Back catalogue: Coldwave/Synth

Review: Earlier this year Minimal Wave offshoot provided one of this year's most visceral dancefloor weapons in Kino-I, the debut from Doug Lee's new An-I project. Taking inspiration from techno, jack, industrial and punk, An-I successfully drew a line under some of the Berlin-based artist's previous disco-flavoured endeavours. And then some! If you like the Kino-I 12" you will love the new triplet of An-I productions housed on this appropriately titled Gutz 12". The title track alone should come with a health warning; such is the furious onslaught of machine funk it contains, whilst the unnerving "Rut" is the most schizophrenic production you will hear this year. Best of all id closing track "Save Us" sounds like a cross between in Aeternam Vale and Silent Servant. Pressed on a rather thick and dashing slab of magenta orange vinyl!

Review: An-i is the excellent new project from Doug Lee, a man previously responsible for some superb dancefloor ammo as part of TBD alongside Justin Vandervolgen, as well as working with Lovefingers on more mellow fare as The Stallions. If you were one of the lucky few to grab his Bad News 12" with LIES don Ron Morelli then you'll be ready for the haywire nature of the Kino-i EP. Finding a perfect home on Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax, the EP sees the Berlin based producer indulge his machine love on three variations of the same track that almost explode off the wax - must check for fans of Nation, LIES, Mathematics. Pressed up on fluorescent 160gm yellow vinyl and housed in a high gloss black and white sleeve.

Review: Cititrax/Minimal Wave come together to put out this new release from the Vancouver-based synth wave duo Cosmetics, which was originally formed by Nic Emm and Aja Emma in 2008. They have been quiet over recent years but recently got back together with a new full-length called Baby that's due soon. The lead singles from it now arrive on this 7" and are full of sultry minimal sounds, moody synth craft and seductive vocals from Emma that really cut through as the clavier a dark, film-like narrative that is beautifully beguiling. A great return ahead of the much anticipated full length.

Review: Minimal Wave's Cititrax imprint has had one of its most prolific years to date in 2013, with the release of excellent albums from Streetwalker and The KVB, and a KVB remix EP featuring the likes of Regis, Silent Servant and Shifted. The Veronica Vasicka-helmed label looks to expand on that success with a number of forthcoming releases planned over the next few months commencing with the debut EP of Facit, whose Mat At Duvorna EP is described by the label as "quintessential melancholic Swedish wave at its finest." Comprised of Joakim Karlsson and Mai Nestor on vocals, the Gothenburg native Karlsson has previous form as Jocke & Elliot, under which name he released an electro-inspired 12-inch on Swedish label Kust Musik in 2010. this new project seems to be more downtempo in nature, with a sound that most resembles a modern day version of French synthwave duo Deux, making them perfect for the stable of labels run by Vasicka.

Review: The lesser spotted Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax gets manoeuvred back into the spotlight for something special. Working together with Veronica Vasicka, South Florida electro punk icons Futurisk tasked four of their biggest fans with remixing their iconic track "Lonely Streets". Perhaps closest to their hearts is the remix from the legendary Chris Carter, which Futurisk's Jeremy Kosoline acknowledges was how they would have liked the original to sound back in 1982 had they the equipment and time. Alongside the shimmering analogue brilliance of Carter's version, NYC fixture Prince Language also steps up with a haunting mid tempo industrial disco version. On the flip, Citinite's Complexxion embellishes the track with some synth heavy retro electro goodness whilst Tom Furse of The Horrors adds yet another fine remix to his CV with a heavily arpeggiated lean.

Review: Mutual Dreaming, the second album from Innergaze, casts its members Aurora Halal and Jason Letkiewicz as stateside contemporary versions of our own Chris & Cosey. The ideas shown in Innergaze's recording career to date seem more fully formed across the eight tracks on this album courtesy of Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax. Mutual Dreaming is undeniably more coherent than the sugary hypno-disco of the duo's 100% Silk drop last year. It's possible to say Halal and Letkiewicz have gleaned more than titular influence from the Mutual Dreaming club night they run in Brooklyn, the various guests that have joined them freeing up their minds musically and allowing them to explore ideas new. There's a saturation of sound throughout that is as vivid as Halal's video work and from the opening, almost brutal synth and drum machine manipulation of the title track you can hear fully the fingers of Letkiewicz.

Review: The fact that Minimal Wave's sister label Cititrax is less prolific is undoubtedly down to their finely curated efforts to seek out musicians that fit the label's aesthetic to a tee, and that's very much evident on this impeccably presented 7" release from Kontravoid. You might know Cam Findlay from his stint as the drummer in Crystal Castles, or as the producer behind fellow Toronto act Parallels, but he now operates under the Kontravoid alias and this Native State 7" features two exclusive vinyl only renditions of tracks that featured on the self titled Kontravoid debut album that was released earlier this year. One listen to the title track or "Cut To Cleanse" makes it clear why Veronica Vasicka wanted to induct Kontravoid into the Cititrax canon, and their description of Findlay's music being the kind of thing you'd find "on a limited run cassette circa 1980-something, the type of tape buried in lost upstate dustbins of pre-MIDI analog electronics, wedged between Cabaret Voltaire and Das Ding" is flawless.

