Lo-fi Synthpop 4

Deathly Quiet! - The Next Step (1987)

Leave it to The Land Down Under to deliver us this creepy-crawly darkwave record. Not much info to be found on this Aussie band, I'm afraid. The only other release I'm aware of came a decade later in 1996, a self-release CD featuring a collection of home recordings. You can hear a few of those over here on their Myspace page. Phew, Myspace! We're really digging way back, deep into the underground now! Enjoy.

Track List:

A - The Next Step
B - Armageddon-READY

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New Artist: Warmline

Haven't promo'd a new artist in a while, might do a few more of these. Odds are you've heard of Warmline if you follow modern acts via various YouTube channels, but I was really impressed with this release as a whole. Take "Revisiting My Dead Soul", for example. But really the entire thing... fantastic stuff. Check it out!

Joy Before The Storm - Silence Ever After (1985)

This LP has got to be one of the best US minimal synth obscurities. The album art represents the sound rather accurately, like looking through the window of a sad loner, just him and his analog instruments. Hah. The best track is most definitely "We're All Alone", but there are a few other gems littered in there as well. It's been extremely difficult to find any useful information regarding this record, I found some miscellaneous info on another US band by the same name, but there's no evidence they are linked. Info always appreciated. Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - Attic Window
A2 - We're All Alone
A3 - These Things Happen
A4 - We Should Be Closer
A5 - Cheerleader
B1 - Shadow Of A Radio Tower
B2 - Walking On Air
B3 - Quiet Past
B4 - Westchester Siren

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Yön - I Dream (1987)

Here we have a 7" that I consider to be one of the 'holy grails' of US minimal synth/wave. I know that term gets thrown around a lot, but this dark-tinged gem sure seems to qualify. It's extremely rare and I'm not sure too many people are aware of its existence yet. There's no cover sleeve version that I'm aware of, and the band members are listed as "Mr. M/Britain", which for me wasn't very telling. The record was released on Tekno-Wave Records in Texas, which has also been a dead end in my search for further info. I've been quite curious about this one so if anyone out there knows anything please speak up! I'll let the sound speak for itself here, instant winners on both sides. Enjoy!

Track List:

A - I Dream
B - Knowledge

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Leidenschaft - Leidenschaft (1986)

If I'm honest about it, this is perhaps one of my favorite discoveries to date. Every aspect of this obscure tape leaps out and tugs on each of my musical heartstrings. Leidenschaft were a short-lived but highly undervalued duo from France. I don't know very much about the members, other than their first names: Thierry and Denis. I'm completely unsure if either of them ever were involved in any other projects, but they certainly contributed 3 gems here. The best way I can describe this is if you took the best aspects of Xymox and Echo, then added a drop of French coldwave in the mix. That comparison is best noticed in "The Cities Of The Red Night", an immediately club-ready jam. It's tough, but the hit for me has to be "Who Cares?", which thankfully has a video to go along with it (see below). The last track settles down into a slower but quite beautiful ballad. You're going to love this one. Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - Who Cares?
A2 - The Cities Of The Red Night
B1 - A Long Way

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Chanson Deux - Hinter Den Dingen (1986)

Here we have a long sought-after LP from Germany. It contains the well-circulated track "Der Staat" and, not surprisingly, a few other gems. Unfortunately this isn't the best rip, but I tweaked it as well as I could... so it'll have to do for now. Other faves from this one would be "Où", "To Je Pravda", "Je Suis Seule", and "Masse Mensch". I've gotta run for now, have a nice Sunday, everyone. Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - Masse Mensch
A2 - To Je Pravda
A3 - Der Staat
A4 - Mirrors
B1 - Je Suis Seule
B2 - Play For Love
B3 - Où
B4 - Hinter Den Dingen

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L'An III - Les Internés De La Raison (1990)

Ultra obscure self-released tape from France. Very dark and upbeat throughout, with a mix of male and female vocals (always a plus). This is the 2nd (and last?) release by the band, the first of which you can get over here. The discogs entry for this tape has an extra track (hand-written in on the image). Not sure if it was intended to be included, but my copy doesn't have it. Maybe someone can shed some light on the matter. Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - Les Vatours
A2 - No
A3 - Ciel Bleu
A4 - Grida
A5 - Raison
B1 - Mister G
B2 - Place Chinée
B3 - Pas De Ce Monde
B4 - Interdire
B5 - Artistes

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Mørkelagt Bevegelse - A View X Another Victim (1983)

