Back catalogue: Coldwave/Synth

Review: Fresh, warm and spontaneous - brainwave research center's eight track debut album is everything that electronic music sometimes forgets to be. Recorded and produced in the back of Smith's synthesizer/electronic repair shop, Specs Sales & Repair, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the project is a joint collaboration between NYC-based house/techno producer, Chase Smith (W.T. Records, Apartment, is/Was), & documentary filmmaker, Christa Majoras (School of Visual Arts).
Described as a distillation of influences from experimentalism of Steve Reich, Laurie Spiegel and Black Dice, the 90s ambient techno of The Orb and Pete Namlook/Fax and more motorik flavours like Kraftwerk, Suicide, Manual Gottsching, it's a gentle but lively affair from the Art Of Noise-esque 'ah ah ah ah ah' and bubbling jam 'Bird Brain' to the epic arpeggios v guitar closer 'Day Dreaming'. This is first of four releases that the artist has planned, but there's certainly enough here to get your teeth into for now.

Review: Natural Sciences are always adept at platforming distinctive artists, but this is an impressive reach even by their standards. Candido hails from the Krishna-core punk scene of Buenos Aires, and his sound takes elements from early industrial and acid house to create a darkly powerful club record. Freestyle stabs, thumping Rompler bass and edgy sampling place this right in the jakbeat vibe you'd expect a DJ like Traxx to play, and it's a whole heap of boxy, bashy fun. Just listen to 'Body Board Memories', a slamming workout with gated reverb on the snares which is thick enough to eat.

Review: Experimental electronic supergroup Creep Show are certainly a dream team, with the band made up of various members of certain timeless acts: John Grant (of Hercules & Love Affair), Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire), Benge (Wrangler) and Phil Winter (Tunng). The album is a mix of darksynth, industrial funk and experimental noise, with vocals by Grant and Malinger providing a surreal, vocoded oeuvre. The titular 'Yawning Abyss' is ploddy and skeletal enough, but then we move into the real meat of things with the likes of 'Bungalow' and 'Moneyback', which carry on the album's extant deathly techno-dysoptian vibe with an increasingly post-punky effect.

Review: Croatian Amor's new full length is a homage to "youth and the delicate metamorphosis that occurs as childhood trips into maturity." The Danish group bring the sort of restless energy you would associate with those young years as well as nostalgic sun-kissed moments like the title track. Each one is a mini sound collage as has always been the way with this band and diffuse electronic music traditions are mixed with fantastical synthetic sounds and heavy rhythmic structures. It is another fine work that stands in its own unique musical world.

Review: Over the course of her three year solo career, London-based Australian Carla Dal Forno has steadily moved from a dark, stylish and bleak all-electronic sound to something a little warmer and more organic in tone. On "Look Up Sharp", her third album, she continues this trend, complimenting her usual lo-fi drum machines and synths with low-slung post-punk bass and the kind of pastoral, traditional instrumentation more often associated with folk music (think flutes, recorders, clarinet etc.). It's a curious blend, but one that works wonderfully well throughout the album, and especially on those songs to which she adds evocative, often melancholic vocals.

Review: When Marie Davidson announced last year that she would be, "retiring from club music", many wondered what she'd do next. Renegade Breakdown, her first album recorded with a full band (L'Oeil Nu), answers that question. It sees the Canadian artist and her new collaborators deliver suitably arresting, personal and ear-catching songs built on mixing and matching a surprisingly wide variety of musical inspirations, from Blondie, classic disco and mutilated heavy metal guitars, to Kraftwerk, Billie Holiday, Fleetwood Mac and Daft Punk. It's a big shift for the previously highly experimental artist, but thanks to her skill as both a a producer and performer, one that works magnificently well.

Review: It's 1990 and Depeche Mode couldn't really be riding much higher in the global music stakes. Having just released Violator, the band had finally debuted an album inside the Billboard Top 10 for the first time in their almost-decade-long history, and pretty much anyone who came into contact with the record was very quickly captivated by its sound. While definitely not a curveball, it marked an expansion of the group's existing style. Some have described it as synth-pop, others alternative rock. In many ways, it's a dance floor album, one that embraces goth and coldwave at its very core. Captured during their tour at that time, Set In Stone features landmark singles from the LP - 'Personal Jesus', of course, and 'World In My Eyes' - it also proves beyond any doubt that a Depeche Mode show is about more than simply playing the hits.

