John Paul Young ~ The Life Of Ermie Scub [CMDC, 1980] 320kbps

SC 8922

A1. Ermie Has Feelers
A2. All The Sad Goodbyes
A3. Have You Seen The Boy In The Gutter With The Broken Mind?
A4. Our Time Escapes
A5. Summertime!
A6. Is That Why?

B1. The Monster In Ed
B2. The Girl Spells Grief
B3. Angels With Dirty Faces
B4. The Boulevards Of Hope
B5. Surrender To The Void



Electronics – Stanley A. Viezner
Performer [Instruments], Vocals – John Paul Young

'After founding Toronto-based art punk(ish) band Cardboard Brains back in 1976, and leading them through a pair of swell EPs (the frankly formulaic Cardboard Brains 77 and the poppier Black EP two years later) as well as a slot on the scene-defining Last Pogo LP, John Paul Young must have felt constricted by the form-fitting straitjacket of three-chord punk. Young was the middle-class son of medical doctors, and allegedly progeny of both Brigham Young and the founder of American rocketry, Dr. Robert Goddard, and was probably a poor fit for a Toronto scene populated by yobs, headbangers and street youth (as chronicled in Liz Worth's excellent Treat Me Like Dirt).

By 1980 Young had set off on his own, playing all the instruments on this quasi-conceptual collection of robot-like minimal synth tracks. And on a continent that was still digesting the original punk movement, The Life of Ermie Scub would surely have been as left-field as they came. With its period analog synths, percolating drum machines and disaffected vocals, the record had more in common with the early OMD, the Normal or even San Francisco's Units than much of what was happening in Toronto at the time. That said, the bulk of ...Ermie Scub is mopy and tedious, with Young's lethargic singing especially annoying. Still, there are flickers of brilliance here, like the two-minute 'Have You Seen the Boy in the Gutter with the Broken Mind?', a frantic electro-workout worthy of Martin Rev, or the whimsical synths on 'The Boulevards of Hope', which seem to edge curiously close to Residents territory [circa The Commercial Album].' ~ Michael Pananontin

i don't find the vocals tedious at all, but then i dig weird art punk. and though jp's voice might initially contrast with some of the gorgeous synth melodies on display here, this album has really grown on me over the years. definitely one for fans of Gary Wilson. please enjoy this interwebular upgrade of one of my favorite canadian synth joints, 320 blips later

VA ~ Red Waves: 1980-87 Eastern European Avant-Punk & Synthpop Rarities [2007]

01. Kontroll Csoport - A Mi Agyunk Téves [Hungary 1981]
02. Torma - Mosolyalbum [Hungary 1984]
03. SS Til - Efekt [Poland 1984]
04. GWML - china Wall [Poland 1982]
05. Kult - Piosenka Mlodych Wioslarzy [Poland 1985]
06. Aleksao Sevsek - Edelweiss, Trad [Austria 1981]
07. Manzele - Za Pochodu [Czech.1983]
08. Dzeltenie Pastnieki - Kaapeec Tu Mani Negribi [Latvia 1982]
09. Gayga I Din - Chodze, Stoje, Siedze, Leze [Poland 1985]
10. Europa Kiadó - 3 Judit, 4 Zsuzsa [Hungary 1982]
11. Vagta Zo Hallot Kemek - untitled [Hungary 1981]
12. Seque - Maaja Bolderaajaa [Latvia 1982]
13. Wyx - Association [Hungary 1983]
14. T.U.M.S.A. - Es Tagad Saprotu [Latvia 1987]
15. Ápolók - Virág [Hungary 1983]
16. Kein Talent + Namenlos - Links Zwo Drei Vier [GDR 1983]
17. Maanam - Mentalny Kot [Poland 1985]
18. Klaus Mitffoch - Nie jestem z nikim [Poland 1984]
19. NSRD - Labriit putra! [Latvia 1984]
20. Kontroll Csoport - Kicsinek Látszol Innen [Hungary 1983]
21. Sarlo Akrobata - Niko Kao Ja [Yugoslavia ’80]
22. GM49 - Kötöde [Hungary 1984]
23. Bezobrazno Zeleno - Bezim Niz Ulicu [Yugoslavia ‘81]
24. GWML - Piosenka Góralska [Poland 1982]
25. Idoli - Amerika [Yugoslavia ‘81]

