Archive for the uk Category

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Negatives In Colour- Caught In Possession 7”

Posted in 1982, negatives in colour, new wave, post-punk, power pop, uk on August 12, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s the lone 7” from Negatives In Colour, a new wave band from the UK. The single is a donation from the great bx59cppw, and comes complete with the blessing of Peter Fenwick, the band’s drummer.

Unlike many of the bands featured here at Systems of Romance, there’s actually quite a bit of information to be found about the band, thanks to a new website and reverbnation page, which features several unreleased tracks. To briefly paraphrase, this five piece outfit formed in 1982, enjoying some nice exposure thanks to a BBC Oxford Roadshow appearance alongside Duran Duran, at the peak of their powers in 1983. This particular single earned a bit of success on The Tube, a program on Channel 4. The band split after a brief lineup change, but I’m told that Peter and Roland Rands are still playing together in a covers band.

One other track was officially released on the One Giant Leap compilation in 1983, which fetches some pretty crazy prices when it appears. You can find that one on the first edition of the Crispy Nuggets various artists comps.. Peter also tells me that the BBC Oxford session tracks have been made available for download here, so be sure to snag those as well. I’m particularly fond of “Shadow Walk.”

Here’s the info for the 7”:

Negatives In Colour- Caught In Possession 7”
1. Caught In Possession
2. Every Man

*download it here*

In closing, there may be a one-off reunion appearance of the band in the works for the fall, so if you live in the UK, keep your eyes peeled!

5 Comments »

We Are Going To Eat You- Everywhen LP

Posted in 1980s, 1989, indie, paisley underground, post-punk, uk, we are going to eat you on August 3, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

This one may border conspicuously on 80s indie turf, but it’s been hitting the spot lately as the summer creeps on and my interests turn to more guitar driven tunes.

In all honesty, I’ve had this 1989 LP kicking around for a while now, purchased sealed for a dollar at an upstate NY record fair (other scores included Trisomie 21’s Playing the Pictures and the Winter Hours record I posted ages ago). It took a post over at Kentucky Fried Wave to remind me that I had it lying around, unopened and deserving of a rip.

You can read quite a bit about these guys via Kill Your Pet Puppy, where you can also find their first two 12” EPs and a slew of photos. Pretty much all you could ever want to know about them appears in their writeup, so check it out!

As far as touchstones are concerned, this album does fit in quite nicely with the likes of the 80s paisley underground. Fans of Rain Parade, Winter Hours, early R.E.M., and Game Theory should be familiar with the sounds, which with a female singer in tow, also remind me of Ghost Dance and latter-day Xmal Deutschland. For me, the LP starts pleasantly enough but ends on the stronger side, with tracks such as “If You Believe” and “Her Dreamworld” standing out and giving it a bit of that dark flavor I like so much. Don’t take my word for it, however. Here’s the info:

We Are Going to Eat You- Everywhen LP
1. Photograph
2. Heart In Hand
3. This Conspiracy
4. Each Life A Mystery
5. Glory
6. Ride Upon The Tide
7. Eye To Eye
8. On A Day Like This
9. Just Another One
10. Here Always
11. If You Believe
12. Her Dreamworld

*download it here*

This LP was released on TVT records, which had a series of successful LPs (The KLF, Nine Inch Nails) under their belt. With that in mind, this band earned a bit of commercial attention, and filmed a video for “Each Life a Mystery.” Peep it here:

6 Comments »

Classified Info- Drug Called Love 7”

Posted in 1984, minimal, minimal synth, new wave, synth, synthpop, uk on May 31, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a quirky little minimal synth/new wave gem from the UK, released in 1984. Reminiscent of Home Service/Tone Set. Virtually no information available, as even the label seems off the radar. So, with that in mind we’ll keep this one short and sweet! Here’s the details:

Classified Info- Drug Called Love 7”
1. Drug Called Love
2. Drug Called Love Dub

*download it here*

2 Comments »

U.K. Viva- Mr. Mystery 7”

Posted in 1980, 1980s, minimal, minimal synth, u.k. viva, uk on May 2, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a driving minimal synth single from 1980. A little bit of Buzzcocks/Undertones sound underneath all the electronics, kind of representative of the shift from punk to new wave, so fans of early 1980s synth should find this one to be a real treat.

You may have heard the b-side track on the New Wave Complex series, but the a-side is the standout, at least to my ears. This is the band’s lone release, though another version of the single exists under the name Viva. Likely that there was another band with the same name, so they added the U.K. bit in to differentiate (also see bands like The Chameleons and Charlatans for this sort of treatment). The original Viva 7” was released on Square records, home to an early Aerial FX release, another thematic touchstone for this track. The U.K. Viva edition appeared on Line records, known for pressings of Iggy Pop, Nico, and Smiths singles.

U.K. Viva- Mr. Mystery 7”
1. Mr. Mystery
2. Radio Saviour

*download it here*

1 Comment »

Ahab- Party Girl 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1981, chicken jazz, minimal, minimal synth, uk on April 11, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a 7” from the UK that I can’t seem to get enough of lately. Virtually no info to be had out there on the web, but I do know this record dropped in 1981 via Chicken Jazz, who released several records by The Waterboys. The cover looks a little reminiscent of A-ha’s “Take On Me” video, but the styles are quite different. Here we have what seems to be two one-man minimal synth tracks. The a-side has a bit of a Felt/Eyeless in Gaza-esque vibe to it (a sound I very much enjoy), and features lyrics I’m sure everyone can relate to. The second track (a cover of a classic 70s ballad) is a bit more driving, but still has a bit of sadness behind the uptempo melody. All in all, an excellent obscurity to kick off your week!

