Here’s a one-off 12” by a dark electro/industrial project from the US, released in 1985. Not to be confused with the incredible minimal synth project Cargo Cultus, there’s virtually no information to be found about this project – members, city or state, or stories about the band or any live dates. The stark cover is met with a pitch black back cover with the most minimal of details, including the year and the record label. The only other documented release on the label is the first, more scarce 7” by Angel of the Odd, who were from California. If the label was a local affair, we can potentially deduce that Cargo Cult were also from California, but that still isn’t a sure bet. Any information about this project is welcome!
As for the sounds here, this 12” should definitely appeal to fans of mid-era Cabaret Voltaire, which might be already something you might already gather from the name of the band and the title track. Crackdown, shakedown, all the same, it’s an excellent sample-driven electronic track that you could expect to get the floor cooking on the earlier side of the evening. The second track is a little funkier, yet a bit more experimental, with a distorted three-note melody in tow, while the final track (my personal favorite here), has an extremely hypnotic electronic bass line pulsing throughout, with some scathing guitar thrown in for good measure. All in all, three excellent tracks worth their weight in gold. Enjoy!
Cargo Cult- Shakedown 12”
1. Shakedown
2. Last Cab In Berlin
3. Ji’had
Got an email request for the early material of A Primary Industry, an incredibly underrated UK band who walked a fine line between the avant ghetto of SPK, 23 Skidoo, and A Certain Ratio and the ethereal textures of Cocteau Twins and Operating Theatre. While their lone LP Ultramarine was released in 1986, there are quite a few tracks that point heavily towards the shoegaze genre that was barely a glimmer across a pedalboard at the time.
That all said, A Primary Industry released most of their material on Sweatbox, an excellent label also responsible for the like-minded In the Nursery during their earlier and more experimental phase. The label also released a handful of Meat Beat Manifesto records, so you get an idea of some of the wildly oscillating moods and textures that can be found across all three bands. Otherwise, once A Primary Industry ran its course, the band morphed into Ultramarine (sharing the name with API’s lone LP), who released a series of more electronic/downtempo records in the 90s, and one in 2013. While Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond stayed on board for both projects, vocalist Jemma Mellerio left after Ultramarine’s first LP, Folk.
A Primary Industry’s work has been shared before, but at low bitrates that have since been scrubbed from the internet blogosphere. As their work is some of my very favorite, it was due time to dust off my copies of these records and share them across the board. Thanks also to Jeffo! for supplying a great rip of the band’s first 7”. I’ve uploaded the band’s four main singles and excellent LP from fresh rips, but have also included a handful of compilation tracks. I can’t take credit in any way for the lower bitrate comp rips, with the exception of the exclusive track from Bark, an excellent compilation from the Sweatbox label that also features The Anti Group, Perennial Divide, Meat Beat Manifesto, and In the Nursery. Just wanted to include the other comp tracks (minus Life at the Top, as the version of “Perversion” is identical to the 7” b-side, as is the mix of “Heart of Glass” from Bark) to complete the discography, more or less.
That said, if anyone has the elusive Real Time 6 compilation (or the exclusive track “Under Western Eyes”) I’d love to hear it, as that’s all we’re really missing here… Otherwise, enjoy!
A Primary Industry- At Gunpoint 7” (1984)
1. At Gunpoint
2. Perversion
Various Artists- Heures Sans Soleil LP (1985)
11. From This Prospect
A Primary Industry- 7 Hertz 12” (1986)
1. Cicatrice
2. Obeah
3. Biting Back
4. Bled Dry
A Primary Industry- Ultramarine (1986)
1. Body Blow
2. Beacon Hill
3. Shear
4. Sans Orange
5. Cicatrice
6. Watchword Weal
7. Gush
8. Raw Umber
9. Silesia
10. Rose Madder
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Various Artists- Suck (A Soundtrack For Everyday Living) LP (1986)
5. Rose Madder (Edit)
When’s the last time we had a video here?! With that in mind, there’s a video for “Cicatrice” (the first track of theirs I heard, and the winner among winners). Enjoy!
Second post in one day, this one as a request from Goutroy over at A Viable Commercial, who featured one track off this scarce 12” on his latest various artists compilation. The song “Dying in Arms” was my favorite from the compilation, and I’ve since tracked down the full 12”, which employs the same bleak industrial/ebm sounds throughout. If you like Front Line Assembly and the Klinik, this one is definitely for you…
Bloody Ice was the moniker for German musician Eini, who co-founded Placebo Records in 1993 to release his own recordings. The label is also responsible for the amazing New Dimension 12” (which has since disappeared from the blogosphere). This appears to be the only Bloody Ice release, though “Dying in Arms” also appears on the Nyctalopia Compilation from the same year and an “Intro” track appears on To Be Stun, a CD compilation. Eini was also involved with Kabelbrandt, who were even less prolific. You can find a track of theirs on Strange Sounds Vol. 2.
According to a website run by Eini, The Bloody Ice tracks were recorded in a span of two years before being released in 1993. At this point in time, vinyl was on the decline, and with only 300 copies pressed, this one is hard to come by. The LP was released on Blood Red vinyl (naturally), and both sides of this 12” have different playback aspects, depending on where you drop the needle. Side A only has the first two songs back to back, and you can only listen to the “Senses in Crossfire” and “French Girl” by placing the needle elsewhere. Meanwhile, Side B is a double groove, so there’s a 50/50 chance of hearing either “Dying In Arms” or “Firehouse.”