compiled by Jason Elbogen fer the 2007 WFMU Marathon

here goes WFMU DJ Jason Elbogen's premium disk from some 4 years ago. many of the jams are super catchy & mutagenic, not to mention impossibly rare & obscure. based on what i've heard from recent shows, his latest & greatest marathon premium compilation sounds super sweet, so do try to catch him live every Friday morning from 6AM - 9AM Eastern Standard Time ---> Jason Elbogen on WFMU

Maska Genetik - Quarantine 7"ep [Galakthorrö, 2006] 320 kbps

A1. Haut 3:27
A2. Quarantine 3:43
B1. Purple Surge 3:09
B2. Moments Of Truth 4:17

bonus 1. Ocean
bonus 2. White Tracks



Performer - Amon Radek
Limited edition of 498 handnumbered copies
Recorded and produced in Moscow 2004

'Amon Radek started off as a bass player in a band. The 90s drew to an end and he decided to strike out as a lone wolf and try out his talents in the Industrial-Music scene. Maska Genetik was born. First of all he worked mainly on pitched rhythms, Deutsch Nepal was a great influence on him here, until he heard November Növelet for the first time, and scrubbed his harddisc – Tabula Rasa – bought himself synthesizers and bravely took the first step in the direction that would later be released on Galakthorrö: Angst-Pop at its best.

On 'Quarantine' the listener will find four songs of the finest denial of life, arranged to form a 15 minute ride to hell, as Maska Genetik lets the famously notorious soviet synthesizers wail and embed deathly vocals in their pulsating death-wish exalting industrial rhythms. Everything is analog & therein lies the strength of Maska Genetik; the confident feel for a good combination of the ingredients that in the right place, and in the right dosage, melt together to form a satisfying union and become a true aural experience

Galakthorrö was one of the stops on the way for Amon Radek, the Muscovite melancholic in his search for good luck and happiness. Together we worked out a very good debut, which attracted lots of attention and became popular with every one who listened to it. This single ep created all the best conditions required to embark on a successful career as a dark electronics innovator. Unfortunately there was more than mere dark electronics to contend with, there was also a dark attitude to life, and all the difficult living conditions that that (sic) causes. That is what has prevented Amon Radek from continuing on this path. It always hits the innocents of this world, as everybody knows. Life can still be a tragedy.

Oh well, what can we say. The future looks pretty undecided, but as far as we know, he hasn't yet sold his equipment. We can but hope...' - label blurrrrrb

happy new year peeps. long time! all my friends agree, this is some of the most sinistral, authentically disturbed shit we've heard since old skool spk & throbbing gristle. if that's yr bag, don't miss it. word is this cat scored a bunch of vintage analog synths earlier this century, recorded these tracks & essentially had a nervous breakdown. quite a spooky legacy to leave & we're wishing him the best in 2011. included as a bonus are the two tracks from the aforementioned kosmoloko comp. try playing the sound samps together cuz it sounds dope. upgrades are go! 320 rips later

Stephan Eicher - Spielt Noise Boys 7" [Off Course, 1980]

A1. MiniMiniMiniMinijupe 3:05
A2. Ping Pong Lied 1:20
A3. Noise Boys Song 2:15

B1. Sweet Jane -By - Lou Reed 2:25
B2. Disco Mania 4:00



Artwork By [Umschlag], Instruments - Stephan Eicher
Recorded 16/17 September 1980 at spex Bern [Switzerland] with a simple tape recorder

driving minimal synth punk from Stephen Eicher who recorded these sessions on tape in 1980, around the same time he was playing with seminal Swiss synth-wave band Grauzone. essential for that cover of 'sweet jane' but enjoyable throughout, especially 'disco mania'

