Archive for the minimal Category

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Fall of Saigon- Fall of Saigon 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1983, fall of saigon, french, minimal, pascal comelade on April 17, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Uploaded this for a friend this morning, and figured I’d share it here as well. Linked below is the lone release by French minimal pop project Fall of Saigon, who walked in similar territory as the classic Young Marble Giants. Think very minimal drum machine patterns, scattered bass and guitar, toy pianos, and direct vocals, both male and female.

This 12” was released in 1983, and information about it and respective collaborators is scarce, with the exception of Pascal Comelade, who remains a prominent French musician to this day. His own works consist of wild instrumental pieces (some of which tread similar sonic territory as the Fall of Saigon material), while his collaborations span genres, including work with Faust and PJ Harvey.

Fall of Saigon- Fall of Saigon 12”
1. Visions
2. Blue Eyes
3. She Leaves Me All Alone
4. So Long
5. On The Beach At Fontana
6. The Swimmer

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* Click here to purchase a reissue of these tracks (and more) from Gazul/Musea Records.  Vinyl also available via Dark Entries records!

I’ve been trying to track down some of your most recent requests…However, I’m unable to find the specific records some of you have asked for. Mostly, I’ve tracked down a few Guerre Froide releases, but not the Cicatrice cassette. Stay tuned for some of the other requests tomorrow/next week.

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Borghesia- Ljubav Je Hladnija Od Smrti LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, 1990s, borghesia, ebm, minimal, slovenia on April 16, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Borghesia were a Slovenic electronic/wave band, formed from an existing theatre group in 1982. Both their performances and music touched on repressed themes and taboo subjects, combining this content with a dark synthetic backdrop. They were lumped in with the budding EBM (electronic body music) movement, yet their first record has more in common with the minimal wave sound.

Over the course of thirteen years, Borghesia developed a substantial cult following in Europe, appearing on festival bills and obtaining distribution through Wax Trax records. The original five piece outfit would shift lineups before splitting in 1995, with around/over a dozen releases under their belt. Uploaded here today, is the debut record, 1985’s Ljubav Je Hladnija Od Smrti

Borghesia- Ljubav Je Hladnija Od Smrti LP
1. Ljubav Je Hladnija Od Smrti
2. A.R.
3. Kdo Je Ugasnil Luc
4. Brisk Vomit
5. Jaz (Pesem B)
6. On
7. Nocne Setnje
8. Previse Tenzije
9. Tako Mladi
10. Ljubav Je Hladnija Od Smrti II

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – 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!

For your viewing pleasure, the promotional video for ‘A.R.’:

For more info on Borghesia, click the following two links:

discography
myspace

4 Comments »

Absolute Body Control- S/T cassette

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 2000s, absolute body control, Belgian, minimal, the klinik on April 9, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Ok kids, as promised, here’s another Absolute Body Control release to usher in my week-long hiatus. This one seems to be their first cassette release, a 1981 self-titled effort. Without any further ado, let’s hop right in:

Absolute Body Control- Absolute Body Control cassette
1. Weaving Hands
2. Touch Your Skin
3. Baby’s On Fire (Brian Eno cover)
4. So Obvious
5. Total Control
6. A Broken Dream
7. Do You Feel It Inside
8. Game For A Laugh
9. Shake

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – this has been reissued on both LP and digital! Seek it out!

In case you missed it, the previous Absolute Body Control post can be found here. Otherwise, stay tuned until next week, and feel free to drop any requests in the meanwhile.

11 Comments »

Bene Gesserit- A High, Happy, Perverse, and Cynical Cry of Joy LP

Posted in 1980s, 1984, alain neffe, Belgian, bene gesserit, experimental, industrial, minimal, minimal synth on April 7, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

This one’s an old favorite of mine. Today’s post features an experimental/minimal band from Belgium named Bene Gesserit and their first record A High, Happy, Perverse, and Cynical Cry of Joy, released in 1984.

Taking their name from a religious race of humans from Frank Herbert’s Dune series, Bene Gesserit was formed in 1981 by Alain Neffe, a pioneer in the Belgian industrial scene. Joined by Nadine Bal, the pair would record a series of live cassettes and three records under psuedonyms (B. Ghoula and Benedict G., respectively). Their sound combined both the experimental edge of industrial music and the slick synthesized sound of minimal synth, a curious and innovative hybrid that earned the band a decent following and cult status to this day.

Though the band split after releasing their third record, Alain would remain active in such outfits as Human Flesh, Cortex, I Scream, and Pseudo-Code. You can nab another one of their records from Mutant Sounds by clicking here. Otherwise, here’s the info for Bene Gesserit’s first release:

Bene Gesserit- A High, Happy, Perverse, and Cynical Cry of Joy LP
1. She Is Walking
2. Japanese Song
3. Enfants Des Rues
4. Pravda
5. Nuit Et Chuchotements
6. Strange Strangers (In The Night)
7. Clear Blue Smile
8. Walt’s Waltz
9. Tonight
10. Désirs-Délires
11. Kitchen Music (For Kitchen People)
12. Existentialisme
13. No Rule For A Dream : Bali
14. Tourdorizonmuzikal (C’est Ça)
15. La Brabançonne (Belgian National Anthem)

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* Official CD reissue coming March 2012 via EE Tapes.

