Archive for the minimal Category

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Twice a Man- Music For Girls LP

Posted in 1980s, 1982, currently active, minimal, minimal synth, swedish, synthpop, twice a man on April 8, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Ages ago, I uploaded Swedish minimal synth duo Twice a Man’s first 12”, one of the best releases of its time. Without repeating any information, click here for the original post, chock full of info and links to keep on Twice a Man’s current output.

Meanwhile, here’s the information for their debut full length, 1982’s Music For Girls, which though released on CD in 1994, remains curiously out of print to date.

Twice a Man- Music For Girls LP
1. Move
2. Breathe The Air
3. Boy
4. Battle
5. Russian Tractors
6. Decay
7. In My Mind
8. Dance
9. Gentlemen
10. Threat

*download it here*

6 Comments »

7/12” grab bag #3

Posted in 12'', 1980s, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 7'', coldwave, grab bag, kuruki, minimal, minimal synth on February 13, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Last year, I made a point to upload a few rare 7” recordings in one post, offering a few new sounds for folks to pick up on. These proved to be rather popular, so I’ve decided to bring the series back. Here’s a blurb about each of the following releases:

Land of Giants- Cannibal Dolls/Seven Men 12”
Land of Giants were a Candian minimal wave band who released this one 12” single in 1982. The single topped the college charts in its day, and was praised by John Peel. No further release would appear until recently, when the band issued a CD featuring several new and unheard demo tracks recorded between 1982 and 1985, which can be purchased via paypal here.

1. Cannibal Dolls
2. Seven Men

Chromagain- Any Colour You Like Mini-LP
Once uploaded by Ale at the sadly defunct 7” From the Underground blog, this particular gem is one of the best wave recordings of its time. The three piece band hailed from Italy, and released this one five track record in 1985. “Satisfied” is easily one of my favorite tunes from the entire wave spectrum, so be sure to give this one a spin. *NOW REISSUED VIA ALESSANDRO’S OWN MANNEQUIN RECORDS!*

1. Satisfied
2. Spot
3. Killing Dome
4. After The Clouds
5. Season of Steel

Body 11- Mind 7”
Lone 1988 release by this German industrial/ebm collective. Nice and hard-hitting, with a few dance grooves thrown in for good measure. If anyone has any further information about this German duo’s whereabouts, feel free to pass it along!

1. Wasteland II
2. Fire
3. Hearts
4. Attack

Kuruki- Such a Liar 12”
Belgian new wave/italo-flavored duo known for their underground hit “Crocodile Tears,” released as a one-off single in 1981. That particular track also appears on this particular 12”, released just a few months later. A handful of singles followed over the next few years, and a full length appeared in 1984. Currently, vocalist Gerry D’Haeyer is in cahoots with Roland Van Campenhout, a Belgian blues artist.

The full length, TV Scape is available on Mutant Sounds, while 7” From the Underground has featured their debut single.

1. Such a Liar
2. Crocodile Tears
3. Yack Yack

*DOWNLOAD ALL FOUR RELEASES HERE*

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Daily Fauli- Fauli Til Dauli LP

Posted in 1980s, 1983, Daily Fauli, denmark, experimental, minimal, minimal synth, Søren Fauli on February 6, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a rare experimental/minimal treat to start your weekend, ladies and gents. Little information available about Daily Fauli, but this lone record, released in 1983 on Gry Records, is a minimal synth gem, through and through. Hailing from Denmark, Daily Fauli is the one man project of Søren Fauli, who now works exclusively in film.

Naturally, this particular gem is hard to come by on vinyl, fetching rather high prices on most auction sites, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled. It’s pressed on transparent green vinyl to boot, making it an extra rare and unique treat.

Anyway, enough blabbering, here’s the information proper:

Daily Fauli- Fauli Til Dauli LP
1. Bus
2. Out of Sync
3. Bird
4. Zoo 2
5. Hard Kogt 1
6. No 1 On 2
7. Nobody Home
8. Speed
9. Hard Kogt 2
10. Swinet

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED – please pick up an official copy of the reissue via Minimal Wave!

Have a good weekend, ducklings!