Review: British synth-pop supergroup Electronic consisted of Bernard Sumner of New Order, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys and Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk. The combined clout of these names surely amounted to enough credit to patent the name "Electronic", which always to us felt partially like an attempt to become synonymous with the music genre itself (as if these guys weren't synonymous with it already). On Get The Message, a 2006 compilation named after the second single from their debut album, we hear a thorough checking of their contribution to the golden decade that is the 1990s, cycling chronologically through the group's greatest hits, as well as some extra rarities and tidbits for curious fans.

Review: 
For the first time ever since the mid-80s, Robert Fripp's God Save The Queen is now avaialble on fresh vinyl once more. It was the second solo album from Fripp and is made up almost entirely of so-called 'Frippertronics,' which means much of the record was performed by improvisation. Under each track are solid drums and bass to get the grooves going and guitar loops for the five tracks were recorded live in concert during 1979. It's a real left turn of an album and one that can be as mesmerising as it can wild.

Review: Day-Glo Chaos Gets Physical, the third album by Hologram Teen (Morgane Lhote), is a tight, kaleidoscopic blend of 80s synthpop and quirky electro. Lhote draws from her obsession with arcade games and cinematic synths, building a vivid world where bright electronic textures collide with playful rhythms. It's no surprise she cites influences like Jacno's analogue electro and John Carpenter's dystopian scores - you can hear their pulse throughout the record, most notably in tracks like 'Midnite Rogue', which nods to Lhote's love of retro gaming with a rhythm as driving as an Outrun arcade session. The album thrives on its sharp production and colorful arrangements, creating a sense of motion and energy that's both nostalgic and forward-thinking. The inclusion of everything from Sega Master System-inspired sounds to a custom synth designed in Ableton (cheekily named after prog-rock legend Rick Wakeman) showcases Lhote's playful approach to electronic music, while still maintaining a sense of sophistication. Tracks like 'Teen Beats Highway' and 'Valley Nights (Burnin')' tap into that irresistible groove, perfectly balancing punchy, rhythmic hooks with atmospheric melodies. This isn't just a retro throwback; Day-Glo Chaos updates and modernises the nostalgia, offering a nuanced reimagining of synth music's neon-glow past. It's meticulously layered yet fun, upbeat without being overbearing. Whether you're drawn in by the danceable beats or the sonic tributes to old-school gaming and 80s cinema, this album brims with personality and an unmistakable charm.

Review: Oakland, CA trio Houses Of Heaven draw on elements of industrial pop, post-punk, electro and experimental on their latest full-length Within/Without, their second LP for label Felte. Channelling the production prowess of Matia Simovich (INHALT) - and featuring top-of-their-game guest vocals from Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb) and Mariana SaldaNa (BOAN) - Within/Without marks a turn away from the dub-infused movements of their prior 2020 Silent Places, going full-on weighty and noir cyberpunk, but with an extra ear for texture that most other releases operating in said style cannot claim to match. Opener 'Strange Temptation' prefers its shutdown Reeses and crunching arp sequences, while mid-record peaktimer 'Deserve' proves itself unafraid of rapturous verbs and washes; the lust could go on, but all tracks here have a remarkable ability to both strike fear into the hearts of us puny humans and simultaneously make us prance.

Review: IAMX is Chris Corner's solo project, which can be traced back to 2004, around the time his former band, Sneaker Pimps, went on hiatus. Spanning multiple genres, from burlesque-hued dark cabaret to electronic rock and unbridled dance music, there have now been eight studio albums, two remix records, two live albums and two experimental albums released under the moniker. Fault Lines² is among the finest in that oeuvre, and the most recent. Fresh for 2024, this collection of work paints a vivid picture of the artist - at times unsettling and slightly eerie, in other moments melancholic-yet-euphoric, it's dramatic, theatrical, innovative and strangely teetering on the brink of traditional and more explorative schools of sound. Probably not something you'll hear much like again this month.

Review: Tsampikos Fronas is June, and on this fresh new LP for Artificial Dance he rather sips away from the dance sounds of his earlier career. The material here was recorded between 2018 and 2020 by the Berlin based innovator and it is an exploration of more sparse soundscapes than previously. It has a cyber punk feel and dystopian overtone with each track filled with tension and plenty of nods to sci-fi movie soundtracks. It is all crafted from analogue sequencers and analogue polyphonic synths as well as modular synthesizers which lend it an ice cold rhythm and haunting sense of futurism.

Review: Kerala Dust are an indietronica trio hailing from Berlin, and their upcoming album 'Violet Drive' is rightly described by them as a 'pan-European dream'. Recorded between Berlin and a remote Swiss Alpine studio, this is a funky, dark and sumptuous vocal dance project, replete with an overarching nighttime swing and glossy shimmer. Rather than one for twangy, sunburnt all-American road trips, we imagine this one is far better suited for drives across milder Scandi landscapes at night.

