Archive for the minimal Category

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Superdude- Face the Music 7”

Posted in 1980s, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, New York, new york city, superdude, synthpop, US on August 7, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Apologies in advance for being sparse this summer and completely missing my official ten year anniversary! With that in mind, I’d love to offer up a few posts today, starting with an excellent slice of minimal synthpop- extremely rare and incredibly catchy- just the way you all love it.

Superdude was a pseudonym for NYC-based musician John Pergamo, who wrote the track with his brother Anthony. It was released in 1983 on Ace Records, which looks to be Pergamo’s own imprint, judging from the various latter-day Superdude releases that appeared. This is Superdude’s only release in the 80s, though it looks like he kept the synthpop feel for some of his later releases, though I haven’t heard them to confirm.

That said, please enjoy this little slice of electro-pop heaven, backed with an instrumental cut of the track!

Superdude- Face the Music 7”
1. Face the Music (Vocal)
2. Face the Music (Sound Track)

*download it here*

3 Comments »

Various Artists- Faces and Images LP

Posted in 1990s, 1991, ebm, minimal, minimal synth, Schmaalhans Weltraumm, swedish, synth, synthpop on January 23, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Straight out of the mailbox, onto the turntable, and to your ears all within the span of a weekend, here’s a rip of the wonderful Faces & Images compilation, which features a slew of lo-fi EBM, synthpop, and minimal treats.

This comp. hails from Sweden and was released in 1991 on Limur, who also released the Schmaalhans Weltraum 7”. Their signature track appears here, as well as an amazing lo-fi synthpop cut from Sidewalk Cindy. Other highlights include the Bites-esque band + Christ (their only known track), Kiethevez’s “Female Trouble” (which is heavily indebted to Depeche Mode’s pre-Music For the Masses era), Art Domination’s “Remember,” which channels D.A.F.’s electro period, and the killer Pet Cemetery tune “Set Right All Right,” which also owes a lot to early Skinny Puppy. There are also a few experimental cuts by Grönlandsbruttan and Verschwende Deine Jugend, which remind me of Factrix and a more out there Nitzer Ebb, respectfully.

Despite all the traceable influences and genres, there’s not really a dud on this comp., so please press play and enjoy!

Various Artists- Faces and Images LP
1. The Outcast- White Coat Compassion
2. Boiling Brain- Real World
3. + Christ- Filtering Vision
4. Grönlandsbruttan- Häxans Otäcka Dröm
5. Kiethevez- Female Terror
6. Schmaalhans Weltraum- Montagne De Boeuf
7. Pet Cemetery- Set Right All Right
8. Sidewalk Cindy- A Hundred Things To Say
9. Verschwende Deine Jugend- Source Of Conflict
10. Art Domination- Remember

*download it here*

5 Comments »

Scatterbrains- Musical Marriage

Posted in 12'', 1980s, 1983, krautrock, minimal, minimal synth, netherlands, new wave, scatterbrains on April 12, 2016 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a short 12” from the Netherlands that I’ve been dying to hear in full for some time. Some folks may recall hearing “Silly Earth”- a bleak minimal synth standout, on a previous SOR mix, but a full rip of this otherwise pricey 12” has been hard to come by. Those expecting to hear more in the lines of “Silly Earth” may be a bit disappointed by this record’s more kraut/avant-garde feel, but fans of the more raw and experimental side of the spectrum (including bands such as Vita Noctis and Fall of Saigon) should adore this one on all levels.

Wish I could tell you more about this one, but there’s not much to report. I’ll let the music speak for itself…

Scatterbrains- Musical Marriage
1. Song For
2. Musical Marriage
3. Lopen
4. Mij-Konos
5. Silly Earth
6. Scatterbrains
7. Fragma
8. Vanerm

*download it here*

8 Comments »

Moral- Dance of the Dolls K7

Posted in 1980s, 1981, denmark, minimal, minimal synth, moral on November 26, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a Danish treasure in cassette form. This is the first release from Moral, a female fronted, minimal synth three piece featuring primarily 606 & DR55 driven drum tracks, angular guitar, and sparse melodic synth alongside melodic female vocals. Their second cassette, the excellent Whispering Sons, can be found on the No Longer Forgotten Music blog. The band has also reissued their debut LP And Life Is, on CD with a handful of bonus tracks. They also made an appearance on the amazing Somewhere Outside compilation (and speaking of which, you can expect a post from Næste Uges TV to come in the very near future).

