There’s Got To Be Something
3. Confession Of An Innocent
4. Lead
5. Fear
6. Isn’t It Time
7. Flight At The End
8. Great Big Earth
9. I Am Human
10. Radio Sleep

*download it here*

5 Comments »

Cathedral of Tears- Cathedral of Tears 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, cathedral of tears, darkwave, enigma records, Jack Grisham, new wave, post-punk, TSOL, US on October 6, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Moving right along, here we have a 12” by Cathedral of Tears, a US-based darkwave band with a danceable edge. This is the band’s only record, released in 1984 on Enigma Records, which was generally known for dark, sleazy punk (The Cramps, Dead Milkmen, TSOL etc.).

Though the record does flirt around with a more new wave sound, the project was primarily an outlet for Jack Grisham, of TSOL, which explains the ‘odd man out’ style of this record.

Also, I believe there were several musicians involved with the project, including Mike Patton (Adolescents/Middle Class) on bass. I’ve stumbled upon some choice words about this 12” from Jack himself:

“This is one of those mistakes you make that you can’t take back. My dad died, I was going through a lot of shit…I stole the tapes. We had a record…we wrote a bunch of new songs, went in the studio & I stole the tapes. Our record company had said, ‘There’s no song here that will get radio play,’ & I was like ‘Bullshit, there is.’ So I stole the tapes from the record company, took it to the radio station, & they were playing our song (Black Emotion) while I was driving away. (laughs) & it turned out to be the number four requested song on the station that year. With no record out. & then Enigma finally put it out. They finally put it out, but it was too late. I had already done the damage by the time it came out.”

Neat, though I must disagree that this record is a mistake! Don’t take my word for it, though- here’s the info for 12”.

Cathedral of Tears- Cathedral of Tears 12”
1. Trap
2. A Situation Of…
3. Calm Storm
4. Black Emotion
5. Ballet
6. Whisper From The Deadland

*download it here* (Re-ripped 4/30/25)

11 Comments »

Aaah…!- Input:Output 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, Aaah..., minimal, minimal synth, uk on September 20, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Next up, thanks to a generous donation, we have the highly coveted second 7” by UK minimal synth project Aaah…!, released in 1984. Many may be familiar with the band via their debut 7”, posted over at Crispy Nuggets. You can also hear the band’s material at various DJ nights and clubs, especially those that focus on minimal/post-punk obscurities.

Here’s the info for this highly coveted gem:

Aaah…!- Input:Output 7”
1. Input:Output
2. Neon Nylon

*download it here*

6 Comments »

New Buildings- Le Dernier Homme & Your Message 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1984, minimal, new buildings, post-punk, spain, spanish on July 24, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Second on the slab for this weekend are the first two 12”s by Spanish band New Buildings, who come across as a hybrid of minimal synth and dark, gloomy post-punk. Kind of reminds me a bit of Q4U, or perhaps a more subdued version of Xmal Deutschland. Not a lot of information to be found about the band, but I believe this original lineup parted ways in 1983, reforming four years later as simply Buildings. Three releases followed in 1987/8. Not sure if the change in name also signified a change in sound, so perhaps someone out there can shed a little light on the subject. With that in mind, here’s the two New Buildings releases for your listening pleasure.

New Buildings- Le Dernier Homme 12” (1983)
1. Le Dernier Homme
2. Humo
3. Longues Avenues

New Buildings- Your Message 12” (1984)
1. Your Message
2. Historias Para Largos Recorridos
3. New Buildings

*download both here*

5 Comments »

Belaboris- …Olipa Kerran 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, belaboris, compilations, finland, finnish, minimal, minimal synth on June 11, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

I’ve had this one kicking around for a while, but never paid too much attention to it aside from “Monsterbaari.” Total oversight on my part here, for this entire 12” is solid. What we have here is eight tracks of ALL-female minimal synth, hailing from Finland. This mini-LP, released in 1984, collects the band’s singles to date, including the Kuolleet Peilit 12” (1982) and the Odotus 7” (1983).

Astute readers might notice that the band’s name derives from two of horror’s biggest names, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Vocalist Minna Soisalo was also well known for her roll in Klaani, a large film in the band’s homeland. Belaboris would release one final 7” before splitting, a cover of 60’s Scandinavian hit ‘Rakkauden Jälkeen,’ which can you nab from the excellent bx-59cppw blog. This should complete their discography!

