New releases last two weeks: Coldwave/Synth

Review: Originally released on cassette in 1984, Borghesia's Clones album now resurfaces on vinyl courtesy of the dons at Dark Entries. It's a fine glimpse into early electronic experimentation from 1980s Ljubljana, all created using borrowed gear and recorded live without overdubs. The results are an album of hypnotic proto-techno and acid-inflected instrumentals intended for video installations and performances, all of which speak to the raw, pioneering spirit of the scene in Yugoslavia at the time. The A-side has driving club energy, while the flip drifts into more immersive ambient territory. It might be four decades old, but this album still has a visceral impact on mind and body.

Review: Talk about things that make you go "oooh." The moment we heard that Daniel Avery, Working Men's Club and Ghost Culture were working together on a "new musical project" we had a lot riding on the results being particularly potent. Quite what they might sound like was anyone's guess mind, and there was an underlying worry that we might be left with another supergroup disappointment - where the parts are strong but don't necessarily understand how to gel. Demise of Love prove that doesn't have to be the case every time. It sounds like all of the above and yet none of them, it's ripe with emotion, fraught with punk ferocity and outwardly romantic in an electronic sense. Rave-y, weird, melancholic, angry, sleazy and infinitely re-playable, believe the hype.

Review: Depeche Mode's standout album Violator (1989) produced the landmark song 'Personal Jesus', and with its catchy bluesy riff and innovative but rare use of guitar by the otherwise great synthpop act, the song would upend and expand at the edges of an already well-varied sound. With lyrics inspired by 'Elvis And Me' by Priscilla Presley, exploring themes of devotion and stardom, while the record's controversial promotions saw the band take out personal ads, as well as advertise a phone number through which fans could hear the song. Now Matt Early (aka. Funky Wogan and Hardbag), DJ, producer and remixer extraordinaire of Far Horizon and Sub London fame, lays down an ingenious edit backed by the original number on the flip. Limited numbers on this furtive output, so keep your shopping cart fingers poised...

Review: Greatest Fits is a deep dive into the superb sounds of German avant-garde new wave pioneer Gina X on the cult Dark Entries label. This double LP compilation spans the whole of the bold, boundary-blurring career of Gina X Performance, which came together first in 1978 when singer Gina Kikoine and producer Zeus B set out to create "the absolute union of music, poetry and travesty". With selections take from four of thieves albums, you'll find their signature blend of icy electro, camp theatrics and subversive pop throughout, and it all ranges from the pulsing 'Nice Mover' to the decadent 'No G.D.M.' Greatest Fits is both a musical time capsule and a vital reminder of how far ahead Gina X always was while also serving as a celebration of queer culture and synth-driven hedonism.

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: Next up on Bordello A Parigi is the prolific Kirill Junolainen under his Konerytmi alias with a four-track EP bridging disco, Italo, synth pop and wave. The title track is an emotive analogue ride full of glittering synths and distant melancholy, and is followed by the icy electro of 'Klassikkoelokuva' with crisp claps and bending basslines. On the flip, 'Hirvijarvi' takes a slow, sci-fi-inspired journey through spacey synths and probing percussion. Closing cut 'Uusiaalto' blends computer chirps, soaring strings and fractured drums for a bold yet fragile finish. It makes for a colourful showcase of Konerytmi's breadth and is melodic, mysterious and unmistakably good.

Review: Nostalgia can be a dangerous thing. We don't need to cite examples why. In contrast, retrospect is important and retro sounds are, today, often capable of making us think about how we saw the future in the past. In some cases, that means staring down the barrel of the big question: did we heed any warnings, or has all the artwork and movies and music that sought to raise flags over the disappearance of humanity and individuality at the hands of 'progress' been for nought? Summoning the spirit of Depeche Mode, Eurythmics and more, Orphia present a stunning synth album which is at once catchy and poppy, even dance floor ready, but saturated in a kind of melancholy and juxtaposition of electronic and human. Robotic rhythms topped with organic emotions, there's a feeling of spiralling headfirst into lightning paced chaos and disorientation as the collection plays out. And that's about as apt as things get right now.