Minimal Wave Releases

Unreal Personality

2013-05-14T23:45:32+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 999 hand-numbered copies accompanied by matte printed postcard of “August 1975” by Jennifer Griffiths.

Immaterial Visions Remixes

2013-05-14T12:20:28+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 is out now 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. Digital release to follow.

Tear Apart Tapes - Assorted

2013-05-06T19:52:59+00:00

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. Exclusively available via Minimal Wave:

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

The Dadacomputer

2013-04-25T18:08:01+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.

Minimal Wave T-Shirt (Black)

2013-04-03T01:39:20+00:00

Minimal Wave logo silkscreened on a 100% cotton black t-shirt.

Minimal Wave T-Shirt (Charcoal Grey)

2013-04-03T01:31:04+00:00

Minimal Wave logo silkscreened on a 100% cotton charcoal grey t-shirt.

Her Needs

2013-03-18T10:23:14+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, Ugandan Methods 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 foldover sleeve. Limited to 999 hand-numbered copies.

Spy Thriller

2013-02-27T18:28:06+00:00

The tenth release on Minimal Wave, presented in a special die-cut jacket, is Das Kabinette’s Spy Thriller LP. Two of the tracks: The Cabinet and Fudge It first appeared on their 7” release in 1983, and are now highly sought after. The Cabinet became a cult dance floor hit, and received much airplay on radio shows in Europe and the US throughout the 80’s until now. The other tracks are great previously unreleased studio recordings. The LP is presented in a heavy weight matte die-cut jacket, with printed inner sleeve which shows through the window. Limited to 500 numbered copies and pressed on 180 gram vinyl. A second edition of 999 numbered copies pressed on ultra clear 180 gram vinyl is now available.

Immaterial Visions

2013-01-27T20:35:40+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 is pressed on 180 gram ultra clear vinyl, housed in a high gloss printed heavy sleeve, limited to 999 copies. Release date: February 26, 2013.

12” EP of remixes to follow, featuring Regis, Silent Servant, In Aeternam Vale, Worn, and Shifted.

Future Fusion

2013-01-08T22:02:51+00:00

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.

The record is pressed on 160 gram vinyl and comes in a matte printed sleeve, lined in black. Release date: February 5th, 2013.