[engl] Benni have two LPs out on Goner Records, he was in Wizzard Sleeve, Natural Child, Heavy Lids and played Mr Quintron's right hand when Quintron had broken his wrist. John Carpenter-ish garagerock? Garagey Vangelis with creepy vocals? It's fan-fucking-tastic for sure!

[engl] Unless you are a monomaniacal specialist of the 80s, there is very little chance that Cha Cha Guitry will ring any bell. And yet this band, buried away in Saint-Etienne – at the very heart of France – could have rivalled easily with Elli & Jacno or Telex. Emblematic of that French touch which tinged new-wave with a bit of sunshine, their electro, retro-futuristic songs have that slight sweet and sour flavour between casualness and sophistication. The birth of Cha Cha Guitry in 1981 was a landmark for its members, Serge, Dominique, Charly and Marie. High-school friendships and love stories helping, it is in a most spontaneous way that these art lovers formed their band. Once their hippie phase was over, the guitar, sax and flute were abandoned in the closet while machines took over: an EMS AKS synth, a Roland SH101, a Roland TR808 rhythm-box. The two couples met in the congenial atmosphere of their “home studio” to record their songs. The boys composed and sang, the girls sang and designed minimal costumes, the elegance of which was enhanced by some DIY touches: no need for fabric, paper will perfectly do. As deceivingly offhanded stylists, the Cha Cha crew carefully crafted a music that was both studied and charmingly quirky, making collages of pop raw materials and avant-garde stuff. Scissors in hand, they took what they wanted from the Bauhaus, Moholy Nagy, or Sonia Delaunay’s dresses, taping these iconic bits onto the sounds of Kraftwerk and what remained of pop culture (comics, movies, songs of the 30s or easy listening). Cha Cha Guitry, wisely ingenious, modelled tropical landscapes out of cellophane, thus elaborating its own synthetic surrealism. We’ll offer as evidence the title “Les Yeux Ouverts sur les Beautés d’Aujourd’hui” (“Opening Our Eyes to the Beauties of Our Days”), borrowed from a handbook about mechanics. “We were aware of the beauties of the decade, both visual and aural. That was the spirit of Cha Cha. It was like living in an inspiring utopia: we were at the wheel of a bubble, driving at full speed through the 80s!!!” The adventure would not last more than a few years, just long enough to record two cassettes on Kronchtadt Tapes (a local label central to the underground scene that was more into punk) and give three concerts. “It was difficult to play our music on stage with studio synths, so we figured out a system in which the fifth member was a Revox. It throned among us on stage, playing the soundtrack as we sang live.” As isolated as they were in Saint-Etienne, they got nevertheless noticed by Alain Maneval who programmed them regularly on Europe 1, and they could even be heard on Radio Gay. So they went to Paris to meet a manager from Virgin, but they never got the luck, rare in those days, to release a vinyl. Their arty, pop style was also too DIY for Agnès B’s freshly opened shop: their second cassette, though wonderfully packed in a Plexiglas case resembling an icicle, was not to the brand’s taste. Serge has been living in the same flat since 1975 and never got rid of his synthesizer. The studio where Cha Cha would record its songs has not changed a bit. Everything has been kept, ordered, archived, from the piles of magnetic tapes to the hundreds of Polaroid shots. We are happy to offer you a selection of them.

[engl] "Don’t Get Lemon is the collaborative artistic work of longtime friends Austin Curtis, Nicholas Ross, and Bryan Walters. After touring the west coast off of their debut album, “Hyper Hollow Heaven”, DGL returned with new singles Autocratic Gore and Blow-Up, including a remix by De Lux. With DGL’s triumphant second album, “Have Some Shame” the art-pop trio have expanded their sound to glittering new heights as they dance between shimmering synth-pop and stomping glam rock. The 9 song 37 minute album, out on à La Carte Records (Soft Kill, Madeline Goldstein, Lesser Care, The True Faith) and Summer Darling Tapes, recorded in rural Texas by Dan Duszynski (Loma / Sub Pop) and mastered by Paul Gold (LCD Soundsystem, Animal Collective) revolts against the bored distant gaze of cliché coldwave, and instead retaliates with the warm fiery embrace of what the band dubs “Heatwave.” This heartfelt sound forms an idiosyncratic identity that also wouldn’t be out of place in a classic John Hughes 80s film soundtrack. Singer Austin Curtis’ looks and stage performance sits comfortably between the sensual sway of Elvis Presley and the chameleon fluidity of David Bowie."

