Back catalogue: Coldwave/Synth

Review: Fans of mechanical techno-not-techno sounds will be all over Minimal Wave's latest transmission from 80s French underground heroes In Aeternam Vale. Having reissued several essential lost works from the outfit last year, most notably the proto-Sandwell sound of "Highway Dark Veins", Veronica Vasicka delivers another two tracks from the vault. Stylistically mirroring that previous two track release the title track is an equally brilliant synth-techno beast which could easily pass for a Function track today, while B-side "Calling Somewhere" sounds like a cold wave version of proto-halfstep. Needless to say, the fact that these tracks are 22 years old literally left us speechless.

Review: After a recent excellent outing on the Jealous God label, In Aeternam Vale returns for Minimal Wave duty with the Gnd Lift 12". The long running project of Lyon artist Laurent Prot, the 12" focussed archival transmissions on Minimal Wave tend to be some of the label's best releases and that is certainly the case here. Lead track "Gnd Lift" weighs in at a mighty 14 minutes and is up there with "Dust Under Brightness" in our favourite IA V mind benders; serious slowed down murky proto techno vibes! Complementing this J'ai Mange Des Nerfs" echoes some of Prot's earlier wave-based experiments and "Animals Don't Mind" is the epitome of foreboding primitive electronics. Pressed on 160 gram clear transparent deep purple vinyl and housed in another excellent sleeve from Veronica Vasicka.

Review: Lyon group In Aeternam Vale have been a long term fixture in the Minimal Wave release schedule, commencing with a self-titled compilation back in 2009 which has latterly been complemented by a further LP and several 12?s that have revealed band leader Laurent Prot to be a master of extended electronic productions that sound very much ahead of their time. This is demonstrated once more on Machine a Laver 12 which features two unreleased gems excavated from Prot's sizeable archives. Attentive followers of Minimal Wave manoeuvres will no doubt recognise the "12 minutes of pure electronic hypnotica" that is the title track from Vasicka's recent guest mix for Benji B. It's complemented by the equally long form "Ultrabase," a dub techno composition originating from 1990 which feels just as revelatory as the extended edition of "Highway Dark Veins" released on Minimal Wave last year. Wonderfully presented as always, the two tracks have been pressed on the most electric blue of heavyweight clear vinyl by Minimal Wave.

Review: Fresh from releasing the superb Pink Flamingos album on Dement3d, In Aternam Vale returns to Minimal Wave. This time round, he's not alone. Each of the tracks features the breathy, stylish vocals of Madrid-based Belarusian, Anneq. Her sleazy, whispered refrain is the headline attraction on the throbbing, industrial pop-meets-techno hustle of "Je Ai Dissous", while she also chats seductively over the undulating arpeggio lines, restless drums and dystopian atmospheres of "Tendencia (About Blank Version"). The ambient-leaning "V6" take of that cut is also hugely inspiring, while the Page R version of "Je Ai Dissous" is a dark, atmospheric and intoxicating celebration of legendary '80s "computer musical instrument", the Fairlight CMI.

Review: The always excellent Minimal Wave presents a rare EP from Greek electronic pioneers In Trance 95 here. Alex Machairas and Nik Veliotis formed the duo in 1988 and very much helped define Greece's early electronic scene with their minimal synth and EBM-inspired sound, all of it usually marked by analogue warmth, hypnotic melodies and a futuristic sensibility. This release captures their innovative spirit and cult legacy across six unreleased tracks recorded between the late 80s and early 90s in Athens. It sounds magnificent and is a long-overdue glimpse into their visionary archive for new fans, or a fine reminder of their roots for those who have always been tuned in.

Review: Minimal Wave return to their self-professed "First French love" In Aeternam Vale with a second LP-shaped trawl through the band's sizeable archive of cassette only releases. The Brooklyn imprint first introduced us to the work of the hugely prolific Lyon band with an eponymous LP of remastered material in 2009, and Dub Under Brightness proves to be just as important a release. The label points to an article on the band originally published by the Douche Froide magazine in 2002, where the journalist nails their appeal in the opening gambit - "There are bands that have been acting ruthlessly in the shadow for years, in a completely confidential manner, then one day chance (but does chance exist?) makes you find one of their recordings, listen to it, and at that moment you could kick yourself for not having discovered these soundscapes earlier and you try to find all of them". If you haven't indulged in the sounds of In Aeternam Vale yet, this eight track selection makes for a perfect introductory primer.