The band has both an official site and a myspace page, but both are entirely in French. For anyone fluent or otherwise curious:

Official Page
Myspace Page

On a previous note, anyone who downloaded Absolute Body Control’s Numbers should check back again, for I originally only had the first side of the cassette uploaded. The new link should now consist of both tape sides…

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Absolute Body Control- Numbers K7

Posted in 1980s, 1982, 2000s, absolute body control, Belgian, minimal, new wave, the klinik on April 4, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s some classic cream-of-the-crop minimal synth to wrap up this week, especially relevant as this band has just reactivated and is playing in the US this very moment.

I’ve uploaded a rare cassette release by Belgian act Absolute Body Control, whose origins date back to early 1980. The band featured a slightly rotating lineup throughout their early years, driven by Dirk Ivans. Pairing down from a three piece, the main contributors are Dirk and Eric van Wonterghem, a fan who joined shortly after the band released its first single. Absolute Body Control were among the first wave of Belgian electronic acts, and they developed a substantial cult following both on record and on stage.

In 1984, Dirk formed the Klinik, yet Absolute Body Control continued releasing cassettes until 1993, which saw the release of their lone compact disc, Eat This. The band was mostly inactive even before that and officially folded just after its release. However, demand in the new millennium led to several reissues of the band’s back catalog as well as several live festival appearances. Just recently A.B.C. took to the studio to re-record 13 of their best tracks, released as the Wind(re)Wind LP. An EP of new material was also released this year, and both will be available to purchase through iTunes and Amazon by June, though CD copies are now for sale through various outlets.

This featured release dates back to a 1982 cassette issue. Unlike the majority of their output, Numbers is exclusively instrumental, and each track is simply titled in numeric order (though original tracklistings are simply labeled “part one” and “part two” respectively). On that note, pardon the obvious lack of tracklisting. Without any further ado:

Absolute Body Control- Numbers K7

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* – reissued as a digital release via Bandcamp!

I’m ashamed to admit that I’ll be missing tonight’s NYC gig, as I’ll be playing one of my own, but if you’re hip to it, drop on by the Music Hall of Williamsburg, if you aren’t coming to see us, that is. Otherwise, The band will be playing Saturday, April 5th in Los Angeles before flying back to Europe for some appearances. For all relevant information, click below:

Absolute Body Control on Myspace

and finally, a quick heads up: starting late next week, Systems of Romance will be offline for a spell while I’ll be kicking around New Orleans. However, this coming Wednesday, I will make it a point to upload another A.B.C. release with vocals to sweetly make up for the inactivity…

6 Comments »

Linear Movement- Pulse Music LP

Posted in 1980s, 1983, autumn, linear movement, minimal, synth, twilight ritual on March 31, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop


Here’s an offshoot of this month’s post on Autumn. Ever-changing in both style and sound, Peter Bonne broke off from the Autumn project and briefly formed Linear Movement as an outlet for his newest material. These tracks are more song-oriented than the soundtrack-esque and experimental sound of Autumn’s early material, but are equally well-crafted. The record features both male and female vocals and contributions by Peter Koutstaal and Lieve Van Steerteghem.

This is the lone Linear Movement release, for the project spanned but two years before Peter re-joined with Geert Coppens to form Twilight Ritual. It was originally released on cassette in 1983 and re-released on CD through Micrart.com.

Without any further ado, here’s the details:

Linear Movement- Pulse Music LP
1. To Another Soul
2. Cytogenetic Movement
3. Five Faces
4. Due To You
5. Don’t Try To Trick Me
6. Way Out Of Living
7. You Won
8. The Linear Way
9. Magical Melody
10. The Other Way Round

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* Visit Micart to purchase these mp3s properly:
Micrart dot com

6 Comments »

Grauzone- Die Sunrise Tapes LP

Posted in 1991, grauzone, minimal, NDW, new wave, swiss, synth on March 30, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

A quick lazy Sunday post…I’ve had this one uploaded on divshare for a few months now, but forgot to post it here for everyone to enjoy. For a full writeup on Grauzone, see this post here, and otherwise, enjoy this classic Swiss minimal collection, released in 1998 and compiling Grauzone’s studio output.

Grauzone- Die Sunrise Tapes LP
1. Film 2
2. Eisbar
3. Hinter Den Bergen
4. Maikafer Flieg
5. Marmelade Und Himbeereis
6. Wutendes Glas
7. Kalte Kriecht
8. Kunstgewerbe
9. Der Weg Zu Zweit
10. In Der Nacht
11. Traume Mit Mir
12. Ich Und Du
13. Moskau
14. Ich Lieb Sie
15. Schlachtet
16. Raum

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED*- Full Grauzone discography has been reissued as of 2010. Click here to grab a copy from CD Baby.