[engl] Though famous for other things (including doing the synths on GARY NUMAN’s iconic “Pleasure Principal” album and co-writing VISAGE’s massive hit, “Fade To Grey”), Chris Payne brought THE ELECTRONIC CIRCUS to life in 1981. At the time, poised to become his next major project, the initial single “Direct Lines” gained little traction and quickly found its way to quiet obscurity. There it remained until some genius made a video using footage from Swedish film “Summer With Monika” that so perfectly fit the surging melancholy of youth’s temporary romances that the song garnered a million views and a new cult of rabid fans (me included! -Jensen). Once this synth-pop perfection enters you it will find permanent purchase and continue to be a joyous wellspring for years to come, truly a gift that keeps giving. This fully licensed official reissue comes on 150 on red and 350 on black 75gr vinyl housed in a reverse board custom die-cut glue pocket sleeve. Originally recorded in 1981 at Pebble Beach Studios in Sussex UK (also where THE ADVERTS recorded the excellent "Gary Gilmore's Eyes/Bored Teenagers single!) by Tony Harris. Remastered in 2021 by John Golden. Art and packaging based on the original 1981 design.

[engl] Geneva-based Synthwave and Krautrock band GARAVENTA have announced the release of Casual Drama, their debut album, on 21 February 2025. Celebrating their many influences from the past (Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Patrick Cowley, Brian Eno, DEVO, Tangerine Dream, Suicide, Prince) and the present (Working Men's Club, Snapped Ankles, TVAM, Warmduscher, Fat White Family, Osees) Casual Drama lays the foundations for Garaventa: a glam vibe, a strong taste for dancefloor punk and a constant search for psychedelic trance. Although firmly rooted in the contemporary post-punk revival, Casual Drama claims a genuine filiation with the electro/techno advent of the late 70s and early 80s, and even more so with the Italo-Disco and Synthpunk movements. The use of electronic drums and synthesizers are at the heart of Garaventa's music. They evolve in vintage and generally disco textures, and are typical of the Synthwave and Hi-NRG movements of the 1980s as well as those of EBM and contemporary techno, with a more modern sound treatment. In the early days of the band, its members suffered a tragic event when a loved one died suddenly. Casual Drama evokes dark, melancholy themes: death and the fascination that surrounds it, mourning, the loss of loved ones, the absurdity of existence and the fragility of life. Darkness, literally and figuratively, is an integral part of the band's essence. In a way, Casual Drama evokes the daily and inevitable tragedy of the passage of time.

[engl] Hildegard Von Binge Drinking are that tireless duo that takes no shit in terms of output and highway miles. For more than a decade they have been breathing new life into a zombified neo-krautrock carcass – or rather building a new synth-rock golem out of its body parts, which is then fed with Devo, Rihanna and Amon Düül II tapes. After the 2021 EP"Sprechfunk mit Toten" (Sabotage), there are now eight new songs (three of them instrumental) coming out as "Echo der Delfine" LP on Sabotage this summer. Not a well-kept secret any more, since HVBD play in their own league, with “Echo der Delfine” manifesting as their peak. The German lyrics are more forceful, the songs more polished and the urgencymore palpable than ever before. Despite all their humor and wordplay, HvBD are a serious vehicle of artistic and emotional expression for two angry (ex?)punks. Self-produced with Lolo Blümler, the record comes with gorgeous artwork by Oriana Fenwick and Philipp Dittmar. The vinyl color is Curaçao Blue – and there’s even a limited edition with risography cover in fluorescent orange and pink.

