Wednesday, October 31, 2012

HTRK/ Tropic of Cancer- Part Time Punks Radio Session

The Part Time Punks Radio Sessions 12" by HTRK and Tropic of Cancer holds six sublime songs of desire. Comparable to a fly-on-a-wall Peel Sessions, the critically acclaimed Part Time Punks radio show is the sound of the LA underground, run by local icon Michael Stock. The limited split captures both bands live at the radio headquarters during HTRK’s first 2011 tour of the USA, accompanied by comrades in minimalism and melancholia, Tropic of Cancer. Flipping this vinyl sounds like two sides of the same cursed coin, and mirrors a high school dance playing an endless lustful waltz. BPMs bumped down to a psychic stalk. It’s a broken and beautiful memento. 


New Featureless Ghost LP 'Personality Matrix' Announced for November 6th

Personality Matrix is the debut LP by Atlanta duo Featureless Ghost following a steady stream of EPs including the recent 'Mind Body' cassette on Night-People. All of those prior releases were great but Featureless Ghost were holding onto something special that they have now fully materialized in the form of this LP. Pre-release listens of the vinyl had friends of the band and the label awed by the heavy and deep sound of this record, a true stunner that buries the speakers and space around the sound. A fully realized master work recorded and mastered to perfect specifications; Night-People has never released anything that simply sounds this good. Featureless Ghost set high expectations and surpassed them. Any reference to the aesthetic or influence seems too simple to fully describe what has been accomplished with this release.
Synth pop, dark wave, minimal synth, trance, none of it really matters. This is deep eclectic electronic music performed to live midi, hybrid digital and analog perfection. The dual male/female vocal delivery presented on this record shows a high concern for distinctly developed interplay and identity that is perhaps unequaled in contemporary synth-pop. Cyber dreams, lost worlds, and dystopian futures seem to be the subject of Featureless Ghost's expression but the music itself couldn't be more solidly realized and perfected.
Mastered by Pete Swanson and artwork by Shawn Reed, 'Personality Matrix' will be available on vinyl and digital formats from Night-People on Nov. 6th. The pre-order is now up on their web-site http://www.night-people.org/

https://www.facebook.com/FeaturelessGhost

And the Featureless Ghost interview if you missed it.
In Conversation: Featureless Ghost



Sunday, October 28, 2012

Josef K- Sorry for Laughing the First Ever Vinyl Reissue

LTM presents the first ever vinyl release of Sorry For Laughing, the legendary first album by cult Scottish guitar group Josef K, recorded for Postcard Records but destined to become the great ‘lost album’ of the post-punk era. 
Recorded at Castle Sound Studios (Edinburgh) in November 1980, Sorry For Laughing should have been issued as Postcard 81-1, but was shelved after the band and label boss Alan Horne decided the 12-song set sounded too polished. Perhaps two dozen white-label copies in unmade sleeves exist, and have sold for as much as £1,000 amongst collectors. Josef K issued their second stab at a debut album, 'The Only Fun In Town', in July 1981 – only to split after completing a promotional tour. 
This remastered vinyl-only edition of Sorry For Laughing' replicates the original Robert Sharp artwork (a solarised portrait of the band atop Calton Hill, printed in silver pantone), with detailed sleeve notes on the inner bag, and the added bonus of a 12 track CD, The TV Art Demos, featuring all tracks from the band’s very first recording sessions in 1979. The remastered edition is due for release on November 26th through LTM Recordings.

http://www.josef-k.org/news.htm

Next Wave: Second Planet

From Germany comes our next band to watch out for. It's the Second Planet by Danilo Roost who has been quite around with his minimal electro-pop project in the recent years releasing three albums on his label. New album by Second Planet is entitled Work Processing and it was officially released earlier this year on SkullLine. Several songs on the album were already featured on the previous releases and altogether it makes 17 track total on the new album.

http://www.myspace.com/second-planet 


Friday, October 26, 2012

WAW: Lescop- Tokyo, la nuit

The long awaited album by the French electro-pop outfit Lescop is out this month. It is a self titled debut which was produced by Johnny Hostile and which is out on POP NOIRE. The album features the songs "La Foret" which was released last year and their summer hit "Tokyo, la nuit".  

www.facebook.com/lescoplescop
 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Reissue: Nuvo West- Nuvo West

The Italian record label Synthetic Shadows has reissued the rare and obscure debut album by the American group Nuvo West. Their debut album 'Scary' was originally released in 1983 through West Records Inc. This new compilations features the remastered edition of 'Scary' plus their unreleased Cassette 'Twankin'' from 1984. The release is out today and it is available in 500 copies.   





Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Marc And The Mambas- Three Black Nights Of Little Black Bites on DVD/CD

Cherry Red Records will release the long awaited video recording and CD of the legendary Marc And The Mambas live performances given at The Duke Of York’s Theatre in London’s West End in 1983. Mastered and restored from the original VHS tape recordings made by the late Peter Christopherson (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV), these remain the only recordings that exist of Marc And The Mambas performing live. 
This limited collector’s edition is intended for Marc Almond’s dedicated fan-base as a souvenir of a renowned and legendary run of concerts and is testament to pivotal moment in the development of his artistry and the direction his post Soft Cell career would take. This DVD and CD Digi-Pak comes with an eight page booklet containing an extensive reminiscence by Marc Almond himself. The release is announced for November 12th.

 http://www.cherryred.co.uk


 

Simple Minds - Greatest Hits + UK Tour 2013!

Following a summer of festival appearances and their hugely acclaimed 5X5 tour, Simple Minds will be performing their Greatest Hits Live next year on a huge 28 date tour of the UK. Tickets will go on general sale at 10.00AM 26th OCTOBER 2012, but there will be a special ticket pre-sale beforehand for fans at the new Simplemindsshop.com starting Wed 24th October. 
Expect to hear songs from their extensive back catalogue including "Alive and Kicking", "Don’t You (Forget About Me)", "Waterfront" and more. The show will be in two halves with an interval and no support - a whole evening of Simple Minds, who will be releasing their greatest hits collection ‘Celebrate’ in March to coincide with the tour (and which will include 2 new tracks).



SIMPLE MINDS GREATEST HITS TOUR

March 2013

  • Thu 28 BELFAST WATERFRONT 02890 334 400
  • Fri 29 CARLISLE SANDS CENTRE 01228 633 766
  • Sun 31 NEWCASTLE CITY HALL 0191 277 8030
April 2013
  • Mon 01 ABERDEEN MUSIC HALL 0844 499 9990
  • Tue 02 DUNDEE CAIRD HALL 0844 499 9990
  • Thu 04 LLANDUDNO VENUE CYMRU ARENA 01492 872 000
  • Fri 05 LEICESTER DE MONTFORT HALL 0116 233 3111
  • Sat 06 WOLVERHAMPTON CIVIC HALL 0870 320 7000
  • Mon 08 BRIGHTON DOME 01273 709 709
  • Tue 09 PLYMOUTH PAVILIONS 0845 146 1460
  • Thu 11 LINCOLN ENGINE SHED 0844 888 8766
  • Fri 12 NOTTINGHAM ROYAL CONCERT HALL 0115 989 5555
  • Sat 13 LEEDS O2 ACADEMY 0844 477 2000
  • Mon 15 BOURNEMOUTH O2 ACADEMY 0844 477 2000
  • Tue 16 MARGATE WINTER GARDENS 01843 292 795
  • Wed 17 SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION 01702 351 135
  • Fri 19 BLACKPOOL OPERA HOUSE 0844 856 1111
  • Sat 20 LIVERPOOL EMPIRE 0844 871 3017
  • Mon 22 CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE 01223 357 851
  • Tue 23 GUILDFORD G LIVE 0844 770 1797
  • Thu 25 READING HEXAGON 0118 960 6090
  • Fri 26 SHEFFIELD CITY HALL 0114 278 9789
  • Sat 27 HULL CITY HALL 01482 226 655
  • Mon 29 BRISTOL COLSTON HALL 0117 922 3686
  • Tue 30 PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL 023 92824 355
May 2013
  • Thu 02 OXFORD NEW THEATRE 0844 871 3020
  • Fri 03 NORWICH UEA 01603 508 050
  • Sat 04 IPSWICH REGENT 01473 433 100

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Retrovision: Tears for Fears- Mad World

Thirty years ago Tears for Fears released "Mad World" which became one of their best selling singles of all time. The song was written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith. The song reched Number #3 in the UK charts and it would eventually become Tears for Fears' first international hit, reaching the Top 40 in several countries between 1982 and 1983. The promotional clip for "Mad World", filmed in late summer 1982, was Tears for Fears' first music video that was directed by Clive Richardson. 
Two decades later, the song was covered in a much slower, minimalist style by composers Michael Andrews and Gary Jules for the soundtrack to the movie 'Donnie Darko' in 2001. 


Depeche Mode European Tour Dates 2013 Announced

Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher will play 34 must-see shows in 25 European countries to an audience of more than 1.5 million fans, before taking the tour to North America. The part of the tour kicks off with an open-air stadium show in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park on Tuesday May 7th and it will end in Minsk on July 29th. 

