House News

New Synth-Pop, Industrial label from Barcelona.

In a time of over connectivity it was time to disconnect, again.
This album was recorded over the course of a year between two caves, an empty cove and a countryside finca on the island of Mallorca. The summer days were long and hot. The winter nights were longer, cold and damp. Libby, Herbes Seques and a contained fire kept me company. It was experimental in process, strictly interpreting my surroundings and emotions involved with the inescapable solitude of this address-less residence.
Primitive Thoughts part of a series of visual works called 'Croupier', a concept developed by artist Julian Smith focusing on the aftermath of loosing everything to a storage fire in Venice beach and the subsequent recreation process of new works on an Island in the Balearics.

Gorgeous tripping LP from this Brussels based prince of modern psychedelic electronics.. .....

Clay Rendering, the tortured pop project of former Wolf Eyes member Mike Connelly and his wife Tara, pledge three diverse but unmistakably gothic sacrifices to Hospital Productions in the wake of two outstanding albums and some of the most addictive EPs we've heard from North America's erstwhile noise quarters.
Soused in the spirits of black metal, coldwave pop and shoegaze, their new cuts reflect a black indigo spectrum of tastes with an inflamed desire for proper song structures and the kind of
hooks that hearken back to teenaged thrills and what allured them to music in the first place -and it makes for perhaps their most realised set of tracks yet.
With Dominick Fernow as producer and effectively acting in a 3rd band member role, they triangulate a sound that's nostalgic for the gothic undertones of '80s and '90s darkness, getting
into gear with the hearse-cruising coldwave pop rocket We Are Aware, and casting a long,
northern-pointing shadow of BM toil and shoegaze anguish in Never Pass Away.
Ultimately though, we reckon it's the B-side - an instrumental cocktail of ice cold, downbeat 'electronics that sounds like Badalamenti meets ambient Plastikman - which will get under the
skin and stick with you longest...

Repeated Viewing's soundtrack to the not totally sure if it's real or not' film of the same name slinks out of your speakers as if Badalamenti and Goblin had made sweet regretful love one night and created a baby so dark and brooding, only the 'Trv Synth Fr33ks' would take it in and raise it like wolves. Following the story of one man's revenge across 1982 New York, this is Death Wish if we lived in some kind of alternative universe where Lucio Fulci had directed it instead of Michael Winner. From Ballads to Disco to Minimal Synth, Street Force' is a masterpiece of faux soundtrack bliss and definitely not to be missed. Art by Eric A Lee.

Mannequin has the dual and parallel aim to unearth hidden or unpublished gems, running along a road that starts from the period of reference for this kind of music (late 70s - mid 80s) and comes to nowdays, with a vision deeply influence by Factory Records / 4AD labels.
Catching the same spirit of such great labels, we asked to the italian synth wave princess Mushy to create a compilation starting from a tabula rasa. The mission was hard. Following her tastes and heart, she had to select a dozen of new bands from all over the world with unreleased and unique for this project tracks, picking up the title and realizing the graphic design and artwork. The full process of "The End Of Civilization" took almost 1 year but the result was touching us deep into our soul.

Mushy began her career crafting noise bursts and aggressive oblique instrumentals before, in her newest form, blooming into a beautiful, epic and heart-heavy icy synth sound, having both "Faded Heart" (2011) and "Breathless" (2012) as album of the week at Rough Trade. "The End Of Civilization" perfectly represents her double sided synth-wave / kraut-psychedelic soul. Every track she selected for us is an absolute highlight, moving from the analog minimal / cold wave sounds of Police Des Moeurs, ASSS, The Circa Tapes, TEEEL and Rosemary to the tempestuous post punk and psychedelia of Deathday, The Murder Act, Phosphor and The Strange Forces, ending with spectral cold folk of Tablets and The Long Wives.
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Aion, or Aeon, in the tradition of Greek cosmology, was the personification of Time, with the more famous Kronos, corresponding to Saturn Latin. Revered as "Lord of Light", Aeon (AION) represented eternity, infinite time, as well as the succession of eras. Just time talking this new vinyl published by JAM TAXX: somehow it shows how the same song, born in a given context in time and space (a marginal Italy of the late 70s sets in a still immature europe) can be re-interpreted 30 years later with a new spirit, remaining in part what it was originally, but also becoming another completely new thing (that didn't exist before) ... The statue of the boxer from the Roman stadium of the marbles, pictured on the cover, is juat Aion represented as an athlete who fights between light and shadow, past and future, divided in half just like in the inner label of this precious vinyl, in sharp contrasts and games of symmetries used in the graphics of this speial edition (white vinyl) ... Heraclitus wrote: "the time (Aeon) of human life is a child who plays his games moving his toys: to a child belongs the sovereign power" What is a remix if not a game where you move elements to create something new And of course to a child belongs the sovereign power, the demiurgic ability to redefine reality starting from what has been already done. And that child is us.