[engl] Ultra rare D.I.Y minimal / synth–pop / industrial / darkwave album from 1986! Kozmonaut was the personal project of a young & talented Canadian musician called Michael Gutierrez, who moved to San Francisco in the early 80s. Influenced by Kraftwerk and German culture / electronic music, Michael recorded the "Flieg" album all by himself at his garage studio, using the pseudonym of "Hans Schiller". 1000 copies were pressed on his own label, Vier Productions Inc, but they were never distributed or sold at the time, with virtually the entire pressing being discarded, as Michael, a perfectionist, was not satisfied with the spelling mistakes on the cover, among other things. In 1989, Michael, along with Pieter Ziegelmeier, formed the famous industrial / electronic band Kode IV. Sadly, Michael contracted AIDS and passed away in 1994. All the contents of his garage (tapes, albums, synths and recording equipment) were sold for cheap or ended up in the street. Fast forward to 2010: An adventurous record hunter (Christian Peintner) finds a copy of the "Flieg" album at a thrift shop in San Francisco. At first, he thinks it’s a German album but after some investigation, he discovers the name of Michael Gutierrez which leads him to Kode IV and then to Peter Ziegelmeier. He visits Peter who tells him the real story of Michael Gutierrez aka Hans Schiller and Kozmonaut. Listening to it now, "Flieg" is an excellent album, a crossover of a wide range of styles from early Industrial (paving the way for Michael’s later sounds with Kode IV), to Synth–Pop, Experimental Electronics, and Dark Wave. Michael uses the vocoder very effectively and in one of the songs, "Tidal Meditation", he recorded the Golden Gate Bridge fog horn to use it as a sample.

[engl] Birthed from the creative and genre-bending New York DIY scene, L.O.T.I.O.N. Multinational Corporation has become one of the most exciting bands of the underground - gaining notoriety for their unique brand of industrial cyberpunk and intense live shows. Masterminded by visual artist Alexander Heir, the group has gained recognition internationally for their fiercely political lyricism and striking visual aesthetic. Blending noisy electronics with live instrumentation, the band draws inspiration from the harsh minimal electronic music of Detroit and the thrashing riffs of hardcore punk. Following their last LP World Wide W.E.B from 2019, W.A.R. In The Digital Realm delves even further into their techno-dystopian universe fusing elements of D-Beat with EBM and 90s Rave. Do You Want To Die In World War III???

[engl] Limited to 200 copies: - 170 copies in black/white cover.(THIS) - 15 copies in silver/white cover. - 15 copies in superwhite/white cover. Tracks A1 and A2 were previously released on the compilation cassette Lautt - Ein Sampler Aus Südwest. Slightly different versions appeared previously on the cassette P4 in 1982. Tracks A3 and A4 were previously released on the compilation cassette Sellemols & Heid in 1983. Tracks B1 to B5 were previously released on the cassette P4 in 1982.