Review: Recorded in 1981, Turning Japanese captures Kraftwerk at the absolute height of their creative dominance, but sometime before their true induction into the household name superstar category of artists. Still representing a very forward thinking, boundary pushing and - as a result - specialist sound, this nine-track live recording feels like yesterday's tomorrow.
Opening with a stunning neo-classical synth overture, we're then taken on a journey through the mind of the man machine, an industrial yet somehow strangely human proto-electro world that is defined by order and structure, while still allowing for enough funk and groove to make sure feet, hips and more move seemingly of their own volition. Perhaps not the most insightful take on the pioneering German band - nothing here that hasn't been said before - nevertheless we hope it goes someway to describing how precise, refined and overwhelmingly infectious they can be on stage.

Review: This gatefold green vinyl record captures a rare and electrifying live performance from the pioneering electronic music legends. Recorded at their 1997 Tribal Gathering festival headline, it's a showcase of the band's iconic sound that blends groundbreaking synth-driven melodies with hypnotic rhythms and futuristic themes. Performing classics like 'Autobahn,' 'The Robots' and 'Computer World,' Kraftwerk delivered a spellbinding experience that bridged their innovative past and continued influence on modern music all set against the historic backdrop of Luton Hoo Estate. It features plenty of their classics from the time, as well as - shockingly - a new track, titled 'Tribal Gathering' (and also sometimes referred to as 'Luton') that was written especially for the gig, never recorded in the studio and only ever played a handful of times. A great nostalgic trip.

Review: Kraftwerk's 1975 performance at Fairfield Hall in Croydon is the stuff of legend. Finally it is available as a high quality audio pressing that allows you to relive all its glorious futurism. The show was broadcast on radio as part of a short tour of the UK that came after the release of the German computer music pioneer's hugely popular Autobahn. It features tracks from that album as well as 'Die Sonne, Der Mond, Die Sterne' and 'Showroom Dummies.' A real piece of electronic music history that will spice up any collection.

Review: Lake Haze's third album on Shall Not Fade is another triumph with his signature shimmering melodies strung out over lush beats. Drawing on house, disco, garage and broken beat it is a rich affair with a strong UK vibe. There is elegance and symphony to opener 'Xyleac' that immediately gets your head amongst the stars. 'Diluspth' keeps up the majestic synth while 'Bbyncole' is double-speed techno with balmy celestial synths and hurried bass that locks you in. Tender ambient pieces like 'Shores Of Eternal Life' reset the mood and then the second half is a series of shorter sketches packed with electronic soul.

Review: London's Middex return with new album In Second Floor and Third Floor Story, an experimental fusion of electronics, scratchy synths and noise that is overlaid with spoken word pieces. In the case of the opening track, that's a list of decent sounding cars. On 'Lived I', echoing and haunting vocals muse on early blossom, refuse collection all sort sorts of other odd subjects. The intensity grows throughout cuts like 'The Mascot Of Insurmountable Breath' and the brief but arresting glassy sounds of 'Registered Feeling' and dark, devilish winds of 'Tongue Holds Back.'

Review: Greek electronic music legend Lena Platonos returns to Dark Entries with Balancers, an LP of previously unreleased material recorded between 1982-1985. Athens-based Platonos has worked with the label previously to reissue her three solo LPs - Gallop, Sun Masks, and Lepidoptera - as well as to release three accompanying 12" EPs featuring modern remixes of her work. She is renowned for her forays into cutting-edge electronic experimentation as well as her striking, impressionistic poetry and lyrics, always recited in Greek. Also included is an insert with lyrics in both Greek and English.

Review: Sally Shapiro are actually a duo, and the name is actually a pseudonym. Besides, they are essentially in the business of blowing every other synthpop act out of the park by this point. Packed with emotion and swelling refrains, 'Sad Cities' is a universal lamentation for failed metropoli the world over. Opener 'Forget About You' sets the tone for the pair's home-recorded masterpiece, on which the lead singer's voice takes raspy centre stage. Regret seems to be the central theme, peronalising our collective suffering:

Review: Known for their cover versions - having re-read Sly Stone, Plastic Bertrand, Les Chats Sauvages, and many more over the years - Telex managed to tread a fine line between comedy and innovation. Focusing heavily on a lo-fi synthesised sound, the Belgian alt-poppers would use plenty of humour in their work, but never allowed this to outshine or overshadow the musicality of it all. Released in 1980, Neurovision is a case in point. According to the band, this was their tongue-in-cheek entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, for which they were chosen as representatives for their home country in the same year. Deliberately banal lyrics, mostly referring to the competition itself, married to the glittering wonder of a proto-electronic soundtrack, mark it as a work of bold daring and a little genius. Sadly, it failed to secure them last place in the tournament, as they hoped, forcing them to settle for 17 out of 19.