However, I’ve yet to see this tape posted in full, so this should be the final piece of the Moral puzzle. It was released in 1981 on Kubus Kassettes, an industrial and experimental cassette label run by Rob Smit. Moral, despite walking a fine line between hauntingly beautiful synth/guitar-based songs and ambient sound structures, were likely one of the “catchier” bands on the label. Fans of bands like The Vyllies, Vita Noctis, and even early Chris and Cosey should find lots to love here…

R-1383626-1214932622

Moral- Dance of the Dolls K7
1. Alone
2. I – My Enemy
3. Involuntary PositionI
4. A Break In The
5. Encyst Yourself
6. Dance Of The Dolls

*download it here*

5 Comments »

The Limp- Marked Man 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1981, australia, australian, m squared, minimal, pel mel, post-punk, scattered order, the limp on August 4, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s an excellent and incredibly rare post-punk 7” from 1981.  The Limp were from Australia and have ties to Scattered Order and Pel Mel, sharing many of the same members including guitarist Craig Robertson and drummer Dave Weston.  Vocalist/saxophonist Judy McGee was also in Pel Mel, splitting vocal duties with Graeme Dunne.  There’s some personnel differences between both Pel Mel and The Limp, but both bands sound very similar, the result of McGee’s moody vocals and otherwise post-punk aesthetics, though The Limp appear to be a little darker and moodier in contrast to Pel Mel’s angular and energetic take.  Both bands have played a handful of shows in 2012 as the Pel Mel Organisation, performing songs by both bands.

This is the Limp’s second 7”, the first being even more difficult to track down, self-released in a run of 100 copies with no picture sleeve.  “Marked Man” appeared on Primate Records, which also released the first Pel Mel 7” in the same year.  Otherwise, a handful of Limp tracks appeared on various compilations, including the One Stop Shopping K7 and the infamous M Squared studio/label compilation A Selection.  “Pony Club” was re-compiled on the excellent Can’t Stop It! compilation, which spans Australia’s fertile post-punk scene from 1979-1982.  The title track (my favorite on this 7”) also appears on the 5th CD-R tribute to Some Bizarre, which as with the Tribute to Flexi-pop bootlegs, is an excellent gateway to many obscure relics.

The Limp- Marked Man 7”
1. Marked Man
2. Ghost Train
3. Humans Beware

*download it here*

6 Comments »

Eirin Peryglus- Bronson 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1987, eirin peryglus, minimal, minimal synth, synth, synthpop, uk, wales, welsh on June 27, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s an old favorite that the postman just dropped off at my door the other day, so I thought I’d celebrate with a fresh rip of this Welsh synthpop classic.  Released in 1987, this is the first of five releases by the band, and my favorite that I’ve heard to date.   Seriously, the A-side is the perfect mix of powerful female vocals, chorus-heavy guitars, and a rollicking beat, which plenty of synth hooks to keep you coming back for more.  It’s been a regular in my DJ sets for some time, and I’d honestly rank it as one of my all-time favorites, through and through.  The flip is no slouch, either!

Vocalist Fiona Owen was also a member of Plant Bach Ofnus (translation- Timid Little Children), who were a little more on the esoteric side, but no less delightful.  Her husband, Gorwel, was also a member of the project, and the two still make music together to date.