An ultra obscure tape from Norway is what's on the menu for today. This dish is quite tasty on it's own, but has been known to have been served with a side of Lister. That meal may be coming out of the kitchen soon, so save room for more. I think you'll enjoy the flavor, which starts out subtly, but picks up rather nicely around bite 4 and never looks back. Don't try to swallow it all at once, give it time to digest properly. And remember, this is a dish best served cold. Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - Cheers From The Crowd
A2 - Under The 2nd Bridge
A3 - Til De Tvilende
A4 - Every 15 Seconds
A5 - Retrospective
A6 - The Stairs
A7 - Veins
B1 - Another Victim Pt. I
B2 - The Pray
B3 - The Chamber
B4 - The Survival
B5 - The Return
B6 - Four Walls, Too Many People
B7 - Another Victim Pt. II

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Fix & Fertig - Wie Der Lichte Tag (1984)

Really nice minimal weirdness from Deutschland. Both male and female vocals set against droning, pulsing minimal beats and clashing percussion. Plenty to enjoy about this peculiar obscurity. There's a band by the same name on Discogs, but nothing other than coincidence would lead me to believe they're related, as the style and sound surely aren't... I suppose it's possible they changed their sound from uber kalt awesomeness to corny garbage, though. Who knows? Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - Cube Carrelage Blanc
A2 - We Shall Overcome
A3 - Les Gammas
B1 - Eingesperrt
B2 - Duck Duck

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Pop Negatif Wastad - Self-titled (1989)

Things got a bit light and pop there for a minute, didn't they. Let's go dark. Here's an excellent mini-LP from the UK, layered in darkness from beginning to end. The record kick-starts with "Valium", a brilliant track with drilling synth and male/female vox. Maybe my favorite, but hard to say. You may be familiar with "Iawn", which has gotten some play on them youtubes. See the bizarre video below. Enjoy!



Track List:

A1 - Valium
A2 - Pop Negatif Wastad
A3 - Kerosene
B1 - Iawn
B2 - Pop Negatif
B3 - ''Helo Rhywbeth Newydd''

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Neurox - A Raving Night (1984)

This is easily one of my favorite dark Italian wave records. Both sides of this 7" do a perfect job of blending male and female vocals, as well as synths and guitars. Very catchy from start to finish. Enjoy!

Track List:

A - A Raving Night
B - Romantic

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Bizarre Unit - Dancing / Away From The Screaming Car (1981)

At long last, a brilliant and ultra scarce 7" from the UK by Bizarre Unit. I'd been hunting this little jewel for quite some time and it's been well worth the wait. I'd previously heard one song that had a rather rough sound to it, but now I'm led to believe all copies share that issue. However, with a little 'remastering' help, these songs are now more than listenable!

It may interest a few of you to know that Paul Nova was involved in this wonderfully obscure gem. Enjoy!

Track List:

A - Dancing
B - Away From The Screaming Car

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In Search Of Beauty - Disappointment After Hope (1988)

As promised, the follow up demo tape to match the 12" below. I have to say, as much as I am fond of the vinyl release, this tape takes the cake for me. The first song is the hauntingly dark clip that was posted on Facebook, that I can't seem to stop listening to... The rest of the tape follows in a similar fashion, really enjoyable throughout. Other favorites would be "In My Memories", "Beauty", and one that grew on me "A Happy New Year". I've ripped far fewer tapes in my day than I have records, so I hope the sound on this is ok! Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - A Melancholic Day
A2 - Resurrection
A3 - In My Memories
A4 - Beauty
B1 - A Happy New Year
B2 - Ich Möchte Lieber Träumen
B3 - Venezianisches Ballett

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In Search Of Beauty - The Arise (1984)

If you caught the gloomy sample clip posted on the Facebook page, then you had a glimpse of what's to come in this post and the next. In Search Of Beauty were a Swiss band that released this 12" as well as a demo tape which I will post right after this. I'm not certain whether the year for this is '84 as I don't see one listed anywhere on the record itself or the sleeve, so I'm just rolling with the Discogs info. The demo tape does have a year on it (1988), so it's very possible this record is a few years younger, but that's neither here nor there -- the music itself is great! If you love your melancholic darkwave as much as I do, the very first track will grab you immediately. It does goes on a few softer interludes that keep it from being a 10/10 for me, but still really good. Demo tape coming up next... Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - Love Is Colder Than Dead
A2 - Midnight
A3 - Haunting Anguish
B1 - Never
B2 - Incredible Lightness

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Detachments (UK) 2010

Been quite a while since I last commented on a contemporary band, usually because most of the current day acts I like are pretty well-known by most everyone (Xeno and Oaklander, Automelodi, IAMX, Spleen United, Led Er Est... the list goes on).

This band, Detachments, haven't been talked about too much, at least within my circle of friends. They've put out a a few singles starting in 2008, and released a full length album this year. Highly recommended, I might add. Here are two of my favorites from the band:

HOLIDAY ROMANCE



H.A.L.