[engl] Though an embryonic incarnation was formed by Ralf Dörper, former synthesist with electro-punks Die Krupps, and Andreas Thein in 1982, it wasn’t until the addition of Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra percussionist Michael Mertens that the outfit emerged as the dark synth-pop powerhouse which would see chart success as part of the ZTT machine. Upon signing with Trevor Horn’s irreverent imprint in 1983, Propaganda, now comprised of vocalists Claudia Bruecken and Susanne Freytag alongside Dörper and Mertens, delivered their classic debut LP A Secret Wish and a slew of international hit singles, “Dr Mabuse”, “Duel” and “P Machinery”, leaving an indelible mark on the alternative scene and securing an enduring place within the pantheon of synth-dance greats. After a late 80s hiatus spent escaping their unfavourable contracts, during which the singers went their separate ways, the project returned on Virgin in 1990, with a new line-up, including Betsi Miller on vocals and former Simple Minds rhythm section Derek Forbes and Brian McGee. Working alongside producers Ian Stanley and Chris Hughes, the ensemble delivered the smoother sophomore offering 1234, featuring collaborations with the likes of Howard Jones and David Gilmour. After which our protagonists pressed pause and pursued separate goals, Dörper resurrecting Die Krupps and Mertens moving into TV and Film composition and providing a conduit for Düsseldorf’s experimental electronic scene via his Amontillado Music label. The intervening decades passed with the persistent rumble of reunion from outside voices, but it was a 2015 remix request from Zang Tumb Tuum chum and former Frankie Goes To Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson which finally prompted the pair to reconvene behind the console. The success of those sessions behind them, Dörper and Mertens began to consider what the Propaganda of the present would be. A lot had changed since 1990 – they had changed since 1990, and a new incarnation of the project would have to reflect that. So they waved goodbye to the Pop-aganda of the past, left the clubs to the kids, and pressed forward with complete creative freedom. The result is the immersive, emotive tour de force Propaganda. At once sleek, sensual and cerebral, album opener “They Call Me Nocebo” is the perfect introduction to their sonic evolution. This taut and toxic love/lust song is imbued with the nocturnal mood of vintage Propaganda but expresses itself within the context of the IDM and electronic sounds reverberating through the 21st Century. “Purveyor Of Pleasure” provides the perfect foil, as a rhythm section of infectious synth drums and swelling bass recalls the dance floor preoccupations of the past, but sates itself with a supporting role here, allowing the widescreen chord progressions and Thunder Bae’s expressive vocals to take centre stage. Their lyrical lineage of subversive subject matter remains intact, but these meditations on sex and sin contain seasoned self-reflection. The operatic inflections and cinematic grandeur of “Vicious Circle” (emphatically reworked from its 1234 origin), “Love:Craft” (with its lyrical homage to the American master of cosmic horror) and neo-classical instrumental “Dystopian Waltz”, attest to Propaganda’s perennial penchant for the dramatic, now enriched through Mertens’ subsequent soundtrack work into searing, swooning heights. Elsewhere, “Tipping Point” offers an ecological poem set to the trancelike chug of swirling arpeggiators, and “Distant” dissects loneliness and isolation, particularly poignant after the shared experience of lockdown. The beautifully gothic “Wenn Ich Mir Was Wuenschen Duerfte” closes both the album and a loop, its English translation “If I Had A Wish” harking back to the title of their debut album, while the song itself continues the exploration of new sonic territories. A German standard from the thirties, written by Friedrich Hollaender and popularised by Marlene Dietrich’s 1960 recording, the song presents sadness as political strength, and remains as pertinent and powerful now as it ever has. This rich and textured rendition, featuring haunting prepared piano from Hauschka, a long-time musical acquaintance of Mertens’ and now Academy Award winner, is a fitting finale to this powerful album. And make no mistake, this is an album. In an era of impermanence, Propaganda wanted to produce something real - to be played from start to finish, with artwork and packaging whic allows a deeper understanding of the theme of the release. Finding the perfect label to match their ambitions in Bureau B, Propaganda have delivered a third album well worth the wait.

[engl] 12" black vinyl LP Dance To The Drum Machine. TSRO is an electronic project run by DJ Rob Smith this album is beaty and bouncy. FFO LCD Soundsystem, Kraftwerk, Jape and Balearic House.

[engl] “Often when music is constructed with synths and other electronically generated sound makers, their level of exactitude and control is such that the vocalist will either wittingly or otherwise seek to emulate the relative no bloodedness of the soundscape. This is often done to great effect, think Kraftwerk. But what if there was a unit whose music was synth-generated but the vocals were coming from an analog rockin’ attitude? If done well, it’s a case of two great tastes that taste great together, and this is what I think about when I think about System Exclusive. This multi genre/time period collision is like a car accident where all parties walk away not only unscathed but sure they had a great time, like two different recording sessions sharing the same space and making it work. Ari Blaisdell (previously of Lower Self, The Beat Offs)’s vocals co-exist excellently amidst the driving beats and synth waves and her guitar further helps to jailbreak the tunes from the often sterile entrapments that synths provide. Matt Jones (previously of Male Gaze, Blasted Canyons, and continuing Castle Face behind-the-scenesman)’s smart use of live drums bring great juxtaposition against the machines. Ari’s irony-free sincere delivery is the perfect closer on this very cool record, recorded ably by Enrique Tena Padilla (Osees, Wand, Beach House) in their backyard studio mid-pandemic and adorned with original artwork by Miles Wintner (L.A. Takedown, Mr. Elevator, Devon Williams). If you don’t get this slab of goodness, well, that act of non-compliance will confirm you as the pain-in-the-ass that many have described you to be in great detail during Zoom chats. How dare they! Prove them wrong! Reduce their snark to mere pseudo-intellectual piffle! Your lifeline arrives in March. Grab it.” - Henry Rollins