LP comes in printed innersleeve with lyrics

Solkyss proudly presents the debut EP from Paresse - master of cinematic disco & balearic slowness. Grand Fall EP is a dreamy melancholic journey with three slow burners that will stay in our hearts (and bags) for a long time. Paresse is the alias of Stockholm based producer Ivan Berggren. Though this debut sounds as fresh as they come, he's been a long time contributor to the music community with previous releases on various labels such as Correspondant Records, Magic Feet Recordings and Glasgow Underground. His versatility has worked its way through the spectrum from delivering dance floor bombs to composing scores for feature films. Title track Grand Fall comes with a remix by Locked groove who has transformed the track into a ten minute long hypnotic open-air banger. Perfect for those early mornings - It's been tested and it works.

Analog Minimal-Synth-Sound from Sweden. No computers involved!

Next up on Polytechnic Youth following the rapid fire, single afternoon sell out of it's singles collection LP ( They Make No Say' currently being repressed and with a CD out on US label Emotional Response) is the magnificent debut full length from POLYPORES.

Following a batch of incredible, exclusive online / digital releases, Polytechnic Youth releases the projects' first physical release, and it is a beauty.

Polypores (aka Stephen James Buckley) is based in a tiny home studio in Preston. He conjures up imaginary soundtracks from science fiction films of a bygone age that never existed. Think John Carpenter and Italo-disco filtered through Scarfolk Council's tannoy system, and heard through a haze of long-banned sedatives and you're in the right ballpark.

The Fialka Transmissions' was created with 3 analog synthesizers and a sampler. It was inspired by voices picked up on a shortwave radio, a winter spent immersed in dystopian fiction, and the increasing possibility of that fiction becoming a reality. Coldwave synth tones and decrepit dancefloor beats occasionally giving way to moments of decayed melancholy.

The LP is a one time pressing of 300 only, on splatter vinyl and destined to sell it's run out super quick....

Lunapark is the trio of Burkhard Ballein, Klaus "Schlips" Gebauer, Reinhard "Zoppen" Benisch from Wuppertal, Germany. Formed in 1981 when the boys were dissatisfied with their surrounding musical environment. They packed their instruments and a cassette recorder and set off to create their own brand of Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW "New German Wave'). Their influences included The Beatles, Colloseum, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa as well as Sex Pistols, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Blondie and The Cure. Gefangene Vögel' ('Prisoner Birds') is their debut album released by Intakt Records, Stuttgart in 1982. Utilizing a simple set up of guitar, bass, drums, drum-computer, Korg MS-10 and Korg MS-20 they recorded 10 tracks that make up the album. Songs bridge the Belgian-type industrial and cold sounds with NDW quirkiness. In the vein of Sad Lovers and Giants, and Schleimer K they blend post-punk and new wave music with electronic influences. All songs are sung in German with monotone vocals and epitomized the urban Zeitgeist of the Cold War. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in a replica of the original jacket design, which features a drawing of birds on a grid. There are 4 different color versions of the screen printed jacket: blue, yellow, magenta and turquoise. Each LP includes a copy of the double sided 11x11 insert that was included with the original pressing with lyrics and photos.

