Archive for the experimental Category

Ear Trumpet – Bring on the Dirt LP

Posted in 1980s, 1987, art-punk, art-rock, bc gilbert, buzzcocks, ethereal, experimental, siouxsie and the banshees, steve severin, tony barber, uk, wire with tags on October 14, 2022 by Frankie Teardrop

Back in the early pandemic days, I (and a few pals) started going through our collections with the sole intention of re-digitizing and improving digital copies of our records across the board. So many LPs and singles that exist out there ripped poorly with low bit rates, from back in the long long ago, when digital space was a premium and hearing the record by any means necessary was the one true goal. While we all can be grateful that those rips existed back then to give us a taste of unheard pleasures, now’s the time to improve things. You’ve likely seen me updating posts here and there over the last few years, and I’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes as well,  spending most of my free time (that isn’t taken up with child care, band responsibilities, and horror movies), sifting through gigabytes and gigabytes of rare records, meticulously separating tracks, de-clicking with the most careful of hands, ensuring that all the music remains intact at the best quality possible. It’s been a labor of love, and I probably have enough posts to keep me going another decade or two. That all said (getting to the damn point), back in 2020, someone asked me to make a new rip of this classic experimental record from UK project Ear Trumpet, and while I can’t remember who asked for it at this point, this post is for you…

Ear Trumpet were a supergroup of sorts, if one could call it that… Aside from two fellows named Neil and Gary, some of the more famliar players include The Banshees/The Glove’s Steve Severin (on organs/synths), Wire/Cupol/Dome’s Bruce Gilbert on guitar, and latter day Buzzcocks/Lack of Knowledge’s Tony Barber on bass, all of which lend their immense talents and knack for experimentation to this LP. This is their lone LP, released in 1987… and while on paper it could easily sound like a goth/punk hybrid by the numbers with these alumni on board (and I’d be perfectly happy with that, mind you), the results are actually quite unique – ethereal in spots, experimental art rock in others, with a solid post-punk bedrock coursing through its veins. I feel like this album is rather underrated in circles – not discussed nearly as much as other Banshees or Wire offshoots, to my knowledge. A blog back in 2008 spoke about it with similar affinity, but otherwise, I don’t see it discussed as much in music groups, forums, etc.

The project released a follow up in 1987, a three-track 12” that continues the story a bit, though I don’t believe Gilbert or Barber performed on that release. It’s been a minute since I’ve listened to the 12”, but I recall it being much heavier/less subtle and nuanced than the LP, hitting more like a Loop/Swans kind of thing. While I like those bands quite a bit, the second release doesn’t hit me quite the same way as the LP, but your mileage of course, may vary.

All that said, here’s the info for the debut LP.

Ear Trumpet – Bring on the Dirt LP
1. Acts Of Devotion
2. Whack
3. Ask My Mother
4. You Go On There
5. The Smell You Get From Old Books
6. Fall Back In Houses
7. No Spill Over
8. Bring On The Dirt
9. Fetch My Bag
10. Last Bus Fever

*download it here*

Bunny & The Lakers- Numbers LP

Posted in 1970s, 1979, bunny & the lakers, canadian, experimental, krautrock, minimal, minimal synth on October 12, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s one I’ve seen shared in snippets across many different blogs, but I’m not sure if it’s ever been shared in full. Perhaps on some long, distant, since purged blog. I’ve had this kicking around on my shelves for a while now, rescued from a NYC shop otherwise known for techno, house, and hip hop (you never know!), but I was recently encouraged to take it down and re-rip it, and I’m glad I did, because it’s quickly jumped up the ranks as a autumnal favorite. Besides, the digital copy I DO have has the track names reversed, so this one is worth another look however you want to dice it.

Bunny & the Lakers performed only once, and self-released this album on LP and cassette in 1979. Only 500 records are known to exist, each of them hand-numbered. There are QUITE a few sounds explored over the course of this LP, including the krautrock dirges of Faust, pummeling experimental electronics a la Throbbing Gristle, icy piano and synth workouts  by way of Telekon, quirky synth punk sounds similarly explored by  Tone Set, and even a skittery no wave hybrid thrown in for good measure.

The album is wildly experimental and may not be to everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s definitely lots to love here. I especially love the bleak “Weekend Guests,” which features female vocals, primitive electronics, and more gorgeous stream-of consciousness piano ramblings. Closing track “Dolphin Bay” is gorgeous as well… Many of the tracks blend into each other, so I’ve tried my best to separate them. Side B is a bit more structured, but I’m a little unsure where one track ends and the next begins on side A.