John Foxx ~ Metamatic [Virgin, 1980] 320 kbps RE-RIP

A1. Plaza
A2. He's A Liquid
A3. Underpass
A4. Metal Beat
A5. No-One Driving

B1. A New Kind Of Man
B2. Blurred Girl
B3. 030
B4. Tidal Wave
B5. Touch And Go

Engineer - Gareth Jones
Additional Bass - Jake Durant
Additional Synthesizers - John Barker
Written-By, Producer, Synthesizer, Drum Programming, Artwork By - John Foxx

Metamatic was released in January 1980 - the first synth album of the new decade



first solo outing for John Foxx after departing Ultravox! & simply one of the finest achievements in pop music, electronic or otherwise. this is the synth album that spawned a million imitators & still casts a long shadow over the scene that none can seem to eclipse. by 1980, Foxx had obviously learned a few tricks after having albums produced by both Brian Eno & Conny Plank with his former band. the stripped down yet wildly vibrant sound, surreally dystopian lyrics, cold atmosphere & minimal packaging. he seemed to know exactly what he wanted to do & how to achieve the results. & this is it, as Alan Watts might say. grab it from us or try yer luck elsewhere, but definitely dig! this is not a request. insightful interview here. 320 blips!

Photographic

The Makers of the Dead Travel Fast ~ The Vessels [M Squared] 1981

A1 No Threat
A2 The Shadows Of Mde. Velo's Story
A3 Illuminated Bay, Illuminated Buoy
A4 Row Boat
A5 Into The Arc
A6 Dance Of The Trout
A7 Copper Hats

B1 Mesh
B2 Lovers Of Observatory Time
B3 The Barbers, The Barbers
B4 Zebra Crossing



Peter Richardson [piano, keyboards]
Greg Addison [guitar]
Steve Couri [bass, guitar, synth]
Tim Schultz [bongos, saxophone]
Shane Fahey [synthesizer]

Recorded at M Squared Studios

'One of the best kept secrets in rock n' roll is the renaissance in Australian music in the first half of the 80s. Almost every capital city in the nation produced at least one or two really good bands, and Sydney and Melbourne a stack. Makers Of the Dead Travel Fast were likely the most obscure of the lot.

I simply must tell you this story, because it illustrates the band perfectly. The Makers gig we attended in Sydney in 1981 was the most laid-back rock n' roll show I've ever seen. The entire audience was sitting cross-legged on the floor. The band came on, six or seven people. They never introduced themselves, they just played. Throughout the entire show no one in the band said a word. Not a single person clapped, cheered, booed or even talked during the songs. We couldn't even figure out if it was them or not, because no one had ever seen a photograph of them, and they didn't play anything off the album. Then they played "Zebra Crossing". The song finished and we cheered like maniacs - all five of us! The band walked offstage. That was it.

The Vessels is post-punk instrumental music. The album is bookended by probably the two weirdest pop songs I've ever heard. It is pop - melodic, concise - but it's just out there. Electronic, robotic..? But catchy! And lyrics to boot: "Two of my former idols have now gone to the pack/ I pitted them against each other while we were countin' back to back.'

Between these bookends is the mood music. The mood is of being adrift on a still dark ocean in the middle of the night. It is curious, it is creaking. Just when things seem to be sinking right down into ambience, the pace lifts a tad again, piano-playing respectful and measured. And then.. "Copper Hats"!! One of the classic weird rock n' roll songs, 'Copper Hats' is the sound of a bunch of retards banging pots and pans and muttering - yet still the ever-lingering pop catchiness!