'Trust No Woman' is their debut album from ZYX (from then on they signed all publications with GRAF+ZYX) released in 1981 on the label RCA Musica. Recorded, mixed and mastered from March to August 1981 at their own Sun Moon & Stars Studio Vienna. They designed their short, immediate songs around a barrage of analogue synthsizers, rock-solid electronic beats and controlled, low-key vocals. It is an exceptional showcase of electro-pop, cold and mechanical robotic rhythms under a claustrophobic atmosphere. Songs are sung in English with a heavy German accent and lyrics resemble obscure, existentialist dialogues. Each song is infused with the spirit of hopeful discovery that accompanied the introduction of affordable home computers and synthesizers at that time. It is a album that advances the sounds set forth by The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Tuxedomoon and Yello. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in replica of the original jacket design, which features a photograph from a video still by ZYX. Each LP includes a copy of the double sided 11x11 full color insert that was included with the original pressing featuring photos and lyrics plus a postcard. ZYX may not be as revered as Kraftwerk, yet their work shares the technological melancholy that suffuses through the music of the men from Düsseldorf.

Cold Science is a singles anthology by Les Panties, the stylish Brussels new wave group featuring Sophie Frison, Hugo Fernandez, Sebastien Decupere and Paul Normann.

The CD and download features all ten tracks from the three singles and EPs released by the band on their own Fantomes label between 2011 and 2015, including No Run and Here & Now. Don't be fooled by the throwaway name - the poised, retro-futuristic sound of Les Panties is every bit as tough as Savages, as godlike as Chvrches, and as melodic as School of Seven Bells.

Producers include Ian Caple (Tindersticks, Shreikback), Gilles Martin (Tuxedomoon, Wire, Bel Canto) and Mark Plati (David Bowie, The Cure). To watch the video clip for L'Arrivee go to:

"Fascinating and hypnotic music, dominated by the grave but enchanting voice of Sophie Frison" (Peek-a-Boo, 2012), "Gamine Sophie Frison wasn't even born when Propaganda and New Order shook the Manhatten Club in Louvain back in the day, but that's no reason not to love their evocative new wave rock music. Les Panties also use vintage synths and drum machines to ramp up the angst and melancholy, Frison having something of the air of a priestess, like Siouxsie Sioux" (Botanique, 2015)








08. Porkshop 09. Westie 10. L'Arrivee V2
 

 Ha! Ha! Ha! is the second album by British pop group Ultravox, at that time known as "Ultravox!" with an exclamation mark.

Lung Dart are Tim Clay and James Rapson - together they make textural, layered music that's deeply soulful and melancholic, utilising live instrumentation as well as field recordings captured on their phones ranging from sounds of the bowels of Wembley Stadium at 4am to the bellowing wind coming off the Leicestershire hills and broken machinery. The result is a collage of sound inspired by the likes of Arthur Russell, Bjork, Lonnie Holley and Scott Walker, with hints of Connan Mocakasin, Windy & Carl and James Blake all influenced and shaped by the world at large.Sat at home, the pair also spend hours trawling through YouTube for inspiration, utilising samples ranging from clips of Alan Lomax archive footage to ASMR video. The pair say, We wanted the freedom to explore as many musical directions as we could, representing both the abundance of material at our fingertips, whilst also illustrating the sense of claustrophobia, detachment and fickleness that can easily coincide when flicking between 100 tabs on your screen or finding yourself 2 hours deep into a YouTube rabbit hole.'

Palmistry is the project of London based musician Benjy Keating. A vocalist and producer with a singular vision and voice, Palmistry makes hybridized pop music that is both distinctly new and yet, like the best songwriting, sounds instantly familiar. As the producer, writer and performer of his debut LP, PAGAN is a succinct showcase of his holistic approach to contemporary pop, where melancholy and euphoria share equal space and sonic decisions resonate as much as the emotions that run through it. Beyond the music, Palmistry gives us a multi-layered experience - working alongside talented collaborators to build his own visual world through artwork, photography and film. PAGAN is the sum of Palmistry's experience and influence which, despite having its feet firmly placed in London, is global in its outlook. Elements of R&B, dancehall and more experimental electronic music combine forces with his enchanting voice and the vivid poetry of his songwriting. An open and sometimes vulnerable record, PAGAN is ultimately very human from the sorrow of Club Aso,' to the cynicism of L After L,' the consumerism of Beamer,' or the sensuality and sensitivity of Sweetness'. The title track Paigon' encapsulates the vibe of the album's totality and vision a minimalist offering with the club always in the back of the mind, and London in the forefront. Punctuated by three instrumentals, the record has a deep textural subtlety and maturity. The son of nondenominational church founders and pastors, Palmistry confesses to being an outsider in more ways than one to genre, to expectation, and to traditions of form and style. He is the singer, songwriter, producer, and mixer on the record, making PAGAN a uniquely rich and compelling body of work that draws you deeper into his creation