Review: Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax present this compelling addendum release to Immaterial Visions, the excellent LP from rising leather clad duo The KVB. An illustrious cast of producers have been invited to remix tracks from the album, with Jealous God/DNS pair Regis and Silent Servant joined by Minimal Wave act In Aeternam Vale and Avian duo Shifted and Ventress - the latter as Worn. Regis remixes "Dayzed" which is clearly a favourite of the Downwards icon, having previously selected the track for inclusion on last year's So Click Heels compilation; in O'Connor's hands the song is given a fizzing revision that relegates all sonic elements deep beneath the swaggering bass riff. Mere remnants of The KVB remain intact on Shifted's remix of "I Only See The Lights" as the intensity of feedback is transformed into a taut, minimalist growl, whilst Silent Servant offers a subtle smudged cold wave remix of "Pray To The Light Machine". Despite their massive discography, In Aeternam Vale are unknown quantities to many outside MW/Cititrax enthusiasts but the Lyon act are in fine form with their stomping take on "Lines" whilst Ventress debuts the Worn project with a swampy reverb-laden sinister cosmiche recast of "Old Life".

Review: ** Repress ** If you've been keeping abreast of all things Minimal Wave this year, you'll probably have picked up on Veronica Vasicka hinting at a forthcoming split release from Silent Servant and Broken English Club, the new project from UK techno man Oliver Ho. We've certainly been eagerly awaiting it her at Juno HQ and it's great to see Violence And Divinity live up to and surpass these expectations! Silent Servant mans the A Side with two tracks that will be familiar to anyone that's been lucky enough to catch his live sets of late, indeed it's almost too easy to visualise the flashing strobes as the pummelling EBM lines of "Cut Unconscious" unravel and beat you down. The two accompanying productions from Ho's Broken English Club dovetail nicely, but veer off into more wave orientated territory, with "Divinity" sounding quite like some of the earlier material put out by In Aeternam Vale. In a word superb.

Review: If you've been keeping abreast of all things Minimal Wave this year, you'll probably have picked up on Veronica Vasicka hinting at a forthcoming split release from Silent Servant and Broken English Club, the new project from UK techno man Oliver Ho. We've certainly been eagerly awaiting it her at Juno HQ and it's great to see Violence And Divinity live up to and surpass these expectations! Silent Servant mans the A Side with two tracks that will be familiar to anyone that's been lucky enough to catch his live sets of late, indeed it's almost too easy to visualise the flashing strobes as the pummelling EBM lines of "Cut Unconscious" unravel and beat you down. The two accompanying productions from Ho's Broken English Club dovetail nicely, but veer off into more wave orientated territory, with "Divinity" sounding quite like some of the earlier material put out by In Aeternam Vale. In a word superb.

Review: Cititrax proudly presents the debut LP from Another Body Found here, which is the latest moniker of A// who is well known for his pioneering work as Le Syndicat Electronique. Emerging from the French underground with a dark electro, industrial, minimal synth and wave style, he has a stark and visceral take on raw energy and haunting atmospheres. There are plenty of mechanical, hypnotic beats here with heft bass and hints of dystopian fears. The title track reimagines Bronski Beat's 'Smalltown Boy' and strips it to its emotional core, 'Lost In The Northern Lights' has a cold, urgent sound and 'Murderous Earth' is brilliantly unsettling and melancholic.

Review: It's been a delight to see Oliver Ho's Broken English Club project develop artistically over recent times, with some fine records for Jealous God and Veronica Vasicka's Cititrax label along the way. Suburban Hunting sees Ho deliver his debut Broken English Club album, featuring some 11 tracks of primitive electronics and cinematic pseudo techno cuts. Tunes like "Vacant", "Derelict", or "Scum" all share a loose techno framework, but the real aesthetic is much vaster than that, verging on remnants of post-punk, industrial and all that goodness and hybrid class that came out of the late 1980's. It's another fine addition to the sublime Cititrax discography, and we recommended it just as much as the previous numbers.

Review: The Bruta Non Calculant duo have only released one previous EP but they're certainly turning some heads fast. As you probably well know, the Cititrax label doesn't deal with weakness and after their last release by An I, we were expecting something real tasty. "Civilisation" sets a macabre tone to the opening of the album, with wailing pads and sparse beats creating a sort of sonic, urbanised landscape, whereas other tracks like "The Perfect One" and "World In A Tear" sound something like Joy Division on a techno come-down. There's plenty of feedback manipulation and circuit-bending going on for the entire span of the work, placing Bruta Non Calculant on our new watch-list of utter madmen and all-round legends. Sick.