So, anyway, just thought I'd mention it. Hope you dig it. Here's a link to the label which has a few other nice releases on it as well.

Cunning Toy - Searching (1987)

I'm quite proud to present one of my favorite 12" records ever. Outstanding German synthpop that feels way ahead of its time. These gems are brought to you by a few of the same guys that created the ultra great New Scientists LP and 12". You can grab those from my earlier post, here. Needless to say, this record is extremely rare.

This actually sounds quite similar to how DM sounded around the same time. Maybe it's just a coincidence... In any case, it really captures and defines the sound of German synthpop from the mid/late 80s into the very early 90s. Certainly amongst the best of the bunch. I promise, you don't want to miss this one. Enjoy!

Track List:

A1 - Searching
B1 - My Submission
B2 - Kiss Of Life

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Various Artists - VM Cinque (1986)

Here's a very nice collection of artists from Italy. A 2LP limited to 600 hand-numbered copies, which was included with VM fanzine "5". This will appeal to those who dig classic Italian cold, darkwave style. Suicide Dada is the standout for me by a slim margin, just see"Acque" for my explanation on that. What a track! Check it out and enjoy.

Track List:

A1 - Destijl - Il Vaso Di Pandora
A2 - Destijl - La Sfinge
A3 - Destijl - Taiga
A4 - Destijl - Assab
B1 - Suicide Dada - Acque
B2 - Suicide Dada - Grida!
B3 - Suicide Dada - Echi
B4 - Suicide Dada - Porto Sepolto
B5 - Suicide Dada - Waiting For September
C1 - Intolerance - Drugs
C2 - Intolerance - Terminal State
C3 - Intolerance - 24
C4 - Intolerance - Wait And Kill
D1 - Regard - The Empty Day
D2 - Regard - Happy Lifes
D3 - Regard - We Are Here
D4 - Regard - J'aine Le Noir

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Janitors Animated - My God He's Terrible (1985)

Pretty nice Canadian mini LP with both hits and misses. The first miss being the album art. I know what you're thinking, but no, I didn't create that in MS paint, it's the real deal. The music inside the cover is thankfully a bit better. My favorites on this one are "Need To Go High" and "Drunkula". A few pops on my copy, but nothing too distracting. Check it out and enjoy.

Track List:

A1 - Need To Go High
B1 - In Synergy X
B2 - The Light
B3 - Drunkula
B4 - My God He's Terrible

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Pitch Yarn Of Matter - Discography (93-95)

I thought it was about time to upload something from the southern hemisphere, for a change. Who better than PYM, as you'll come to find (if you're not already familiar with them). The band was a project of the possibly more well-known Nude's Marcelo Gallo. Based out of Brazil, originally, they released a demo cassette in '93 called "Bounds", which naturally has more of a DIY feel to it than the later 2 CDs, which were produced in Germany in 1995. Listen to them in order and it'll seem like every song gets better and better and better. "Strange Body" is probably my favorite of the bunch. Barely. Excuse the particularly weak album art on SIOM, heh-heh. Lots of good stuff here, my friends.

Oh, and to further wet your palette, they were produced by Andreas Sippel who also produced Second Decay. The 2 CDs were released on Subtronic Records, which has released other mega greats such as: Zwischenfall, Data-Bank-A, Beborn Beton, Twilight Ritual, Advanced Art/Two Witches... to name a few....

So, without further ado...

Pitch Yarn of Matter - Bounds (demo) (1993)

Track List:

A1 - The Poet
A2 - Lips Of Tragedy
A3 - Make Part Of Nothing
A4 - Signs In Our Minds
A5 - Safe & Sound
A6 - Senseless
B1 - Merely Human
B2 - Full Of Nothing
B3 - High
B4 - Man
B5 - Brave's Tear
B6 - Alles Schwarz (Pym V1.0)

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Pitch Yarn of Matter - Signs In Our Minds (1995)

Track List:

01 - Sometimes (Intro)
02 - Pain
03 - Signs In Our Minds
04 - Flies
05 - Shadows Of Time
06 - Interchange
07 - Safe And Sound
08 - The Old Man
09 - Observer
10 - Inspired By Love
11 - Man
12 - These Eyes
13 - The Reason Right

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Pitch Yarn of Matter - Strange Body (1995)

Track List:

01 - Brother Sun, Sister Moon
02 - So Tired
03 - Rare And Real
04 - Looking For
05 - Lonelyness
06 - Strange Body
07 - Gray Scale
08 - Father
09 - Channel 6
10 - To Be Born Again
11 - Fairy Tale

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As a bonus, get a much cleaner version of "Alles Schwarz", here. Enjoy!