The grand opening of the new label serie Obscura Europa Sampled Artists', a various artists 12' EP serie to present darkwave bands that escapes a little from the usual electronic sound of the label. On this volume 1 we will find a 90's ultra classic darkwave hymn of the dissolved german band Behind The Scenes, uncomprehensively never pressed on vinyl to date. On the other hand, the Polish solo act Undertheskin shows with 2 cold but extremely rhythmic tracks why his acclaimed debut mini album is one of the most exciting and interesting proposals of 2015. All tracks have been analogically remastered specially for this vinyl version. Only 200 copies are available for distribution. Including Fate' of Behind The Scenes and Cold' and tRain' of Undertheskin.

A very limited edition 5 LP album-style 12x12 book set from one of the most influential exponents of electronic and ambient music, the original frontman of Ultravox, and a solo artist for over thirty years. John Foxx is name-checked by many of today's top acts as a big influence, and was a major contributor to BBC4's documentary Synth Britannia'. - Now, for the first time on vinyl in one package, this fabulous hardback album book setcontains all three of Foxx's ambient classics Cathedral Oceans I' (1997), Cathedral Oceans II' (2003) and Cathedral Oceans III' (2005) on five LPs. - Limited to 750 copies only, the book contains dozens of Foxx's beautiful images (several previously unseen) along with passages from his book The Quiet Man'. Also included is a 12x12 framable print of one of the images.

A mix of vocal 80s-referencing dark underground songs& guitar based ambient sketches. The demo that these tracks are derived from was the original inspiration for the entire label concept. 8 tracks. LTD 150 in screen-printed chipboard jacket.

'A scorched-earth take on Wax Trax-style electro-industrial that nonetheless point out to influences as diverse as Depeche Mode's Construction Time Again and Whitehouse's Birdseed. ' FACT

The year 2015 saw hardcore inspired EBM outfit, Youth Code, step into line with what most would consider is their well-earned stake in the current world of industrial music. Spending most of that time touring selectively on their own in Europe and then sweeping through North America with the legendary Skinny Puppy, Youth Code pulled together their newest songs, hunkering down with producer Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly / Fear Factory), and intertwined the ideas that would become their second full length album, Commitment to Complications.
Born in 2012 out of a Los Angeles bedroom, Youth Code was the instinctive creation of musicians Sara Taylor and Ryan George. The band made their spontaneous live debut at LA-based record store Vacation Vinyl's employee showcase. Word of the incendiary live performance quickly spread and was followed by release of the well-circulated, coveted, Demonstrational Cassette, which saw the band hone their semi-improvised initial set into something altogether more muscular, resonant and lean.
Soon after, Youth Code was invited to release a limited edition single with the legendary Genesis P-Orridge's label, Angry Love Productions. The single quickly sold out and saw the band receive praise from industrial heavyweights including Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly. Shortly after the single's release, the band signed with label Dais Records to release their 2013 self-titled full length album, which solidified the band's widespread critical praise from outlets as far ranging as Pitchfork, Fact Magazine and MetalSucks. In 2014, Dais saw through the release of their much anticipated EP, A Place to Stand, which featured remixes by Silent Servant, Clipping, God Module and Sanford Parker.
Since then, Youth Code brought their brand of Industrial to audiences all over the US on supporting gigs with AFI, Nothing, The Body, Suicide Commando and the now infamous Eye vs. Spy Tour with industrial legends Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly and Haujobb.
Commitment to Complications reflects Youth Code's time spent with various electronic alumni and scales up the aggressive notch left behind in their previous releases. Youth Code's introduction of the album starts on a reflective note but quickly changes gears into hyper drive BPM pacing with rhythmic complexity driven in with the track Transitions that can only be referenced as maniacal. Songs like Doghead and Shift of Dismay show the band as a frontrunner of definitive industrial anthems and critical songwriting skill. Another harbinger of Youth Code's dire shift into more strident terrain would be evident in the inclusion of Ben Falgoust (Goatwhore) and Todd Jones (Nails) as guest performers. The band's cohesive collaboration with producer Rhys Fulber is in full display, driving the band's aural trajectory into consuming and contentious industrial electronics.