5 Comments »

Autumn- Experiments With Environments LP

Posted in 1980s, 1982, autumn, Belgian, experimental, minimal, synth, twilight ritual on March 17, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s post features Belgian minimal wave band Autumn’s original 1982 cassette, Experiments With Environments. I’m unable to dig up a ton of information about the band, but the primarily two-piece outfit released countless underground cassette tapes documenting their pioneering and experimental synth work for five years throughout the early 1980s, many of which have only seen the light of day due to recent CD-r releases via collective label Micrart. Just before retiring the name to persue other projects, Autumn would record their own soundtrack to Fritz Lang’s silent classic Metropolis, which was occasionally performed alongside screening’s of the film before an ‘official’ score was made available.

As Autumn changed directions and laid their moniker to rest, members Geert Coppens and Peter Bonne would find some more success as members of Twilight Ritual, while Peter would also work as Linear Movement a short period of time.

Here are the details for the Experiments With Environments release:

Autumn- Experiments With Environments
1. Ocilado Q
2. Memories
3. Twilight World Part 1
4. Towards Tokio Part 1
5. Reach You From Behind My Walls
6. I Still Care
7. Gardens
8. Friday
9. Mystery Screen
10. Twilight World Part 2
11. My New Friend
12. PSI, A Destiny Experience
13. Metal Dream
14. The Posession L
15. 7.49
16. Towards Tokio Part 2
17. Experiments With Environments
18. Pale Mist Meditation
19. Delayed Mind Creation

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED* Mp3s available via iTunes music store and Micart:
Micrart dot com

8 Comments »

Ruth- Polaroïd/Roman/Photo LP

Posted in 1980s, 1985, coldwave, french, minimal, ruth, synth on March 13, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

Ruth were an incredibly short lived French synth/coldwave project, combining the efforts of solo artist Thierry Müller and members Philippe Doray and Ruth Ellyeri. The band formed in the mid-80s and released one full-length lp, 1985’s Polaroïd/Roman/Photo before parting ways. Müller would explore graphic arts and soon after would continue his solo work and form a new synth/experimental project entitled Ilitch, which is still active to this day.

In 2007, two early Ruth recordings were uncovered and released as a lone 7”, expanding their scant discography. Since its release, the title track has been compiled several times over on various French wave discs, bringing Ruth’s semi-obscurity to a head as a classic of the genre. A subsequent re-release of their debut album on CD through Fractal Records (sadly out of print at this point) compiled a handful of exclusive remixes, all of which are included with today’s download. Without any further ado, the details:

Ruth- Polaroïd/Roman/Photo LP
1. Thriller
2. Polaroïd/Roman/Photo
3. She Brings The Rain
4. Misty Mouse
5. Mabelle
6. Mots
7. Tu M’Ennuies
8. Polaroïd/Roman/Photo (Cotton Wool Mix, 1984)
9. Sans Mots (L’Orchestre Inachevé, Remix 2001)
10. Polaroïd/Roman/Photo (Instrumental First Mix, 1982)

*LINK REMOVED*— purchase reissues from:
Angular (LP)
Infrastition (CD)

For some further information on Ruth, but moreso to learn more about Thierry Müller’s current work with Ilitch, click below:

Ilitch music
Myspace tribute to Ruth

24 Comments »

Christof Glowalla- Complete Works LP

Posted in 1980s, Christof Glowalla, german, minimal, NDW, synth, wave on March 5, 2008 by Frankie Teardrop

I am frustratingly hard-pressed to find a sufficient amount of information about today’s artist, Christof Glowalla, a minimal synth/NDW outfit from Germany. I’m even having difficulty pinning down a proper image of the act, aside from various sketches in this vein. Though seemingly a one man outfit, the ‘official’ myspace page clues in on a few other collaborators, though their roles are undisclosed. Certain other records indicate one lone release, a 1980 7” single limited to 1000 copies, but I’ve unearthed and uploaded a one disc collection of completed works, which include a handful of other tracks recorded throughout the 1980s, which most likely appeared on other under-the-radar 7” singles.

That all said, if anyone has any further information on Christof, past OR present, please send it my way. Otherwise, without any further delay, the details:

Christof Glowalla- Complete Works LP
1. Erde 80
2. Technik
3. Science Fiction
4. Der Bose
5. Smog In Der Stadt
6. In Der Zukunft
7. Gift Fur Alle
8. Die Liebe
9. Armer Heino
10. Traum
11. Bauernkrieg
12. ABC
13. Delirium

*download it here*

For a peek at that myspace page, click below:

Christof Glowalla on myspace

5 Comments »

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