Synth Noir

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Vienna: Ultravox Fade To Grey: Visage Always Crashing In The Same Car: Bowie TVOD: The Normal Distant Dreams: Throbbing Gristle Nag Nag Nag: Cabaret Voltaire

what else would logically follow on this list. I am looking for material that would have fallen between 1978-1983. Stuff that falls between punk electronics and the more interesting early synth pop.

Thanks in advance.

Michael Taylor, Wednesday, 13 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Does the 2nd Suicide album count or am I off-base?

tarden, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Fitting that you start with "Vienna" and end with "Nag Nag Nag" as it sort of defines the breadth of your search.

Human League's _Reproduction and _Travelogue_ ; the first couple of OMD albums; Simple Minds' second to fourth albums; anything by The Associates. Um. Ah. Help me out here peoples.

Tim, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Passage - "Degenerates" or "Enflame" both on Cherry Red. Both not available now (If anyone from Cherry Red read this - re-release them now, remastered ,with extra tracks and a chunky booklet, or I might turn very, very nasty indeed and you wouldn't like that and don't point me in the direction of "Seedy" the Passage compilation you've cobbled together which just won't DO because you've picked the wrong tracks and you should have asked me.....)

What was I saying, oh yes - they're both great albums if you can find them - their leader was Dick Witts, a former orchestral percussionist, who layered up some fairly complex synth and percussion patterns along with primitive guitar and edgy vocals to make a pretty unique sound.

And, sorry for going on about this album for about the 10th time, but it is just SO great, Andrew Weatherall's "Nine o- Clock Drop" compilation has some stuff that fits the bill (Gina X, Torch Song, Coil, 400 Blows)

Dr. C, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

John Foxx's post-Ultravox solo album "Metamatic" on Virgin/Metal Beat. Tim already mentioned the early Human League stuff... I have to buy that Nine O'Clock Drop thing, any other good compilations?

Janne Vanhanen, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Uncut magazine did a compilation on their own label called "Dawn of Electronica". The tracklisting is a touch conservative, and so I haven't bothered to get it. It includes Yello, DAF, Fad Gadget,Suicide, Propaganda, Cabaret Voltaire, Associates ("White Car in Germany" - yeah!!), Ultravox, Tubeway Army, Visage, Art of Noise, Japan and wait for it.... A Flock of Seagulls!

Dr. C, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

'Telecommunication' by a Flock of Seagulls is excellent proto- techno. Played it blind once to a friend who was most impressed, told him who it was + he was gobsmacked.

Stevo, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dittos on John Foxx, who never gets enough credit. Add: Frank Tovey (oh, yes--Fad Gadget). Holger Hiller (too late?). Nash The Slash. Kissing The Pink. Psychic TV (sometimes). SPK (to an extent). Tones On Tail. Alice Cooper's "Clones" (no kidding). The Skids' penultimate album, I think. Wire's "154," of course. I'll think of more...

X. Y. Zedd, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nash the Slash! (Where the fuck is he now, anyone know?) Would fellow canucks Rough Trade count too? Their first album sounds a bit Japan- like, with sub-Ballard pastiche noowave lyrics.

tarden, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

How about "Battery Brides" from the second XTC album? (irst - only? - album to review itself on its cover).

scott woods, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Although it's from 1984, you *must* get "Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" by Dominatrix. But then if you buy "Nine O'Clock Drop" (and, oh, you must) you'll have it anyway.

Pretty much everything on that album is fantastic, in fact. Search Shriekback as well (indeed, search the thread which I'm *sure* we had on them for compilation info, no doubt).

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The first Colin Newman solo record (A-Z, 1980) is spectacular and more synth-driven than the Wire records that preceded it; BEF and Blancmange had their moments; the other side of that single by the Normal is brilliant -- big influence on the Ersatz Audio outfits; although not exactly punk or electronic, the eerie keyboards on the first three Comsat Angels almost qualify (fourth record is hit-and- miss in its overt synth pop but the moodier songs are nice). And as mentioned earlier, the all-my-tee Associates.

Andy, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I once heard Pete Shelley's 1981 solo LP "Homosapien", which I think is relevant to this thread. I wish I'd held onto it long enough to form an opinion which had stuck in my mind.

Robin Carmody, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hula perhaps? First release was in 82, Sheffield electronic funksters, not dissimilar to Cabaret Voltaire.

Stevo, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

tarden, Nash the Slash is still playing around Toronto every so often...last time I saw his name on the marquee it was a fairly small regional south-Asian hall, but I'm sure I've seen his name at various clubs. Haven't seen any of the shows.

