Minimal Wave Articles

The Actor - Unreal Personality (Flexi Disc)

2013-05-21T17:33:34+00:00

The Actor is a well known but simultaneously quite obscure minimal wave project that emerged from the Dutch home taping scene of the early 1980s. The duo was formed by Marcel Reimer (vocals, keyboards) and Sander Horsthuis (keyboards) in Breda, The Netherlands in late 1981. Influences were DAF, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode and Fad Gadget. Guitars were no option, “because the amplifiers would mar the stage.”

The Actor caught the attention of cult cassette label Trumpett through their powerful live act and were signed to the label in April 1982. Their first, self-produced album was released in September 1982 as ‘Exploded View’ (an exploded view of a cassette tape was featured on the sleeve): Ten quite simply arranged synthpop tracks that were dynamic and danceable, with lyrics sung both in English and German, relating to the modern world, fashion, dancing, fame, appearance and self-image. The edition of 400 copies sold out within six months.

The track featured on this flexi-disc, ‘Unreal Personality’, is the opening track of ‘Exploded View’ and the archetypical The Actor song, with lyrics directly referring to the band’s name. The song was recorded during the summer of 1982. The music and lyrics were written by Marcel Reimer. The song was played and produced by Marcel Reimer and Sander Horsthuis. The equipment they used was the Korg MS-20, Crumar Performer, Casio VL-Tone, and Soundmaster SR-88 drum machine. It has been remastered from its original analog source tape for best possible sound reproduction.

Flexi printed on clear flexible vinyl with silver embossed ink, edition of 1000 hand-numbered copies accompanied by matte printed postcard of “August 1975” by Jennifer Griffiths. Purchase here.

The KVB - Immaterial Visions Remixes EP

2013-05-14T12:37:03+00:00

We’re proud to announce that the limited edition vinyl release of remixes of select tracks from The KVB‘s highly acclaimed Immaterial Visions LP it out now on Cititrax. The Immaterial Visions Remixes EP features versions by Regis (Karl O’Connor), Silent Servant, Shifted, In Aeternam Vale, and Worn. The EP is pressed on 160 gram white vinyl and comes in a white hand stamped die-cut disco sleeve. Vinyl is out now, digital release to follow. Sound samples below.

Tear Apart Tapes: May 4th at Brooklyn Flea Record Fair

2013-04-24T19:22:00+00:00

We just received a batch of cassettes from the legendary Dutch label Tear Apart Tapes. T.A.T. was a 1980s cassette label run by Danny Bosten originally out of Terneuzen, NL. Through the label, he released his own music (Das Ding, Schedelvreter) as well as collaborative works and compilations. We will have copies of the following titles exclusively available at the Brooklyn Flea Record Fair on May 4th, remaining copies are available here.

TAT01 Das Ding / Les Yeux Interdits
TAT03 Les Yeux Interdits
TAT04 Das Ding - Authentic Fiction
TAT05 Schedelvreter - Hunker
HSTA Das Ding - Highly Sophisticated Technological Achievement

Tear Apart Tapes stationary (not for sale):

Five Times Of Dust - The Dadacomputer (cassette)

2013-04-21T01:33:30+00:00

We’re proud to present a limited edition reissue of one of our favorite cassettes, The Dadacomputer. The Dadacomputer was the first incarnation of what would later become Five Times Of Dust. It was the result of a collaboration between Robert Lawrence and Mark Phillips who came together during the summer of 1981 living between Bristol and Cardiff, UK. They collaborated by sending tapes back and forth through the mail and also worked together in their respective home studios. Later that year, they self-released The Dadacomputer on both MAP tapes and Quick Stab. Roughly 100 copies were made in total and soon sold out.

We discovered the tape a few years back with great excitement and favored one track in particular, Computer Bank. Soon after we tracked down Robert Lawrence and licensed it for The Hidden Tapes compilation. The track was an instant hit, both at home and on the dance floor. The limited cassette run of The Dadacomputer will be released on May 4th, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Flea Record Fair. It is essentially an introduction to the world of Five Times Of Dust. A double LP of selections from the vast Five Times Of Dust archives (over 15 hours of recordings) will soon follow, slated for release in July 2013.