Review: Baby is the brand new album from Cosmetics, the Vancouver-based synth wave duo that formed in 2008 but have been rather quiet on the release front in recent times. having teased their return with a superb new pair of singles on 7" recently, now Cititrax/Minimal Wave finally unveil the full album in all its glory. This pair, which is made up of Nic Emm and Aja Emma, fuses artfully crafted synth and wave sounds into something new. It is dark but beautiful, with icy moods and grooves overlaid with the stunning vocals of Emma cutting through in their own alluring manner. The album comes on limited edition clear vinyl and marks a welcome return for this talented outfit.

Review: Given the underground acclaim heaped on Marie Davidson's previous albums - ultra-stylish affairs that blend elements of minimal wave, dark Italo-disco, off-kilter electro and moody ambient - it's little surprise to see her popping up on Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax. The album's nine tracks are largely sharp, rough and fuzzy, with sparse-but-dense drum machines rhythms underpinning bouncy, delay-laden synth lines, thrusting electronics and Davidson's sleazy, spoken word vocals. It's an attractive combination that guarantees thrills throughout, from the almost claustrophobic throb of "Denial", to the mutant electrofunk bounce of "Good Vibes".

Review: Minimal Wave sister label Cititrax have been teasing fans with the prospect of a Further Reductions album from Shawn O'Sullivan and Katie Rose and the six tracks on Woodwork more than live up to expectations! Although O'Sullivan will be known to most for his industrial leaning techno productions for labels like Avian, L.I.E.S. and The Corner, the Further Reductions collaboration with Katie Rose dates back as far as 2008, formed to explore a vocal-led, contemporary take on the minimal wave sound. According to Cititrax, Woodwork combines the influences of classic techno and early house to create "super lush and atmospheric tracks that work both on and off the dance floor." There's something XTRMNTR era Primal Scream about "High End Basics" whilst "Void Of Course" sounds like gloopy acid house slowed down to a deathly crawl, the rest you should experience for yourself!

Review: The KVB are Klaus Von Barrel and Kat Day, a hugely prolific duo who eschew thoughts of sync bait or best new music columns in favour of the next gig and the next record. Having made some notable appearances on the Downwards label, the pair makes a further illustrious step up with Immaterial Visions, a collection of music released on the Minimal Wave sub label Cititrax. Veronica Vasicka has been a staunch champion of their music of late, regularly slipping The KVB tracks into her weekly EVR show so it makes for little surprise that she'd look to put out their music on Cititrax. The subsequent eight tracks make for the boldest, most confident statement thus far from The KVB, demonstrating their palette reaches beyond the shoegaze tag they are regularly adorned with in the music press. The previously released "Dayzed" and "Old Lines" in particular are superb.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


The KVB are Klaus Von Barrel and Kat Day, a hugely prolific duo who eschew thoughts of sync bait or best new music columns in favour of the next gig and the next record. Having made some notable appearances on the Downwards label, the pair makes a further illustrious step up with Immaterial Visions, a collection of music released on the Minimal Wave sub label Cititrax. Veronica Vasicka has been a staunch champion of their music of late, regularly slipping The KVB tracks into her weekly EVR show so it makes for little surprise that she'd look to put out their music on Cititrax. The subsequent eight tracks make for the boldest, most confident statement thus far from The KVB, demonstrating their palette reaches beyond the shoegaze tag they are regularly adorned with in the music press. The previously released "Dayzed" and "Old Lines" in particular are superb.

Review: Citirax's next outing takes the form of a debut album from Los Angeles-based duo OP-ART. This pair, like so much great music of recent times, is born out of the creative isolation of lockdown and features Andrew Clinco, who you may know for his work with Drab Majesty. The alias they have adopted is an acronym of "Oblique Pleasures Amidst Rough Times" which they say reflected the challenges of their formation. Musically the duo is inspired by the 1960s visual art movement so embraces layered, psychedelic soundscapes with a minimalist approach and takes cues from New Wave artists like John Foxx and early OMD. OP-ART in particular focuses on analogue synthesis and gear like the Arp Odyssey and Moog Rogue while exploring time, romance, and existential themes with real emotional depth.

Review: Future Fusion is the killer debut set from Streetwalker, the collaborative project of White Car's Elon Katz and Beau Wanzer of Mutant Beat Dance/L.I.E.S. fame. The DIY ethos of primitive Chicago house seeps into the pair's work as Streetwalker, with the material that forms Future Fusion recorded live in one take. This was subsequently recorded without any overdubs or MIDI to one inch tape, with the resultant six tracks resonating with a loose, primal energy. Sitting uneasily between house, industrial, synth-pop and EBM, Future Fusion is one of those records that you simply cannot second guess. This being a Cititrax release, the presentation is second to none too, with some superb illustration work from the well respected graphic artists Spencer Longo, but in truth the music should be the real focus of attention here.