Rive Gauche - Friends are Friends (1984)

This is a personal favorite from Belgium, one of the best countries for minimal synth wave gems. Perhaps the best part about this 7" is that the vocals are performed by Carol, who you'll remember from the Breakdown/So Low 7" that I posted a while back here. I don't really know who else was involved other than the names listed on the sleeve, which are: Luc, Olivier, Didier, Bernard, and Dimitri. Well, in any case, hats off to the lot of them. The title track is pretty well-known via Tribute To Some Bizzare, but it's mislabeled "Friends and Friends", and frankly mine sounds a lot better. The b-side is certainly no slouch and is not to be missed! Enjoy.

Track List:

A - Friends are Friends
B - Back

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Secret Life - Searching (1985)

How about a 2nd post for the day to make up for the 10-day hiatus. Probably you've heard of Secret Life by now, as they're featured on a handful of ace compilations, including the recent (and great) Underground Belgian Wave Vol 2 on Walhalla Records. Most everything I've heard by them is good, and this 7" hasn't changed that one bit. Sound is something similar to Invisible Limits / Invincible Spirit. Enjoy!

Track List:

A - Searching
B - Aggression

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Project Four - Life After Life (1980)

Here's a pretty interesting 7" from the UK. I'm not entirely sure what genre I'd toss it under, as it's a little bit of a melting pot. A bizarro accumulation of sounds that blend into a rather accessible little gem. Really cool sound for 1980, I think you'll dig it. The sleeve is a foldout and I did my best to scan and piece it together, so don't forget to have a look. Enjoy!

Track List:

A - Life After Life
B - Still Life

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Lister - Aber Das! (1982)

They asked for minimal synth; minimal synth hath been received.

Track List:

A1 - The Bugaloo
A2 - Could I Have Your Autograph?
A3 - The Brown Shoes Incident
A4 - Rapuntzel
A5 - From The Love Nest
A6 - Walk On Water
A7 - Lipstick Moon
A8 - Another Pedestrian
A9 - I Wonder (Dub)
B1 - The Crawling Contest
B2 - Stains
B3 - The Real Star Of The Movie
B4 - I Wonder
B5 - The Third Person
B6 - Rapuntzel (Dub)
B7 - Maybe The Jokeman

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P.S. Stay tuned / Keep it locked / Don't touch that dial

Metropolitan - Bara Du (1982)

A little Swedish synthpop never hurt anyone, so here's a healthy dose. As per usual, almost no info at all to be found about the band. This 7" was released on the Humlan label, which also released this compilation that someone out there should share :-). Enjoy!

Track List:

A - Bara Du
B - La La La

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