Sandra Plays Electronics - Her Needs 7”

2013-02-27T17:53:56+00:00

We’re very honored to announce a 7” release of primitive D.I.Y. electronics by Sandra Plays Electronics, a project founded by Karl O’Connor (Regis) whilst he was a teenager living in Birmingham, England in the 1980s. O’Connor, mostly known for his pioneering work in the techno field (as Regis, Sandwell District, British Murder Boys, and various other entities) as well as his Downwards label, began playing and recording his own music when he was 16 years old. He collaborated with friends performing in short-lived bands such as Family Sex and also recorded on his own as Sandra Plays Electronics. He was heavily influenced by D.A.F., Liaisons Dangereuses, Cabaret Voltaire and Soft Cell, to name a few and would eventually collaborate with Robert Görl and also Chrislo Haas in the late 90s. The tracks we are presenting here are two versions of the same song, Her Needs, both recorded in Birmingham, England. The first was recorded in 1988 during soundcheck at the College of Food And Domestic Arts and the second was recorded in 1999 (from the Man Has Responsibilities session) at the Ice House. Pressed on heavy weight 70 gram ultra clear vinyl, the 7” is housed in a matte double sided printed sleeve. Limited to 999 numbered copies, the release will be out on March 18th.

The KVB - Immaterial Visions LP

2013-02-25T16:17:51+00:00

We’re very proud to announce a new release by the UK duo known as The KVB via our sublabel Cititrax. Combining shoegaze guitars, minimal synth melodies, hypnotic drum machine rhythms and reverb drenched vocals, The KVB was first formed in 2010 as the solo project of Klaus Von Barrel. He was later joined by his girlfriend Kat Day, who added synthesizers and abstract visual elements. Their sound can be described as dark, layered, complex and moody – an icy atmosphere juxtaposed by the warmth of distorted guitars.

Aside from actively touring, they have had quite a few releases in this short time span, including a limited edition cassette on FLA Records (“The Black Sun”), a 10” vinyl EP on Downwards Records (“Into The Night”) and two releases on Clan Destine Records (“Subjection/Subordination” and “Always Then”). Inspired by what we heard on these releases along with the recent inclusion of Dayzed on Downward’s So Click Heels Compilation, we felt the time was right to present a full length album of The KVB’s latest material. The record will be pressed on 180 gram ultra clear vinyl, housed in a high gloss printed heavy sleeve, limited to 999 copies. Sound samples linked below.

Aside from the 8 tracks featured on the Immaterial Visions LP, we’re also happy to announce that there will be a limited edition vinyl release of remixes of select tracks from the album. The release will include remixes by Regis, Silent Servant, In Aeternam Vale, and Shifted and will be available as a 12” EP. More news on this soon.

Streetwalker - Future Fusion LP

2013-02-01T16:56:19+00:00

We are excited to announce the release of a highly anticipated debut album by Streetwalker on our sublabel Cititrax. Chicago duo Streetwalker, comprised of molecular biologist Beau Wanzer (Mutant Beat Dance/L.I.E.S) and electronic music aesthete Elon Katz (White Car/Hippos in Tanks), wrote their debut album ‘Future Fusion’ over the course of two years. Through endless experimentation and analog improvisation, they have constructed an entirely new sound showcasing vibrant hand-played synthesizer, vulnerable vocals, and serpentine drum lines.
Streetwalker’s distinct song structures are characterized as much by restraint, timing, and subtle shift as by the cyclic abandon of the loop. Having recorded the entire album over one humid weekend in the Chicago studio, Minbal, the duo’s recording process mirrored this tension. Much like a rock record, each track was recorded entirely live to 1 inch tape - no overdubs, no MIDI programming - and then painstakingly mixed with digital precision during the six months that followed.
In line with this principle of handcrafted reconfiguration, artwork for the LP was produced in collaboration with digital artist Spencer Longo (IMG Masters/The Jogging), who harvested images and textures from Wanzer’s extensive collection of classic sci-fi and horror editorial to construct an anachronistically futuristic interface.
Finally, the selections were beautifully mastered for vinyl. The entire process has taken some time and the resulting sound is stunning. The album is pressed on 160 gram vinyl housed in a matte printed sleeve. Limited to 999 copies, the release will be available on February 5th, 2013. Sound samples linked below.

Veronica DJ Gigs February / March 2013

2013-01-22T19:27:48+00:00

Veronica Vasicka will be DJing some select dates EU dates this February and March 2013.