Bunny & The Lakers- Numbers LP
1. Inhalation / Ventalation
2. Cops On Parade
3. Yalps From The Alps/Shrieks From The Peeks
4. Maid In Sweeden/Batlore
5. In Terms Of Germs
6. TB Farm (Kiss Me Now)
7. S.O.S.
8. Weekend Guests
9. Sandy
10. Dolphin Bay

*download it here*

Mickeranno- Mickeranno LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, experimental, italian, mickeranno, post-punk on April 30, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another LP on donation from Ondanera, deep from the heart of Italy.  This LP is the lone release from Mickeranno, an artist from Catania, a town in Sicily (Sicilian pride!).  As I understand it, Jacopo Leone was the primary musician for this release, with a few collaborators providing drums, trumpet, and other touches. Recorded in Northern Italy in the Emilia Romagna region, the album didn’t break out past its native country when it was released in 1985, so hopefully it can find new life here.

Fans of bands like Felt, Dif Juz, or the Durutti Column will love this one, as it’s a quiet, understated affair, with subtle electronic/dark synth flourishes against a mostly acoustic backdrop. A really haunting record from a very humble and quiet area in Italy. The standout track is easily the gloomy “Da Un’altra Parte” (From Another Part) but this a really interesting listen, front to back. Hope you enjoy it!

Mickeranno- Mickeranno LP
1. Decisioni
2. Solo Voci
3. Boh
4. Dai Vetri
5. D.D.
6. E Per Un Paio Di Giorni
7. Uscirò Ogni Sera
8. Fotocopiandoti
9. Nel Buio
10. Da Un’Altra Parte
11. Che Si Tratti Di Me?
12. Boh (Versione 2)

*download it here*

PS- I removed the link for La Valse for now… I’m expecting a copy of the 7” in the mail.  Once it arrives, I’ll make a new rip and let you all know so you can update your digital files.  Hang tight, and thanks as always for the support.

Fauli- Jugend Unsinn K7

Posted in 1980s, 1982, Daily Fauli, denmark, experimental, minimal, minimal synth, Søren Fauli on February 5, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Good news for fans of Daily Fauli’s scarce Fauli Til Dauli LP, previously posted in 2009.  Word on the street is that the long sought after LP will receive the reissue treatment via Minimal Wave, due out later this year.  Even better news, today’s post is related, and features Søren Fauli’s first cassette release, a generous donation from a reader that left me stunned, as I had no idea there was another release, let alone one that predates the LP by a year!

11 tracks of unabashed minimal synth with a slightly punk edge- a tape that should please fans of the rare, DIY aesthetic.  The cassette sleeve doesn’t come with a tracklisting, though I’m told the first track goes by the name “Slow.”  If anyone knows the proper names for these tracks, feel free to chime in here.  Otherwise, enjoy this immensely rare piece of Danish minimal synth, and stay tuned for that reissue!

fauli

Fauli- Jugend Unsinn K7
A1-6
B1-5

*download it here*

 

Mecanica Popular- ¿Que Sucede Con El Tiempo? LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 1990, experimental, industrial, kosmiche, mecanica popular, minimal, minimal synth, spain, spanish on April 4, 2012 by Frankie Teardrop

Still continuing to drop the posts I had lined up while figuring out what, if anything, to do about the past. Looks like Rapidshare is the way to go for now, but who knows how long they’ll be off-the-radar, as they’ve apparently slowed DL rates to discourage illegal content. Too much in flux to really pin down a proper solution.

That said, here’s a gift from Bx-59cppw that I’ve been meaning to post for some time. Here we have the debut album from Mecanica Popular, a Spanish industrial/experimental duo. Originally released in 1994, this LP also saw a repressing in 1990, while their second LP was originally released in 1987 and appeared again in 2010.

A must hear for fans of Factrix, Dome, Throbbing Gristle, The Elephant Table LP, and other things that go bump and scrape in the night. There’s some nice grooves here and there that should also be right at home for fans of minimal synth and kosmiche music.

Mecanica Popular- ¿Que Sucede Con El Tiempo? LP
1. Impresionistas I
2. La Edad del Bronce
3. Impresionistas II
4. Quiero Irme
5. Siempre Tu
6. Impresionistas III
7. Estado Sólido
8. Galilea: Centro de Datos
9. Daguerrotipo
10. Ambrotipo
11. Plenilunio
12. Máquinas y Procedimientos
13. Impresionistas IV

*download it here*

For those fluent in Spanish, you can read more about the band here.