Side 2 sees the band clearly transcending the ambient tag with the addition of some free-form brass which reflects the milieu of jazz-punk contemporaries Laughing Clowns and others. This side is less essential, with repetitive, hypnotic pounding beginning to drag by the middle of the side. A strong finish though, with 'Zebra Crossing'. The Vessels, another minor classic; the sort of obscure rock n' roll grail you could - if you were that way inclined - spend the rest of your life searching for.' ~ source

one of the dreamiest albums from Oz's answer to Tuxedomoon, who retain a haunting vibe throughout without resorting to too much saxophone silliness. simply stunning piano musique, 320 enchanting evocations later

Los Iniciados ~ La Marca De Anubis LP + El Canto De Jazz 7" [Dro, 1982] @ 320

DRO-012

A1. Obertura
A2. La Marca De Anubis
A3. La Comitiva Celeste
A4. Meritaton Y El Nilo
A5. Isis Y Osiris
A6. Resurrección

B1. Atlas
B2. Mantis Religiosa
B3. Ella Es Intangible
B4. El Hombre Sin Nombre
B5. Peter Pan
B6. Soy El Vacio

DRO-004

A1. El Cantor De Jazz 2:34
A2. Posesión 2:33
A3. Arcoiris 1:46

B1. Sangre De Ángel 2:22
B2. "Enigma" Y Tu Voz 2:21



as promised, here's Los Iniciados, the sinistral satanic sister band to Aviador Dro, who had to be like the most prolific collective of artists in 1982 Spain. that year alone they released 6.66 records on their own Dro imprint, in addition to makin several videos & perfoming like crazy. the sounds herein might be likened to the Residents having a funeral party with Only Theatre of Pain-era Christian Death, en español. don't even trip, just peep the clip. 320 sacrificial séances later

Aviador Dro ~ 3 EP's @ 320

La Chica de Plexiglás [Movieplay, 1980]
Nuclear, Si 7'' [Dro, 1982]
Programa En Espiral 12'' [Dro, 1982]

Aviador Dro [short for El Aviador Dro y sus Obreros Especializados] formed in Madrid in 1979 & might best be described as Spain's answer to Devo. They were an essential part of the Movida Madrileña movment, Madrid's version of new wave, & were involved with theater, politics & even a sinister satanic synth side project called Los Iniciados [immediately forthcoming]. In 1982 they created Dro, one of the first Spanish independent punk labels. here goes some of their best early jams, 320 glorious gloops later

Liaisons Dangereuses [Teldec, 1981] @ 320

A1. Mystere Dans Le Brouillard 4:25 ~ Vocals: Joanna
A2. Los Ninos Del Parque 5:00
A3. Etre Assis Ou Danser 3:25
A4. Aperitif De La Mort 3:40
A5. Kess Kill Fe Show 3:28

B1. Peut Etre...Pas 6:18
B2. Avant Apres Mars 3:48
B3. I Macho Y La Nena 3:58
B4. Dupont 3:50
B5. Liaisons Dangereuses 1:41



Lyrics By, Vocals - Krishna Goineau
Music By, Electronics, Producer - Beate Bartel, Chris Haas
Photography [Cover] - Karin Luner
Technician - Mika Zähl
Vocals - Joanna

Mixed in Conny's Studio Juni 1981.
Coverfoto from the movie "Les Femmes Sans Merci"

Liaisons Dangereuses was a short-lived German group with a French name, multilingual lyrics & Japanese analogue synths. Beate Bartel [founding member of Einstürzende Neubauten] & Chrislo Haas [founding member of DAF] formed the ensemble in 1981 with vocalist Krishna Goineauhe. These kids helped pioneer industrial dance music, or electronic body music [ebm] as it came to be known, with their hyperkinetic live shows & sole eponymous album coalesced from a series of four ten-minute cassette recordings using sparse combinations of vocals, echo, reverberation, equalisation & editing effects, mixed at Conny Plank’s studio in Köln. Their repetitive avant garde sound which could easily be categorized as post punk, no wave, minimal synth or mutant funk, apparently became a major reference point for Chicago house & Detroit techno. I was pumped to come up on a really clean copy of this piece, 320 klamorous klangs later



peep the dueling Korg MS20/SQ10 action in this clip

Monoton ~ Eight Lost Tracks: 1981-83 [Oral, 2009]