February 15th in London, UK
w/ Trevor Jackson
at Bar A Bar
133-135 Stoke Newington Road
Stoke Newington
London N16 8BT
10pm-4am
http://www.huntleyspalmers.com/hp-veronica-vasicka-trevor-jackson/
http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?441179

February 16th in Glasgow, UK
w/ Trevor Jackson
at La Cheetah
73 Queen Street
G13BZ Glasgow
United Kingdom
11pm-3am
http://www.huntleyspalmers.com/hp-veronica-vasicka-trevor-jackson/
http://www.facebook.com/events/406067752800851/

February 22nd in Stockholm, Sweden
Huset under bron AB
Hammarby Slussväg 2
118 60 Stockholm
Sweden
10pm-
http://www.husetunderbron.se/

February 23rd in Malmö, Sweden
w/ FRAK live
Babel Malmö
Spångatan 38
Malmö, Sweden
9pm-3am
http://www.facebook.com/events/326173320831784/
http://www.facebook.com/Bermudadans

March 7th in Bucharest, Romania
TBA

March 8th in Milan, Italy
TBA
http://discosafari.com/

March 9th in Paris, France
w/ Peter Van Hoesen & Clement Meyer
presented by Get The Curse
Rex Club
5 bd Poissonnière
75002 Paris
France
12-7am
http://www.rexclub.com
http://www.getthecurse.com/

Das Kabinette - Spy Thriller LP

2013-01-18T23:52:39+00:00

Due to popular demand, we have decided to do a limited repress of our tenth release by Blackpool band Das Kabinette. They were known mainly for their underground hit “The Cabinet”, which was originally released as a 7” single in 1983, and later appeared on V/A The Minimal Wave Tapes : Volume 1 in 2010. The song is inspired by the 1920 classic silent horror film The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, a highly influential film of the German expressionistic era. The film is themed around: the madness of society, the inner workings of the human mind and the paranoia of a country in the aftermath of a war. Fascinated and inspired by both the themes and visuals of the film, Das Kabinette wrote the song “The Cabinet” during their second visit to the studio in 1983, and self-released it later that year on their own Klosette Records label. They also created a primitive video whilst at art college, to go along with the song. “The Cabinet” was aired on BBC Radio 1 on several occasions and was a solid underground hit. Unfortunately the band dissolved several years later. We made contact with them in 2007 and aside from remastering the 7” single tracks, culled together a collection of unreleased studio tracks. Those were then released in January 2008 as Spy Thriller. The record sold out quickly soon after. Finally, we present to you a repress of Spy Thriller on 180 gram ultra clear vinyl, limited to 999 hand numbered copies complete with a heavy weight die-cut matte jacket, with a printed inner sleeve which shows through the window. Lyrics included on the innersleeve. Vinyl will be available in early March 2013. Digital release to follow.

The Cabinet (1983)

The mysterious Doctor Sonnow
Over the asylum now presides
In his alias as Doctor Caligari
The fairground’s a dark place to hide

“In my cabinet lies Cesare
Who has slept these twenty five years
Cesare knows all secrets
Ask him to look into your future”

“How long shall I live?”
“Until dawn”
“How long shall I live?”
“Until dawn”

In the cabinet of Doctor Caligari
Lies Cesare with his black-lidded eyes
The somnambulist awaits the Doctor’s commands
And obeys as another man dies

In Doctor Caligari’s cabinet
Cesare knows all secrets
In Doctor Caligari’s cabinet
Cesare knows all secrets

Over the rooftops of Holstenwall
Cesare carries off a girl named Jane
The ensuing downfall of the Doctor comes
When they find that he, himself, is insane
(In the cabinet)

R.I.P. Gérard Pelletier (1952-2013)

2013-01-02T23:34:47+00:00

It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of Gérard Pelletier, one of our most beloved artists and founder of the French synthpop duo known as Deux. Gérard was born on January 15th, 1952 and passed away on January 1st, 2013 at 8:30 in the morning, quietly and without suffering, in his home in Cannes.

When asked about Deux several years ago, Gérard recalled, “I was in Germany when I heard Kraftwerk for the first time. It was a revelation for me… and I thought “I want to make electronic music” ! A month later, I took the train to Strasbourg with the intention of buying a synthesizer and I found my first electronic machine, a Kawai made of metal and wood. It was a sound research machine, not very easy to use but I found it very powerful to create my own sounds. I began to sing with other friends of mine every Saturday night and so started the beginning of what would become Deux. In 1979, I decided to leave Germany and return to France. I found a work place in Lyon (the 2nd largest city in France). I was also working on my music every weekend but I was alone. Then one day, I met Cati and I spoke with that magical girl about music the entire night. Deux was born”

May his spirit live on through the beautiful music he created with Cati Tête. Rest in peace Gérard Pelletier (1952-2013), you will never be forgotten.

Listen to the special Minimal Wave show on East Village Radio, archived from January 6th, 2013. http://www.eastvillageradio.com/shows/player/main.php?p=1280&f=1280-45887-20130106