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)
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:
I know I promised the Systems of Romance vol. 2 compilation, and that will definitely be coming later in the week, possibly as soon as tomorrow, so stay tuned for that! For now, I’d like to kick off my favorite month with a 7” I’ve been meaning to post for some time. Contained within we have the debut single by French coldwave act Movement, released in 1983.
Generally a three piece band (with rotating members until their split in 1987), Movement released two full length LPs, a cassette, and two 7” records before their demise. You can get their first untitled record on Contorsion (Baroque Bordello, Bonaparte’s, Opera Multi Steel) over at Dreams and Voices. You can expect more of the same synth-driven guitar wave tracks as the full length, a familiar treat for fans of that Coldwave sound! Here’s the info:
Movement- Perfect Day 7”
1. Perfect Day
2. Disfiguration
Been dying to hear this one for quite some time, so a million thanks to bx59cppw for finally tracking it down. Killer French new wave hear, one of the best singles of the era, hailing from 1985. Both tracks are unstoppable, though the b-side has a more romantic edge.
The band released three more singles before disbanding in 1988. You can get the equally captivating Métropolis 7” over at Dreams and Voices. Without any further ado, here’s the info for this one:
Fatidic Seconde- Le Drakkar (Sidonie) 7”
1. Le Drakkar (Sidonie)
2. Le Chemin D’Un Rêve
Here’s the lone LP by French synthsters Candidate, released in 1987. There’s very little to be found about this two piece (though they have a website). There are a few other releases of theirs kicking around, including a split K7 and a split 7” with Gangrène. Would love to hear them, should anyone out there have a copy kicking around!
Otherwise, you can expect some killer minimal synth grooves, with a little bit of edgy guitar thrown in for good measure. a nice mix of tension and melody here, best for fans of Pink Industry, Kas Product, Strawberry Switchblade, etc. Here’s the info:
Candidate- Side By Side LP
1. Strange Girl
2. Starway
3. On The Ice
4. Subterrateen
5. On//Off
6. Last Day
7. The Wound
Just played this track at Wierd last night and got a few responses, so tossing it up as a favor to those interested attendees. Classic French coldwave contained within, released in 1983. It’s one of the band’s earliest releases, preceding a handful of LPs before their inevitable split in 1985. The single version of the title track differs a bit from the LP version, released the same year.
According to a few sources, the band was generally known for their anti-nationalist politics, oftentimes burning the French flag during live performances. As of 2000, the band has reformed, and released an LP in 2003. I believe they’re still together to date, but not sure, as their official website (http://www.oberkampf.net/) won’t load for me… With that in mind, here’s the information for this killer 7”.
Here’s something a little more fun and bright for your summer weekend. Here we have the first major release by French new wave connoisseurs Indochine, released in 1982. Bright rhythms, pulsing synths, and shameless hooks to be found on each of these seven tracks.
The Indochine story began in 1981, but the band is still going strong to date, though only one original member remains in the band. According to a few sources, Indochine are the top selling band in France, and earned quite a cult following throughout Europe and Latin America. Unfortunately, like most non-English speaking bands, their music failed to find a proper audience in the US, despite fitting into the musical climate at the time. Well, let’s see if we can’t help turn a few heads around these parts, eh? Here’s the info for this killer debut 12”.
Indochine- L’Aventurier MLP
1. L’Aventurier
2. L’Opportuniste
3. Leila
4. Docteur Love
5. Indochine (Les 7 Jours De Pékin)
6. Dizzidence Politik
7. Françoise (Qu’est-ce qui t’as pris?)
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
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!
Here’s another French post-punk/coldwave release, dating back to 1981. Can’t seem to dig up a ton of info on Panoramas, but this particular 12” was released on Polydor. There’s also a 7” version of the record, which you can nab over at Dreams and Voices. However, this 12” features two additional tracks! The real gem of the lot is the title track. While more romantic and less dark than many of their contemporaries, these tracks are catchy as hell.
Panoramas- Amanda 12”
1. Amanda
2. Sinbad the Sailor
3. Les Secrets Du Pharon
4. Future Star
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.