In the grayness by concrete of the Amsterdam suburbs we find Pascal Pinkert (Dollkraut) working on his darker wave salvation, going by the moniker of De Ambassade. DIY in sound and design, the arrangement of De Ambassade catalogue blend perfectly on Knekelhuis Records! This debut EP forming an alliance between the past and the present deliver one take recordings, drowned in reverb, using preferably older recording methods. The result are poppy wave tracks that shiver your spine and let you chant along to lyrics from the dutch lowlands. 300 hand-stamped copies with insert. Mastering by Rude66.

Some things just make sense and we're pleased present the first collaboration of 2 of our favourite artists : RED AXES & C.A.R.
This release has been a long time coming. Tracks were first exchanged back in 2014 and it's been an organic, intuitive process. Like-minded musically & likeminded lyrically - Red Axes & C.A.R. seem to work the same way. Recordings happen fast. One or two takes. It's punk and it's effortless.
1960's, psychedelic 2040 arrived on queue. A sweaty, London-summer evening, after spending the day writing alone out Hackney Marshes, Chloé demo'd the vox. - languid, nostalgic, at arm's reach from the city - the track depicted the moment perfectly. A paper thin Victorian wall separating her from the chatting neighbours, she shut her eyes and got as close to the mic as possible.
A few weeks Red Axes & C.A.R. were together in Tel Aviv. Ten times sweatier than London. To say the studio was dripping hot is an understatement. There was a party heaving in the square below, a van parked in the middle, broadcasting out on the radio waves. Dori was determined to use the intimate London vocals for 2040 and so they cracked on with Incognito, a club track that isn't one but works in its own way: rockabilly reverbs, an almost hip-house delivery, the strange alchemy of 808 fumes. Already inebriated from the city, Chloé had written her words off-cuff in the hotel room, just hours before.
Fastforward a year. Summer 2015. Niv had sent Space Cream a few months earlier - an electronic 4/4 ballad which already featured looped samples of some of the stuff they'd recorded in Israel. Heady and sticky, Chloé had to wait for longer days before she could get anything down.
Finally XMan, descends further down into psychedelia... Perfect for the London winter closing in. Heads filled with Cookie Mueller & memories of losing oneself in dark, basement parties - the words rolled off the tongue.
Last autumn Red Axes invited C.A.R. down to London's Pickle Factory to perform Incognito live. During soundcheck she penned some words for a new track they were debuting, which they also ended up doing. It's an experience synonymous for this collaboration. What comes easy, makes sense.
Remixes come courtesy of Tom Furse (from the Horrors) who, as he says himself, offers "cosmic extrapolations". Think of the soundtracks of Michael Mann movies, Vangelis gone to space heaven and back. Lumiere Noire's protégés, Il Est Vilaine offer future electronic disco punk at its best. They stomp and romp (watch out for the hyena!).

Second single from London 5 Piece. Ones to Watch 2016. Hype Machine #1. This lot are the band everyone's tipping to be the new Jungle'

Early pioneers of the German New Wave music scene, Din A Testbild were formed in 1978 by Mark Eins and Gudrun Gut (former member of Einstürzende Neubauten, Mania D. and Malaria!). Din A Testbild played a significant role in defining the avant-garde music of Berlin. Legendary is their partecipation at the Festival Genialer Dilletanten" in 1981.
'Programm 2' is their second album mixed and produced by Klaus Schulze on his own record label Innovative Communication in 1980, Programm 2' was a favourite in the playlists of the Italian cosmic dj heroes Daniele Baldelli and Dj Mozart.