21 Comments »

East Wall- Eyes of Glass 12” & Silence LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, 1990s, 1991, darkwave, italian, italo disco, minimal, synthpop on January 28, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s post contains the entire discography for Italian minimal/electro/disco act East Wall, featuring the efforts of Fabrizio Chiari (previously involved with Kirlian Camera) on synthesizers and electronics and Wilma Notari on synths and vocals. Their initial 12”, 1985’s Eyes of Glass is a perfect slice of jagged minimal synth with a slight italo lean, while their 1991 lp Silence is a bit darker in spots, but equally catchy- possibly the closest thing to darkwave freestyle that exists!  Either way, both releases are club ready staples just itching to pack the dancefloor.

Without any further ado, here’s the download information for both releases. Enjoy!

East Wall- Eyes of Glass 12”
1. Eyes of Glass (vocal)
2. Eyes of Glass (instrumental)

East Wall- Silence
1. Silence
2. Ice Of Fire
3. Twenty Five Sunsets Before Dawn
4. Angelo
5. Blue
6. Privacy
7. Twenty Seven

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – both of these essentials have been reissued by Dark Entries Records.

17 Comments »

Units- Digital Stimulation LP

Posted in 1980, 1980s, minimal, synth, synthpunk, Units, wave on January 5, 2009 by Frankie Teardrop

I originally touched on San Francisco synthpunk legends Units back in July 2006, so let’s flesh that post out a little bit with their lone full length release, 1980’s Digital Stimulation, which features a rerecorded version of ‘Warm Moving Bodies.’ The original version can be nabbed from the 2006 overview post, alongside a more detailed profile of the band. Otherwise, here’s the info proper:

1. High Pressure Days
2. Digital Stimulation
3. Warm Moving Bodies
4. Go
5. Mission
6. Cannibals
7. Bugboy
8. Tight Fit
9. Passion Or Patterns
10. Town By The River
11. Cowboy

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – reissued via Furturismo!

14 Comments »

Starter- Start CD-R

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 2004, minimal, swiss, synth, wave on December 29, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

The following upload comes as a request, and features Swiss minimal synth band Starter’s entire discography. Starter formed in 1981 as a three piece, led by Francis Foss, who remained the only original member after a personnel switch in 1985.

Starter would release one LP in 1981, followed by several 12” releases throughout the late eighties, calling it quits in 1989. Francis Foss was also active in Shy Rose, a Swiss Italo Disco act who released a handful of singles.

In 2004, Topfuel Entertainment collected Starter’s discography and released it as an extremely limited CD-R pressing, sold alongside a DVD of various live performances over the years. Only sixty copies of this fine release exist, and I’ve had my eyes peeled for ages. Snap one up if you see it! Otherwise, here’s the information for the CD-R portion.

Starter- Start CD-R
1. Lunapark
2. Is This Love
3. Minijupe
4. Baby
5. Plastic
6. Tanger
7. Tarzan And Jane
8. Machinedrum
9. Part Of You
10. Victim
11. My Love
12. Night By Night
13. Cause I Love You
14. Victim Of The Beat

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – ATTENTION, dear readers- you can now get a remastered copy of this LP via the always excellent DARK ENTRIES label, an awesome reissue label based out of the west coast. Click here for more info!

Though I have yet to find an original copy of this release, a generous party has uploaded a video from the DVD-R portion, so please click below to view live performances of both Lunapark and Minijupe from 1982:

————-

20 Comments »

A Popular History of Signs- Taste LP

Posted in 1980s, 1987, a popular history of signs, minimal, synth, uk on December 15, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

A request for today, ladies and gentlemen. This post contains London based minimal synth/new wave band A Popular History of Signs and their 1987 singles collection, Taste.

The three-piece outfit (centering around Andrew Jarman on bass/vocals, Peter Scammell on keyboards, and Paul Clarke on percussion) released their first 7” record in 1980, and ended with this compilation and their final LP, 1988’s England in the Rain (which featured a slightly expanded lineup and a more pop-oriented approach).

Though the band never earned a huge following, they remained a cult favorite, attracting the attention of Ministry’s Al Jourgenson, who remixed both ‘Ladder Jack’ and ‘House,’ both versions which appear below. The rest of the compilation tracks appeared originally as 7” and 12” releases over the course of the 1980s.

Andrew Jarman is now flying solo under the Southern Arts Society moniker, recording and playing to date.

A Popular History of Signs- Taste LP
1. Crowds
2. Justice Not Vengeance
3. Dancing With Ideas
4. Stigma
5. Art Of Persuasion
6. If She Was A Car
7. Ladder Jack
8. Trapped
9. Body And Soul
10. House
11. Rock & Roll (Velvet Underground cover)
12. Run Through The Jungle (John Fogerty cover)

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – reissued on all your favorite digital media outlets!