1 p 3.141592653589793 4:49
2 Mutation Waltz 2:05
3 Transnumerique 2:18
4 Ich Weiss Nichts . NX-Mix 5:13
5 Squared Roots 4:26
6 Periodic Primes 4:42
7 Wizard-C64 6:06
8 Overture 3:08



Recorded 1981-83
Sounds, Artwork By [Images] ~ Konrad Becker
Track 2 previously released on the compilation Q.E.D.
Track 4 is a remix of the track from Monotonprodukt 04
All other tracks are previously unreleased

'Monoton was founded in 1979 by hypermedia wizard konrad becker as an art project that underwent various transformations and collaborations in its exploration of psycho-active sound. a pioneer in experimental electronic music, becker continued to break new ground in electronic media. in 1994 he co-founded the institute for new culture technologies/ t0, and became director of public netbase, a legendary center for digital communication culture. an initiator of world-information.org, a cultural intelligence provider, he continues to be active as artist, researcher, writer, interdisciplinary event designer, organizer and producer. recent conceptual ventures include the global-security-alliance project.

since the late 70's, early 1980's, monoton and the 'institut für wissenschaftliche sensation' [institute for scientific sensations] have been working on meta-mathematical structures, natural constants and resonance patterns in models of "bionic" psycho-active automat music. research setups, installations and long-term experiments range from electro-acoustic representations of square roots, powers and periods of n, to explorations of pi, fibonacci sequences, feigenbaum-numbers, magic squares and others.

this recording contains distinguished electronic soundscapes related to mathematics and psycho-acoustics research made from 1981 to 1983 with analog synthesizers and micro-computers, including a commodore 64. with many materials never released or rarely available, six of these eight lost tracks see the light of day for the first time. only ich weiss nichts, appearing here in a rmx version by mr becker, was released in 1981, on an ep, monotonprodukt 04 and mutation waltz on the 1982 sampler q.e.d.' ~ press hype

'whereas the other albums focus more on a kind of mutated bedroom-studio minimalism, this one has a kind of early-80s sky records feel [i.e. later cluster, asmus tietchens, etc ... i’m even reminded of giorgio moroder’s einzelganger project] ... the disque seems to progress chronologically ; the more song & vocoded-vocal tracks making way for much more abstract materials [such as the piercing pulse-wave harmonic-series patterns of 'periodic primes' & yes, the “wizard-c64” track is zonked ... highly recommended ; esp. if conrad schnitzler’s late-70s / early-80s trangressions blanket your landfill ...' mimaroglu

Konny Becker for prez. don't miss the previous drop of Monoprodukt 07 either, friend

Elektronische Musik Aus Köln ~ A Synthetic History Of E.M.A.K. 1982-88

01 Alhara
02 Filmmusik
03 Ohne Titel
04 Biela
05 Gewitterluft
06 Schlammgang
07 Bote des Herbstes
08 Nupsa Puntsch
09 Wenn Mr. Reagan es will
10 Aranea
11 Sein und Schein
12 Tanz der Vampire
13 A L'Horizon
14 Traumreise



“E.M.A.K. [Electronische Musik aus Köln] was founded in Cologne in autumn 1981. Situated in the basement of a music store called ‘Hört-Hört’ [‘Listen-Listen’] was a small 8-track studio run by Matthias Becker. It was here at the ‘Originalton West’ studio that Becker and Kurt Mill, along with Michael Filz and Klaus Stühlen, formed E.M.A.K. and here also where Becker launched the Originalton West label with the release of ‘E.M.A.K.1’ in January 1982.

E.M.A.K. originally functioned more as a collective of individuals than a traditional group. Filz and Stühlen worked on tracks individually and Mill and Becker worked on material at the studio. Kurt Mill and Mathias Becker were the producers and chose all the tracks and final mixes.