Weird that his name should come up now, because someone else recently brought his name up, mentioning that it was kind of interesting that he didn't become more well-known as a solo artist. Of course, FM became a staple with prog fans, but his solo work was pretty interesting too, from a technical perspective (those that don't know him, he liked electrifying instruments that weren't typically electrified, like mandolin, and then distorting them and bowing them. wild, wild sounds).

Sean Carruthers, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nitzer Ebb, D. A. F., Howard Devoto solo or in Magazine (but watch out for the guitars), Our Daughter's Wedding, The Residents, Flying Lizards (sometimes), Tuxedomoon (especially the second album)... I'm still trying to think without cramming in more pop-oriented acts or cheating by going to my CD drawers...

X. Y. Zedd, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Good choices, conmrades! May I add: Nitzer Ebb, D. A. F., Howard Devoto solo or in Magazine (but watch out for the guitars), Our Daughter's Wedding, The Residents, Flying Lizards (sometimes), Tuxedomoon (especially the second album)... I'm still trying to think without cramming in too many pop-oriented acts or cheating by going to my CD drawers...

X. Y. Zedd, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Private Plane" by Thomas Leer - just about *defines* this subgenre, I would say.

duane, Friday, 15 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Residents - Diskomo,Rhythm&Noise - anything on Chasm Accord,Tuxedomoon - What The Use(remix),59 to 1(remix),400blows -beat The Devil,CTI - dancing Ghosts,Chris&Cosey - Action,Test Depatment - Glasfed,23 Skiddo - assasins with soul/G I FU,Borbonese Qualk - Lies Nocturnal Emissions - No Separetion,The prophets - person to person,Throbing Gristle - Catholic sex/Tesco Disco,DAF - Liebe Auf,Section 25 - Looking From ,Liasons Dangerouses - Los Ninos/peut tres pas,Telex - moskow disko,Skiny Pupy - rodent,Landscape - Einstein Augogo,CV -Yashar(remix),Soma -what it realy means,Revolting Cocks - tv Mind,Clock Dva - Sound miror,Trisomie 21 - logical animals,Negative Land - nice Place,Minny Pops - A Feeling,Visage - Freq 9,Lustmord - Terror v's Teror,Laibach - panorama,Ptose - boule,Der Plan - wats That, Berlin Express - Russian are coming,Spk - Metal Dance,Simple Minds - Them from Great,Proces Blue - Control Panel,Chris Carter - Mondo,Smersh - Beats,Ministry - canibal,Sparks - beat,Coil - Wheel i think these are a good start:)

e,r

e,r, Friday, 15 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Moskow Disko", wow, that is so cool to see that mentioned. I once entered a record shop and that odd TEE/Donna Summer-sounding track was playing. I asked the salesperson right away as to what it was, and he pointed me toward the vinyl racks, where I was able to find "Looking for Saint-Tropez" for... 50 cents. I still cherish that, you know. What a ridiculously cool song. Most people find it either really irritating or become immediately fond of it. The lyrics are hilarious ("one solution of its kind is to stare at a photo of Missis Brigitte Bardot"!!!)

As for the thread, yeah, I think a good mix to add is "Are 'friends' electric" coupled with Fad Gadget's "Back to Nature", which sounds quite similar. You know, Tum-Tum-Tuuum, Tum-Tum-Tuuum... And of course John Foxx's "Underpass", which is a fucking classic track (a goth dj still plays it weekly here, he actually made me discover that song. Girls love it, it's hummable and way danceable, while keeping that cold Vienna feel...)

Simon, Friday, 15 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and that e,r bloke also mentioned Les Liaisons Dangereuses' "Los ninos del parque", I have got that on cd single, God knows how! At some point in my life anything vaguely related to Crime&CitySolution, Cave, EN and Co was my daily bread, and I bought that at a used cd store for peanuts (again) after seeing the names Beate Bartel/Chris Haas on the cover. Really strange track, and the bsides are quite weird too. Completely forgotten new wave oddities are always cool.

Simon, Friday, 15 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

a bit slow off the mark, but if anyone's still reading i'd vouch for ron crutchfield's dark day. the first single and the first lp (all i've heard) are both pretty entertaining for their slightly fey sub-suicide "darkness". the titles should give you an idea: "hands in the dark", "exterminating angel".... (the label is "lust/unlust"!) late '70s nyc stuff, with connections to more famous no wave bands like mars.

(just did a quick search and there's a discography here:

http://www.rlcrutchfieldsdarkday.homestead.com/Discography.ht ml

which lists available reissues.)

jon b, Monday, 18 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...
hello everyone we're just wondering, is gina x's "nice mover" on the weatherall "nine o'clock drop" album the track we had previously thought was called "no gdm"?? ('one life, one throw of the dice", as covered by erasure???)...if not, any idea as to where we can get hold of it?? thanks!

sharon and tracey, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

five years pass...
Revive this too!

baboon2004 (baboon2004), Thursday, 16 November 2006 17:44 (eighteen years ago)

How about the first Talk Talk album?