MAY 7 - Tel Aviv - Hayarkon Park
MAY 10 - Athens - Terra Vibe
MAY 12 - Sofia Georgi - Asparuhov Stadium
MAY 15 - Bucharest - National Stadium
MAY 17 - Istanbul - Kucukciftlik Park
MAY 19 - Belgrade - USCE Park
MAY 21 - Budapest - Puskas Ferenc Stadium
MAY 23 - Zagreb - Hippodrome
MAY 25 - Bratislava - Inter Stadium
MAY 28 - London - O2 Arena
JUN 1 - Munich - Olympic Stadium
JUN 3 - Stuttgart - Mercedes-Benz Arena
JUN 5 - Frankfurt - Commerzbank Arena
JUN 7 - Berne - Stade de Suisse
JUN 9 - Berlin - Olympic Stadium
JUN 11 - Leipzig - Red Bull Arena
JUN 13 - Copenhagen - Parken
JUN 15 - Paris - Stade de France
JUN 17 - Hamburg - Imtech Arena
JUN 22 - Moscow - Locomotive Stadium
JUN 24 - St Petersburg - SKK Arena
JUN 27 - Stockholm - Borlange Peace & Love Festival
JUN 29 - Kiev - Olympic Stadium
JUL 3 - Dusseldorf - Esprit Arena
JUL 7 - Belgium - Rock Werchter Fest
JUL 11 - Bilbao - BBK Festival
JUL 13 - Lisbon - Optimus Alive Fest
JUL 16 - Nimes - Antic Arena
JUL 18 - Milan - San Siro Stadium
JUL 20 - Rome - Olympic Stadium
JUL 23 - Prague - Synot Tip Arena
JUL 25 - Warsaw - National Stadium
JUL 27 - Vilnius - Vingus Park
JUL 29 - Minsk - Arena

Monday, October 22, 2012

Out This Week: The Irrepressibles- Nude

The Irrepressibles have have released the long awaited follow up to their 2010 album 'Mirror Mirror'. The new album is entitled 'Nude' features the songs "New World" and "Arrow" which were previously released as singles. The album is out this week in the UK, Australia, South America and Japan and China. Check out Irrepessibles' official Facebook page for other release dates and and album details. 


Friday, October 19, 2012

Instant Hit: Lisa- Rocket to Your Heart

The American singer Lisa who was mostly known for her Hi-NRG, Synth-pop and Disco style outputs, made her debut in 1982 with "Jump Shout". A year later in 1983, she released one of her biggest hits "Rocket To Your Heart". The song made it to number #2 in the American Billboard Dance/Disco top 80, was released in many countries around the world as an import and went platinum in Mexico, a country where Lisa's music was, and still remains, incredibly popular. 


Next Wave: Cargo

Despite its countless evils, I just can't tear myself away from the internet. Time and time again it has proven to be a very resourceful tool in my never ending quest for new music. Without it I would miss out on so much. Though I'm not a fan of the majority i stumble upon, I do find a handful of bands who really do hit my musical sweet spot. Recently, this was the case with Cargo. They're based in Bordeaux, France and comprised of Marc and Fabien (ex Chateau Marmont) and turn out some very melodic, new wave tinted tunes by way of electronics. Yes, you could say that there are many doing just that but i would tell you not everyone does it right. These men have a real knack for their craft and deserve some attention. From what I know they've been together for close to a year, perform live in support of the music, and will be releasing a track called "Dual" on a limited edition compilation by the Function Operate label. They are in the process of making an EP and I'm very much looking forward to it. In the meantime, I'll get my fix with the tracks posted on their SoundCloud page. Give them a listen and see what you think.


Sounds and info available @ Cargo @ SoundCloud  and Cargo official @ Facebook

Author: Ty Voltaire

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

WAW: October Dance- House Falling

October Dance is a musical project by Hans Tolford in collaboration with three Danish musicians. The music is meant to interpret his art illustrations into music and give new sense to the Tolfordian universe. This is the official video for the fist single entitled "House Falling" which is out now. 


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Next Wave: Group Rhoda

Group Rhoda is electronic music project from San Francisco. The group behind this project is Mara Babenheim who has previously been busy with other musical project before starting her own. The music of Group Rhoda is analogue synth-pop combined with tropical darkwave. Her debut album is out 'Out of Time, Out of Touch' is out now on Night School Records. Group Rhoda is currently touring and opening for Soft Riot. Check out her Soundcloud page for the tour dates and song stream. 