The question here is, “do you feel lucky…?”
Bloody Ice- Bloody Ice12”
1. Bloody Ice
2. Rullas Gyros
3. Senses In Crossfire
4. French Girl
5. Dying In Arms
6. Firehouse
Here’s one I see around every now and then, but I’m surprised hasn’t been posted yet. Here we have a LP from EBM/electro band Batz Without Flesh, released in 1991. This is their third release, their last on vinyl. The first two (A Million Bricks and their debut self-titled EP) are worth hearing as well, and were pressed to CD in 1994.
Pretty rough pressing here so I’ve gotten the best sound possible out of my personal copy. There’s another rip floating around that has similar flaws, so my guess is that most of the copies sound like this (recycled vinyl?). There’s just a little noise during the quiet bits, not that there are many on this LP. Classic industrial/ebm in the vein of Klinik, Advanced Art, Data-Bank-A, etc. The album kicks off with its best moment, the dancefloor ready “Repunish,” which is worth the price of admission alone. “Electro Slut” is another clear winner.
Batz Without Flesh- No Memory LP
1. Repunish
2. Splinter
3. Priviledge To Kill
4. Single Stare
5. The Notion
6. Fenpor
7. Electro Slut
8. Can’t Speak
9. Bite It
10. Equinox
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
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
Today’s artist should need no introduction, as he’s a member of several pioneering electronic acts including the likes of Throbbing Gristle and Chris and Cosey/Carter Tutti. Though Chris Carter lent his skills primarily to these outfits, the English musician recorded several of his own more electronic and less abrasive pieces on the side.
This particular release, Carter’s first solo outing, consists of several synth/wave instrumental recordings made in the legendary Throbbing Gristle studio. Though it’s been re-released several times over (never on vinyl), The Space Between originally appeared in cassette form, with little information and no tracklisting. The original pressing was released on TG’s Industrial Records, while subsequent CD reissues appeared on Elektra and The Grey Area.
Without any further ado, here’s the information for the record, and the link for your perusal:
Chris Carter- The Space Between Cassette
1. Beat
2. Outreach
3. Electrodub 1
4. Clouds
5. Reprise
6. Electrodub 2
7. Poptone
8. Slomo
9. Walkabout
10. Maybe
11. Falling
12. Solidit
13. Snap
14. Interloop
15. Resonance
Pardon the double post, ladies and gents, but here’s a rather solid 12” by German EBM act Velodrome. Though this is their only release, each member of the duo had been previously active in other similar bands. Previous to Velodrome, Jorge Guber played in both Lineas Aereas and Metropakt while vocalist Krishna Goineau was a member of the famous Liaisons Dangereuses, who resumed activity soon after this 12” release.
Without any further ado, here’s the information for their lone 12”, released in 1988.
Velodrome- Au Velodrome 141 12”
1. Au Velodrome 141
2. Glasfabrik
3. Capataz
Les Joyaux De La Princesse are a most recent obsession of mine, and I am pleased to offer up a record that’s been buzzing in my ears for a week straight. In short, Les Joyaux De La Princesse is a one man project from the heart of France. Les Joyaux De La Princesse has dabbled in several styles over the course of countless collaborations, generally circling around the industrial/noise/dark ambient realm.
The project began as far back as 1986, but the first recorded work, the cassette uploaded below, appeared in 1989. Since then, Les Joyaux De La Princesse has released countless limited edition records, each acting as a brief audio document of French history dating back as far as the 1930s. Les Joyaux De La Princesse has also collaborated with several key players in the scene, including the likes of Death in June, Muslimgauze, and Blood Axis. As of 2008, the man behind Les Joyaux De La Princesse records additional material as La Voix Des Nôtres.
Records indicate that the debut uploaded below hails from an extremely limited cassette recording. A limited edition of 49, I reckon this 1989 record would fetch a pretty penny if uncovered in its original form. It was re-released on CD in 1993. Without any further ado, the detials:
Les Joyaux De La Princess- Aux Petits Enfants De France Cassette
1. Exode
2. Témoignage
3. Jours Sombre
4. Automne 1941
5. Le Tambours Des Orphelins
6. L’Hommage À L. Fouquet (Le Drapeu)
7. Le Petit Garçon
8. Dernier Editorial (Lesage)
Fulfilling a quick request for another classic Sleep Chamber release. I have a donation post to follow tomorrow, but first, a quick blurb about this particular record:
I’ve already covered Sleep Chamber in a previous entry (though the link is still dead for this one- I still beg your patience, ladies and gentlemen), so peek over there for a few tidbits of info on the collective. Otherwise, I’ve uploaded Sleep Chamber’s 1986 Babylon 12” single for your listening pleasure. This particular release features vocals by both John Zewizz and one Mariea Foster. Otherwise, here’s the roll:
Sleep Chamber- Babylon 12”
1. Her Second Skin
2. Babes Ov Babylon
3. Dreams While Drowning
4. Babylon Babes
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.