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 17 November 2006 00:29 (eighteen years ago)

Kraftwerk's Radioactivity must surely be the root of all this wondrous evil.

And John Foxx's Tiny Colour Movies, released earlier this year, is a much welcome return to these forms.

doug watson (solid air), Friday, 17 November 2006 17:47 (eighteen years ago)

Tim Finney is OTM regarding the first two OMD records. I picked up the 1st album and Organisation with the limited edition 7" today. Really good stuff, especially the inner tracks of the records.

Duane is totes OTM re thomas leer. I need that 7"!

Disco Nihilist (mjt), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 02:09 (eighteen years ago)

My first post in over 6 months begins with....

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Gary Numan's "Telekon"!

Associates, Fad Gadget, John Foxx, and early Human League are probably the best reference points here.

Joulja (jsoulja), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 08:19 (eighteen years ago)

I also like the Electronic Body Music comp from years back.

But it would be really hard to argue against both "Seventeen Seconds" and "Faith" in this thread. When you think about it, they kind of trump everything here.....

JOlsdfdsfw (jsoulja), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 08:25 (eighteen years ago)

The synths are only slight background sounds, used to create moods, in those two Cure albums. I agree they are excellent, but I wouldn't call it synth.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 12:44 (eighteen years ago)

next week on 6 music:

'Back To The Future'?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/events/future/

DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 12:48 (eighteen years ago)

Just about everything on BGM by YMO I think should qualify

DOCTOR METH KING (TOMBOT), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 18:15 (eighteen years ago)

I dunno about that. I went through BGM last night and I don't think it qualifies. It was a little too clean and perky for my tastes. I also found it interesting that if the 808 had been used more instead of that big "real" snare drum sound that dominated most of that record it would be worth about three times as much. They could have gone either way because there is 808 on that record, but they decided to use it to a lesser degree.

It is funny how the real drum sound was mmore fashionable then, and it isn't fashionable now. The electronic 808 drums probably sounded hokey in 1981, but 30 years later they are the basis of some much electronic music.

YMO can definitely be played along side these records, but I don't think they quite fall into the catagory. They are not dark enough.

Another couple records that I have been pretty geeked about lately are Heartbeat by Chris and Cosey and How Much Are They by Jah Wobble. I haven't heard his Snakedancer LP yet, but I am trying to hunt down a copy. The non dance side of Kelly Polar's Rococo EP falls into this catagory as well. The CR drums fit right into the first Ultravox LP.

Disco Nihilist (mjt), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 00:15 (eighteen years ago)

It is funny how the real drum sound was mmore fashionable then, and it isn't fashionable now. The electronic 808 drums probably sounded hokey in 1981, but 30 years later they are the basis of some much electronic music.

May as much be a question of aesthetic when it came to beat. By then, during the heyday of the straight 120 bpm 4/4-beat, the snare drum was the most important part of the beat, whereas the bass drum was more of a background thing just keeping the pulse. In disco, which was very much the blueprint for the synthpop beat too, the snare would often be strengthened by handclaps to give it the right "bang". The snare sounds on the 808 were just to thin to fit into that kind of beat. Today, however, with bass drum being increasingly important, the 808 works better. Generally one could say the 808 fits better for more syncopated hip-hop breakbeats than it does for a straight 20/20 beat.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:32 (eighteen years ago)

4/4 I mean

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:33 (eighteen years ago)

miinistry...cause EVERY day is halloween.

kevin says relax (daddy warbuxx), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:55 (eighteen years ago)

The Units - Warm Moving Bodies/INight. Only one single that I'm aware of, but it's a good one.

Ice Cream Electric (Ice Cream Electric), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 02:05 (eighteen years ago)

wtf, people: "movement" by new order is full of this kind of icy synth goodness and no-one's mentioned it in two and a half fucking years? :)

Organisation with the limited edition 7" today

the real thing?! or the CD repressing? i swapped my copy of the 7" for the inner sleeve of "reproduction" when i was 15 (true story; not an interesting one, though.)

soft cell also be needing an honourable mention here. depeche mode had their moments. and gary nu ... oh, sorry, he's been done. good show.

grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 02:11 (eighteen years ago)

another one, a more recent addition : dk7 - disarmed

mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 10:19 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...
http://synthpunk.org/

Disco Nihilist (mjt), Thursday, 4 January 2007 04:03 (eighteen years ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.