Saturday, October 13, 2012

Wall of Voodoo Reissues

Raven is back with another set of album reissues by the Los Angles based New Wave stars Wall of Voodoo. Already in 2009, the label reissued the first two albums by Wall of Voodoo, Dark Continent and Call of the West on one CD. The new reissue set features three albums which completes Wall of Voodoo's body of work which was released during the 80's decade. This includes Seven Days in Sammystown (I.R.S., 1985), Happy Planet (I.R.S. 1987) and The Ugly Americans in Australia (I.R.S., 1988). 


Third album Seven Days in Sammystown yielded the hit single "Far Side of Crazy" while the fourth 'Happy Planet' boasted a demented re-working of the old Beach Boys fave "Do It Again". The band was particularly popular in Australia which is where the rambunctious live album 'The Ugly Americans in Australia' was recorded while they were on tour. Also available on Raven Stan Ridgway solo 'Mosquitos'... 

 More info:
http://ravenrecordscomau.melbourneitwebsites.com

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Retrovision: Space- Magic Fly

"Magic Fly" is turning 35 this year! The French electronic music band from the city of Marseille enjoyed huge international success with their space disco anthem back in 1977. The song reached #2 in the UK charts and it has been re-released and remixed several times since its original release. It has always been considered as one of the most influential records in the history of electronic music. This is the official video version, remastered with the new audio and presented in hi-res for the first time. 


Monday, October 8, 2012

Medical Records October Releases

Medical Records have two new singles out this month. Both are rarities and celebrate the early 80's minimal-wave DIY culture. The first one is  Disco Volante's single "No Motion" which was originally released in 1982 as 7" on Catalyst Box Records. Presented on high-quality thick transparent green 7” vinyl in a limited edition of 500 hand-numbered copies. 
The second single is a Christof Glowalla's "Erde 80" 10", a four track single, originally released in 1980. This first Medical Records 10" issue features "Erde 80" and three more singles which were recorded in collaboration with Ingolf Kurkowski, but were never released before. This collection is released on high-quality heavyweight 10” opaque mustard colored vinyl in a limited edition of 600 hand-numbered copies. Both singles are also available digital.
To find out more info about the releases and how to order go to medical-records.org.


The Blue Nile Expanded Reissues on EMI

EMI Records is pleased to announce the release of the first 2 albums by The Blue Nile, A Walk Across The Rooftops and Hats as expanded 2CD 'Collector's Editions'. Both albums come with a bonus disc of rare and previously unreleased material chosen by Paul Buchanan and Robert Bell, who also oversaw the remastering of the original albums with their long time Blue Nile engineer Calum Malcolm. 
The debut album ‘A Walk Across the Rooftops’ was originally released in 1984 on Linn Records- a label set up specifically to release the album and featured the hit single "Tinsletown in The Rain". The follow up album 'Hats' was released five years after and it often described as a cinematic experience.


Sunday, October 7, 2012

Sparks' 'Two Hands, One Mouth' - New Single and Tour

Sparks' 'Two Hands One Head' tour (European Leg) kicked off this week as the duo was playing their first dates in the Baltic Region. The tour which was officially started in London, on June 13th, will see them deconstruct and reinterpret songs from their own extensive and unique catalogue. Their brand new single "Two Hands One Mouth" is out this week.


WAW: Errors- Relics

Errors are back with a brand new album released this week. The album is entitled 'New Relics' and it was issued by Rock Action Records and it is available as CD/LP and even VHS. This is a video from the 'New Relics' VHS for the title track 'Relics' which was directed by Sally Sibbet. The band is currently touring. Check out http://www.weareerrors.com/ for more info.


Saturday, October 6, 2012

Tracey Thorn Announces New Cover Album for October 30th

Tracey Thorn is back this autumn with her fourth studio album. Her new Christmas album is entitled 'Tinsel and Lights' and it features ten seasonal cover versions by the likes of White Stripes, Joni Mitchell, Sufjan Stevens, Scritti Politti and many more. The album also features two brand new songs and a duet with Green Gartside. The album was produced Ewan Pearson and it will be released on October 30th on 'Strange Feelings'. The new single "In The Cold Cold Night" is out now. 


Friday, October 5, 2012

Label Spot: Dark Entries

Dark Entries was born in the spring of 2009 to release out of print and unreleased underground 80's music as well as contemporary bands referencing that sound. The project was named after the first Bauhaus' 7" and the man behind this project was Josh Cheon, a vinyl-focused DJ and collector. 
Dark Entries takes great care in preserving sound quality and respecting the aesthetics of its artists. All of their releases reflect the DIY days of the 1980's independent record labels. The label entrusts all of their projects with the best engineer in California, George Horn at Fantasy Studios, who has remasters each release using his 50+ years of knowledge in the industry. 