Matthias Becker:‘ I grew up to the music of Kraftwerk and Amon Düül. I remember that in 1970, when I was 15, there was a ‘Kommune’ living in the house next door and shortly after the release of ‘Kraftwerk’ for more than a week or two each day the sounds of ‘Ruckzuck’ and ‘Stratovarious’ vibrated through the walls of our living room, (very much to the irritation of my parents).

Although E.M.A.K. were not part of any larger electronic scene in their local city, Cologne was nevertheless still the base of Can, and Holger Czukay’s own studio was barely 200 metres from Originalton West. There was also nearby Johannes Fritsch’s ‘Feedback’ Studio. Fritsch was a serious composer of ‘Neue Musik’ who had collaborated with Stockhausen, who – incidentally – lived and worked in Kürten, a small village about 35 kms from Cologne'

snap up the rish

another fun one found floating around in the dark recesses of the netherwebs. pirty smooth minimal & cosmic synth type schtuff comin str8 outta Köln

Victrola ~ 12" [Electric Eye, 1983, Italy]

a. maritime tatami
b. a game of despair



moody mid-paced monotone vocal minimal synth duo from Italy that gets love around here. this is the only record the band released & twood seem like it used to live here but that link est mort. even owls & their immediate kith & kin are not immune to the rare charms of moody minimal synth & this is surely some of the very finest italo schtuff. even if you don't dig it, yer girlfriend just might or vice versa. one to grow on

Deux ~ Felicita

further

Men's Recovery Project - Frank Talk About Humans [1995]

Vinyl Communications [VC-070, 1995]

1 Clark In My Car
2 Homo?
3 Slap On Some Pants
4 They Found My Naked Body By The River
5 All Music Is Shit To God
6 Frank Talk About Mutants
7 Problem?
8 Domestic Phone Call
9 Explanation Of Head Troubles
10 Smokin' That Magic Rock
11 Eating Contest
12 Ugly Interracial Couple
13 Frank Talk About Mutants, Also
14 Frank Talk About Mutants (Carl Cullins Remix)
15 Smokin' That Magic Rock (Zionist Remix)
16 Explanation Of Head Troubles (Empir
17 All Music Is Shit To God (Ed Powers Tribal Remix)
18 Homo? (Neighborhood Plumbing Remix)
19 Domestic Phone Call (Exhausted Engineer Remix)
20 Explanation Of Head Troubles (Children's Problem Remix)
21 Eating Contest (Parisian Remix)
22 Domestic Phone Call (Plastic Fruit Cups Remix)
23 Problem? (Owner's Remix)
24 Slap On Some Pants (Trail Mix Remix)
25 Domestic Phone Call (Special Remix)
26 All Music Is Shit To God (Fuck You Remix)
27 Domestic Phone Call (Artificial Leg Remix)
28 Frank Talk About Mutants (Marshall Glickman Remix)
29 Smokin' That Magic Rock (John Wilcox Remix)
30 All Music Is Shit To God (DNA Sequencer Failure Remix)
31 Domestic Phone Call (Inflatable Remix)
32 Slap On Some Pants (Halftime Remix)
33 Eating Contest (Emergency Remix)
34 Explanation Of Head Troubles (Empowerment Pants Remix)
35 Encompass
36 Slap On Some Pants (Trouble Remix)
37 Domestic Phone Call (Cookout Fluid Remix)
38 Homo? ("They Ain't Suing Nobody" Remix)
39 Domestic Phone Call (Negro Remix)
40 Frank Talk About Mutants (Arnold Clausen Remix)
41 Domestic Phone Call (Wankle-Rotary Engine Remix)
42 All Music Is Shit To God (Monoroid Remix)
43 Explanation Of Head Troubles (Malfunction Remix)
44 Slap On Some Pants (Waste Of Resources Remix)
45 Older Men



i grew up with this chit & it's still dope & relevant as ever. these cats are mad smart. honour the memory of vermiform, gravity & vinyl communications. support the encroyable graphique design of monoroid. 45 traques ripped at 320 for that extra mph