Eirin Peryglus- Bronson 7”
1. Bronson
2. Y Dyn Newydd

*download it here*

4 Comments »

Hymn- Coming Home & Too Many Lies K7s

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1984, coldwave, hymn, minimal, minimal synth, post-punk on April 2, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a generous donation of two rare cassette releases from Hymn, a French coldwave band who released a more well known 12” on Nova Express in 1984.  These two cassettes were recorded shortly before that record, the first of which was self-released in 1983, while the other appeared on Autoproduit a few months before the 12”.  While the band’s trademark Joy Division influence can still be heard here, the instrumentation is more on the minimal synth side of the spectrum, with the classic TR606 providing the backbone to the gloomy, Ian Curtis-esque vocals.  I believe the band was originally a trio, and added a drummer just before recording the 12”.

That said, don’t let the sparse instrumentation and the shorter track length fool you, these tracks are still as cold as ever, and there are just enough guitars in the mix to make things interesting.  Without any further adieu, here’s the info for these two gems:

hymn--coming-home

Hymn- Coming Home K7 (1983)
1. Danger
2. Die For You
3. I Guess
4. I Am The Absolute
5. Shock Of The Dates
6. Comin’ Home
7. Nos Pieds et Nos Têtes

hymn--too-many-lies

Hymn- Too Many Lies K7 (1984)
1. Never Show Me
2. Too Many Lies
3. I Can
4. Give Me
5. Like In My Dreams
6. Surch Me
7. Hymn
8. Hope I Dream
9. Lost World

*download both tapes here*

10 Comments »

The Sensational Creed- Nocturnal Operations 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1981, 1985, 39 lyon street, 7'', billy mackenzie, christine beveridge, jih, minimal, minimal synth, orbidöig, steve reid, synth, synthpop, the associates, the sensational creed on February 26, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

I spent the majority of last year re-ripping a lot of my 7” collection and delicately cleaning up the sound (you can find more evidence of this here), so to tide you over until I finish putting the finishing touches on a new VA compilation, I figured I’d post a few of these here and there.  I’ll have that VA comp up in the next week or two, so stay tuned!

This has always been one of my favorite semi-obscure 7”s, clocking tons of plays and spins over the years.  This single was originally released on Situation Two in 1981 under the name Orbidöig, and this particular version was released in 1985 on Beggars Banquet with an identical track listing (though Down Periscopes has become Down Pericomoscopes for whatever reason. though likely a misprint).  I’m not sure why the band changed their name in general, but Sensational Creed is certainly a little easier to type…  There’s a third Orbidöig/Sensational Creed song on the 12” version of this reissue, a killer instrumental track that clocks in at 10 minutes, but I don’t own a physical copy of the 12”, so I won’t include it here for the time being.

Otherwise, this single has strong Associates connections, with Billy Mackenzie often calling Orbidöig his favorite band, despite their relative obscurity at the time.  The a-side features heavenly vocals from Christine Beveridge, who sang backup on several tracks (and Big Country’s breakthrough!) and also wiggled another “side project” out of the affair under the name 39 Lyon Street, created by Mackensie and Alan Rankine to release a single outside of their contract, with Ms. Beveridge on lead vocals and a properly credited Associates cut on the flip.  Steve Reid was also the second guitarist of the Associates, playing on 1985’s Perhaps after Rankine and Michael Dempsey’s departure three years prior.  It was likely this lineup change that dug this single out of obscurity and prompted a re-release.  Reid also played synths in Nu Shooz and bass on two tracks for Jih.  As if that wasn’t enough, Mackenzie also played tubular bells on the a-side here (though he is incorrectly credited as doing so on the b-side on the sleeve), while he and Mike Hedges (The Cure/Fiction Records) manned the mixing board with Reid.   The result is a killer single that while very Associates-esque in execution, stands on its own as a classic.

There’s another Orbidöig single, released in 1982 under the name Mackenzie sings Orbidöig, which features Billy on vocals and Reid on instruments.   I believe this one is considered an Associates release, taking the lineup changes and timing into consideration, and the track appears on a recent Associates singles collection.