The label founder Josh Cheon has had a rich musical background and music was always part of his life. He grew up in New York, enjoyed the dance in the clubs with dark synthesizer driven sound. He was working for several different record labels and radio stations and when he moved to San Francisco he started a night called 'Radio Lines' at the Transfer. Sharing the decks with another avid minimal synth collector, Phil Mailer who ran the blog 'A Viable Commercial', Josh learned about the band Eleven Pond, whose debut LP was going for $500 on Ebay. Luckily Jeff Gallea from Eleven Pond left a comment on the blog post: “If people are interested in a re-release I would love some feedback? I’ll dust off the Masters and see what could happen?” Josh contacted him and eventually obtained a copy of the master tapes, had the songs remastered for vinyl and released the LP in July 2009 with a silk screened cover like the original LP had. This is how things stated to roll on Dark entries Records. 
From its foundation in 2009, the label has reissued music by artist such as Dark Day, Second Decay, The Neon Judgement, Parade Ground, Starter and many more and released new material by Linea Aspera, Inhalt and many more.

www.darkentriesrecords.com 
https://www.facebook.com/DarkEntriesRecords
 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Instant Hit: 3rd Man- Oral Pleasure

3rd Man was a Norwegian minimal-synth duo who release their only single "Oral Pleasure" thirty years ago. The group consisted of Bjørn Sorknes and Morten Sjøberg who was also a member of one of the finest Norwegian post-punk outfits Fra Lippo Lippi. The single was issued as 7" on Unition Records and featured "Pleasure Recycled" as B-side. The song appeared on the compilation Maskindans - Norsk Synth 1980-1988 which was released in 2009. 
 

Next Wave: Xiu

I feel a chill coming on and her name is Xiu. Known as Oksana Rodionova to family and friends, she unleashes her official label debut, with the help of [aufnahme + wiedergabe], on Oct. 12th. This release is a limited edition (55 copies) cassette with a digital download version available as well. Born in Estonia and now based in Milan, Oksana crafts a mesmerizing arsenal of tracks. The sound is synthy, icey, and probably the lost sountrack to your lonliest of dreams. The vocals soothe you and guide you home in comfort and contentment. This is not to be missed! Pre-orders and audio samples are available at Xiu Bandcamp.


Additional info, sounds, and visuals are available at the following: Xiu @ Sound Cloud and Xiu (official) @ Facebook

Author: Ty Voltaire

Monday, October 1, 2012

Reissue: The House of Love

November will see the release of The House of Love's 1988 Creation Records debut LP, remastered and supplemented with extra tracks. Cherry Red Records proudly does the honors in bringing forth this 3CD set which includes non-album tracks, b-sides, and previously unreleased demos. Disc 1 features the original 10 track album as well as the demo versions of "Christine" and "Shine On". Disc 2 is to include 19 non-album singles and b-sides while Disc 3 features 19 previously unreleased demo versions all remastered from an original demos cassette. For more info, you can visit Creation Records and Cherry Red Records.

Nico Re-imagined and The Final Report Electrospective on 2 CDs

Industrial Records is proud to announce the much anticipated two album release 'Desertshore' / 'The Final Report' , a unique collaboration by Chris Carter, Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson and Cosey Fanni Tutti.

'The Desertshore' project is a 're-imagined' cover version of Nico's seminal 1970 album first conceived by the late Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson in Berlin 2006. In 2010 at his home in Bangkok, he refocussed his approach readying to record guest vocalists while Chris and Cosey prepared material in their UK studio for his return there in December. Sadly, Sleazy unexpectedly died in his sleep on the 25th November in Bangkok.Chris and Cosey made a commitment to Sleazy to complete the Desertshore project picking up from where they left off just prior to his untimely passing. With enthusiastic support and contributions from so many who were close to Sleazy, especially the guest artistes whose work he admired; Antony, Marc Almond, Blixa Bargeld, Sasha Grey and Gaspar Noé, the project is now complete.
'The Final Report' is a result of a 36 year friendship between Chris Carter, Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson and Cosey Fanni Tutti. The Album has been completed from their final 2009/2010 sessions together at Chris and Cosey's studio in Norfolk. This album stands as the final report; a celebration, a loving remembrance of their unique partnership.

http://www.industrial-records.com/ 



Available from 26th November 2012 in the following formats: 
Double Vinyl - Gatefold cover with 12" booklet. 
Double CD - in bespoke CD packaging, 12 page booklet, postcard & bonus track. 
Digital Download - with pdf booklet and bonus track. - aac, mp3, flac etc.

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