Ahab- Party Girl 7”
1. Party Girl
2. Don’t Give Up On Us

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 6.4.13)

11 Comments »

Jih- This Gift 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1986, jih, new wave, post-punk, synth, synthpop, uk on February 19, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a long lost 12” from Jih, a new wave band from the UK. While their full length LP was shared here, there also are a few 12” singles kicking around. This one was released in 1986, the same year as the LP.

In true 12” fashion, the version of “This Gift” on this record is different than the LP version, extended by a few minutes or so. I do believe the version of “The Shadow to Fall” is identical, though. Here’s the rundown:

Jih- This Gift 12”
1. This Gift
2. This Boy
3. Shadow to Fall

*download it here*

8 Comments »

Hang the Dance- Ghost Bloody Country LP

Posted in 1980s, 1988, goth-rock, hang the dance, post-punk, synth, uk on February 16, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

February seems to be a very post-punk month for Systems of Romance thus far. With that in mind here’s an excellent LP from the UK which I discovered in a local record bin for just a few dollars. A random purchase, selected on the strength of the cover and a quick turntable preview. Some awesome sounds here, reminiscent of Southern/Death Cult, but with clear, catchy synth lines on a handful of the tracks. Fans of bands such as Play Dead, Into A Circle, Snake Corps, and the Situation Two sound should really enjoy this one.

This appears to be the band’s only full length LP, though three singles were released around the same time. While there isn’t a lot of information about the band themselves, many gigographies include shows with the band over the years. Most notably, member Roman Remeynes sparked some controversy when calling in about the Ukranian John Peel Sessions performed by The Wedding Present. Fluent in Ukranian, Remeynes playfully stated that the band was ‘bastardizing the music.’ He was then invited to join in for the second peel session!

Here’s the info:

Hang the Dance- Ghost Bloody Country LP
1. Enfold
2. On the Waterfront
3. Babysitter
4. Horseflesh
5. Ghost Bloody Country
6. Host
7. Mahogany Day
8. Slate Detail
9. Look At Heaven
10. Some Sacred Ground

*download it here* (Re-ripped 8.13.17)

7 Comments »

Sanity Plexus- Redux

Posted in 1980s, 1990, 1990s, 1991, manchester, post-punk, Sanity Plexus, Sexus, uk on February 9, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

It’s been a long eight months, but I’ve since tracked down the remaining Sanity Plexus discography, consisting of a 12” and a full length LP. While the band taps into a little more production value here, there’s still the raw, DIY aesthetic throughout both releases that appeals. Fans of raw post-punk and indie rock with hard-hitting minimal drum programming should find lots to love here. Synth fans will especially dig the LP, which features arpeggiated keyboard lines and string pads to flesh out the sound a bit further than the two previous releases.

Both of these records were released on the same label as the debut 12”, which you can nab here if you missed it. Without any further ado, here’s the info:

Sanity Plexus- Tough Guy Shell 12” (1990)
1. Tough Guy Shell
2. Career Boys
3. Ambassador of Angst
4. The Pleasure Utensils

Sanity Plexus- Fidelity LP (1991)
1. It’s Not What You Think
2. Fatty Takes A Flyer
3. You Never Can Tell
4. Malevolent Angel
5. Big Chill
6. Why I Don’t Dance
7. Ozone-Friendly Boyfriend
8. Slice Of Life
9. Pop
10. Scandal In A Small Town

*download both here* (reuploaded @320kbps on 8.30.16)

2 Comments »

Troops For Tomorrow- Songs of Joy & Faith 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1982, furyo, gene loves jezebel, portion control, post-punk, troops for tomorrow, uk on February 3, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s a killer post-punk 7” from 1982, released on Portion Control’s Rhythmic Records. The band hailed from the UK and this is their only release, though Albie De Luca of Gene Loves Jezebel/Furyo was a member. Definitely a must for fans of (early) New Order and Modern English. Coincidentally, members of Modern English produced this one. Otherwise, gloomy vox and punchy rhythms make this one a must for all fans of this kind of sound!

Troops For Tomorrow- Songs of Joy & Faith 7”
1. Songs Of Joy & Faith
2. The Prisoner

*download it here* (RE-RIPPED 6.4.13)

10 Comments »

Dorian Gray- Promise of Love 7”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, dorian gray, post-punk, uk on January 13, 2011 by Frankie Teardrop

Picked this 7” from 1985 up at one of my favorite NYC record shops, the newly unveiled Heaven Street Records in Greenpoint. Bears no relation to either the Dorian Gray posted here, or the Dorian Grey posted here, though both are worth checking out as well. Seems to be a popular name for those in the pre-Google age!

What we have here are two tracks from the UK wave scene that strike a balance between Into a Circle and Crocodiles-era Echo and the Bunnymen. Not shocking to hear the band once supported Gene Loves Jezebel, as there’s a melodic post-punk vibe running through this single. The b-side is a more percussive and groove-oriented remix of the title track, for those who appreciate that sort of thing. Dig it:

Dorian Gray- Promise of Love 7”
1. Promise Of Love
2. Miles Away

*download it here*

There’s another 12” from 1986 out there, priced a little higher than this 7”. Hope to snag and share that one sometime soon, so stay tuned. There’s also a video for ‘Promise of Love’ kicking around on YouTube, linked for your viewing pleasure:

4 Comments »

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