V/A- Adaptations From the Moon: Tuxedomooning the World

Posted in 2007, abstract, ambient, covers, darkwave, experimental, john costello, minimal, minimal synth, tuxedomoon, tuxedomooning on August 1, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a recent compilation sent my way by John Costello, a name that should already be familiar from previous posts. Here we have a CD release of Tuxedomoon interpretations from 2007, as recorded by several members of a prominent TM message board. This CD exists as a non-for-profit venture via the site Tuxedomooning.com and while it isn’t available for sale, though there may be some copies available for those wishing to market the disc.

Fans of Tuxedomoon should find a fair mix of selections from the band’s career, done with care and finesse by several prominent underground artists. Cult With No Name also appear here, and Costello contributes TWO tracks. Allow me to expand on this post with some info and behind the scenes from Costello himself:

[The compilation] grew out of the TM yahoo group forum started by Erik Stein (he’s also half of lounge electro duo Cult With No Name). Amid the renewed hustle of TM activity, French label Optical Sound released a covers cd in 2006, Next To Nothing, with artists including Simon Fisher Turner and Scanner. Oliver Schupp (of German band Festspielhaus), proposed a forum members covers cd and, when he found enough takers, took it forward from there. It was sanctioned by TM as a not-for-profit venture of 300 cds, with copies bought by the contributors to distribute how they wished and the rest sold by Oliver to forum members or interested parties at cost until they ran out.

I agonised for a long time over which track to choose, as there were so many candidates. Right up to the last minute I was going to do “No Tears” but I finally chose “Everything You Want,” in a rawer rocked-up style closer to the live version on Ten Years In One Night than the early Subterranean Modern Ralph Records compilation album version.

I record with my good friend and producer Geoff Pinckney at his Alien 6 studio in Sussex. Geoff is in electro outift Tenek with Pete Steer, and ex-of Glasshouse who supported Gary Numan on a couple of tours in the late 80s/early 90s. My method of working is to record and mix each track in as close to a day as possible, but I gave EYW three to make sure it would pass muster – it’s quite daunting doing something as an amateur that will be a tribute to a band you’ve loved most of your life, and you want to do it right. The session went smoothly, unbelievably so in fact, and I finished in two days – so for the hell of it I decided to do another. I chose “Egypt” because I knew I could do a minimal version fast, and it took just six hours to record and mix. I tried to do both in the spirit of TM and worked in a few motifs from other tracks; also, the bass on “Egypt” is a sample of “The Waltz,” from Holy Wars. I had no idea if Oliver would find it surplus to requirements but he loved it and included it on the cd.

The reaction was very positive. The band issued congratulations on the forum for a job well done.

Since there’s not much more I can add to that, let’s get to the info!

Various Artists- Adaptations From The Moon: Tuxedomooning The World
1. John Costello– Everything You Want
2. Phlitman & Kangaroo– Ninotchka
3. Festspielhaus– In The Name Of Talent (Italian Western 2)
4. Gosane– Where Interests Lie
5. Cabaret Of Complexity– Blind
6. John Costello– Egypt
7. Another– What Use?
8. !!– In The Name Of Terror (Iraqi Western 2)
9. Cult With No Name– Some Guise
10. Gosane– Everything You Want / The Stranger
11. Duke Sexton– East
12. Dry Monopole– Time To Lose
13. MistakeMistake– (Special Treatment For The) Family Man
14. Willem Schipper– The Unknown Fan

*download it here*

Thanks again to John Costello for all the info, wisdom, and of course, the music! Please support him and check out more of his recent work here!

Otherwise, August is looking to be a busy month for me, so I may be sparse as the month progresses. That said, I am still expecting some goodies to come my way over the next few weeks, so I will post them as I can! That said, if you need a fix faster than I can provide one, be sure to sift through the back archives or many of the excellent blogs linked to the right. Great things being posted around every corner!

Various Artists- Remote Viewing Vol. 2 K7

Posted in 1980s, 1989, ambient, cassette, experimental, industrial, k7, minimal, minimal synth, remote viewing, remote viewing vol. 2 on March 21, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

This particular cassette comes on generous loan from Sean Mcbride, sole member of Martial Canterel and half of Xeno and Oaklander, two of the current synth scene’s most crucial players. For those who are unaware, the latest Martial Canterel record, You Today, has dropped via Wierd Records, and is quite the stunning piece of work. A modern classic, through and through. Pick up a copy here, if you haven’t already!