Limited LP & 7" pack from London's synth pop() giant, Design A Wave.... *NOTE: some tracknames are intentionally blank. Maybe think of something nice to call them yourself

for the 1st time the Official remastered reissue of the original 1984 recording with original artwork - full picture sleeve ! 350 limited copies, vinyl, 2014 under license of Expanded Musuc srl Italy Kirlian Camera are one of the pioneers of the Italian electronic scene. Active since 1979 under the name Suicide Commando, the band changed name in 1980 releasing the first demo-tape Dawn and the self-titled mini-album in late 1981. The early records contain a mix of synth pop and new wave/dance songs, while towards the end of the 1980s' Kirlian Camera's music became darker, turning into electro-gothic sound. Nearly every release since then has explored different fields, from industrial to ambient and trip-hop.

All tracks recorded at Lights studio Brussels in 1988, Music by Pierre/Jean-Marc Pauly, Lyrics by Jean-Marc Pauly
Strictly limited edition of 200 copies.

Viva Erotica has been a Gabba-beat chamber orchestra, a Facebook sculpture a YouPorn recycling machine and is now becoming a piece of wax (a record). Four tracks are furious comments on the downfall of club music - the bassdrum as a weapon against the bassdrum - the other four want to forgive and forget. 2015 was the year of about-face. Each of the 330 records has a cutout from a co!ee-table book plastered on the front.

7 inch with electronics from Das Ding. More or less an homage to (very) early Kraftwerk.

initially announced as ew1984****NON EXCLUSIVE****

For the 1st time on vinyl

Limited edition 250 copies / picture sleeve / no repress

Lost treasures from a dusty analog demo tape that came out from recording studios archieves ......
from East Wall : Fabrizio Chiari (previously involved with Kirlian Camera) and Wilma Notari

Spring has arrived just in time for "Dov'e l'amore", a four track 12inch by David Vunk & Mima. This special collaboration of Rotterdam's main Italo producer and a classically trained pianist/singer from the former Yugoslavia has resulted in a bunch of energizing synth pop gems that will keep you dancing all the way through summer!

Medical Records presents the release of its first contemporary artist with the Paris-based Illustration Sonore (I/S). The duo, consisting of Dasz (also in Dolina and Ame De Boue) and Christina (aka Froe Char), expertly craft dark and atmospheric songs laced with unbridled passion in the context of synth-laden melodies, dominant percussion and pensive vocals. I/S uses variations of electricity to control oscillators and frequency modulations. Best described as synth-gaze, dark-wave, or no-future pop. The opening track "Ulysses," sets the mood with uncompromising intensity and passion with serious low frequency tones and catchy synth drenched hooks. The dreamy and brooding "Our Bodies" starts the B side and is a definite standout tracks. The wonderful and melancholy pop track "Flying Lights" is also included on the LP and was previously featured on the lovely compilation "Circuit D'Actes 3" on the French La Forme Lente imprint earlier this year. The relentlessly apocalyptic "Cannibals" is yet another magnificent track worth mentioning here. For fans of EBM/synth-heavy industrial crossover, lovers of Cabaret Voltaire, Chris and Cosey, modern synth-wave and the like, these tracks will not disappoint. Presented on high-quality 180gram ultra-clear heavyweight vinyl. Features bonus LP insert with lyrics. Limited edition.

Fred Ventura strikes again on the Bordello A Parigi label. With a classic italo production by Spain's talented Synergic Silence it can't go wrong: fist pumping and heartbreaking love bangers! Comes with beautiful picture sleeve.

Blood is thicker than water and eventually long time friends Bordello A Parigi and Knekelhuis pageant a solid piece of music together.

Alessandro Parisi also known as Hesperius Draco from Portenone - Italy - and London based Timothy J Fairplay found themselves in the middle of an ice cold world, opening their wintery project with the Romance' soundtrack. The warm synth lines will single handedly set Moscow's frozen red square on fire. The Italian soundtrack synthesisers will touch the trans-siberian world and end with a slow burner named What Is To Be Done'.

Limited to 500 hand-numbered copies with printed inner sleeve (photos & band infos).