6 Comments »

Rational Youth- Cold War Night Life CD

Posted in 1980s, 1982, 2000s, canadian, minimal, rational youth, synth, synthpop on December 9, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Second post for today, ladies and gents. Feeling a bit productive today. Below lies a recent favorite of mine, making its way into my latest DJ sets.

The Canadian synthpop/minimal wave band Rational Youth began in 1981 as a duo. Members Tracy Howe (ex-Heaven 17/Men Without Hats) and Bill Vorn released several singles and their debut record, Cold War Night Life in 1982. Soon after the record was released, Bill Vorn departed, marking the beginning of several lineup shifts that would occur over the following years. Several EPs and one more full length (1985’s Heredity, more of a Howe solo record under label intervention) followed before Howe retired the name for almost a decade.

In 1997, Howe reactivated Rational Youth, releasing one more record and touring for four years before playing their final show in 2001. Bill Vorn would join Tracy for the very first show, but could not return to the band full time, instead choosing to persue his interactive robotic work.

Uploaded below is the original Rational Youth LP, Cold War Night Life, released in 1982 by the original two-man lineup. This album was re-released in 1997 on CD with a few 12” bonus tracks, also generously uploaded below.

Rational Youth- Cold War Night Life CD
1. Close To Nature
2. Beware The Fly
3. Saturdays In Silesia
4. Just A Sound In The Night
5. Le Meilleur Des Mondes
6. Ring The Bells
7. City Of Night
8. Dancing On The Berlin Wall
9. Power Zone
10. I Want To See The Light
11. Coboloid Race

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – mp3s now available through your favorite digital outlets!

11 Comments »

1000 Ohm- A.G.N.E.S. 12” & Love In Motion 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1984, Belgian, minimal, synth, wave on October 15, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Back to the grind, ladies and gentlemen. Just recently married, I haven’t had much time to think about posting, but now that the dust has settled, let’s get this blog back up and running. I’m still aiming for a twice a week goal for now, so let’s see how that goes.

Today’s band is 1000 Ohm, a two man Belgian minimal synth project formed in 1979. Originally, 1000 Ohm was the brainchild of Frank Van Bogaert, but as the outfit continued into the 1980s, Johan Van Herck joined in to flesh out the band’s sound, joined by an unnamed third member for live shows (if anyone knows the third member’s name, please chime in). The first release uploaded today, the 1981 A.G.N.E.S. 12”, features just Frank at the helm, while Van Herck joined in time for 1984’s Love In Motion 12”.

The duo split in 1987 after several more 12” singles (including ‘The Claim’ a shameless synthpop jam), and Van Bogaert went on to produce several local artists before purchasing ACE studios in Antwerp. As the nineties came to a close, Frank began to release a series of his own organic synth recordings, some of which have won German awards. He still records to this day.

Without any further adieu, here’s the info for these two synth-pop gems:

1000 Ohm- A.G.N.E.S. 12”
1. A.G.N.E.S.
2. A.G.N.E.S. (2nd mix)
3. Look Around

1000 Ohm- Love In Motion 12”
1. Love In Motion
2. Love In Motion (Instrumental)

*download them here*

6 Comments »

Experimental Products- Prototype LP

Posted in 1980s, 1982, experimental products, minimal, minimal synth, philadelphia, reissued, synth, US on September 29, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Experimental Products were a two-man minimal synth project who formed in Delaware in 1982, but operated heavily out of Philadelphia, PA. By the time the group disbanded in 1987, they had expanded to four members and had released one full length LP and a handful of 12” records of pioneering electro-wave greatness. Mark Wilde and Michael Gross remained the core members of the band until their demise.

Uploaded below is their lone LP, 1982’s Prototype, originally released on Short Circuit Records.

Experimental Products- Prototype LP
1. Modern Living
2. Sweet Rejection
3. New Project
4. Feeling Left Out
5. Nightmares I
6. The Addict
7. Anesthetic
8. Streetwalk
9. Clear Image
10. Nightmares II

*download it here*

Vinyl on Demand has remastered and reissued this classic record just this year, an expanded edition with an extra vinyl disc of live/unreleased material! Check it out and make sure you pick up a copy and trash these mp3s if you dig it! Also, click below for a myspace page for Experimental Products:

Vinyl on Demand
Experimental Products on myspace

9 Comments »

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