Sensational Creed- Nocturnal Operations 7”
1. Nocturnal Operations
2. Down Pericomoscopes

*download it here*

7 Comments »

Karen Marks- Cold Café 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1981, ash wednesday, australia, australian, karen marks, karen marx, minimal, minimal synth, modern jazz, new wave, the metronomes, thealonian music on February 10, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Winter is continuing to beat me down here in New York, so here’s something as frigid as the weather has been lately. We’ll just ignore the fact that this cold, minimal gem comes from down under, where the temperatures are as warm as the reefs are deadly. I’m also drinking a cup of cold coffee as I drink this, so seems like an apt time to post. Thanks especially to Bruce for ripping his copy of this incredibly scarce single, which I’m told recently sold for over 500 Australian dollars! That’s one expensive cup of coffee…

This particular Australian gem was released in 1981.  The central character here, with a beautifully sad voice is Karen Marks, with The Metronomes/Modern Jazz/Thealonian Music’s Ash Wednesday appearing as a musical partner. He is credited as producer, but also co-wrote the b-side. As for Karen, there’s no information to be found about her, though she did sing backup on Ash’s equally scarce and equally cold but slightly more aggressive Love By Numbers 7” (occasionally credited as Karen Marx). Despite keeping a low profile, she still appears to be in league with Ash, appearing live in 2012 to perform “Love By Numbers” at the Crystal Bowlroom in St. Kilda. Check that out after the download link.

While “Won’t Wear It Too Long” features a more full arrangement and feels like more of an a-side, I go especially nuts for the title track, a melancholy love letter ripe with restrained desperation. That said, both song seem to tell a similar tale of lost love by the television, with a cup of coffee being the central metaphor. No matter which side you prefer, both tracks have that certain je ne sais quoi that makes these kind of singles so cherished, despite how off-the-grid they are.

As far as I understand, this single was issued without a picture sleeve, so all we have is a nondescript center label…

Karen Marks- Cold Café 7”
1. Cold Café
2. Won’t Wear It For Long

*download it here*

As promised, here’s a live performance of Ash Wednesday’s “Love By Numbers” from 2012, with Karen performing her trademark backing vocals:

11 Comments »

Inbase- Christine 12”/7”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, die toten hosen, german, inbase, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, synthpop on January 28, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s another minimal synth classic that I believe has disappeared from the blogosphere, but also wasn’t ever shared in its complete form, as far as I can recall.  You can still hear this track at various clubs across the globe, and it was certainly in regular rotation in my own sets over the years. It also begs the question- who the hell is Christine and why does she have so many songs written about her?

Inbase was a studio project between three German musicians, Andreas Von Holst, Stefan Telegdy, and Herbert Böhme. They recorded this classic single in 1984, chock full of stabby guitar liness, driving electronic drums, and synth hooks at every turn (fans of Xoris Perideraio’s “48 Siopes” or Cinema 90’s “In Ultra Violet” should love this one, too). The single did fairly well at the time, garnering a pantomimed appearance on a German television show (linked below), but I don’t believe the trio ever performed live or recorded any further material together. Böhme would go on to record under several different monikers into the 90s, while I believe Von Holst is still active in Die Toten Hosen (under the name Kuddel), a punk band he joined in 1983.

There are three versions of “Christine” spread across various formats. I’ve included both 12” versions as well as the 7” single mix. I don’t happen to have the 7” instrumental edit, but if I come across it, I’ll be sure to include it in an update. That begs the question however- does anyone truly crave instrumental b-sides? It’s generally an italo phenomenon but I’ve seen it a few other times. I generally don’t listen to them myself, but I’ve always been tempted to make minimal synth/italo karaoke files with the handful of straightforward instrumental mixes I’ve acquired over the years… Any New Yorkers up for this? Anyway, I digress. Here come the downloads:

Inbase- Christine 12”
1. Christine
2. Christine (Instrumental)

bonus- Christine (7” Mix)

*download it here*

As promised, here’s an edited TV appearance of the track:

5 Comments »

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