Review: In some ways it's remarkable that Telex managed to achieve the level of global success they did. This isn't slight on the band or indeed their sound, but to simultaneously make groundbreaking noises and garner widespread mass appeal has never been that easy, save for a number of high profile names we often now consider doyens of the music world. Looney Tunes, the group's fifth album, arrived in 1988 and by this point they had already been inducted into the synth pop hall of fame. Output and activity slowing considerably as the decade progressed, just like their sixth and final outing How Do You Dance?, released in 2006, here was proof that their vitality and ability to make ground breaking things had not waned, while their understanding of hooks and immediate impact had only grown more polished and absolute.

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Review: Formed in 1978, Marc Moullin, Dan Lacksman, and Michael Moers broke the mould with Telex - one of the most influential Belgian synth-pop groups of all time. Calling on disco, punk, and the sound of formative era experimental electronic music that was beginning to take hold in Western Europe, they would simultaneously produce some of the most important tracks of the genre until their first disbandment in 2006, and bless us with hilarious pithiness in the shape of tunes like 'Euro-Vision', a bleep-driven 'critique' of the song contest. How Do You Dance? was the group's final studio album, rounding out a six-strong, decade-spanning LP back catalogue, and despite arriving almost three decades after their debut, Looking for Saint Tropez, turned heads for its originality, this beauty still proved they were more than capable of delivering innovative goods. One for fans of Metronomy, Todd Terje and more.

Review: First released in 1981, and garnering the 100,000-plus sales needed to hit Gold certification pretty quickly after arrival - a feat which, back in the glory days of charts, was still only enough for you to peak at #4 in the albums league - at the time this was a case of Ultravox, here in the height of the Midge Ure years, taking the electronic explorations that defined the previous two full-length records, Systems of Romance and Vienna, even further, returning to the same Cologne studio to achieve that quality and feeling.

Of course, there are still shades of the band as they were in formative, mid-1970s years, which many still forget was a far (far) rockier beast. Nevertheless, the synths make the most lasting impression here, with the LP somehow sounding kind of stark, a little cold and distant, perhaps even enigmatic, yet full and in many ways fun.

Review: The esteemed gang at Dark Entries have been hard at work on another one of their always eye opening compilation. This time they turn their focus to Mexican new wave and post-punk on the 10-track Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop. None of the tunes here have ever made it to wax before and they come with a 12 page magazine that is packed with extra context, lyrics and bios about the artists. The tunes all shine a fine light on the flourishing DIY scene that was present in 1980's Mexico when much of the world's focus was on the more well documented synth pop and obscure electronics from Europe and the United States.

Review: 80s Techno Tracks is an essential compilation series for those looking to complete their collections of retro classics. The third vinyl edition of this series of ZYX is another doozy that contains 12 carefully selected gems from the earliest days of techno and despite the fact these are around 40 years old they still do damage on the dancefloor. The likes of Bigod 20, Song, Robotiko Rejekto, Scarecrow, technic and Aircrash Bureau all feature with authentic old-school tracks that wear their hardware aesthetics on their sleeves and cannot fail to make a mark.

Review: Emotional Response has described soFa's fourth compilation for the label as "internationalism for the adventurous DJ", full of club music for the open-minded. It's basically an eclectic, esoteric musical travelogue that serves of intriguing, entertaining and admirable electronic music for those of a leftfield persuasion. There's much to enjoy, from the undulating melodies, off-kilter beats and mind-soothing chords of Infuso Giallo's 'Torus', and the moody techno-not-techno wave minimalism of Puma & The Dolphin ('Grass Drum'), to the analogue-heavy cold-wave dystopia of Houschyar ('Intercontinental'), the dark ambient techno of Lamusa II ('Artificial') and the tribal tinged electronic psychedelia of Bolva ('Rite II').

Review: Italia Synthetica 1981-1985 is a reissue of a 2013 compilation which details a selection of synthpop, new wave and minimal electronic bands and artists from Italy in the early 80s. Spittle Records did divine work in sourcing and collating this collection ten years ago, not least since it's what they do best. Conceived and presented by veteran Italian singer and producer and beloved member of the scene himself - Fred Ventura - highlights like Neon's 'Lobotomy' and Actor's Studio's 'Dancing Alone' do well to represent the punkish and slapdash attitude of this flourishing yet short-lived scene. It nevertheless paved the way for the rich musical landscape Italy's underground enjoys to this day.