This cassette, upon hearing it, has quickly become an all time favorite. Released in 1989 on Network 23 (the first installment appeared three years prior, and has yet to be shared to my knowledge), this tape features an hour and a half of instrumental ambient and industrial works from several obscure artists. It’s a murky, unsettling, and highly atmospheric ride, without a single dud among the bunch. Many of the artists here appear exclusively among the series, while others have a few more scattered releases from around the same time. The standout for me is John Costello’s “Gormen Ghast,” which lifts off into minimal synth/dance territory after nearly three minutes of haunting atmosphere. There’s also an exclusive track by Colin Potter and a solid gem by Steve Hillman, to name a few. This is highly recommended for fans of Tangerine Dream, Coil, and John Carpenter’s film scores, but there’s a handful of great minimal synth gems sprinkled within. Dig it!

Various Artists- Remote Viewing Vol. 2 K7
1. Howard Ingram- Sacrestone 72
2. Michael Hines- The Spirit Of Radio
3. Greg Truckell- Mesh
4. Mangenta Mirror- NX-X1-11
5. R. N. Andrews- Chinese Dentist Time
6. Steve Hillman- Citadel Parts 1 And 2
7. Colin Potter- Malton
8. Kevin O’Neill- Lik Mai
9. John Costello- Gormen Ghast
10. What It Is- Rearing Pigs
11. Martin Coles & Rick Wernham- Object Detection
12. Rancid Poultry- Controlled Exposure
13. Peter Tedstone- Mystic Sequence
14. Tim Stebbing- Star City

*download it here*

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*

Richard Bone- The Real Swing 12”

Posted in 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, ambient, currently active, disco, experimental, new wave, richard bone, shox lumania, synthpop on July 20, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a classic early Richard Bone 12” for your listening pleasure. Born in 1952, Bone is considered an influential figure in the New York music scene in the early 1980s, a huge pioneer of electronic music. He began exploring the early art of the synthesizer, driven by the works of Brian Eno and Harold Budd, before moving into more poppier territory. He was also a member of experimental electronic band Shox Lumania in 1981.

A good portion of Richard’s early singles were on Survival Records, the same label that brought you Drinking Electricty, Faith Global, Hard Corps, and Play, to name a few.

Though he ceased to make pop records as of the 1990s, he still creates ambient music to this day. This particular 12” hails from 1984, just a few years into his solo career. Here’s the information.

Richard Bone- The Real Swing 12”
1. The Real Swing (Extended 12″ Re-Mix)
2. The Real Swing (7″ Edit)
3. Heartache History

*download it here*

Various Artists- Strange Sounds Vol. 1 & 2 LP

Posted in 1980s, 2000s, absolute body control, bene gesserit, compilations, experimental, german, league of nations, minimal synth, Strange Sounds on March 3, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a curious treat to kick off the month of March. Contained within this post are both volumes of the Strange Sounds compilations, two unofficial releases containing some ultra rare minimal synth music. Expect a few familiar classics, rare gems, and as the title implies, some strange sounds indeed.

These two compilations hail from Germany, compiled by a studious collector. The second collection was released in 2006, but not sure about the first. Here’s the rundown:

Strange Sounds Vol. 1
1. Modern Art- Still Life
2. Solid Space- 10th Planet
3. Burlesque- Collision Of Sex
4. Minny Pops- Island
5. Transparent Illusion- Demented
6. Portion Control- Across The Fence
7. Ian Elms- The Street Enters The House
8. Cinema 90- In Ultra-Violet
9. Stephen Spera- Sound Of The Crowd
10. Absolute Body Control- Is There An Exit?
11. PSY 231- Rockin Rollin’ Rhythm
12. Exhibit A- Platform 6
13. The Metronomes- A Circuit Like Me

Strange Sounds Vol. 2
1. Bene Gesserit- Mickey Please
2. League Of Nations- Thin Ice Door
3. Dicky Design- Echofields
4. Erste Weibliche Fleischergesellin Nach 1945- Ich Fress Dir Aus Der Hand
5. Sudeten Creche- Are Kisses Out Of Fashion
6. Transparent Illusion- Is There Hope
7. Nocturnal Emissions- Don’t Believe It’s Over
8. Vita Noctis- Hade
9. Kabelbrandt- Endsieg
10. Vorgruppe- Mensch Im Eis
11. Telegraph- Telegraphic
12. Kein Mensch- Kein Mensch

*download both here*