Belaboris- …Olipa Kerran 12”
1. Kuolleet Peilit
2. Yö Vanhassa Talossa
3. Odotus
4. Kolme Askelta
5. Monsteribaari
6. Mitä Lapsille Tapahtui
7. Babypop*
8. Venus

*Serge Gainsbourg/France Gall cover!

DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED— The always excellent Dark Entries label has just reissued the majority of Belaboris’ material on LP, while there’s a CD available of the complete sessions via Poko Records.  Please support the bands and labels as you can!

17 Comments »

Soviet Sex- End of INRI LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, coldwave, goth-rock, post-punk, Soviet Sex, swiss on June 1, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Last week, I left you kids with a trio of synth-based dance records. Now, to switch over to the guitar driven side of things for a few posts. Up on the slab for today we have the 1984 debut of Soviet Sex, a post-punk band based in Switzerland. There are also two other bands with this name- a band from the US and a band from the Netherlands (featured here), but according to a few pieces of info kicking around and the band members listed on the sleeve of this record (Beat Rohrer, Vico, Alwin Luschin, and Jost Baggenstos), I believe this is a completely separate entry.

According to the Swiss Punk Archive, the band’s roots lie in a band called Crazy, a more punk-driven outfit. Naturally, the sounds here are still fast and energetic, but there’s a bit more gloom and tension in these songs. Definitely recommended for fans of Ziyo and Siekiera. Here’s the info:

Soviet Sex- End of INRI LP
1. Sünde
2. Walpurgis Night
3. Immer Noch Das Leben
4. Trauer
5. Bare Bodies
6. Zwischen Wann Und Wirklichkeit
7. Rettet Uns!
8. Weisser Tod
9. Geschirr Zerbricht

*download it here*

The band would follow this LP up with the Blind Dogs 12” in 1985, just before disappearing. Would love to hear that one, if anyone has a copy kicking around!

4 Comments »

Nightmoves- Transdance 12” & Remixes

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1984, dance, darkwave, minimal synth, Night Moves, Nightmoves, remixes, synthpop, uk on May 21, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Going to be stepping away from the blog for a week, so I plan to leave you all with not one, but TWO stellar releases of the dancier, club-oriented variety. First on the slab, I’ve uploaded several different issues of Nightmoves’ (a.k.a. Night Moves) classic “Transdance”- a killer darkwave dance track that many should recognize. Unfortunately, this song never received the credit it was due, but is easily one of the best tracks of the ’80s. I’ve attached several different versions of the track, one under the guise of the reissued 1984 12” Robot Rock release (including a handful of alternate tracks) and a remixes 12”, which might just be a fan-made collection of mixes. If you’re not completely sick of the song by the time you’re through listening, I’ve also included the significantly shorter edit of the song, plucked from the 7” and included on the None Night of Flexipop Vol. 4 comp.

The UK-based project formed in the wake of Gary Numan’s chart breakthrough in 1979, when vocalist Michael Guihen placed an ad in NME looking for synth players. The original three piece lineup (known then as Oblong Mauve) folded after a few practice sessions, leaving Michael to form a new band. He struck an interesting partnership in 1980, meeting and developing tracks with Denis Haines, Gary Numan’s keyboard player. In exchange for providing the backing track for Numan’ “Love Needs No Disguise,” Michael received help in developing “Transdance,” the standout track from the original lineup’s demos. It was recorded in 1981, and since then, has seen several different versions as lineups changed and technology improved. The infamous UK mix even featured backing vocals from Eve Goddard, Adam Ant’s wife. The band eventually called it a day in 1984, as public tastes shifted dramatically.

Of course, this is only part of the Nightmoves story. The rest is viewable (along with some amazing photos) on the band’s official Myspace page, so click for the full story and some additional visuals. Without any further ado, here’s the info for this zip.

Nightmoves- Transdance 12” (1984)
1. Transdance (UK Club Mix)
2. Transdance (New York Disco Mix)*
3. You Can Take My Love
4. Beat This
5. Nightdrive

Nightmoves- Transdance Mixes 12”
1. Transdance (Edit)
2. Transdance (NYC Mix)
3. Transdance (UK Mix) –> same as UK Club Mix
4. Transdance
5. Transdance
6. Transdance (Remix)

bonus track- Transdance (7” Version)
*not on original 12”.

*download the lot here*

18 Comments »

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